To think that GPs shouldn't be promoting this sexist, outdated rubbish?!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Incredibly, this offensive, misogynistic, outdated publication is still being officially endorsed by the Royal College of General Practitioners.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.)

I get a flash of morning sickness just at the words Emma’s Diary.

Twitter thread is great!

I liked my bounty rep, got some great photos of baby at 1 day old. But i had already decided to have the photos done before i went into labour.

You're not wrong about Emma's Diary, it's ridiculous!

Emma's Diary is grim - it's been around since I had my first in 2002 and probably before that. It's not educational in the slightest, it's just a marketing thing trying to sell you shite.

Almost as bad as Bounty.

I loved your Twitter thread! Glad to see Emma's Diary is as much of a vapid guilttripping mess as it was a few years ago.

Nick works in sales and he and his colleagues call themselves "The A-Team" and go out and get plastered every time they meet their monthly target. How Emma could bring herself to have sex with him I can't imagine.

Oh and there was a bit where one of Emma's friends has to have an amniocentesis and Emma was all "ooh, scary, glad it's not me!" and THAT WAS IT.

I feel I both have, and haven't missed out - I had my first baby elsewhere (although started in the UK), and only got the big purple book of pregnancy (which was slightly useful) - no Emma's Diary to annoy me. Then for the second, who I did have in the UK, they pretty much refused to give me anything, since they only gave it out to first timers!

I'm going to go and read your tweets now.

Your twitter feed is hilarious.

But yes, that Emma's Diary thing is awful. I don't remember it so either I blanked it out or my partner binned it. I do remember some similar type of thing that was nominally aimed at mums and 'anyone else supporting them' but was full of the same sort of 'OMG you fatty fatty 39 weeker, SHAVE THAT MINGE or your husband will think you're a hairy lezzer' type of bullshit. It is depressing.

Brilliant blog, OP, but why did you use gender, instead of sex? You’re a doctor. Please don’t use that nasty, misogynistic term in place of the word sex. If I’ve misunderstood your intention, I’m sorry.

Hahaha yes. I have the taste of ginger biscuits in my mouth at the memory of it. Will sign. And yes. The Bounty woman got short shrift from my brother, who was already alarmed by my 3rd day weeping fits when he visited me in hospital !

I feel robbed that I was denied this particular publication whilst pregnant with my children, I needed a laugh.

I actually want to read this!

Signed OP. Good work. We need more GPs like you.

Lord is it still going!!?

It's awful. Signed your petition. Totally agree with you.

What the heck! I had Emma's diary 22 years ago! It was absolute crap back then. It also seemed really outdated then, so how long has it been around? .

So happy to see this thread, I thought I was the only person to feel this way! Emma is a nightmare and Nick is possibly even worse... I was particularly appalled at the comments about not being able to focus on work because of spending time thinking about tiny babies (honestly how Victorian can you get - Emma probably shouldn't even be in the workplace as her hysterical nature could pose risks to those around her), and the shared parental leave comments. I can only hope that this drivel is still being peddled due to an overstretched NHS not having the capacity to review it in decades, rather than because anyone believes it could be considered plausible. Petition signed.

I don't even particularly remember Bounty packs or the Bounty woman, or not associating the word "Bounty" with anything other than a chocolate bar, anyway. I was handed a pack of something in early pregnancy at the hospital, I kept some free vouchers and nappy samples and binned the rest. A woman came to take a photo of DD1 and DD2 each time, which I agreed to and bought the cheapest option.

Is this just an English thing? Never had this in Scotland...never heard of it..but it sounds awful.

I don't remember this. I must have binned it. The amount of crap thrust upon pregnant women by the NHS is shocking though. Bounty in particular should be told to fuck right off.

I remember reading Emma's Diary and thinking it must have been a spoof to cheer me up.

I loved my diaries can't remember the first one's but Emma's diary was the last one with dd aged 14 now.
i liked all the info, couldn't fault it really.

Signed

I still can't believe they allow Bounty reps on maternity wards at all. It should be stopped.

Emma's Diary is just terrible! There is a lot of shite out there pedalled at pregnant women (I know only too well having had two children in the last 2.5 years) however the fact that both of these are endorsed/given out/encouraged by the NHS is shocking.

I remember it from when I had DS who's now 23! Thought it was outdated twaddle even back in 1995.