Pregnancy is a funny thing...

On Friday, July 8th I welcomed week 30 of my pregnancy. The 30 week milestone has scared me to death since I first learned I was pregnant. We are definitely sliding into the home stretch of this pregnancy! Lately I've thought a lot about the knowledge I've gained throughout this whole wonderful experience & I'd like to share it. You may find it helpful, but if not, maybe you will just laugh along with me :)

1. ADViCE: From day 1, begin using cocoa butter, baby oil, or whatever else you find to prevent stretch marks! Nobody wants stretch marks. I, personally, use it 2-4 times a day.

2. ADViCE: Eat/drink your fiber - enough said.

3. MY OBSERVATiON: A good friend  (who is also pregnant - 4 weeks ahead of me) & I talked recently & decided that people (mostly women) think they now have permission to comment about & touch your body. Some of the questions/comments I have received & overheard are as follows:
"How much weight have you gained?"
"What do you weigh?"
"What did you weigh before you were pregnant?"
"Your feet are swelling!"
"Why are your feet swelling?" (My answer to this question: "It's 95 degrees outside, I've been on my feet all day & I'm 6 months pregnant. Why are your feet swelling?")
"Your butt is getting bigger."
"All of her weight will go straight to her butt, just like mine did."
"Why are you bigger than her? Isn't she farther along than you?"

4. MY OBSERVATiON: Probably the thing that has bugged me the most throughout this pregnancy are the stories. Oh, the stories you'll hear! I will just about swear that most of these "stories" are what I like to call lies & urban legends. I will now share a few of these with you...

 This one is from my mother after I told her about a numbing shot they give you before your epidural: "They don't give you a numbing shot! When I had my epidural (25 years ago) they strapped you to a table and stabbed that needle in your back and dug around to find the right spot. I had a huge bruise on my back that hurt so bad!"

 "I was adamant that I was going to have my baby naturally. I pushed for 3 hours and the baby didn't move! They had to do a C-section on me. It was awful!"

"I caught staph after I had my C-section." (This one is true.)

"Well, I hope breastfeeding works out for you. I thought it would work out for me too, but...my milk didn't come in, I didn't make enough milk, I didn't make enough milk and I was starving my baby, it hurt too bad, etc., etc., etc." This is compiled from several stories I've heard.

This is the last one, and probably sums up everything. It's also my least favorite...

 "You just wait..."

5. ADViCE:  Drink water, stay hydrated - enough said.

6. MY OBSERVATiON: People also want to criticize your ability to be a parent before your baby is even here. Here are a few of those stories/comments:

"I hope your dog doesn't eat your baby. I think she might." This is from my grandmother, who genuinely believes that my dog might actually eat our baby.

"Is she REALLY going to sleep in the crib?" OMG, where else can we put her?!

"Don't waste your money buying a crib, they won't sleep in there anyway."

"You won't take your baby anywhere when you learn about all the germs and sickness they can catch." I'm a teacher. I KNOW about all the germs and sickness out there!

6. ADViCE & MY OBSERVATiON: The final piece of advice I want to give is also my observation. Pregnancy is the best experience I've ever had! Despite all the stories and criticism this is a beautiful time in your and your baby's life. Aside from all the horrifying stories, there are also some very sweet stories and genuine comments people make, like "How are you feeling?" & "You look so great!". All in all, I've decided that your pregnancy will be however great or awful you want it to be. If you want to complain and whine, it will be a miserable time for you. If you take the uncomfortable-ness and fleeting sickness, knowing that it won't last forever and that with it comes a truly perfect gift from God, this will be a rewarding experience for you, just like it is for me.

John 16:21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.