'Pregnancy is a choice' 'Pregnancy is not an illness', 'to help the recession we should cut all maternity benefits'

[Bumperlicious]

These are all things that were said on my work newsgroups today (think mumnset, but misogynistic twats).

How do you deal with attitudes like this? I know I shouldn't engage, especially not at work and need to remember that it is not mumsnet, but I couldn't help myself so I just said that I though it was more of a choice to not have children than to have children, and listed all of the numerous symptoms I have been suffering this pregnancy and said tell me now it's not an illness. I also said that maternity rights and sex discrimination laws exists to protect against such attitudes.

I'm just astounded that people would say things like that I am not sure of the best way to respond, bearing in mind this is a corporate system. I know I am just being sensitive because it is so salient for me, but such wankers really get on my nerves. And they won't be reasoned with, they will just carry on with their twatish ways.

My previous boss also tried the whole 'it's your choice to have children' thing. I just think that it is such a crappy thing to say but just can't articulate a response.

My employer is scrupulous, so no worries on that score. My biggest issue is that I already feel bad about being pregnant at work (though why the hell should I?) and already I worry these are things that people think about me. Fortunately these aren't nearby colleagues and are just twats who work across the ether...

I will complain about the thread, though don't want to make a big fuss as they might take the step of removing the whole lot (it is already a tenuous privilege, the non-work related stuff anyway) which I wouldn't want. I just have to remind myself that it is not mumsnet and I need to be careful what I say as I, unlike these idiots, don't want to get into trouble.

Definition of 'illness' from thefreedictionary.com:

Noun 1. illness - impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism

Yep, that sounds like my pregnancies.

If it makes you ill, it's an illness.

Foreign invading body causing ill health.

V sorry to hear that Lunatic but glad that you are still with us and able to slag off men make good points on Mumsnet.

There are a lot of things that are not illness.

So lets see disability benefits cut for those who are blind, deaf, missing limbs etc.

Lets see an end to the NHS giving treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Birth rates dropping in this country anyway and the immigrants are not going to come forever to work for crap pay.