To think that GPs shouldn't be promoting this sexist, outdated rubbish?!

[NotTheNiceLadyDoctor]

I've namechanged for this, for reasons that will become obvious!

I'm a GP in the Midlands. I'm also currently 23 weeks pregnant with my first child. When I had my booking appointment with my midwife back in July, she gave me a big pack of stuff, which included Emma's Diary. For those of you who haven't had the grim experience of reading this particular publication, it's a booklet which mixes medical information about pregnancy with the fictionalised pregnancy diary of an idiot called Emma. The diary is peppered with all kinds of offensive comments and attitudes. The diary section normalises unhealthy attitudes towards weight gain and body image, and promotes pregnancy breast growth as a happy perk because it'll make men fancy you more, rather than because your boobs are preparing to feed a baby. Emma becomes so forgetful at work that she can barely do her job and wishes she'd gone on maternity leave as early as legally possible. It also promotes very dated attitudes about gender and relationships.

If you don't have a copy to hand, my Twitter thread last month gives a flavour of the kind of crap Emma's Diary is filled with: twitter.com/DrHFRyan/status/1025280307015168000

Incredibly, this offensive, misogynistic, outdated publication is still being officially endorsed by the Royal College of General Practitioners. I have a huge, huge problem with this as a GP. I don't think that family doctors should be normalising these kinds of attitudes about pregnancy, body image, and gender roles.

Personally, I'd like nothing more than for Emma's Diary to fall off the face of the earth, but as a compromise, I'd feel a lot happier if the Royal College of GPs wasn't associated with it in any way. Can I please ask you to sign my petition if you feel the same way?

www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-rcgp-endorsing-emmas-diary.html

If you happen to be a doctor - I know there are a few of us on here! - you can also read my blog for Pulse magazine on the subject: www.pulsetoday.co.uk/views/blogs/dr-heather-ryan/a-right-royal-mess-why-is-rcgp-still-endorsing-emmas-diary/20037467.article

(To be clear, I am very much speaking in my personal capacity here, and not as a representative of my GP surgery or any of the organisations I'm involved with.)

Agree. It is a load of outdated shite.

I complained about this about 10 years ago - I also complained about the 'bounty' rep arriving at my bedside and shrieking at me for 15 mins when I was trying to establish breast feeding. The staff refused to make her leave and she was literally stood over me shouting and trying to force me to fill in a form. I still feel quite cross about it all now...... I wonder if they are DBS checked?

I didn’t like it from the moment I read the smuggy-smugness about not drinking while TTC.

Your Twitter thread is BRILLIANT!

I agree with you. I remember making this face at Emma's Diary when I had my daughter nearly 16 years ago. I have signed your petition.

Annoying I agree. (But then I went on a hospital ante-natal course where we were told to bathe baby at 5pm so we could have hubby's dinner on the table in time....So my bullshit acceptance level is probably high).

Absolutely. Crock of crap. Well done!

Urgh. I hated it, that and bounty. Such bollocks. And I'm still getting cold calls from all the many many companies Bounty sold my details too 7 years later - as the form was handed over by a midwife I naively assumed my details were needed so i filled the dam thing in, and I'm normally so guarded about who i give my data to.

Thank you all! Don't get me started on Bounty - I am going to have "NO BOUNTY REPS" in capital letters in my birth plan!

Your twitter thread

I remember reading the Emma’s Diary shit with my first like this . I’ve avoided it completely in subsequent pregnancies! YANBU.

I read the first bit of Emma's Diary and binned it straight away and most of the bounty rubbish. I've only got the folder still as its a handy size to keep notes in.

You know, shared parental leave works even when the man is shockingly earning more.....its called planning and saving for the experience.

Oh god! Emma’s Diary. Horrible flashback.
I can’t believe that monstrosity is still staggering on. With you all the way.

Signed

I am now re-reading my Twitter thread and am reminded that Nick is a total bastard and Emma needs to LTB. Someone needs to get that woman onto the Relationships board!

Week 9. What a surprise: Nick earns more than Emma!

^^

YANBU and your twitter feed is brilliant!

I just read your twitter.

You are very funny!

But Emma's Diary is god awful. How is that being given to pg woman as a matter of course?!?!?!

Emma’s diary is absolute bullocks. Total bullshit. My hospitals (both times) were luckily brilliant about keeping the bounty reps away from me and my midwife with DC2 totally understood when I declined to take the pack of crap from her at booking in.

I liked it for the packs of freebies but i totally agree you. It doesn't get much better after you've had the baby as well with things like "you baby at 7 months will be crawling and probably pulling themselves to a standing position" when nearly every other early years guide stresses that all babies are different and do different things in their own time.
It's outdated and sometimes unrealistic and very yuppie although I'm not sure it's msyoginistic

I hated Emma's diary. It's been over 14 years since I had mine but it was patronising bullshit back then.

That twitter thread is hilarious! Thanks for a good laugh! Completely agree.

I can’t believe that’s still going. My oldest is 19 and I had Emma’s Diary...

I saw your title and came on to tell you about your own twitter thread

I had two DDs in the last 13 years and have literally never seen this in my life before. Either my GPs/midwives thought it was a load of nonsense and didn't give it out, or I binned it without reading it with a load of other bumpf.