Wednesday, July 1, 2009

You are so lucky

I think it's very common for women at the end of their pregnancies to be anxious for the pregnancy to be over and their babies born. Not only because they are dying to meet that adorable little person who has been kicking them for 9 months, but because they are so uncomfortable from being fat, swollen, and wobbly.

If you have followed my blog, you know that I went into labor and delivered at 33 weeks pregnant. Without going into the long details as I have already done, my premature baby was not released from the hospital until 4 weeks (29 days) later. She stayed in the NICU and finished growing there instead of in the womb I created for her.

A common discussion amongst mothers or between a new mother and a pregnant mother-to-be are labor stories. When I share that I went into labor & delivered at 33 weeks, a typical reaction is "You are so lucky" then followed by the reasons why I am "so" lucky. These usually range from not having to endure the last 2 months of agonizing pregnancy and being able to be done with it early.

Little do they know that all this makes me want to do if flick them on their pretty little forehead and smack some sense into them. It has come to the point where I literally have to bite my tongue to prevent me from ripping them a new one. Yes, I know these comments come from innocence but they are also extremely ignorant.

This has got to be the most ludicrous way of thinking I have ever come across. It really puts into perspective how little the general public (mothers being the majority of who I speak with about this) knows about the seriousness of premature birth. They have absolutely no idea what it means to have a premature baby. They have no idea what it could mean either.

All they think of is not being pregnant anymore and good that will feel. They don't think about how it will feel to watch their innocent tiny baby fight for its life, they don't think about how it will feel to leave their baby in the hospital day after day.

Women are pregnant for 40 weeks for a reason and it's certainly not to torture the pregnant mother. It's to give the baby the proper amount of time to grow and prepare for the outside world. Consider yourself lucky to make it to full term. Your chances of any complications drop drastically.

Just to be clear, I don't expect every pregnant mother to be on the edge of their seats the entire pregnancy in fear of premature birth. I only ask that women educate themselves on pregnancy and understand that the longer their baby stays in, the better. Never think another women is lucky to have given birth early, just thank your lucky stars it didn't happened to you.

3 comments:

Parker's Paradise said...

Again....people are so stupid! I had to have a c-section due to severe complications (I spent 5 1/2months on bedrest) and people make comments all the time about how dangerous a c-section is for a baby and at the same time how lucky I am to have had one. Hello!!! I was practically cut in half! It tooks weeks before I could stand up straight and at least a month before I could drive! Delivering my baby by c-section wasn't my first choice as you delivering early wasn't, but we do what we have to do! Man, some people need to grow a brain. I'm with you sister!!

DesignHer said...

We get that comment about the fire sometimes. We are so lucky to have a new house. I think it's just something people say... something stupid!

The Staker Family said...

Hey Meghan, I do not think you were so lucky! I have gone full term with all of my babies and while I am SO ready to have them out I thank God all the time that I had healthy babies who did not have to go to the NICU. I cannot even imagine what you had to go through everyday hoping that your baby would get better and be able to come home! I think the saddest thing in the whole world is a sick baby. People can be so stupid!