Pregnant in Heels: Wimpy Men

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

What is with the men in this episode being wimps? I don't understand it - one can't stand up to his wife while the other can't stand up to his daughter. How and why did they even get pregnant for a third time with a daughter like that??!? And, as always, I don't understand folks who treat their dogs like gold... but that's another story. I thought that these two sets of clients went well in a single episode, and the fact that Rosie is pregnant makes it much easier to see the time progression she spends with each person - she is noticeably larger in some scenes (like when she takes Paul out with the baby). Still not the most exciting show, but a downer to this episode in particular is that there were no "mummy IQ" questions, which have kinda become Rosie's trademark.

Pregnant in Heels "Taming the Tiger and the Terror" (S02E02): Rosie's husband mentions that people sometimes have difficulty understanding Rosie when she speaks. Once he says that he doesn't always understand her, she begins taking it seriously. [that's gotta be rough to hear... you've been married for years and JUST find out that you're not always understood??!?]

Client #1, Eelain (& Paul): Due in four weeks. She's a perfectionist who wants to train her dog and husband. [who goes on television and admits that their husband needs "training" ???] She was raised by a TigerMom and wants the same thing - obey your parents, high academic standards, children are seen and not heard, etc. They have a French bulldog which Paul has spoiled, and Eelain is worried about the interaction between the baby and the dog. [valid.] Paul is fine being told what to do as long as it keeps the peace. [pansy.] Paul was given freedom growing up, so Rosie is concerned that his parenting philosophy is different from Eelain's. Rosie takes them for some dog training, and Paul has a difficult time not playing with the dog and rewarding him for negative behavior. [dog people are weird...] Paul also needs some experience with infants, so Rosie brings a baby and has Paul hold and feed him... but Eelain keeps barking orders instead of letting him try. [booo!!] Rosie takes Paul and the baby to drop off laundry, order bagels, and catch a cab - which requires disassembling the stroller while wearing the baby and getting the car seat in the vehicle. He forgets the coffee on the car, but otherwise manages. Because things are going okay, Rosie asks Paul about how he would want to parent, and he admits that he's worried that Tiger Parenting is too rough and will damage the child. So, Rosie brings in a few experts for a parenting debate, which puts Eelain on her guard. Paul having different opinions bothers Eelain, but she thinks twice about the potential negatives of Tiger Parenting. Later, Rosie meets Eelain's mother, who came from Shanghai to perform the Chinese tradition of confining the mother to the house for thirty days and not allowing her to bathe. [I've heard the confinement thing in other cultures, but the bathing thing?!?] The confinement isn't causing much concern, but the bathing thing bother both Eelain and Paul. Baby Alexander was born four days early, but we don't find out if Eelain put up with the confinement and bathing traditions.

(Photo by: Heidi Gutman/Bravo)

Client #2, Jessica (& Carlo): They're having their third child, but the big problem is that their six-year-old, Leah, is out of control. Two-year-old Carlo is okay. [lovely house from the outside!] They want Leah to be a little more independent and more of a helper, and to get her to stay in her room all night. They put cameras in the house so Rosie could see how things go down in their household. Leah kicks Carlo, makes a mess of her bed at night, etc. [what a terror!] Rosie suggests a bedtime routine and more discipline, so they start by removing all of Leah's playroom toys and putting them into a truck. The next step is sleep training - every time Leah gets out of bed, she's put back, regardless of how many times it takes. Rosie spends the night to make sure that the parents follow through. [I didn't realize this was necessary, but it's a good thing she did!] Leah lasts about half an hour before she gets out of bed and lays on the hallway floor. Jessica can't lift Leah, so Carlo has to put her back to bed. Ten minutes later, it happens again. Another forty minutes later, Carlo doesn't want to do it anymore - he claims that Jessica is the strong one. [pansy.] So, she goes for it, even though she can't carry her daughter. By 11:30pm, Leah has given up. The parents are shocked, but agree to follow through with it as needed. [I'm amused that they're shocked!] Then, Rosie brings three nice British girls to help Leah understand how to help with babies. She does well, so Rosie returns the toys - Leah even offers up a toy for the new baby. In the end, Rosie meets baby Anthony, and learns that Leah has been helping.

Mummy IQ: no questions this week.