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Hands Off

Since When Am I Public Property?

By Gail Montenegro

I found that I was a much happier person because I had learned to intercept and/or tune out those unwanted comments and horror stories that plagued me the first time around. I have also made a sacred vow to myself to never offer unsolicited advice to anyone else who is pregnant. My theory is that each pregnancy/childbirth is different, and each woman should be allowed to make her own individual decisions on how to approach or handle her experience.

I am very careful not to share any scary stories with expectant mothers or make comments that might undermine their self-confidence (such as "You are SO big for only being five months pregnant!"). I am more than happy to share my experiences with them (both good and bad) if they specifically request my input, but otherwise I've found it best to just be a good and supportive listener while keeping my opinions to myself. These women have enough on their minds as it is, and I'm certainly not going to play any part in increasing their anxiety level! So the moral of the story is... "If you can't say something positive, don't say anything at all!"