The following is the second guest post from Kristin Netterstrom, a reporter at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette who recently shared news that she and her husband are expecting. We hope to keep up with Kristin as her special pregnancy progresses. If you missed her first post, go here.
Worry. Worry. Worry. That’s all I do lately, even though our specialist told us recently that a tumor on my baby’s placenta no longer concerns him.
That’s really good news. Huge weight lifted off our shoulders. But once the baby fever set in many months (or years) ago, I was a gonner. It’s been non stop worrying and second guessing.
Can I get pregnant? Is there something wrong with me? Is this pregnancy test accurate? Maybe I’ll buy a few more tests from a different store just to be sure.
When we learned about the tumor on the placenta, the stress doubled. Will I miscarry? Will the baby have a disability? Can we care for a child with a disability?
Now that the tumor doesn’t appear to be much of a major issue, I’ve skipped right over the more immediate concern of affording day care to worrying about the later years. Can I teach my daughter how to be a strong woman?
That’s right, I said daughter, which evokes thoughts of shotguns and late nights.
How do I keep her from experimenting with drugs and alcohol as a teen? Will she hate me? Are my husband’s genetics enough to ward off the mental issues that have stricken members of my mother’s family?
Premature, I know. I have years ahead of me before boyfriends become an issue.
It’s amazing humans reproduce at all, and then go on to do it a second, third or fourth time. When you think about it, what sane person wants to up-end their life for a crying, pooping dependent who they have to worry about all the time?
My husband claims not to have any of these worries. So, is it just me? I hope not.
Luckily, I discovered a Web site early on in my pregnancy where I feel free to ask other expecting mamas all my silly first-time mom questions. (What to Expect When You’re Expecting, in case you’re wondering about the site) I take comfort knowing there are so many other women out there, up late at night, posting similar concerns and silly questions.
It makes me feel less nutty, although I am starting to second guess that conclusion too.
This is all perfectly normal! I think it’s the mom hormones taking over your body, I really do. I always worry out loud to my husband about Ava in her 20s, not as a kid. Even though I know that makes no sense to skip ahead …
You’re not nutty. Worrying is what we moms do best — been there, done that, got the bags under my eyes to prove it!
I’m so glad that the tumor isn’t an issue anymore Yay for good news!
You’re not nutty. Worrying is what we moms do best — been there, done that, have the bags under my eyes to prove it.
I am so glad that the tumor isn’t a concern anymore. Yay for good news!
You better get used to this worrying business. But it sounds like everything is great, hurray!, so try to relax. And if you can’t relax, please don’t worry about your inability to relax.
That’s what mom’s do best – Worry About their kids!
Your not crazy – your normal.
Congrats on the girl!