Yes I agree. There has to be a line somewhere and I think this should be one of them. Everyone is entitled to their opinion absolutely, be who you would like to be within reason, but not at the cost of others along the way. It’s become a touchy subject and definitely feels like you can’t even speak up as a woman about how it makes you feel without being seen as a phobic of some sort.
definitely agree
It's such a tricky subject, I get both sides and I understand why and would never want to make someone feel uncomfortable or left out and I have no issues with people being who they want to be, if anything I encourage it, but at the same time i do agree.
Doesn't make a bit of difference to me. I am a mam and the wording on some random generic hypnobirthing course (or maternity policy, or whatever) will never change that or have the ability to dampen the experience. If I'm honest, I don't understand how inclusive language changes anything for you? You are a person having a baby and a woman and a mother (plus anything else you want to add to this list) and it's magic. All those things can be true!
100% agree with you! The world is cooked
I really don’t think there should be any terms and conditions attached to using the word MOTHER 😩!!!! But it shouldn’t take anything away from you, you are a mother and nothing will ever take away from that 🙏🏾💕. Just click continue.
What's being taken away from you, exactly? Are you still going to be a mother? Yes. Will you still be able to refer to yourself as a mother? Yes. Will your friends and family, and most of all your child, refer to you this way? Yes. Will it be any less magical because of a phrase used on a website? Only if you let it! I literally have no idea why this makes you feel like an "incubator".
Both sides have a point... However, no-one else's experience or the language a generic course uses takes away from the special side of it for me. I'd rather be inclusive for the few than expect traditional words, because that's all they are - words. And if changing a word gives hope or warmth to someone already in what can be a difficult place (where fitting in with society is concerned) then I'm certainly okay with that.
It does irk me a little, I wouldn't like to be called a birthing or gestational parent, it isn't hard to say the mother OR birthing parent. That way it can be inclusive of everyone, because of that it feels more like they're only being inclusive of the minority who prefer non traditional descriptors. It would be easy enough to use both wordings and address the individual however they prefer.
@Zaza That’s what I’ve been doing. Just clicking continue, taking a breath, justifying it, being mindful of others. And I’ve reached a point where I’m okay with not being okay with it. I know some people won’t understand, and that’s fair. However, to me, the words “mother”, “woman”, “female” carry this incredible feminine energy that I feel is getting lost in the world because we’re too polite. Again, I support everyone’s choice to be who they want to be, identify however they want to, but I don’t understand why it needs to be at the expense of the language. I don’t agree with “it’s just words”, words carry a lot of power. That’s why we pray, chant, bless… because words carry energy, and energy is power. Removing the sacred “mother” from the language is taking that away. I’m so thankful to each and every one of you beautiful souls for taking the time to give your opinion. ✨
No and I think this is where people get confused and have very prejudiced and negative views in this area. At no point in that message does it say that you cannot call yourself a mother. Nor does it say you cannot use the word mother to describe someone else. It doesn't even say mother anywhere. All it says is that THEY will use some inclusive labels. There is no expectation on you and nothing is being taken away from you. It is not about controlling everyone else or taking anything away from anyone. It is about ADDING other people into the same criteria. They may not be comfortable with the term mother for themselves but at no point have they said you cannot use it. It's just asking people to be mindful of more inclusive terms in certain environments like training courses and medical environments.
Personally, no, I don't feel like changing language to include more people takes anything away from me. I am female and in a heterosexual relationship. I am also the birthing person in my relationship as I am the one carrying our child. I do not see it as excluding me to refer to "birthing people" rather than "mothers/women" as I am both. If it helps someone who is carrying their child and does not identify as female to feel included in their own pregnancy journey and celebrate their own "superpower" as you put it without being made to feel like an outsider, then I am more than happy to use more inclusive language. Making things more equal for some people does not make it less equal for others.