Being pregnant is like being in the middle of a people’s forum you didn’t know had convened.
It is a universally acknowledged truth. Upon becoming pregnant, a woman unwittingly becomes a conduit for unsolicited advice.
A woman in possession of a bump will quickly find herself in possession of more pregnancy-related intelligence than she could possibly action. As the due date approaches the intel will extend to childbirth and child-rearing. Almost everyone has a view on pregnancy and very few are afraid to share it.
It will be offered by friends, family members, strangers in the Woollies line, taxi drivers, friends of your co-workers, authors you’d never heard of, your boss.
Notwithstanding their relationship with you, these well-meaning folks will weigh in on every aspect of your pregnancy. On why you should absolutely find out whether you’re having a boy or a girl. On why you should absolutely never find out. On why you’re definitely having a boy or a girl. On why you need to eat for two. On why you need to watch every gram of food you consume.
On why you should exercise regularly. On why you should strictly avoid anything that raises your heartrate. On why you should never drink caffeine/get an epidural/let yourself go/be concerned with your shape/ have a glass of wine. On why you should drink caffeine/ get an epidural/let yourself go/be concerned with your shape/ have a glass of wine. On which pram/car-seat/highchair/cot/change table you must absolutely BUY. On which pram/car-seat/highchair/cot/change table you must absolutely AVOID.
Occasionally, this wisdom is helpful but often it’s conflicting. It’s almost invariably offered in good faith and it’s almost always unwelcome. But it is a fate few avoid and it has some utility. (It is valuable preparation for the arrival of your baby, at which point life without the wisdom of others will cease to exist.)