How To Handle Unsolicited Pregnancy Advice
“I’ve read that listening to classical music when you’re pregnant is healthy for your child’s brain development. Make sure you do that.”
Advice like this makes first-time mothers freak out in their pregnancy, adding to their level of stress, and we all know stress is bad for both the mother and her child. Worse is, everyone seems to have an advice for pregnancy, that you should do this, or that to ensure your baby is healthy and bright. So how do you handle unsolicited advice when bearing a child? Here are some tips:
Keep things simple. Choose who you listen to and trust, it can be your parents, your doctor, or your favorite website. Use them as your source of information about your pregnancy, motherhood and life in general.
Be Informed. Read anything you can to expand your knowledge on pregnancy and motherhood. Read from credible sources; ask a trusted family member, your parents perhaps, friends, or seek professionals’ advice. You can also join forums and learn from others out there.
Find a Role Model. Having a role model can help greatly on how you bring your child to the world and you raise them. This can be your parents or anyone you admire for being such a good parent. Ask for their recommendations and experiences on things that concern you most, especially on your pregnancy.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. Unsolicited advice can be very annoying, sometimes it can be silly, but you don’t have to do all of them. Don’t stress yourself thinking of these kinds of advice too much.
At the end of the day, you’ll know what is right, so trust your judgment.