Well, I can't say I'm the expert at pregnancy since I've only really been through one. Nor am I planning to get pregnant so many times and give birth to a soccer team. Well, maybe at most a basketball team.
Besides, I'm not the type who reads up on all the pregnancy books, goes through all the endless online resources that teach you how to cope with your pregnancy and I don't post on forums too. Ok. I did read up on What to Expect in the first year and I do check on the Babycenter weekly bulletins when I was pregnant. That was about it though.
To me, pregnancy comes as a natural phase of life and there lies an instinct in every woman who will be able to cope with that big tummy.
Of course, there is some important knowledge that pregnancy mums should know, like how methylmercury can harm a baby, how alcohol can destroy a baby's cells and cause disorders, or what prenatal supplements would be good for consumption. All mums-to-be want to give the best to their babies right from the womb and I honestly understand why some people follow the guidelines so strictly.
But the thing is, there is no hard and fast rule.
Doctors in Singapore may tell me to abstain from exercising or excessive travelling but midwives in Sweden tell me to do whatever I think I'm capable of doing, and that playing badminton is not a problem, so is flying overseas for vacation in my third trimester.
Some friends tell me I should stay away from raw food and caffeine products. Yes, even my most loved Milo (a common chocolate drink in Singapore). Yet I see other preggie friends digging into sashimi in Japanese restaurants and drinking coffee twice a day.
Mothers tell me I cannot sew or use a scissors on the bed, do any form of hammering/drilling/shifting of furniture in the house because these are ominous for the baby and may cause miscarriages. However, myths like this are not popular in European culture and still, their babies come out healthy and all.
Maybe you will be thinking: Better to be safe than sorry. Then, well, congratulations. You are in for over 100 rules of the "Do"s and "Don't"s of pregnancy, not to mention all the conflicting advice you will hear from everyone around you which may drive you nuts sometimes.
For me, the key is to listen to everything with open ears but follow your heart in what you do. It is your pregnancy, your foetus, your life.
Don't set yourself in a panic when you forgot to take your prenatal supplements with you on your weekend road trip..
Don't be overly worried when it slipped your mind and you sewed on the button for your hubby's shirt on the bed.
Don't be too guilty when you gave in to your temptations and took a glass of that Moet & Chandon.
The truth is, IT'S REALLY OK at the end of the day. We all try hard to be the super mum-to-be, but the fact is we are not perfect human beings. So, just learn to take it easy.
That brings me to my golden rule of pregnancy.
So long as you keep yourself thinking positive thoughts and in a happy mood (ok, it's hard to be happy 100% of the whole 9 months, but try to achieve at least 90%?), I believe that you will give birth to a happy child which in turn makes you a happy mum. What goes around comes around and happiness is something that can never be too much.
It's normal to have mood swings but learn to get over it. Have a yoghurt or an ice cream, watch some love comedy and just laugh it off.
It's normal to have fights with the daddy-to-be who is also feeling the anxiety of it all. Talk it over nicely, if you can't, have a time out but always go to bed with a peaceful mind. Don't brood over small things like you want a pink cot but your hubby got a blue one. It's really unworthy and unnecessary. Just think about how cute your baby will look even in the most hideous looking cot in the world.
It's also ok to give in to food cravings and have a sinful piece of chocolate brownie or even take a sip of that Pinot Noir once in awhile. If it makes you happy, I'm all for it. It's so much better than trying to curb your desires and end up feeling grumpy and moody because you couldn't have it.
The conclusion is, just enjoy every moment of your pregnancy to the fullest. I truly believe that a woman looks and feels her best when she is pregnant. The radiance, the smile, the hope in her eyes, those things make her the most attractive woman in the world. As for the huge tummy, I actually think that's an asset too. An asset that no man can ever have and many women out there are dying to have.
So, cherish the pregnancy and live like you've never lived before, eat like you've never eaten before, and smile like you've never smiled before.
Cheers to all preggies out there. You bring life to the world! Literally and metaphorically.
I think I'm capable of doing, and that playing badminton www.rx247.net/furosemide.html is not a problem, so is flying overseas for vacation in my third trimester.
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