We've already established that I know nothing about having a baby. However, with the giant wave of advice that comes with getting pregnant, I've recently learned a few things. Allow me to share them with you.
You are supposed to eat right. Depending on who is telling you this, the meaning of "right" varies greatly. I'm still confused on if it means only meat and veggies, no meat at all, fat-free things, full-fat things..but either way, bottom line, you're supposed to eat right. But, you also get to eat whatever you want for 9 months!
You should take it easy. Relaxing is good for the baby! So is taking what you normally do down a couple of notches. But, you should also exercise so much that you only gain the literal weight of the baby.
You need to basically plan their entire life before they even get here. You need to pick a preschool, and an elementary school, and probably go ahead and register them for middle school, too. Don't forget to start a college fund! But, you should not stress AT ALL. It's bad for the baby.
You should save all of your money. Baby's are expensive and they are going to need every spare penny you have. But, you should also buy a $2,000 stroller and a temperpedic crib and take lavish "baby moon" vacations.
And don't even get me started on vaccination advice.
So yeah, I've learned a lot.
And by that, I mean I've learned nothing at all.
Except that it is absolutely pointless to compare myself to other people. Moms, soon to be moms, and non-moms...they all have good advice and bad advice, opinions that matter and those that don't. It's just human nature. But holding myself up next to every single person's standards, it would just eat away all of my peace.
I'm going to do my best, that I know for sure. I'm going to gain more than 8 pounds, but I'm going to love him fiercely. I'm going to eat my fair share of pumpkin cake, but I'll eat a salad every now and then, just for him. I'm going to save enough to buy him the things he needs, but I'm also going to buy a PSL and chick-fil-a every now and then.
I'm going to do the best job I can do, and part of that is refusing to compare myself to other people. And for now, I think that is enough.
