New campaign challenges negative narratives about pregnancy and motherhood

For decades, cultural messaging around pregnancy has often portrayed it as something disruptive of a woman's identity, body image, and future — but a newly-launched campaign aims to challenge these messages.

Key Takeaways:

• ReThink Pregnancy, a campaign born of a collaboration between EveryLife and the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, challenges the negative cultural messages surrounding pregnancy.

• EveryLife founder and CEO Sarah Gabel Seifert says the campaign "tells the full story, one rooted in truth, in science, in real experiences, and in the extraordinary things a woman’s body was made to do."

• The campaign seeks to show that pregnancy is an incredible experience, as is motherhood, and is not to be feared but celebrated.

The Details:

“ReThink Pregnancy,” a campaign which includes a video series, introduced by EveryLife in collaboration with the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG), seeks to reframe how pregnancy is discussed in modern culture.

By identifying the physical and emotional benefits, the campaign highlights perspectives that emphasize purpose, design, and the lived experiences of women.

ReThink Pregnancy challenges the current narrative with a more complete and truthful image: what if pregnancy isn’t simply something that happens to women, but something happening with purpose, by design?

According to EveryLife, the campaign is intended as a “cultural reset” — an effort to broaden the conversation and bring forward the voices of OBGYNs and mothers. Central to the initiative is the idea that pregnancy is not merely something that happens to women, but something that is meaningful and intentional. 

Founder and CEO of EveryLife, Sarah Gabel Seifert, says it best:

​​“Young women today are often told that pregnancy is something to fear or even avoid, and rarely something to marvel at. I’ve seen that narrative shape some of the most important decisions in women’s lives, first as a pregnancy resource center director, and now as a mom and founder of a baby brand.

ReThink Pregnancy tells the full story, one rooted in truth, in science, in real experiences, and in the extraordinary things a woman’s body was made to do. It’s the conversation women deserve.”

The OBGYNs featured in the video series discuss numerous ways that pregnancy is actually beneficial for women, including:

• Women who have been pregnant have a significantly lower risk for breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers.

• Two or more pregnancies reduces a woman's chances of developing multiple sclerosis by 50%.

• The maternal brain physically rewires during pregnancy in ways that may protect cognitive health for life. (The “pregnancy brain” women apologize for is an upgrade, not a deficit.)

• Remarkably, cells from a baby live in the mother’s body for decades, with research indicating the cells travel to wounds, aiding in healing. (Even in circumstances of pregnancy loss, this is the case.)

As AAPLOG CEO Dr. Christina Francis notes, “I don’t know how anybody could look at that [evidence] and deny the existence of a Creator who has a hand in all of that.” 

The Bottom Line:

In a culture that finds every reason to discourage women from getting pregnant and warns against having children, a resource like this is needed now more than ever. This is vital for this generation and the ones to come, to educate on the benefits of pregnancy and enlighten young people on the beauty and meaning of every new life.

Learn more by exploring ReThink Pregnancy.