Being pregnant, I do a lot of reading of baby websites and different sources of information online. I like to go on to thebump.com and read through some of the discussion boards. Some people ask some good questions that I myself had been thinking about, and some people ask some stupid questions (yes, there is such thing as a stupid question). And some people are amazingly rude and judgmental in their responses!! And I've discovered, if I listened to everything people said and all the opinions people have on those boards, apparently I would be the worst pregnant person/ mom-to-be ever. Why you ask?
(1) Pregnancy no-nos... there are a lot of them, let me start by saying. Things you can't eat, activities you shouldn't do, things you shouldn't drink, etc. Well, I mostly abide by those "rules." Which really are more like suggestions, or recommendations. But I definitely do NOT freak out if I have something on the "no-no" list. I mean, do I have some deli meats here and there? Yup. Do I always microwave them first to make sure they are steaming hot and all potentially threatening bacteria are dead... um, well, no. Do I have some caffeinated drinks here and there? Do I eat packaged/processed foods with sugar and fats and all that horrible stuff in them? Yes, yes I do. Not all the time, but I don't really go out of my way to avoid them either. Do I occasionally not have a single vegetable all day long? Oops, guilty. But, I can't say that I really worry about it. Generally, I follow the "rules," eat pretty healthy, drink lots of water, and feel good about my overall nutrition. Now, if I go onto those discussion boards, people post these questions or sometimes "confessions" about how they are the WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD because they ate a bite of a sandwich with deli meats in it. Or they had 2 sips of diet coke!! Eesh. I prefer to be a bit more relaxed (of course without completely ignoring all those recommendations, after all, they're there for a reason) and really enjoy this time rather than worry about every little detail. Which reminds me, I forgot to take my prenatal vitamin yesterday. Oops.
(2) General baby worry... I'll admit, I worried a bit before my first ultrasound. I couldn't believe this was really real, and I really had no proof (at least nothing I could see), so I was worried. But from what I've read, there are moms that worry the ENTIRE pregnancy. For example, they worry that every ache and pain or cramp is something going terribly wrong with baby. They call their doctor/midwife quite often with concerns. They think every ultrasound is going to show something wrong with baby. They worry if they can't feel baby move for a few hours, that something is definitely wrong. They worry labor is not going to go well. And on and on and on. Like for example, on those discussion boards I was talking about, some lady posted something about how more and more moms (in the US, in particular) are dying in childbirth. And all these people responded with how that's just one more thing for them to add to the list of things they worry about. Well, I think that's no way to spend your pregnancy. It's supposed to be this amazing time in a woman's life, so why assume something MUST be wrong every chance you get? After we had that ultrasound that confirmed there was indeed a baby in there, I haven't really had any of those thoughts about "something is definitely wrong" or that impending doom feeling. I think my biggest worry at this point is that the ultrasound lady is going to be wrong about the baby's sex and I will have gone out and bought all these pink things and then we'll end up with a boy. Ha.
(3) Buying things used. According to these baby discussions (or at least some very opionated know-it-all moms), there are two things you NEVER EVER buy used for your baby. (1) A crib and crib mattress and (2) a car seat. Well, let me say, I have both of those... used. BUT the crib and mattress came from a very good friend, and I KNOW there is nothing wrong with it. And the car seat came from a friend of a friend, and I know for a fact it has never been in a car accident, hasn't been recalled, will NOT expire (yes, car seats do expire) for many years. And, it's an infant car seat, and those seats are really only good for about 6-8 months, so why spend over $100 on one when I can get a perfectly good one used? I will eventually be buying a convertible car seat down the road, and because those need to last for many years, I will get that new, but for now, I am perfectly happy with my used infant seat. See? Graco snugride.
(1) Pregnancy no-nos... there are a lot of them, let me start by saying. Things you can't eat, activities you shouldn't do, things you shouldn't drink, etc. Well, I mostly abide by those "rules." Which really are more like suggestions, or recommendations. But I definitely do NOT freak out if I have something on the "no-no" list. I mean, do I have some deli meats here and there? Yup. Do I always microwave them first to make sure they are steaming hot and all potentially threatening bacteria are dead... um, well, no. Do I have some caffeinated drinks here and there? Do I eat packaged/processed foods with sugar and fats and all that horrible stuff in them? Yes, yes I do. Not all the time, but I don't really go out of my way to avoid them either. Do I occasionally not have a single vegetable all day long? Oops, guilty. But, I can't say that I really worry about it. Generally, I follow the "rules," eat pretty healthy, drink lots of water, and feel good about my overall nutrition. Now, if I go onto those discussion boards, people post these questions or sometimes "confessions" about how they are the WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD because they ate a bite of a sandwich with deli meats in it. Or they had 2 sips of diet coke!! Eesh. I prefer to be a bit more relaxed (of course without completely ignoring all those recommendations, after all, they're there for a reason) and really enjoy this time rather than worry about every little detail. Which reminds me, I forgot to take my prenatal vitamin yesterday. Oops.
(2) General baby worry... I'll admit, I worried a bit before my first ultrasound. I couldn't believe this was really real, and I really had no proof (at least nothing I could see), so I was worried. But from what I've read, there are moms that worry the ENTIRE pregnancy. For example, they worry that every ache and pain or cramp is something going terribly wrong with baby. They call their doctor/midwife quite often with concerns. They think every ultrasound is going to show something wrong with baby. They worry if they can't feel baby move for a few hours, that something is definitely wrong. They worry labor is not going to go well. And on and on and on. Like for example, on those discussion boards I was talking about, some lady posted something about how more and more moms (in the US, in particular) are dying in childbirth. And all these people responded with how that's just one more thing for them to add to the list of things they worry about. Well, I think that's no way to spend your pregnancy. It's supposed to be this amazing time in a woman's life, so why assume something MUST be wrong every chance you get? After we had that ultrasound that confirmed there was indeed a baby in there, I haven't really had any of those thoughts about "something is definitely wrong" or that impending doom feeling. I think my biggest worry at this point is that the ultrasound lady is going to be wrong about the baby's sex and I will have gone out and bought all these pink things and then we'll end up with a boy. Ha.
(3) Buying things used. According to these baby discussions (or at least some very opionated know-it-all moms), there are two things you NEVER EVER buy used for your baby. (1) A crib and crib mattress and (2) a car seat. Well, let me say, I have both of those... used. BUT the crib and mattress came from a very good friend, and I KNOW there is nothing wrong with it. And the car seat came from a friend of a friend, and I know for a fact it has never been in a car accident, hasn't been recalled, will NOT expire (yes, car seats do expire) for many years. And, it's an infant car seat, and those seats are really only good for about 6-8 months, so why spend over $100 on one when I can get a perfectly good one used? I will eventually be buying a convertible car seat down the road, and because those need to last for many years, I will get that new, but for now, I am perfectly happy with my used infant seat. See? Graco snugride.
Well I think so far those are the only things that make me a bad pregnant person. Maybe also the fact that I lift heavy babies up and down stairs all day long, that might go in there according to some. I just count it as my workout for the day. :)
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