Congrats, You’re Pregnant! Now What?
A pregnancy preparation post
Over my freelance years I’ve written various motherhood how-tos, which I have started compiling on Medium.
What to do when the 2 lines appear.
What to read while gestating. Note, these are not straight up how-tos for the baby and toddler days. One of the best pieces of mothering advice I got from my mentors was, “Worry more about what your child will be like at 35 than tomorrow.” This is mostly a list of general parenting theory books.
These are my own insights from 10 years and four kids, plus a couple of nephews.
And finally, a little bit of truth that isn’t popular.
Motherhood surprises women these days. Not the fact of motherhood. Many women meticulously plan their pregnancies. Certainly, women of advanced education plan childbearing, occasionally to a fault.
The fact of motherhood does not shock, but the day-to-day of motherhood and the intensity of motherhood do. As a culture we condition women to believe that having a baby is just a biological function and they will go back to their previous lives, albeit with babes in tow, after a few weeks of recovery.
[Insert gentle, hysterical, or bitter laughter from experienced moms here.]
That one has my first motherhood advice:
Motherhood might not be rocket science, but it is full of practical skills that require, well, practice. Take time to learn domestic skills and get some hands-on experience with babies and toddlers. Find a friend who has at least one under one year and offer to hang with her for a long weekend. She will enjoy the company and the extra hands. You will get some hands on training. And both of you will get some memories to enjoy for years to come. (Right, Anne?)
That time will serve you better than hours spent reading parenting theory books, much less tomes on pregnancy nutrition. Besides, give those books a few years, the “science” and the best practices advice will change. I even hear expectant moms are supposed to eat peanut butter these days.
