Because she is putting herself in a vulnerable position in a potentially dangerous industry. It's not just her own safety thats at stake now, its the baby's as well. A responsible parent protects their child.
Sure, there are plenty of risks in the real world as well, but in some situations, the odds increase. A pregnant police officer would not be patroling the streets, nor would a pregnant fire fighter be allowed to enter a burning building or do anything deemed strenuous. No where did anyone suggest that all women quit their jobs and stay inside to stay 'safe', thats preposterous... We are simply talking about a pregnant woman and her biological (and moral) duty to protect and care for her child here. This isn't sexist in a misogynistic sense. So let's not go there...
Originally Posted by VegasJen
VegasJen, obviously you know more about being a provider than I do, and if you feel that you would want to quit providing the moment you got pregnant, I would never even consider trying to suggest you do otherwise. You have more first hand knowledge of the risks of being a provider, and you probably have more real knowledge about at least a few other providers.
But, pregnant police officers can and do patrol the streets. Pregnant fire fighters can and do continue to fight fires. Whether they actually enter burning buildings, I do not know. Pregnant women of all walks of life continue to do things that are "deemed strenuous." Unless/until pregnancy renders them physically incapable of performing their duties, federal law requires police and fire departments to allow pregnant women to stay on the job with normal duties.
This is all about risk and perception of risk. I don't deny for a second that being a provider exposes you to risks that most other professions do not. What I don't
know is how those risks compare to other risks that pregnant women face. I also don't
know what risks to the pregnancy might result from a provider deciding to quit during the pregnancy. Suppose that a provider will not be able to pay her rent or for prenatal care if she stops providing. Both of those might pose much greater risk to the fetus than continuing to act as a provider.
I have no objection to the idea of providers choosing to quit during pregnancy. My objection is to a blanket statement that all providers should quit.