The one about over-sharing moms

When you’re pregnant for the first time, you come across article after article in your pregnancy and new baby magazines, you get emails from your chosen baby info website and one of the common messages is about how to deal with advice from other moms.  The author will tell you about how the moms will scare you with their terrible birth stories and how you can politely decline to hear the negative news.  They tell you about how you can expect loads of pushy advice from the know-it-alls and you’re supposed to give a courteous thank you and tell them you appreciate that they want to help. 

What they don’t tell you is that you will become one of these moms!  Well, where did you think they came from?  Shipped in on a rocket from another planet? Nope. They were once first timers, reading the same articles.  The thing is- having a baby is the biggest thing that ever happened to me.  It was the most exciting yet terrifying, most emotional yet beautiful, day of my life.  Of course I want to share it with the world!  Something that happens on a daily basis, more common that the common cold- is the thing that makes you feel so special and unique when it happens to you.

It’s my personality to share.  I share my experiences, my thoughts, my desires, my judgments and my discoveries.  I love hearing other people’s birth stories and comparing them to what happened to me.  It’s better than a compelling novel!  Especially in the months leading up to Reed’s birth and the months following, I wanted to hear every detail of my friends who were having babies. 

When I tell the story of my labor and Reed’s birth, I’m not looking to scare anybody. Not at all. I had never even considered that.  The honest truth is that it’s the best story I have in my arsenal.  It’s a love story with bits of action and adventure, comedy and mystery and a whole lot of drama mixed in!  Sure it it’s scary and suspenseful , but it has a beautiful ending.  I tell it for selfish reasons, I tell it because I actually expect people to care.  Just as if they asked about the time I went scuba diving in Mexico, or the time I flew in a helicopter through the Grand Canyon.  It was an exciting day and I love re-telling the story to anyone who cares!

So I apologize if I’ve ever offended anyone who didn’t really want to hear my story.  I didn’t intend to scare you.  I know I can talk a lot and be pushy with conversation and probably drone on and on when the conversation is long past it’s peak.  Everybody has their faults!  So, cheers to blogs! Where you can stop reading at any time- or read to the end if you wish!

*grin*