A major drug company earlier this week substantiated the greatest fear of every woman who has ever relied on “the pill” to prevent pregnancy – some of their packets of the “Lo/Ovral-28” drug and its generics versions may have been produced incorrectly and may not block pregnancy after all.
Join me in my horror, will you, as I glance down at my 8-month-pregnant-self and say “nooooo” with all the disbelief and shock of someone who realized she was pregnant after more than a month of taking a similar pill.
And what of all those preggos (like myself) at your duty station? How many of them swear (again, just like me) that they were on some kind of birth control pill when they conceived?
Mmmhmm. That’s exactly what I thought.
Now, before I induce mass panic, let’s establish some facts about this particular recall. Seventy-five million packets of birth control are prescribed in the US every year and only one million of those are being recalled. Since Lo-Ovral is not even one of the top-five prescribed kinds on the market, you probably aren’t taking it, and you probably don’t know anyone who is or who has gotten pregnant while using it. The message from experts commenting on the subject is, still, “trust the pill.”
As it turns out, I cannot blame my soon-to-born baby on Pfizer and their bad pills. And for the record, I in no way am sad that we will soon be welcoming son number two into the world.
But with the return of so many servicemembers from Iraq and the constant coming and goings on bases worldwide, I still wonder how many spouses will not get the memo and suddenly find themselves surprised at the need to up the number of dependents on next year’s tax return? Will the first name “Pfizer” suddenly become popular on bases everywhere?
About Amy Bushatz
Comments
Such a sad post. I would hope they would be happy about it – planned or not.
I think you've perhaps misunderstood. Amy stated, "And for the record, I in no way am sad that we will soon be welcoming son number two into the world." She wasn't speaking for anyone else either who stated that they were unhappy with an unplanned pregnancy.
Exactly — what I'm saying is that people take birth control for a reason, and one of those reasons may be that RIGHT NOW isn't the best time in their lives to have a child. Deployments, spouses struggling with injuries, upcoming moves, etc. The military is full of very good reasons to do a little family planning. If you are relying on a medication to make that happen finding out that something you trusted may not be doing you right is surprising and, for some people, upsetting.
I know I wouldn't be happy about an unplanned pregnancy and I don't find it sad that I feel that way. As a Soldier, becoming pregnant at a time when I am not wanting to affects my job. I can't deploy, I can't work at the same level that I currently am, and it makes it more difficult to get promoted. A baby doesn't currently figure into my career plans. I know the only 100% way of not getting pregnant is to not have sex but I'm not going to deprive myself or my husband from that. If I'm currently on birth control then I expect it to at least be helping me prevent pregnancy from happening and if it's not working at all because of a screw-up on their part then yes, I'm going to be angry about that because it puts me in a situation that I am not planning on in this point in time. Maybe if I wasn't a Soldier on top of being a spouse I could deal with this at this point in time, but I have a job that being pregnant affects heavily into.
You know its sad my sister was actually taking that pill, and guess what?! she is pregnant, the doctor told her about the mess up when she had gone in.She already has one, they cant afford two, and she couldnt bring her self to abort, But they are trying to be happy. This is awful and I feel very bad for anyone who has fallen victim to it
I did not misunderstand. I still think it is very sad that anyone would not be happy when they found out they were pregnant. Don't do it if you can't risk gettting pregnant.
You must live in some wonderful world and wear rose colored glasses. So you think married couples should abstain completely if they don't want to risk a pregnancy? And I can think of many reasons why someone would be unhappy when they found out they were pregnant. Bad relationship, no relationship, ill health, age, financial. When I got pregnant with my last child I already had four, had lost a fifth to a heart defect, and was 42 years old, meaning I had a 1 in 36 chance of having a baby with Down's Syndrome. I also had hypertension and Type 2 diabetes, adding to the risks of pregnancy over 40. Oh, and I had already had 5 c-sections, adding another layer of risk to pregnancy and birth. It took me six months to get reconciled and mildy excited about having another baby. Being treated as a ticking time bomb by OB/Gyn's did not help.
I…I just can't with this. This comment is so ignorant it doesn't even warrant a proper response.
Which one?
The comment by Spouse2000. It's already sexist to insist women need to shut their legs, but to say that married women on birth control shouldn't have sex if they're not ready for a child is just insane.
Never said that!
"Don't do it if you can't risk getting pregnant."
THAT is YOUR comment. That sentence clearly says not to have sex if you don't want to risk getting pregnant unless it is referring to something else and if so, then what exactly is "it". Not sure how you can still try to say you didn't say that…
That's a lovely little world you live in but some of us like to have sex and the whole point of taking birth control for many of us is to allow us to do so while making a conscious effort to not also get pregnant. As I said above, we pretty much all realize it's not 100% effective but it is supposed to at least be close to that and to hear that they had to recall it due to it being ineffective is extremely bad. I'd rather not live in a sex-less marriage, I love to connect with my husband physically and frankly it makes me feel good too. I also know single friends of mine and friends who have boyfriends who enjoy having sex and I wish them all the best as long as they play it safe. You must have some kind of perfect life if you'd be happy even going on your 10th kid because every pregnancy is a blessing that you can handle financially, emotionally, mentally, physically. Pregnancy usually tends to go much better if it's planned.
I take it since you label yourself as "spouse2000" that you either have no job or one that it doesn't matter a bit if you get pregnant. But like I said before I am a Soldier and pregnancy plays very big into my career and if it's unplanned, it rarely tends to be a good thing. I would be happy if I planned it but if I didn't then why would I be? I'm not saying I would get rid of the baby or anything but I'm also not going to be happy that my plans will have changed, that my career will be put on hold, that I can't deploy, that I'm going to now have to come up with money for unplanned expenses, etc.
I'm sorry but some of us like to have sex and again I'm not going to deprive myself and my husband for the next 3 or so years just because we're not ready to have a baby right now. I guess some people can go with only have sex when they're good with having a baby but that would basically mean my husband and I would be in a sexless marriage except for maybe one year out of every 8 years and I just don't see that as something that most marriages would work well on. Again maybe being able to have a baby at any time would be fine with those spouses who aren't also Soldiers or any other physically demanding job, but not those of us who are.
I never said to not have sex. Where did you get that idea? Just said I think it is sad that people are not happy with a surprise pregnancy.
Yes you did. You said "don't do it if you can't risk getting pregnant". What else could you have meant by "it"?
The only people who would be happy by a surprise pregnancy are those who are either actively trying to get pregnant so they're prepared for what comes with it or those who are completely financially stable enough to afford one at that time and either don't have a job themselves (meaning the woman in this case) or have one where they can be pregnant with no consequences. Let me ask you, do you have a job? If so, what is it? Are you a Soldier? Because if you do or if you are, I would think that you'd be able to understand how much a surprise pregnancy would not be on some people's good news list. No one is saying that the person unhappy to hear they're pregnant wouldn't still love their baby and try to make it work, but unless you're actually in a place where having a baby will fit in with your lifestyle, then I don't think it's really a hard concept to get that this person would not be running around with joy at the news.
Is it really that difficult to get that a female Soldier trying to make a career for herself would run into difficultly doing so with a surprise, unplanned pregnancy? Maybe it's hard for someone to get who's a stay at home wife and/or mom to get this or even someone with a job that they can go to easily with nothing hurting them while pregnant or can easily leave their job while their Soldier husband takes over the money making because they have that "luxury". Your identity seems to be heavily wrapped around your husband (and your kids?) and I mainly say that because your name that you're using is just "spouse" which I usually equate with people who think of themselves as mainly that (and potentially by extension you're a mom too, no idea). But those of us who love being Soldiers and want to further progress in our careers and especially for those of us ready and able to deploy, suddenly finding out we're pregnant is not a good thing. I wouldn't be happy. I would still keep the baby and I have no doubt I would love the baby, but at this point in my life and career I would not be smiling if I found out I was pregnant. My husband and I are NOT trying to have a baby right now.
What about those people who are struggling financially? Should they be happy that they suddenly find themselves with a very expensive new addition to their lives? There are many more situations that a baby is not going to be seen as this wonderful, perfect blessing especially if the woman is caught by surprise. I'm sorry but you're sounding very naive. Not everyone is ready to have or even wanting a baby. If you can afford to just keep popping them out because every one is a happy occasion then more power to you but don't judge or look down on others who aren't excited to hear that they have something happening to them that they aren't prepared for or wanting at this point in time. Not everyone is wanting to put certain aspects of their lives on hold by a surprise like this. If you're so baby happy, wouldn't you rather know that a person having it has the right financial planning to properly take care of it and is in a good emotional, physical, mental, etc place to give it all the love and attention that it will need? That usually only truly happens when it's not a surprised, unplanned thing.
Sad.
Ha, okay, guess we'll have to agree to disagree. You enjoy your life of being a housewife living for your bunches of kids and husband (hope you have the money and mental fortitude to handle every little 'surprise' that you find coming your way and that you have at least something that keeps you going that has to do with just you and not live your life solely through your kids/family). I really hope you're not one of those wives who thinks they have the same rank as their husband and think that they have the "hardest job in the Army" because that's really what you're coming of as. Meanwhile I'll just enjoy my life with my husband while being a Soldier myself and fighting for this country alongside my other fellow Soldiers and with luck on my side, only have kids when my husband and I are both 100% ready and it isn't just some surprise that we aren't prepared to start.
Why the hate? Get over yourself – you know nothing about me and got it all wrong.
Just think it is sad that babies are not always welcome and parents/grandparents/siblings are waiting thrilled and with open arms.
Yes and the fact that you can't understand that means to me and clearly others too that you live in a very sheltered world where somehow having babies at completely random times always works out perfectly and that we should never have any emotions whatsoever with a surprise pregnancy but utter happiness. Sorry but that's naive to me and many others. I guess many of us aren't just "waiting" around thrilled to get news that we might be pregnant, some of us actually have jobs that we love and want to continue doing without having a little surprise come up. For those of us that this applies to, babies aren't the end all, be all to our existence and having one means a big change in our lives that we may not be wanting to have happen at this point in time.
Wow. I try to not be judgmental but I think you are a bit harsh to a lot of these other women. Yes a baby is a blessing. But do you not think a women who must deploy for a year after delivery would not see that as a a bad thing? That is not a blessing! and who are you to say a woman must have her tubes tied? It is HER body! The family that is currently going threw a financial struggle? We can't all live on base. Some of us don't have base housing and are forced to live in high cost areas. Utilities are high, food is high. cola and BAH does not cover all the cost and with raising gas prices and food. It can be a struggle. Personally I want a baby. But unfortunately a unplanned pregnancy for me would be dangerous due to medications I currently take for a medical condition. Major risks to a baby. I want a baby but the timing would be horrible for the baby. You really should be more sensitive to your comments to other women. You have no idea what is going on in their lives. How can you judge. Having a baby is a blessing but having it at the wrong time can take the joy out of it for a mother who wants to give her baby all her time and love. How can you not understand that? Planning for a baby enables a family to have the joy and excitement for their child, and not fear and apprehension. That is all a mother wants.
At age 42 you have a 1.5% chance of having a down syndrome baby. 1.5 out of 100. I would think with your medical problems you would have your tubes tide during that last c-section.
Lisa, I stand with you. I’m not a soldier, but I do plan on pursuing a career in acedemia. While its not physically demanding, it is mentally time consuming and I love it. Having a baby while trying to find a job is a big x on a cv. I don’t ever plan on having kids, so I depend on my birth control. I would be enraged if it failed me and would obtain an abortion. With that being said, I am not going to abstain from *** forever nor undergo surgery just because I choose not to have children. Spouse2000 needs to get her head out of the sand.
You just said you would undergo surgery to not have children – abortion. You would rather kill your baby then prevent getting pregnant.
You shouldn’t have to get your tubes tied to prevent an unwanted pregnancy if your birth control worked. Spouse 2000, really?