Assumptions

My absolute loathing of En.famil and deep regret for ever having the nerve to let myself sign up for Motherhood Maternity's marketing ploys continue.

This was letter and accompanying survey was waiting for me in the mailbox when I got home today. All the questions on the legal sized, double-sided survey form assume the baby or babies are actually eating in some way, be it via breast or bottle, and if bottle, which formula did/do you use and for how long?

I'm livid that "they" (whoever they really are) blithely assume all babies live. Um, hi? Have you looked at statistics lately? Know anyone who's suffered a second trimester miscarriage or a stillbirth? What about those over-excited, over-assured women who rush out to buy maternity clothes in the first trimester and jubilantly sign up for these mailing lists because - OMG, I'm pregnant!!! - only to crash and burn due to an early miscarriage? Each and every one of us who signed up - feeling happy and hopeful - and who subsequently lost our babies receive crap like this...friendly reminders of what we lost by the company who had hoped we'd all get our babies hooked on their expensive manufactured breast milk substitutes.

I wish I knew someone in their marketing department. I'd really like to give them a piece of my mind right now. But since I don't, I'm mailing back my response...missed plurality and all. (It's in Sharpie, too. Wonder if they'll "get" my irritation.)