Is the US a 3rd World Country?

Everywhere you look there are pregnant women. On my flight the other day there were three of us knocked-up-Nellies; in my workout classes I'm not even the solo pregger. We're literally everywhere, yet I still feel the need to explain my current state in the work place.

Here I am, a 31-year-old woman living in Los Angeles, one of the most progressive cities in the U.S., and my pregnancy still has to be "explained" almost on a daily basis. I'd understand if I was 16 and knocked up by my boyfriend of the month with no after-school job, but I'm a married woman of completely acceptable age to have children. So why is it such a huge issue?!

For example, I'm a host of a show that airs online that covers Top 40 music news. This entire time, I've been hiding my pregnancy, which I think is downright backwards. If major news networks like Fox and ABC are cool with allowing their female anchors' baby bumps to show, then why wouldn't an internet company?! It's like censoring the most natural part of being a female--being able to procreate. Relatability to on-air personalities is one of the reasons viewers come back to certain channels, so in my eyes the more honest you are, the more people like you.

Another interesting little tidbit is maternity leave. Thankfully I live in California, which has pretty amazing laws in place for pregnant women compared to other states. But still, should I really be thanking my lucky stars for my 12 weeks unpaid leave when there are countries like Norway that require both the mother and father take an 86% paid-for leave (mother=56 weeks, father=12 weeks)???

Or take Slovenia, Denmark, Bulgaria and Lithuania, countries who all cover women's pay 100% for an entire year with job protection. Freaking Afghanistan gives new moms 90 days 100% paid leave for God's sake!

My good friend Joslyn forwarded me this picture today of an Italian woman named Licia Ronzulli, who was photographed at European Parliament with her seven-week old daughter swaddled close to her as she conducted business as usual, voting on proposals to improve women's employment, ironically.

It's such an empowering photo to look at as a pregnant woman, or any woman for that matter. Pregnancy should never have to be a secret when you're a responsible, age-appropriate, hardworking woman--anywhere in the world. So props to Licia for showing how it can be done.