"Get lots of sleep now because you'll never sleep again"
"Enjoy time with your husband before the baby gets here, because afterwards you'll be too tired and busy"
"Take the epidural. Trust me."
I really wish I had a clever one-liner that I could respond with.
Thanks for pointing out that my life is going to be different after the baby is born, and that I will have to make sacrifices, and that there might be some pain involved. I really appreciate all the advice, but just so you know, I have already suffered and sacrificed and changed my life just to get pregnant. If all you get from your kids is pain and inconvenience, then you were obviously not in the same place I was before having them.
I swear I only hear one positive or encouraging thing for every twenty annoying negative remarks. I think people in our society have been conditioned to take this negative perspective because for some reason it is better to be independent and free versus responsible for/dependent on another person. It is better to never feel pain, even if it has a purpose that brings great joy. Ultimately, being free of responsibility and pain is impossible, so you end up thinking your life sucks. I refuse to set myself up for that.
I like your attitude. I love my baby, I love spending every waking moment with him. We take him almost everywhere with us, so I do spend time with my husband, too. I loved to sleep (and still do) and my baby is not a sleeper, but even at 4 o'clock in the morning, when I see his toothless (and now with 2 teeth)smile, I just melt, all the pain and suffering we went through it was all worth it. But I agree with the last one. The pain for me was too much and epidural is the best invention ever! Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteI've been a reader for a while but never commented before. I couldn't agree with you more on this one! When I was pregnant with my son, both my husband and I felt the same way. I'm here to tell you that the good so far outweighed the bad! Yes, we didn't sleep a lot in the first several months ... but getting up and feeding that baby was one of my favourite things to do! All of the pain of birth was worth it - all I had to do was look at my son and I'd well up with emotion. I loved all of it - the good, the bad, the dirty diapers! Enjoy this time - its fun to anticipate what's to come. You're going to love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks ladies! As it happens, I got the most amazing, unsolicited positive comment from a stranger today. It's like she knew I was fed up with all the negativity.
ReplyDeleteHope you are still safely ensconced in your positivity bubble!
ReplyDeleteThinking of you.