“In the first trimester, one out of every fifty thousand cells in her body are from her baby-to-be (this is how some noninvasive prenatal tests check for genetic disorders). In the second and third trimesters, the count is up to one out of every thousand maternal cells.”

Your numbers are for the fraction of fetal cells in the BLOOD, which constitute a very small fraction of the total number of cells in the mother’s BODY.

I wish it were possible for women to either hate OR love something, or want OR not want something without getting singled out and judged either way.

It *is* the way the body works and there is *nothing* mystical about it other than what people choose to believe (in other words, there is an objective reality under it all).   Nor is it “gross”.  But I have trouble seeing it as “spiritual”, too.  It’s more…mechanical, I guess.  Spiritual is what’s in your head (as is deciding what’s gross and what’s beautiful).

The only deeper meaning I was gleaning was in the special case of rape.  It struck me that what was explained in this report could make it emotionally far worse and really does point out the need for the choice I mentioned.

if this is how the body works, that’s how it works, whether it grosses you out or not.  let’s not get mystical or torture ourselves with deeper meaning.  it seems weird to me to get upset over what your body does and has always done since the beginning of time.  it’s like people who are horrified by menstruation or something, i don’t get it. 

…his cells in you forever, in your brain, your heart…just when you thought the violation couldn’t possibly be greater, new information comes along.

THIS is why Plan B is needed, over the counter &  to anyone who wants it.

Pregnancy is a method mammals use to survive as a species and ensure genetic variation.  There’s lots of physical stress and discomfort and it’s dangerous, and there’s some emotional manipulation going on, like when bliss hormones and love hormones and all that are released.  But those are nature’s way of ensuring primates will have more than one single-child litter. 

As social creatures we can help each other during difficult times, forming optimistic traditions and supportive memes.  But the (okay, I’ll say it:  somewhat paternalistic) meme of modern women preferring to be home, in the kitchen and pregnant as part of some Glorious role fulfillment or advertiser’s dream world diva has got to go.