Advice – It’s something we all seek but wish people would just wait until they’re asked.
Nothing is more overwhelming than someone getting all up in your business with how they did or would do something.
As soon as you share that they’re going to begin trying for a baby you hear things like:
“Ooohhh! Make sure you stop drinking soda, coffee, alcohol, tea….” {Basically… You have no freedoms}
**There have been no studies to conclusively show that consumption of caffeine or alcohol, when consumed responsibly and in moderation, will inhibit your ability to conceive.
“Make sure that you really know your cycles or you’ll never get pregnant!” {False}
**A woman can know her cycles like clockwork and can still struggle to conceive. Also… woman get pregnant EVERY DAY without any idea about their cycle.
“Do it every day! Except for the day before the full moon! Then get crazy on the full moon… you’ll have a boy!” {p.s. WHAT?!?!}
** Try and try as you may… there’s not sure fire way to conceive a specific gender. If that makes it fun for you and your partner… go for it, but you’ll still have a 50/50 chance 😉
Then there’s aaallll the opinions you’ll get on how you plan to labor:
“Don’t even TRY to have an un-medicated birth! It’s not like it makes you better than anyone else.”
**Well, good news is, you don’t write your birth plan for others. Whether you want a natural, intervention free birth or you want to be so medicated you don’t feel a thing is YOUR choice. Your body is the one affected by your decisions, not your sister’s best friend’s aunt’s second cousin…
Seek education. Seek solid evidence based opinions and make the decision that best meets your needs as a family.
You see, at the end of the day, all the advice in the world will be pushed aside to your intuition. You know what you need. You know what your kiddos need.
Even if you don’t have the answers, you will find them. If that means you seek out thoughts and opinions from others then so be it, but at least you’ve asked for it before it’s assumed that you just need it.
Asking for help is an amazing way to grow, just be sure to know that you don’t have to use every bit of “wisdom” that people have to offer.
It’s a crazy wild journey, this parenting thing, but you’ve got this.
