Comments on: This woman gave birth five days ago.

By: KellieB

KellieB — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:22:42 +0000

If you look closely I think she is kind of smiling cos she knows there are cameras but the look definitely says “ouww, these pantyhose are hurting – too soon – I’m dumb – bastard boss who wanted this paper today!!”

By: Petal

Petal — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:40:56 +0000

How she managed to put stockings and a skirt on 5 days after a caesar is beyond me – I bet she ran straight home to those trackies.

By: JB

JB — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:56:08 +0000

I am not outraged by this woman’s decision to go back to work, that is her choice. The fact that she looks fantastic is great.
I am, however, concerned on the child’s behalf. I fail to understand why women feel that it is all about them, and what is in their best interest, after giving birth. There is a very small, innocent person that is given NO choice and it is assumed that is what is best for the mother automatically is best for the baby. I agree that there are many different ways to handle motherhood, I just think that more thought should go into the what is in the best interests of the child. I seriously question that it is in the best interests of this child for the mother to be back at work within this time frame.

By: Peta

Peta — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 04:36:11 +0000

I’m a little bit outraged by “There are no ill effects by a quick return to work.” Maybe not physically (all though I also doubt that) But what about emotionally and mentally. Not to mention the baby will have been left with someone who is totally unfamiliar at 5 days old. I went back to work when my son was 4 months old, had to pay the mortgage & all that, I was at the time the main breadwinner in the household and I paid very dearly for that and so did my son. Sometimes we have to do what we have to do but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t bite you on the bum later. The worst thing about this is that the media attention surrounding it will put pressure on women.

By: Makaleka

Makaleka — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:14:29 +0000

Well, either that’s a carefully posed photo, and she couldn’t stand up straight anyway, or French doctors have developed a marvellous new method of performing a caesarean – nothing stitched (lasers?) and nothing to heal.
Or else, the woman’s an idiot.

By: Ali J

Ali J — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:40:03 +0000

Hmmm …. ‘young mother’ … hate to burst the bubble, but in French that really means ‘new mother’ (I speak as a professional translator), it is not referring to her age. To say ‘woman’, you always add ‘jeune’ (young) before it, it just sounds more polite (goes back to the old term for prostitutes, ‘filles’ (‘girls’) so ‘jeune fille’ sounds nicer). The French language makes a lot of things sound nicer; it doesn’t mean their attitudes are more sophisticated at all. In fact, French women are under enormous pressure to conform to an impossible physical ideal. Their media is even more intense than ours, if that is possible.
Agree with all the comments that it is a scary thing to see someone 5 days post-caesar strutting around in high heels – maybe she is still on opiates and that explains why she looks so happy with herself?
Also think that this does not help the cause of women getting a better deal after having babies … At least they have some maternity leave in France, but not that much.
But let’s not get deluded here … this lady is from the French version of the Liberal Party. Sarkozy is a young John Howard. Just because he has a glammy wife and someone from North African background (Racida) in his parliament, it doesn’t mean he’s progressive …
Put it this way, she’s not MY role model …

By: Rosie

Rosie — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:09:12 +0000

Cath said it all for me.

By: Lu

Lu — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:43:02 +0000

Good for her if thats what she wants to do. But that is the whole point. Once you have a baby its not all about you any more – there is a baby who has needs too. Thats why there are laws in place for most people. To make sure they leave work a certain amount of time before their baby is due and stay home for a certain period of time after its birth.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:22:05 +0000

Umm what about the 16 weeks of paid maternity leave people! Australia REALLY needs to get with the program!

By: lesley

lesley — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:12:30 +0000

Cath, couldn’t agree with you more! I think we’ve got to stop making assumptions and judging and give women a break. If the French Justice Minister feels up to going back to work so soon after giving birth, good on her. It’s not up to me to start telling her how she should be behaving