Marine had baby on ship in war zone

[Terri]

Marine had baby on ship in war zone

By Rowan Scarborough
Washington Times
June 11, 2003

A Marine gave birth aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer in the Persian Gulf last month, marking what Pentagon officials believe is the first time an active-duty woman delivered a baby on a combat ship in a war zone.

As a rule, the Pentagon does not deploy pregnant service members to war zones. Navy regulations, which also cover the Marine Corps, require a pregnant servicewoman to notify her commanding officer no later than two weeks after diagnosis.

A Pentagon official said the Marine in this case told superiors that she did not know she was pregnant.
The rest (http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030611-120105-9326r.htm)

[pRIMrose]

Quote[/b] ]A Pentagon official said the Marine in this case told superiors that she did not know she was pregnant.

http://gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/doh.gif Maybe this was true the first couple of months, but she had plenty of time to tell her superiors before the baby was born. She should have been shipped back to the states ASAP.

Quote[/b] ]As women play a larger role in the armed forces today, pregnancy during military operations is a matter the Pentagon studies to determine whether it hurts combat readiness by leaving critical jobs vacant.

It certainly can't help military operations to have women in various stages of pregnancy, puking their guts up for weeks on end. This whole concept, to me, is beyond ridiculous. http://gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tqrolleyes.gif

It should be mandatory for women in the military who are being deployed to a war zone to be on birth control. http://gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/twocents.gif They should be tested regularly for pregnancy and if found to be pregnant, shipped home. Period.

I've got this picture in my mind of WWII and in the heat of battle on board a carrier or ship, a nine months pregnant woman lugging heavy equipment or standing watch every four hours or any number of other physically demanding duties. Sorry sir, I can't work today, I'm going into labor. http://gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif Carry on the war without me. http://gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tqrolleyes.gif

[ALLEN L. WELLS]

Quote[/b] ]A Pentagon official said the Marine in this case told superiors that she did not know she was pregnant.
http://gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/exclamation.gif I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT THIS LADY MARINE DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS PREGNANT RIGHT UP TO THE TIME SHE WENT INTO LABOR. *SINCE I CAN'T SPEAK ON THIS SUBJECT FIRST HAND ONE OF YOU MOMS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO TELL US IF THIS IS POSSIBLE.

[AngelsRWorldChamps]

I was going to say the same thing that Allen stated Mons help us ok we will bake cookies for you http://gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/yelclap.gif

[stormy]

Every woman experiences pregnancy differently, I suppose, but I had 6 of them and there was no way that any of them was a surprise before they came.

The first one I had, I was sick all day long for about 8 1/2 mos. and only weighed 4 lbs. more right before she was born than before the pregnancy began---but, those pounds were in a place that I certainly couldn't have worn a uniform.

And, on the other 5, I was sick a lot with them, too!! Of course, they were all worth it, but I find it really, really difficult to believe "she didn't know she was pregnant". I'm sure to be on the ship, she had to be in fairly good shape!! Had she been a big, heavy woman, this just MIGHT have been possible, but not probable!!

Stormy

[Charie]

I had a cousin who gave birth at home and swears she didn't know she was pregnant. She WAS tall and large-boned and also overweight to begin with. It was thought that she was having an appendicitis attack. My grandmother went to help and her sister met her at the door and said, "Oh my God, Sarah, it's a kid!" Talk about shock and awe!!

[NWGOPMom]

I have heard of instances where very obese women did not know they were pregnant, and if you have a situation where your "cycle" is a bit irregular, you may not know for the first month or even a couple of months. But I have to say, a woman in the military would not be out of shape in the least, and would know or should know without a doubt that she was pregnant. You can give her the benefit of the doubt if you wish, but I think she was lying if she says "she didn't know".
Perhaps she was hiding something.

I have had two kids and while I didn't have morning sickness, much, I knew before the end of the first 30 days that someone was a knockin' at my tummy.

Just my http://gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/twocents.gif