Repost - Pregnancy, Childbirth, Motherhood and Well Meaning Unsolicited Advice

Reposting for my new mom's and mom's to be:)


I don’t know what it is about a pregnant woman or a new mother that makes them a target for unsolicited advice from anyone and everyone – from close friends and family to complete strangers, people with children and people without.

Some advice is handy information and some just makes you shake your head. As a parent of 2 kids, an almost 16 year old girl and a 12 year old boy,  I have learned to do a lot of nodding and smiling over the years. “Oh right...yes of course...what a great idea, I never thought of that...” all the while thinking to myself – you have got to be kidding!!! There is no topic off limits – circumcision, breastfeeding, midwife vs. doctor, homebirth vs. hospital birth. No matter what your choices or plans are, someone will be ready to tell you that your choices are wrong, your plans are crazy and that they know what is best for you. The key part of all of that is YOU – YOUR CHOICES – YOUR PLANS.

At the end of the day it’s your body, your baby, your birth experience, your choices and YOUR LIFE.

So do what is going to work best for you, and tune everyone else who disagrees with you. You have to do what works for you.

Bottle fed babies turn out just fine, my daughter is 16, she is incredibly bright, beautiful , healthy and holds no hard feelings towards me for not being able to breastfeed her – never once has she turned to me and said “Mom you really let me down, I will never forgive for all the formula you made me gag back when I was a baby” and my son has never once thanked me for enduring the engorged breasts and the cracked nipples in order to successfully nurse him for 10 months. Your baby isn’t going to hold it against you if you needed to have an epidural to get you through your delivery. These choices are yours and yours alone to make.

So listen to who you want and what you want, take in what you think might work for you and ignore what you know won’t. You will make mistakes, you will make the wrong choice from time to time AND you will do things perfectly and flawlessly from time to time.

Just my thoughts – you don’t have to agree with – that is your choice

Lots of love to all of you, Seanna