For many, hearing the words 'Congratulations, you're pregnant' can be so joyous! You've been trying to conceive and now it's actually becoming a reality. You might wait to tell your friends and family for the first few months and secretly the news is killing you not to share.
Then, you finally start to share your excitement with others telling them that you'll soon be expecting the arrival of a baby!
And it starts............
The oversharing.
The negative experiences.
The unsolicited stories that you definitely did not ask anyone to share.
Ugh.
And on some level, I understand why women (and men) share their experience, as negative and overwhelming it can be to hear. I think that they feel by sharing their experience, sharing their 'knowledge', it can prepare you for the same or the worst. Some still have their own experiences to process and once you've been through a pregnancy and labour, you definitely earn that experience. But sometimes giving you the full play by play is just too much information. Some oversharing can get detailed. Real detailed. It's not what most pregnant parents want to think about.
And the best way to prepare is to take a prenatal education class from a knowledgeable professional (we offer this class) and creating a bubble.
Creating a bubble is important for your own experience.
For those questions, anxieties and other details that you want to know, ask a few people that you trust and feel safe with.
Find a prenatal education class and tell people that you're taking a great educational class.
Research positive birth stories.
Meditate and breathe daily.
Eat. Sleep. Laugh. Love.
Relax and spend time doing things that you love.
When people provide unsolicited advice, ask them to share their highlight reel.
What did they love about their pregnancy?
What was the best part of their labour and delivery? What was it like to see their baby for the first time? People love to share and be heard so ask them the good stuff!