S/o ami serial-do writers calculate intimate details?

amother

Mon, May 18 2020, 2:38 pm

Any writers wanting to weigh in? Just wondering about a comment suremom made-
"2 things.
1- Why wasnt this vacation scheduled for straight after mikva? how was she able to feel so sick so soon? If it was 2 weeks after gestation wasnt she anticipating a cycle? I would go on vacay like that....
2- assuming she was 2 weeks pregnant when she arrived, plus upto 2 weeks she was at shifras, 4 weeks is too early to detect heartbeat.
Something doesnt add up..."

I know jewish books won't discuss private stuff, but I'm curious whether writers think about these things without putting them in the book. Do you really think about what their bedroom life is like, when the child (who chas vesholom a mention of pregnancy or labor or birth should happen), was conceived?

I read mostly non jewish books and whenever I read jewish books I find there's only half a book, there's so much detail about married life that is left out. Do writers have to make a conscious effort to leave details out, or edit them out, or do you really not think about it?

amother

Pearl

Mon, May 18 2020, 6:43 pm

Just writing in as a mom of teenagers. I'm really annoyed when writers would write details re pregnancy like in the family first past weeks serial by Esther Kurtz, the rebetzin saw 2 lines on the pregnancy test.. Do girls really have to read it???

She writes very well but please be a bit more sensitive to the fact that young girls are totally reading it. As it's a kosher magazine that will be around the couch on Shabbos afternoon.

I know that the magazine is meant for women but we all know that all teens are reading it too.

I'm too shy to write in to the magazines as for sure will be bashed as it's supposedly a woman's magazine.

It really bothers me.

amother

Cobalt

Mon, May 18 2020, 6:46 pm

amother [ Pearl ] wrote:

What's wrong with girls reading about two lines on a pregnancy test?
Scratching Head

1ofbillions

Mon, May 18 2020, 6:47 pm

amother [ Pearl ] wrote:

What negative consequence do you foresee occurring as a result of teenagers knowing how pregnancy tests work?

amother

Powderblue

Mon, May 18 2020, 7:11 pm

amother [ Pearl ] wrote:

And on the flip side you have families like mine where my 8 year old knows about periods and my 5 year old knows which part of the body babies are born from. I only have girls so I'm very open with them and if they ask me a question I give them an honest answer. Once the older kids know this information it inevitably gets shared with their younger siblings. I see nothing wrong with them knowing about such a minor detail as how a pregnancy test works (I grew up yeahivish and consider myself jpf now for reference).

amother

Brunette

Mon, May 18 2020, 7:14 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I'm so glad you started this thread as I was thinking about the pregnancy thing. The mikva vacation thing didn't occur to me but I think it said it was bein hazmanim when he is off so maybe they decided to go regardless of her cycle and figured they would find a mikva in Israel?

She wouldn't get a positive test until 4 weeks pregnant which is counted two weeks from ovulation. So if she's in Israel and additional week or two at shifra she comes home 5 to 6 weeks pregnant. Heartbeat can usually be detected toward the end of the 5th week though most doctors won't check until at least 6 just to avoid panic.

My honest feeling is that the writer wants you to think it's a miscarriage but in the end it will be that she was just a few days too early to see the heartbeat. In the meantime she will struggle greatly to see if she wants to be loyal to shalom now that there is no baby and she will decide to be with him anyway despite her parents wishes. Then she will go back to the doctor and the heartbeat will be there and they will tell her last time was just too early. But meanwhile the arc of the character is that she grows and stands up for her marriage and not just by default because she is pregnant.

That's my call anyway.

amother

Brunette

Mon, May 18 2020, 7:16 pm

Mama Bear wrote:

How long has the couple in the serial been married?
They traveled to Israel about 2 months after their chasuneh? or is it 6 weeks?
Usually with a pregnancy timeline, at the time you start feeling nauseious is the time a heartbeat can be detected (2 weeks post pregnancy test)

I have felt nausea two days post a positive test which was 16 days post ovulation for me. It's rare but possible. Hg sufferer.

lucky14

Mon, May 18 2020, 8:31 pm

amother [ Pearl ] wrote:

I don't really know how to respond to this without sounding extremely insensitive but I'm really surprised by your comment. Why is a pregnancy test such a taboo thing to write about?

amother

Seafoam

Mon, May 18 2020, 8:32 pm

amother [ Pearl ] wrote:

I felt the same way

amother

Brunette

Mon, May 18 2020, 8:35 pm

amother [ Smokey ] wrote:

This is a reason I don't enjoy frum books that are about couples. They sound like a business relationship unless one of the couples is dysfunctional. It is so unlike how real frum couples interact that I just can't feel the story so I don't enjoy it.

In the mishpacha serial going on now the convo between husband and chana was so odd. Like he was a stranger politely inquiring about her pregnancy as if he had zero involvement at all. I know its because there's only so much you can get away with and I was shocked they even wrote about her finding out she was pregnant, but the conversation was so odd and off putting.

agreer

Mon, May 18 2020, 9:19 pm

amother [ Powderblue ] wrote:

Kudos to you.

Nowadays girls as young as 9 can get their periods, so an 8-yo knowing is cool.

twizzlers1

Mon, May 18 2020, 11:50 pm

If you don't want your kids reading about the pregnancy test there's probably lots of other things in the magazine that you probably feel are not appropriate either. I know that there's an article in almost every week about kids that are addicted to things and things about mental health issues as well. I am totally okay with my kids reading these things because I think it really educates them about the world. but if I felt strongly that I did not want them reading these things I just think I wouldn't bring the magazine into my house.

Aylat

Tue, May 19 2020, 4:35 am

twizzlers1 wrote:

Ditto.

Simple1

Tue, May 19 2020, 4:50 am

amother [ Smokey ] wrote:

I don't love fiction for other reasons, but I don't understand this argument. In real life, when I know a couple, I don't either know about their intimate details.