Monday, February 6, 2012

Monday Musings – Preggo Thoughts

I’ve noticed quite a few controversial topics after following some other blogs and websites with message boards dedicated to pregnancy and babies.  Some of them being…

  • When Should You Tell Your Family You’re Pregnant

I feel like mama-to-be’s are so divided on this subject.  Some are completely firm on not telling anyone until after the first trimester (usually 12 or 13 weeks), since you typically have an ultrasound at that point and can hear the heartbeat.  The percentage of miscarriage also goes down considerably after this milestone marker. 

For me, I wanted to tell my sister, my parents and hubby’s parents right away.  I took my first test on a Tuesday at 4 weeks, took a second test on Saturday and then called my mom a couple hours later.  If I were to have a miscarriage, I knew I would want my family’s support.  We decided to wait to tell our closest friends and the rest of our family after my first appointment at 7 weeks.  We saw Baby C on the ultrasound, heard the heartbeat, and my doctor said everything was looking good so far.  If something were to happen after that, I would rather have my friends know what was happening rather than keeping it a secret.  However, I understand that some people are more private and would rather keep it between them and their partner.  Posting it on Facebook was a different story – we waited until I was about 13 weeks along for that.  I have no regrets on how we handled sharing the news, however I do feel like some of our friends felt we told people too early.  If there’s anything that I’ve learned with this pregnancy, it’s that you always just have to go with your gut instinct and take other people’s “advice” with a grain of salt.

Another controversial topic…

  • What Should You Eat When You’re Pregnant

Ugh.  I want to keep this short as this topic frustrates me because people tend to over-share their advice regarding what’s “okay” and what’s not.  I will just say that you should talk with your doctor about the foods you should avoid and foods you should eat in moderation.  My practice has a more of a “eat in moderation” belief, so really the only foods I’ve been avoiding are cold deli meats (I will eat paninis and sandwiches if the meat is warmed up), sushi (luckily I’m not a huge fan anyways), alcohol, soft cheeses like feta and blue cheese, diet soda, and regular coffee (I do drink 10 oz of decaf at work still).  Supposedly there’s lists of tons of foods you “shouldn’t” eat while pregnant – including various fruits, teas, other meats, etc.  Some websites even state you should limit peanut butter or else your baby will have an allergy later on in life.  I’m sticking to the everything is fine in moderation belief – I mean our parents ate all of this stuff and we came out normal, right?  ;)   Again, just trust your gut instinct and talk to your doctor if you’re really that concerned with it – talking with other people will just make you more worried.

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3 comments:

  1. Very interesting! We didn't tell our families until after our first doctor's appointment at 8 weeks. We didn't post on Facebook until after hearing the heartbeat at 13 weeks. I'm glad we waited, DH's family is too big that everyone would have found out really quickly, and that would have been a lot of people to tell if something had happened. But, I think every woman (and couple) need to make that decision for themselves.

    As for what to avoid eating while pregnant. The list goes on and on. I'll eat deli meat if I heat it up, although I have slipped on occasion. I miss dippy eggs so incredibly much! I already told DH that I want eggs benedict as my first post-baby meal! I've eaten feta, as long as it's pasteurized, and I believe most in the US are, unless it's fresh like at a restaurant or something. I never did drink coffee, so that wasn't a problem. I do agree with you that I'll eat most things in moderation, with some exceptions.

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  2. We told our parents at 5-6 weeks but didn't tell everyone else til 12 weeks. There's no right or wrong time...to each their own!

    Don't even get me started on food! I follow the moderation rule and so far it has worked! I do drink some caffeine cokes (gasp!), but if my Doctor doesn't have an issue with it then nobody else should! :)

    I will NOT miss having to warm my lunch meats though!!

    LOVE that quote!

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  3. i think your mommy instincts are already kicking in!!! everyone will always have an opinion, good or bad, but all you have to know is that you are comfortable with your decision. you will be a wonderful mommy no matter what other people say--especially those without kids--LOL :)

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