Decisions, Decisions... and Opinions!

Isnt' it amazing how strong everyone's opinions are about things during pregnancy? Everything from dying your hair while pregnant to what you should eat and how the birth should go. After all the reading and research I am doing, I have come to terms with it all; as long as the parents are well informed and realize what decisions they are making I am happy! (It drives me crazy when people just decide or let something happen as it will without being informed). I will point out some good resources if I can but after all, its their choice! What with all of these people I know that are pregnant the same time as me, I have mixed feelings about various of their choices about things, but as long as they feel its right for them and their dr agrees, I am happy that they are comfortable with their decision even if I dont agree. And let's face it, it doesn't really matter what I think! It's their choice, not mine!!!

This has been hard for me because I am someone with such strong opinions and I have had to realize that mine is not "right" its just different and my opinion is only right for me and Ryan. I am truely blessed that I am with someone who has the same thoughts and opinions as me on these things; at least I am not fighting with him at all. We sort of go, "I was thinking X" and the other says, "Yeah, me too", OK good, next issue.

I mean with all this stuff, pretty much the deal is that your baby will still be fine, but if you do this or that it may up the chances of this or decrease the chances of that... so it may not even have any effect on the outcome at all!

Here are a few you may know or not know:

• Expectant mothers who eat nuts or nut products like peanut butter daily during pregnancy increase their children's risk of developing asthma by more than 50 percent over women who rarely or never consume nut products during pregnancy http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114901.php
• Babies born four months before the peak cold and flu season have a 30 percent higher risk of developing asthma http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27839958/
• A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that breastfed infants tested 5.2 IQ points higher than formula fed infants http://www.breastfeeding.com/reading_room/iq_study.html
• Children raised in a house with two or more dogs or cats during the first year of life may be less likely to develop allergic diseases as compared with children raised without pets http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/08/27/earlyshow/health/health_news/main519978.shtml

Sometimes it does make a difference, so now as parents we just have to weigh the risks and benefits, and try to do what's best for our kids and concentrate on things that are more likely to make a differnce and not sweat the things that are less likely, you know? (I had sprouts once during the pregnancy. Dont tell anyone! lol) I think I am starting [its a long learning process] to lighten up on how much energy I put into caring about other's decisions. And that is a lesson to learn in everyday life, not just in pregnancy.