Biggest Life change on the way....

[bindi]

Opinions come from every direction... plus the hands that seek out the pregnant tummy too (very invasive for some women).

Firstly... Congratulations!

Read books and plenty of 'em. But the one I just finished last night, and wished that I had read much sooner, is a book called The Mommy Myth about the idealisation of motherhood. Very interesting.

Go with the gut feelings you will get, take on advice but sort through what sits right with you. Don't let people push you around and tell you what is "right" for the baby... it's just their opinions. And they can be wrong (for example, my 11 yo daughter was in agony for three weeks. Paediatrician said it was constipation. I didn't believe him, and kept pushing. Discovered from my naturopath/chiropractor that her back was out... after a course of herbals and a few clicks, the pain disappeared. Constipation. Yeah right!).

Also learn and read as much as you can about the birth process so you are utterly prepared. And learn to speak up if you disagree with anything that is happening midlabour. For example, I had organised for my dr to come to the hospital... but she had gone on holidays the day before and her partner came in. The first thing she said was "I'm missing my violin recital for this" in a grumpy pished off voice. Then and there I hated her, and everytime she came near me I threw up. It was only afterwards that I found out I could've told her to f$%# off (the midwife asked me why I hadn't!!!). I felt totally at the whim of the medical profession and it was quite horrifying.

Last bit that I can think of... don't take your child to the dr at the slightest sign of a sniffle. It's just a cold. There's not much they can do about viruses!

And have fun.