完形填空 It would be very hard to deny that pregnancy is a taxing process for women. The physical effects of pregnancy alone can make for eye-watering reading (literally: eye-watering is one potential side-effect), let alone the psychological ones. Pregnancy can be, and often is, the most stressful and demanding period of a woman's life, at least in the biological sense.
    As a result, many women find they need as much information, help and support as possible during pregnancy. But depressingly often, a line can be crossed from 'helpful' to 'oppressive'. As soon as a woman becomes pregnant, many seem to think she is now public property.     41   
    It's an understandable occurrence; countless people have direct experience with pregnancy, so feel well informed on the matter. Combine this with the fact that it blatantly invokes the 'think of the children!' response and you get a lot of people with strong opinions and an assumed moral obligation to share them.
        42    Just this month we had the baffling report which claimed smoking during pregnancy causes the child to turn gay, via mechanisms that are no doubt 100% plausible and not at all exaggerated. And just recently there is the research that claims a pregnant woman's fatty diet may alter a baby's brain. This latest report is actually based on a study in mice. It's a bit alarmist to imply a phenomenon only just observed in animal studies definitely occurs in humans, but better safe than sorry.
    Not that diet affecting pregnancy is a new concept. It already causes diabetes and alters DNA of the foetus.     43    We don't want women thinking they can stop being body conscious, just because there's someone else inside it. But they mustn't overdo it though, being underweight is not ideal either. But then again, neither is being too tall or too short, and what exactly they're expected to do about that is anyone's guess.
    As for what pregnant women can eat, that's a whole other minefield. And it's not as if it's all consistent, either.     44    Surely carrying a baby is stressful enough without having to shop around for quantum legumes? It's enough to drive you to drink.
    Except that's not allowed either; drinking while visibly pregnant often elicits the same sort of response as applauding at a funeral. Smoking is arguably worse again. Having so much to deal with while everyone is dictating and judging your behaviour and your hormones are engaged in all-out warfare with each other, without the option of any of the typical unhealthy comforts we allow ourselves, is bound to prove very stressful.     45   
    At least once the baby is born, it's all over then. Every pregnant woman, like every human, is different, and can experience the process in ways that are poles apart from those of others. And sadly, there are plenty of expectant mothers out there with problems of their own that mean they genuinely do need this level of involvement and observation in order to protect the child. However, assuming that this is the default norm is doing a huge disservice to the majority of capable pregnant women.
    A. Even if you genuinely believe the foetus's well-being is unquestionably the priority over the mother's, this is bad. Oxygen is a priority over food and water for humans, but excluding them is just as harmful in the long term.
    B. For example, don't eat peanuts as they increase the risk of a child developing allergies. As well as that, do eat peanuts because they decrease the risk of a child developing allergies. So pregnant women are meant to both increase and decrease their peanut intake.
    C. This may prove stressful enough for pregnant women, but luckily the mainstream media is always on hand to dispense more warnings and restrictions regarding pregnant women's behaviour, lest they start thinking they can relax for a minute.
    D. Aside from the odd deeply cynical marketing strategy, it's probably fair to say that it's all a result of good intentions; people are just trying to help. And that's fine; it's nice when people want to help.
    E. Being overweight in general is also bad if you're pregnant. Luckily, pregnant women never feel the urge to eat a lot of weird food or anything. Of course, if they do, then at least dieting is safe.
    F. Expectant mothers are regularly bombarded by (usually unsolicited) advice, tips, warnings and a worrying number of horror stories about pregnancies gone wrong. These are all given with a view to being helpful, which is nice but makes complaining seem somewhat churlish.
    G. Except that's bad too; stress is very harmful to a baby, so if you're an expectant mother you'd better learn to find the whole process wonderfully relaxing ASAP, or you're risking harm to the baby and therefore a terrible human being.

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