This year, stillborn babies will be included in the census for the first time. Instead of just recording ‘live births’ women will be able to record all the children they have given birth to.
Catherine Gregory is a mother of four. But you won’t often hear her say that. While she loves all of her children, the taboo of stillbirth means that she rarely mentions her daughters, Molly and Poppy, who were born sleeping.
But new legislation could help to break the taboo.
This year, stillborn babies will be included in the census for the first time. Instead of just recording ‘live births’ women will be able to record all the children they have given birth to.
Kristina Keneally is the patron of the Stillbirth Foundation. She told 702 ABC Sydney that she has always felt angry that she couldn’t acknowledge her daughter Caroline, who was stillborn in 2000, in the census figures.
“Every year when I fill out that census I’ve been a bit rankled and a bit angry because the instruction says how many births have you had … it’s always stipulated live births,”
Keneally says that the change shows that our communities are becoming more aware of stillbirth.
There’s a growing awareness in the community that children who are born still, who are not born alive, are nonetheless children.”
“They are part of the family, they are given names, they are buried, they are honoured,” she said.
The Australian Bureau of statistics made the change in response to complaints from parents across the country.
Ashley McBride, a mother from the ACT told the Canberra Times that is important to recognise the number of stillbirths across the country each year.
“The Census flyer says everyone counts and that the information helps to shape our community and future needs such as hospitals,” she said.
“That being the case, the ABS needs to be confronted with the number of stillbirths in Australia every year.
“I occupied a bed at the Canberra Hospital for three days when I gave birth. This recognition would allow for greater funding for hospitals, including research and support services for bereaved families.”
Catherine Gregory hopes that the move will provide more data on the issue of stillbirth. “I hope the information leads to better resources and that this will help to reduce the rate of stillbirth in Australia.”
But on a much more personal level, Gregory is happy that for once, her girls will matter.
“It’s heartbreaking when you don’t count all your children,” she says.
Just a week after finding herself the subject of national headlines after saying Australia should close its borders to Muslim people, Sonia Kruger has found herself in hot water again.
The host of TODAY Extra this morning said scholarships targeted towards students from the LGBTQI community were an example of ‘reverse discrimination’.
“I don’t think it should have anything to do with the awarding of a scholarship,” Kruger said. “I thinks scholarships should be given on merit.”
The scholarship in question is provided by the Australian Business and Community Network Scholarship Foundation (ABCN) and awards a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex identifying Year 10 student with financial assistance of up to $7000 during their studies, The Australian newspaper reported today.
The national policy officer of Family Voice Australia has argued the scholarship is yet “another example of ideological activism making its way into schools”.
“Why should children, especially in a school setting, be asked to declare their sexuality or gender identity? Many 15-year-olds are still working through issues around sexuality,” Mr Wyld told The Australian.
“Offering a financial incentive to identify as ‘lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and/or intersex’ is completely inappropriate.”
Many on social media have already called Kruger out for her conservative stance.
Kruger’s co-host David Campbell disagreed with Kruger’s perspective, saying scholarships were designed to address inequality and target minority groups.
The scholarships were “hardly a big deal,” Campbell said, particularly as so many alternative funds reward merit.
“There are tonnes of other scholarships that are set aside for kids who are supremely talented.”
What do you think? Tell us on our Facebook page here.
After surviving 16 rounds of chemotherapy, Sally Obermeder got the chance to live and be a mother and now a woman across the pond is helping her add to her family again.
Last week, the channel Seven presenter announced she’s expecting her second child with her husband Marcus via surrogacy.
“Yes, it’s true,” Sally announced, next to an adorable family photo on Instagram.
“Thrilled to bits to share that @marcusobermeder and I are adding to our family thanks to the most incredible surrogate.”
In the picture, her daughter Annabelle holds up a sign that says “I’m going to be a big sister!”
Although the trio couldn’t be happier with their dreams of expanding their family becoming a reality, getting there has been far from idyllic.
In 2011, while Sally was pregnant with her first child, the TV journalist discovered a lump the size of a tennis ball in her breast and was subsequently diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.
Sally posted this heartwarming picture to confirm their happy news.
“She was like, ‘I’m really sorry but you have breast cancer, and it looks like it’s stage three. It’s really aggressive,'” Sally recalled during her Sunday Night interview.
Having to give up the chance to give birth naturally, her pregnancy was induced and straight after Annabelle’s arrival, Sally underwent drastic surgery and began chemotherapy to save her life.
“We had a few minutes to enjoy it, not that long before they separated mum and bub and took Sal immediately from there to start treatment… like immediately,” Marcus remembered.
“The prognosis wasn’t great. It was pretty bad actually.”
Watch Sally’s brave interview in the player below! Post continues after…
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The beloved personality endured eight months of chemotherapy and was eventually given the all clear exactly one year from her first life-changing diagnosis.
Despite the illness resulting in Sally being told another natural pregnancy could cost her life, Sally has always wanted a large family.
“I acknowledge that I’m extremely lucky to have one child… But the yearning and desire to be a mum again is so strong and it has not passed,” The Daily Edition host previously said.
“Before I was sick I always pictured I would have two or three children, if I was lucky enough, and I still want that for Annabelle.”
Annabelle can’t wait to begin big sister duties
Celebrating 15 years of marriage, Sally shared this sweet message, “The love continues grow as do the surprises ❤️❤️ @marcusobermeder stealing the show with a surprise speech / singalong / medley of hits that told the story of our 15 years together!”
Thanks to her previous IVF treatment, Sally had four embryos remaining. All she needed was someone to carry them.
Like most Australian states, Sally and Markus’ home in NSW has strict laws on surrogacy, making it illegal to offer financial compensation to someone willing to carry your child.
But if you cross our shores, all the way to the United States of America, it is a very different story.
The family decided to try their chances there, and thanks to Dr Kim Bergman, Sally and Marcus were a step closer to expanding their family.
Before her cancer struck, Sally had hoped to have three children.
“There are a lot of people in Australia who want to have babies through surrogacy. Altruistic surrogacy is a lovely idea but there are not women in Australia coming out of the woodwork wanting to do it,” the LA-based medical professional explained on Sunday Night.
She also added that in the states surrogates are usually paid around $25,000 but her organisation works with women who are willing to help other families for free.
That’s how Sally met her godsend in Rachel.
The Wisconsin native, who is a mum to three girls, had been a surrogate once and wanted to do it again. Making the Aussie family’s dream come true, Sally is only paying for her medical expenses.
Watch Sally meet her American surrogate Rachel in the player below! Post continues after…
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“How do you even repay someone, like a bottle of perfume just doesn’t cut it. The gift, I mean, it is priceless,” Sally reflected.
“How amazing that there are people like Rachel in this world, like a woman from the other side of the world who I don’t even know who would do this for me?”
The two mothers met for the first time in December 2014, when both Rachel and Sally flew to LA to have the embryo transferred.
Two weeks later Rachel found out she was pregnant, but sadly the baby didn’t survive the 12 week scan.
Sally was moved to tears by Rachel’s selflessness.
“I felt so helpless,” Rachel told Sunday Night, “I wish she was with me and we could give each other a hug we could console each other, we had to do it from afar.”
Despite the heartache, Rachel wanted to persevere for Sally.
“It started to get to me I started to question whether I was the right person for Sally,” she admitted, following two unsuccessful attempts.
But their final time worked.
Sally discusses the negative impact Australian surrogacy laws had on her family… Continue scrolling for the remainder of the post!
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Sally flew over to the States to be with Rachel during her first ultrasound.
“I knew it was there but to see it for myself you know we were both in the room together there’s just, there’s no words,” she said.
“I kind of feel like it’s a miracle, it’s just a hard experience because it’s like I still feel like I’m not carrying this child but I also feel like it’s the most amazing most special experience.”
Keeping the gender a surprise, Sally, Marcus and of course Rachel, will welcome their miraculous bundle of joy in December.
Watch Sally’s full interview with Sunday Nighthere
In a Reddit post which has now been deleted, user Bridehairthrowaway says she was told by her friend she was set to be a bridesmaid for that she would need to dye her naturally ginger hair for the wedding.
‘You’ll need to dye your hair for the day,’ The bride said. ‘I’ll take you to my hairdresser and cover the cost :)’
When the bridesmaid questioned the outlandish command, the bride said that her hair was quite ‘attention-grabbing’ and wouldn’t fit with the cohesiveness of the group.
Wow.
What is it about weddings that have the ability to turn perfectly sane, rational human beings into bonkers bridezillas? Everyone knows a story of one bride that’s gone bananas and it doesn’t take much searching to find plenty more. Here’s a few of our favourites….
1. This lady who put her bridal party on strict regime
Mate. This was a corker. One that kept us very entertained. Gawker obtained emails circulated from the birde to her bridal party and (you can read the full thing here and we would highly recommend it) in which she detailed that her bridesmaids were to be subjected to ‘weigh-ins’, ‘protein weight gainer diets’ for those currently skinnier than the bride, ‘strict bedtimes’ to avoid ‘saggy baggy eyes’, and any hair colouring/cutting plans to being submitted to the bride for pre-approval.
But, shock horror. One of the bridemaids did dare to get her hair cut without checking with the bride. She was called a ‘bad little bee’ and eventually banished from the bridal party.
Then the bride floated the idea for daily google docs for the bridal party to share their daily calorie intake (no joke) and wanted to check all bridesmaids were on a rice cake and water diet in the days leading up to the wedding.
The story was verified in the comments by one user who knew the bride. She said three of the bridesmaids no longer speak to the bride.
We’re suprised it’s not more.
2. This bride who might want to check herself
“My best friend’s coworker is getting married later this year, and oh, man, this girl’s got some problems. She’s very religious and ‘pure,’ which, if that’s your thing, is fine. Whatever. However, she told my friend last week that she doesn’t want anyone at her wedding who was born out of wedlock. Which includes my friend, who is the daughter of a teen mum.”
3. This bride, who should have thought about how she was going to wee beforehand
“She slapped me in the mouth in the restroom during the reception. She had this massive, billowing explosion of organza as a skirt. It was beautiful but utterly impractically designed: it took at least three of us to hold up her skirt so she could pee. She had been drinking on an empty stomach and on the second trip to the rest room with all of us holding this dress up while she hovered drunkenly over a toilet she couldn’t see, she ordered me to wipe her.
Ordered. Me. To clean her twat of urine.
I declined.
She slapped me.
The skirt was dropped by all parties while I shouted obscenities at her. She screamed that if I didn’t do this for her, this friendship was over! Over!
She tried to apologize years later, but seemed surprised when I was not interested in rekindling our friendship.”
4. This bride who probably shouldn’t have got married in the first place
“Worked at a reception venue. One event really sticks out. Everything went well until the cake. Bride and groom go to feed each other, she does it very nice, he smashes it into her face.
Bride screams, starts bawling her eyes out and runs out of the hall.
15 or so minutes later the father of the bride comes and asks the DJ for the mic. He proceeds to thank everyone for coming and says that if they would like to take their gifts on the way out the couple has decided to break up.
I’m sure there were issues leading up to the event, but the bride had told everyone (including the groom) that if he smashed the cake in her face, it was over. She wasn’t lying.”
5. This bride, who’s got bigger issues than just her wedding
“I worked in alterations at a chain bridal store for a couple years. The amount of shit I saw go down was ridiculous, but one of my favorite stories was the bride who refused to let me fit her in her gown because I have short hair and ‘didn’t want to be touched by a disgusting lesbian’.
First I laughed her off because I thought she was just making a poor joke in poor taste, but then when I tried to help her into the gown, she started freaking out and made a huge fuss. The mom got involved and threatened to have me fired for trying to rape her daughter. When I assured her that I am, in fact, straight, she insisted I have my manager come out and vouch for my sexuality.
Finally, I put her in the dress and she bursts into tears and stars screaming at me about how I made her dress too tight and how she looked fat and terrible in it….and I just looked at her and said “ma’am, I haven’t altered your dress yet, this is a first fitting to see what sort of alterations need to be done.”
Justice.”
This article was originally published on The Debrief.
The pop legend’s only son, Duncan Jones, has welcomed his first child with wife Rodene Ronquillo.
On July 10, six-months on from his father’s untimely death, Duncan Jones and his wife, Rodene Ronquillo, welcomed a sweet baby boy into the world.
The BAFTA Award-winner announced his exciting news via Twitter, with a comedic cartoon of his father, himself and his new son.
“Stanton David Jones. Born July 10th, exactly six months after his granddad made room for him,” the proud dad shared alongside the drawing of the three generations, adding, “Love you both so.”
Also sharing a touching message to his brave wife, the legend’s son wrote: “All my love and awe to the incredible @rodeneronquillo who made a human being in her belly.”
“Warrior woman & every day, my hero.”
The couple announced their pregnancy back in February of this year, just one month after David passed away of cancer.
In another cartoon Tweet to his 300,000 followers, the expectant father wrote, “1 month since dad died today. Made this card for him at Christmas. Due in June. Circle of life. Love you, granddad.”
Speaking to E! News, the film director admitted that in his final months, David took the liberty of revealing his grandchild’s gender to the expectant parents before saying a proper goodbye.
“When we found out what the gender of our baby was going to be, we were able to get the doctor to write it on a card without us seeing it and then I got to spend Christmas with my dad and he actually told us what the gender was going to be,” Duncan said in May.
“We found the time to do all of the family stuff that we wanted to do, got a chance to spend some time together, have our talks and say our goodbyes and things like that.”
This article was originally published on Womans Day
Woman’s Day caught up with Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders at the Sydney premiere of their movie to talk about the star-studded flick.
It’s the film on everyone’s lips but it might not have ever happened if it wasn’t for Dawn French, who bet her longtime pal and comedy accomplice, Jennifer, £100, 000 she’d never write the movie script.
As it turns out, Jennifer works well under pressure.
“I did write the film and I never had to pay her! I need a threat,” Jennifer, 58, tells us.
“This is how tragic [Jennifer] is. She has to bet large sums of money in order for her to get her act together. The thought of her becoming 100,000 pounds poorer doesn’t sit well with Jennifer,” adds Joanna Lumley, 70, with a chuckle.
The pair dazzled at the Sydney premiere of the film on Sunday night.
And now with a slew of A-list pals, Jennifer and Joanna have made their fashionable return as Eddy and Patsy in the Ab Fab feature film.
So who was their favourite celebrity to work with?
“Emma Bunton isn’t actually an actress as such but she is brilliant! She is always really serious on set. And of course she is my favourite Spice Girl how could I say otherwise,” Jennifer shares of Baby Spice, who had a reoccurring role on the TV show from 2003 to 2012.
Watch the trailer in the player below. Post continues after the video!
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“Dame Edna was the biggest diva. She only agreed to the film to upstage Joan Collins, I know it! She wanted to be in the film the moment she knew Joan was going to be in the film,” Joanna reveals.
“On the other hand, Barry Humphries who plays a boyfriend of mine.. was pretty damn attractive,” Jennifer adds.
With names like Kate Moss, Suki Waterhouse and Alexa Chung starring in the film Jennifer says that “Edina’s girl gang is better than Swifties!”
As for whether we can expect a sequel, Joanna hints: “Never say never!”
So what is there secret to looking so damn good? “Very heavy makeup and great lighting! Having a laugh, that’s the main thing,” Jennifer says.
From Emma Bunton, Lily Cole and Stella McCartney – the film is overflowing with A-list cameos!
Between weekends away and group holidays, it can be tough for people who find being switched 'on' socially for more than a few hours a time. Here's how to deal.
Orientation Week at university, for me, was a right nightmare. Each night, I would come back to my shitty halls room, close the shitty door behind me and break down into tears, call my mum and beg her to come and pick me up. She, like the good lady she is, always encouraged me to try again the next day and promised it would get better in the end. Eventually, I’d calm down and re-read Harry Potter until I fell asleep. Because I, unlike my mum, am a super cool person.
Now, this wasn’t because people were being mean to me, they weren’t. It wasn’t even because I wasn’t making any friends, I was. No, it was the sheer pressure of being switched ‘on’ into social mode for up to 18 hours a day with a whole bunch of people I didn’t yet feel comfortable with.
See, I, like reportedly half of you lot too, am an introvert. I can enjoy social situations. I can fake extrovert behavior for a limited time but ultimately; I need time by myself to feel normal.
Obviously things got better at university. I learned to spent time by myself when I needed it. I learned that comparing yourself to extroverts is futile and I learned to revel in the secret pleasures of being introverted.
Now, the only time I struggle is when I find myself in others’ company for long periods of time. Situations when ‘me’ time is difficult and I have to have my brain engaged in ‘super turbo social mode’. Things like weekends away, group holidays, work away days… times when being surrounded by others is the entire point of the exercise. Sometimes I find these situations so overwhelming that even the action of opening my mouth to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ is a tall order.
So, I spoke to Dr. Max Blumberg, a Psychologist Researcher from Goldsmiths University of London (which is totally where I went too. Turns out Max and I have got tipsy in the same pubs, sadly not at the same time which is a shame because Max is an excellent human being) to find out if there’s anything introverts can do to feel more comfortable during extended periods of social interaction.
Max explains to me that there’s a very clear chemical reason as to why some people find socialising easier than others. “It’s a part of your brain called your reticular activating system,” he say, calling it ‘RAS’ for short. It turns out that introverts have already got very active RASs which means that if they get much more social stimuli, they struggle. Extroverts, on the other hand have ‘lazy’ RASs. “They need stimulus from other people before they’re operating at their normal pace,” he says. “They literally take energy from other people to kick their systems into gear.”
So, that’s cool right fellow introverts? It’s not that you’re boring. It’s because your brain was already working in overdrive before you had to talk to a bunch of people.
Here are a few tips from Max on how to deal with long periods of social interaction.
Remember why you’re there
This is vital. Being introverted means you tend to focus on yourself and your own feelings a lot. Max advises externalising your thoughts by remembering your reason for being at the event. Max has a friend who gets so overwhelmed by networking events that he will get a migraine every single time he attends one, without fail. However, he knows he needs to attend for business and so that’s why he goes. “You need to have a goal as to why you’re going to the event and keep that goal,” he says. “If you’re going to your mate’s hen night remember you’re doing this not for YOU, you’re doing it because she’s your friend.”
Make a plan
This might sound extreme but it’s a really important part of preparation. “You must plan,” Max says. “The worst is when you’re dreading going before you start. The cortisol will be really pumping up in the blood stream and the anxiety is up. You’re a mess before you even get there!” Pre-planning can help minimse this pre-worry. “Have an escape plan,” advises Max. “Ask a mate to phone you like if you wanted to escape from a first date.” If possible, he also advises scouting the place out first to find any quiet spots you can retreat to.
Prepare your small talk
If you’re anything like me, you suck at small talk. Or at least you think you do. To introverts, small talk can be seen as failure because it’s not the full, meaty conversation that you think everyone else around you is having. According to Max though, extroverts thrive because they TOTALLY view small talk as a conversation. “If you’re going to have to make small talk then prepare some topics,” he says. “Read the paper, read some magazines! Come armed with topics so you’re not suddenly faced with an awkward silence.”
Alternatively, advises Max, get into an argument! Or at least, an interesting debate. “Introverts like arguing because it’s not small talk!” he says. “If you see a heated discussion going on, go and join that because that’ll be much easier for you than what you think is the normal rubbish.”
Buddy up
Another good trick is to find an extrovert you know and trust and stick to them. “Say to them ‘You are my shield!’ says Max. “Firstly, they actually like the attention and if they know you’re introverted they’ll be able to grab it for you. Except if you meet someone you really fancy. Then they might grab them as well but hey, you can’t have everything!”
Alternatively, Max says, find a fellow introvert and hang out together quietly.
Plan breaks
This is a must do. No matter what strict itinerary you’re on. “I went to a stag party in Amsterdam a few years ago,” says Max, “and we had a guy there who was religious about it. He would disappear every couple of hours and come back refreshed. He’d just be like ‘I find the intensity of these things really hard. I really enjoy being with you and so that I can enjoy the whole time we’re together I’m going to need to take a break every couple of hours.’ And we all understood! We said ‘Fantastic. We will continue partying and we look forward to seeing you when you’re back.’”
Be kind to yourself when you’re back home
Imagine your brain like your phone on charge. If you’re an introvert and you’re around people for an extended period of time, you’re going to need to recharge with some alone time. “Create extra time when you’re back,” says Max. “Don’t book in another event or another social activity the next day. The chemicals in the brain can take 8-10 hours or even more to leave the body so you need that recharge time. It’s critical. Human beings are like an electrical device. Aside from the ghost in the machine, we are pretty device-y”.
Remember you are you and you are great the way you are
Here is where Max gives you a pep talk fellow introverts. It’s easy to feel like a failure in situations like this when you see everyone else socialising like champions without a care in the world whilst inside you’re wilting. But, remember, that is not your fault.
“Introversion is one of five personality traits. Personality traits are given. They’re not a disease. They’re neither bad or good, they are just the level of chemical you have in your head,” he says.
What’s more important is that, rather than trying to mould your personality to fit in with everyone else, make the world around you work for your personality. “You absolutely have to acknowledge your personality traits and build your life around them,” says Max. “You can’t change them by definition. So you say this is MY personality. What kind of job do I need for this personality? What kind of partner? What kind of house? You build your life around your personality and not the other way. Mind-blowing hey?”
Indeed.
This article was originally published on The Debrief.
On July 10, six-months on from his father’s untimely death, Duncan Jones and his wife, Rodene Ronquillo, welcomed a sweet baby boy into the world.
The BAFTA Award-winner announced his exciting news via Twitter, with a comedic cartoon of his father, himself and his new son.
The sweet drawing emphasides the “circle of life.” (Image/Duncan Jones Twitter)
“Stanton David Jones. Born July 10th, exactly six months after his granddad made room for him,” the proud dad shared alongside the drawing of the three generations, adding, “Love you both so.”
Also sharing a touching message to his brave wife, the legend’s son wrote: “All my love and awe to the incredible @rodeneronquillo who made a human being in her belly.”
“Warrior woman & every day, my hero.”
Stanton David Jones is the couple’s first child together.
The couple announced their pregnancy back in February of this year, just one month after David passed away of cancer.
In another cartoon Tweet to his 300,000 followers, the expectant father wrote, “1 month since dad died today. Made this card for him at Christmas. Due in June. Circle of life. Love you, granddad.”
Speaking to E! News, the film director admitted that in his final months, David took the liberty of revealing his grandchild’s gender to the expectant parents before saying a proper goodbye.
David’s legacy lives on in his grandson’s middle name.
“When we found out what the gender of our baby was going to be, we were able to get the doctor to write it on a card without us seeing it and then I got to spend Christmas with my dad and he actually told us what the gender was going to be,” Duncan said in May.
“We found the time to do all of the family stuff that we wanted to do, got a chance to spend some time together, have our talks and say our goodbyes and things like that.”
Watch Duncan open up about his final moments with his dad in the video player below.
I cannot bear Donald Trump. There is so much to despise about that man. The hate. The racism. The misogyny. The homophobia. The narcissism. The stupidity. He stands for absolutely everything I despise in the world.
I cannot respect anyone who supports Trump, particularly not females. After all, we women have a responsibility to call out misogyny, not champion it.
So what are we to think of Melania Trump, Donald’s wife? She actually married this terrible man. I mean, Trump’s children cannot help who their father is, but she chose him! And, as I said, we women should be calling out misogynists, not marrying them.
And so I cannot feel any respect for Melania Trump, and particularly not for her choices. Still, the recent leaking of her nude shots, taken twenty years ago, is completely inappropriate.
This is how the New York Post decided to break the story… Really?
Firstly, there is nothing wrong with posing nude when you are a model. There is nothing wrong with posing nude, full stop. To imply otherwise not only shames models, but shames every woman who has ever posed nude for a photo. And this is unfair. There is nothing shameful about the female form, and there is nothing scandalous or salacious about being photographed nude, as long as it is consensual. The whole ‘scandal’ just contributes to the endless shame we women feel about our bodies. Melanie Trump was a model. She did a nude cover. Big deal. Move on.
Secondly – and separate from the above – those pictures were taken in Melania’s previous life. And let’s be honest – we have all had previous lives. I, for one, have had many. These days I am a divorced mother of three who writes columns and books for a living. Twenty years ago I was a weight loss consultant in a relationship with a man I can barely now remember. I am not that person anymore. Melania Trump is not her twenty-five year old self, either. Life is long. We all made decisions in our youth that does not reflect the people we are today. Judge Melania Trump for who she is now, not for the young woman she was two decades ago.
Thirdly, and most importantly, Donald Trump is a despicable man. The consequences for the United States if he gets into office – the consequences for the world – are dire. We need to focus on his fear mongering, on his dramatic inconsistencies, on his hyperbole and falsehoods, on his sexual slurs of his female colleagues and opponents. Focus on his lack of economic policies, on his championing of guns, on his desire to criminalize abortion, ban Muslims, close the borders, support nuclear weaponry, repeal Obamacare. Focus on everything that makes Trump a real and present danger to minorities and the underprivileged in the United States and around the world.
But Melania Trump is not part of that real and present danger. She is a woman who has extremely questionable taste in men, and a disturbing lack of commitment to the feminist cause. Other than that, she’s utterly irrelevant to the Trump problem.
Donald Trump and Melania Trump on day one of the Republican National Convention.
Go after Trump, not his wife.
After all, we women should be calling out misogyny, not helping it along.
You can get more from Kerri Sackville on Twitter at @KerriSackville
Rose Byrne welcomed her first child, son Rocco, into the world in February, and while it’s been a tough slog she says parenting is the best thing she has ever done.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, the actress said: “You have this huge responsibility you didn’t have before – there’s someone you have to keep alive. I also like to think Rocco has brought out better qualities in me.”
Earlier this year the 37-year-old admitted the transition to motherhood hasn’t been all smooth-sailing. In fact, at some points it got so chaotic she barely left her apartment.
“I’m still in a fog,” she told news.com.au. “I haven’t even left my apartment in three months.
“It takes an hour and forty-five minutes to get out of the house with a baby, and by the time I’m ready, I’m exhausted. I’m done, I’m going back in. I don’t care!”
It’s a struggle millions of women around the world can relate to – becoming a mother certainly takes some getting used to – but one that is simultaneously hard and the best thing that has ever happened to you.
“I’m tired, but even so, all of it’s great,” she said. “You definitely go into a cocoon.”
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