I’m very pleased to be a blogger for the Million Moms Challenge. They asked me to write today about one thing I wish every pregnant woman knew. There are many, but the first is that you simply cannot control everything. Here’s what I wrote:
The one thing I think every pregnant woman should know is that she can’t control everything about her pregnancy and the postpartum period, so she shouldn’t drive herself crazy trying to make it perfect.
These days there are so many books, blogs and apps showing you how to manage your pregnancy and birth down to the last detail. How to make the nursery look perfect. How to train your baby to sleep through the night at the first possible opportunity. How to write a birth plan so that the hospital can follow your every wish. How to make delicious, homemade organic baby food. They would have us believe we can have the happiest, smartest, most well-fed and well-rested babies ever.
I loved all that stuff because, as it turns out, I’m a bit of a control freak. Pregnant at the age of 32 and in the midst of a fantastic marketing career, I thought I was master of my universe. I could manage anything: people, projects, emotions. Throw it at me and I’ll manage the heck out of it. I was ready to be the perfect mom and take advantage of every parental management concept thrown my way.
To see the rest of my piece on why I wish every pregnant mom knew it’s okay if she can’t make everything perfect, and read about the many things I was unable to control, please click the link to visit the ABC News Million Moms Challenge website.
Important: If you reply directly to my story on the site and answer the question “what was the best or most difficult moment of your pregnancy?” you will be entered to win an exclusive Million Moms Challenge Gift Pack, which includes an all expenses paid trip to a conference on mothers hosted by the UN Foundation in DC (Jan/Feb 2012), an iPad2, a custom-made Million Moms Challenge pendant and $50 donation in your name to Global Giving. Dude! Get over there and start replying!!!!!!
Be sure you reply over there, and not here, if you want to be entered for the cool prizes. Though if you reply here also you’ll win my undying love and devotion. 😉
Oh my oh my oh my. I did comment on your post on ABC News (I am SURE that iPad2 is just the thing to help me get everywhere on time 😉 ), but I did just want to say here that not only can you not control everything, but no one else can, either. Every other soon-to-be-mama is in the same boat as you – wanting to make the best life possible for their new little one and thinking that best life possible = perfect. That equation just doesn't ever add up. Me, I've had to settle with doing the best I can with the information I have at that time.