Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Television cartoon featuring onset of labor pains - a new trend?

Martha Speaks is a book about a talking dog.  I discovered it at a local library during one of the Barks and Books sessions my labradoodle MaeRose and I conduct on behalf of the Pasadena Humane Society's Companion Animal Program.  Because I have written a book about a cook in an alphabet factory who makes all the letters for alphabet soup, Martha Speaks spoke to me. (groan)

That is, until last week when I viewed a cartoon episode featuring a flashback to the day one of Martha's human family was born.  Martha sat in the back of the car, driven by the father.  In the car were an obviously pregnant woman who spoke with an hispanic accent, and one young child.  The weather was cold.  The mother was stuffed into a puffy down-filled jacket - with her oversized tummy showing.

I am a little fuzzy about all the details of this episode, but the scenes which I found remarkable showed the pregnant woman announcing the onset of labor pains, and the subsequent race to the hospital, with several mishaps, changes of types of transportation, and an arrival at the hospital just in time for the birth.  Martha was responsible for finding each new mode of transport, while the anxious father- and mother-to-be discussed the ensuing labor pains, their frequency, and their urgency.

I am curious about how often this event is portrayed in cartoons for the young.  I don't think I am uptight, just wondering.

In fact, it is not the pregnancy so much as the birthing prelude which seemed a new topic for Saturday morning cartooning.  Or am I way behind?

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