I don't know about you, but I was extra fiery when pregnant, I had no filter and would argue with anyone and everyone. What didn't help was the repetitive topics of conversation that everyone seems to use when finding out you are pregnant, and how annoying a lot of these phrases and talking points are. What's worse, is that we as Mums, who already know how annoying it is, are saying these things. So with that said, I am setting some ground rules on these 3 topics of conversation for pregnant people.
1. Do not tell me to 'sleep now, because you won't sleep when the baby is here'
Firstly, pregnancy insomnia.
Secondly, you cannot 'bank' sleep for when the baby arrives.
Thirdly, I do not need the reminder that I will not be getting much sleep, it is universally known that new Mums are all sleep deprived and it is not something they look forward to.
Fourth, pregnancy tiredness is very different to the tiredness of a new Mum, and some would argue much worse.
2. If I share any of my baby name ideas with you, the only appropriate response is a positive one
Sharing a baby name can feel quite vulnerable, a lot of parents I know shut that topic of conversation down immediatly, even so, I found that a lot of people were very insistent on knowing your baby name ideas. So if someone were to share this information with you and if your first reaction upon hearing a name isn't along the lines of "OMG cute, I love it" then time to practice your acting. No pregnant lady wants to hear your negative associations with that name, whether it be the rude lady in the office with that name, the smelly boy at school etc. So if you are a poor actor it's best to steer clear of this question altogether.
3. No horrific birth stories please
For some reason there seem to be a lot more negative birth stories out there than positive ones, but any Midwife will tell you that most births are not harrowing experiences. However, often the first thing that comes to peoples minds when you tell them you are pregnant, is so-and-so who nearly died giving birth! Most pregnant ladies are pretty scared of what is to come for them as it is without being told that Sally tore all the way up to her belly button. So I will put it out there for any pregnant ladies reading, my birth was fine, in fact I would do it again!
For more discussions like this tune into Next of Kin: Parents Podcast
