While I have been down the baby road, it has been awhile and I have never been down the pregnancy road. I have spent years joining in the excitement as my friends have found out they are expecting a bundle of joy. I have listened to them as they have told me about the pregnancy books they are reading and magazines that offer them information. I have shopped with them as they told me about the latest and greatest products that are offered for baby. I have been a sounding board for them as they debate on the best birthing plan for them. I have even joined those friends and coached them in the delivery room.
Over the years of watching my friends I have given thought to what I would do in their shoes. How I would react. What books I would order. What research I would do.
It turns out, I was wrong about how I would go about it.
I have no desire to order a book about what to expect while I am expecting, baby names or caveman style birthing. I have googled about two pregnancy related topics and decided to just ask my doctor and use my common sense. I can research till I am blue in the face but I will make myself crazy over every tiny product if I do. I did grab a sign language for babies book but that is only because my in-laws are deaf and I might as well learn with baby.
I have decided the internet and books will give you every topic of what can go wrong, what you shouldn’t eat, what you shouldn’t do and how you are wrong and everyone else is right. All of these topics will vary culture to culture, country to country and doctor to doctor. (Confusion) This filters over into raising a baby as well, I remember that part.
The only thing I have looked up is how to start adjusting my yoga techniques.
Am I doing it wrong?
I eat well. I quit drinking wine. I gave up soda and fast food years ago. I adjusted my heart medication when we first started trying to get pregnant so it would be safe for baby. I have been taking prenatal pills for a year now. I have given up cliff diving. (Okay, I never did that in the first place.) And I’m getting a bit more sleep because growing a baby is a lot of work.
I have decided I am not the first woman to be pregnant. I have decided that while I like to be informed, I don’t need to be inundated with too much information. I have decided that already having a healthy lifestyle means I don’t have to come up with an entirely new lifestyle while pregnant. I have decided to listen to my body as I go. I have decided that I will not stop my life and act like my pregnancy is the only thing going on. I have a marriage, a job, family and friends that I will not put off with lame excuses. I have come to realize/remember that babies really don’t need much, society makes you believe they do.
And not only did I decide on this but my Husband supports this decision after I had a few days of freaking out. Because: am I doing this wrong? We discussed what would work best for me and us. We discussed how we wanted to go down the pregnancy path. Sure, it could change as this goes but for right now, this is what works.
Am I doing it wrong? I don’t know but today I feel like I’m doing it right.
Through My Mistakes 
All they really need is lots of love.
That is so simply true:)
I would have the same questions! but I also think if I read too much, I would overthink WAY too much and that would be harder than winging it and learning as I go. I think your approach sounds just perfect xo
There is so much to quickly over think and I just don’t want to go down that road! No need to be stressed out which just stresses baby out. So far this is working well:)
I’m the type of person that loves to read as much as possible when I get into something new. Vacation to Costa Rica? I check out 5 books from the library and research countless articles. Buying a house? I read everything about how to save for a down payment, what to look for, etc. I have a feeling pregnancy will be no different, BUT I will say that I already have my own ideas as to what I would want to do and the rest is pretty much just to be informed–not to obsess. I think any way you do it, you’re doing what’s right FOR YOU 🙂
I am normally that way as well! I love to research and google and all that fun stuff. SOOOO not what I feel like doing. It is so backwards:) So far, so good though!