Being pregnant is a huge deal. It’s like an open invitation for strangers to talk to you ( the horror!). When your pregnant, everyone seems to think you know exactly what’s happening, what your doing and what’s going to happen. I can’t tell you how many times people asked me ‘are you ready for the birth?’, ‘have you bought everything yet?’ and other ridiculous worrying questions to be asked when your facing the hugest life change you’ll ever go through. If your a good pregnant person you probably attended all of your midwife appointments with lots of questions, booked into antenatal classes and drew up a birthing plan with weeks to go. I did none of the above. The truth is, no. I had no idea what I was doing, what to buy or how to give birth. I was dealing with everything as it hit me and blagged my way through all the questions like I had a clue.
Of course I attended all of my appointments but I had no idea what they were doing. They test your pee, feel your belly, ask if your OK and book in the next one. Towards the end they’ll want to know that you’ve been going to antenatal classes and are fully prepared to bring a baby into the world. If your like me you’ll immediately panic at 38 weeks and attempt to book into everything possible; of course you can’t as it’s full of great mums who were prepared from day 1. I thought about the birth but my approach was very much ‘i’ll deal with it when it comes’. I even downloaded Cast Away onto my iPad. Don’t get me wrong, it all worked out. I breathed in labour and eventually a baby was born ( with not a second of Cast Away watched *sigh*) and looking back I think I would of hated antenatal classes. Sitting in a circle with other soon-to-be mums pretending a human is coming out of us and panting. What a nightmare.