by Kelsey Manning | University of Notre Dame
The premiere season of Pregnant In Heels taught me many things. I learned that wet nurses are illegal in the state of New York, I learned that new born babies can poop up to 8-10 times a day, I learned that sometimes people want to give birth while holding onto a tree, and I learned not to talk about your Lamaze classes on a first date. (Okay, so I could?ve figured that last one out on my own, but you get the point.)
But most importantly, it taught me that in a world of Teen Mom, of rape jokes, of?Fifty Shades of Grey, there can actually be real, positive female role models on television.
And I honestly can?t think of a better one than maternity coach Rosie Pope.
The woman is hardworking, bright, knowledgeable, well-spoken, classy, entertaining, nurturing, honest, adorable and just an all-around quality person. She has a loving relationship with her husband, three beautiful children, and a thriving business that helps other women navigate the?tumultuous?world of pregnancy. She is the kind of person you want to have in your life, but not the kind of person who generally gets her own reality show.
In a recent article she wrote explaining why she live tweeted her baby?s birth (yes, she live tweeted her baby?s birth, and yes, she had a good reason), Rosie said she feels the show might make her seem too perfect.
?On my show Pregnant in Heels, I help guide women through their pregnancies and into parenting and sometimes I think a too perfect picture of myself can be painted,? she wrote. ?I may seem to have all the answers when in concierge mode, but at home I am like any mother juggling the work-life balance.?
But that?s just it. Rosie doesn?t have all the answers, and she doesn?t claim to. Despite clients who I sometimes question whether they should be having children in the first place, Rosie is never condescending. Despite ostensibly having it all, Rosie is very open about her own insecurities and struggles with motherhood and her career, both to her clients and viewers. And despite great success with her maternity line, her pregnancy services, her television show, and her own family, Rosie is genuinely down to earth.
At least for me as a 20-year old woman, it?s frighteningly easy to look around and become frustrated or upset by the lack of strong female role models available for young girls. It?s easy to watch R-rated comedies and feel deeply offended by the objectification of women. It?s easy to see Fifty Shades of Grey mania and feel all your muscles clench as a culture of violence against women is glorified. Even outside of the media, it?s easy to look at the outrageous divorce rates in this country and feel disheartened, to look at the ?women can?t have it all? arguments and worry that you can?t have both a fulfilling career and a loving family.
Does putting Rosie Pope on television solve those problems? Certainly not. But does she give me a glimmer of hope? Absolutely.
The first season of Pregnant in Heels?was, at its core, a show about a working mother with a successful career that both is gratifying for her and has a positive impact on others. Last night during the season finale I tweeted, ?I want to be Rosie Pope when I grow up,? and it?s because that is precisely what I want out of life. Sure, she?s not perfect, but Rosie seems genuinely happy, fulfilled, and focused on what?s important.
Not to mention the fact that the career she?s chosen is built upon the rocks of motherhood, pregnancy and family, only further reinforcing the female empowerment message that emanates from Pregnant in Heels. To see something on television that is glorifying ? by that I don?t mean unrealistically portraying, but displaying what?s beautiful about them ? pregnancy, motherhood, healthy relationships, and family is both rare and encouraging.
So thank you, Rosie. Keep doing what you?re doing, and here?s to hoping you get picked up for a third season.
Kelsey Manning is an NGJ Managing Editor and a rising junior at the University of Notre Dame majoring in the Program of Liberal Studies and minoring in Italian. home run derby kourtney kardashian kourtney kardashian DNS Changer ernest borgnine usher roger federer
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