Comments

So it's been weeks since I posted, and now I come here to rant . . .

I would just like to say that I don't need all the world's negative birth comments and vibes - they can just keep them to themselves.
I like being pregnant. Sure I'm rather large these days, and one could accurately call my forward locomotion "waddling," but (and I'll say it again) I like being pregnant.
I don't feel any urgency to have this baby. Really.
Over the past few weeks I've been getting "sympathetic" comments from perfect strangers, neighbors, and others about:
- how big my belly is (Yup, that's what happens. Pregnant women's bellies get big. We have actual humans growing right inside there, you know.)
- how I'm carrying my baby (all out front from what I hear mostly -Where the heck do they think I'd put a baby - in my thighs? or maybe my buttocks? Nope, a baby grows in a uterus (Owen can tell you that!), and they tend to stick on on the front. In fact, I've never seen one that didn't.)
- how I must surely not be going to make it all the way to November (Really? And, pray tell, how do they figure by looking at me or talking to me on the phone when I might or might not have a baby? Let me tell you there are 1001 folk and other ways to "know." There's the you're-so-big-you-can't-possibly-go-that-much-longer "argument" as well as the I-just-wish-your-baby-would-come-on-out vibe. There is also the mine-all-came-at-X-time-and-you're-like-me-because-of-Y-so-your-baby-will-come-at-X-time-too reasoning. And my personal favorite: the line of thought that my(or my husband's, wife's, daughter's, aunt's, cousin's, person-I-once-knew's)-birthday-is-on-such-and-such-a-day-so-it'd-be-really-cool-if-your-baby-was-born-then-instead-of-when-s/he-is-ready-to-be-born. Yeh, you just gotta love that one - nothing even quasi scientific about it.)
- how I must be going to have a really large baby (Again, how can one tell this from looking at me or talking to me over the phone? Not sure, but again. I hear I am getting quite large. (The midwives don't think so, and I don't think I'm looking inordinately large either.) I have also been told I will likely deliver a 10 lb. baby since I haven't drunk the kool-aide, so to speak, and been deemed free of GD by the powers that be. Also cited is my previously "large" baby who was born at 41weeks,4days gestation weighing 8lbs1oz - actually a little under the expected weight for a male of that gestation.)
- how they wish my baby will come "early" or that I "only have another month" (I get that lots of people are not happy pregnant. That's okay. I am happy pregnant (despite this little diatribe). I get that people (including me - especially me) are excited to meet this baby. That doesn't mean my baby needs to come "early". Early, is by definition, not on time. There is no benefit to coming early and plenty of risk to it when you are talking about babies and not appointments. I have another 2 months for this baby to grow, and I would like to be *allowed* that full time for its growing enjoyment.)
- the sex of my baby (Again, how they "know" is an absolute riot - I'm all out front, you know. I am carrying my baby high/low/out front. Mostly I have avoided people feeling the need for me to have a particular sex for their own insecure reasons; that's nice.)

So, if you have any negative pregnancy or birth vibes, be sure to keep them to yourself the next time you encounter a hormonal pregnant woman. Instead, smile, ask how she is feeling, tell her something NICE about your pregnancies, ask her when the baby is due (but don't press for an actual date because that is just stupid and she might call you on it), talk about the weather. She'll thank you for it.