common sense

There are a lot of warnings out there for pregnant women. Warnings against normal behaviors that will likely harm our child if we do them. I heard them so much the first six months that I finally got fed up and ate raw fish.

I announced to J in Feb that I HAD TO HAVE SUSHI. J, being the good husband he is, supported me and my craving and took me to one of our favorite Japanese restaurants and we feasted. Now...I do have boundaries with my risk-taking. I won't eat sushi sold at the grocery store, I made sure it was from a long-established, successful restaurant. And, after checking with our waitress, found out that Japanese women continue to eat sushi when they're preggo because they prepare it properly. It's here in the States that we get scared of the possibility of food poisoning.

I find myself questioning what seems like extreme precautions, wondering if just good common sense is what's needed.

You won't see 6 inches of grey roots on the top of my head because I have yet to find a study that proves that the chemicals used in hair coloring actually get into the bloodstream and harm the baby. So I still color -- with plenty of ventilation.

Do I enjoy a few sips of J's beer from time to time? Sure I do. I'm not putting down the pints each week, just a few ounces here and there to keep me from feeling deprived.

My latest observation is that if you plan to write a book about parenting, prepare to be vilified by someone. No one escapes this as the opinions on child-rearing are very strong and passionate. And yet, it seems that a variety of philosophies seem to work for a variety of folks. I've read Ezzo (Babywise) to Dr. Sears (Attachment Parenting) among others (Baby Whisperer, Baby 411), and when I hear the way some of these folks talk about the other, I wonder if they've actually read the other person's material. I guess in the end we're going to interpret their writings through our own filter which is mightily influenced by our personality, temperament, family history, observations and experiences. And it is quite possible, because of our own issues/baggage, to apply their advice in a way that the author never intended, which isn't the author's fault or mean that their opinions are full of hooey.

So, as I read what these folks have to say and take in the advice from friends and family, J and I do a lot of talking about what we think will work for us and what won't. Which is a little humorous since we don't have a kid to practice on yet. But, we at least have the workings of a plan and are prepared to make adjustments as needed.

All this writing is making me thirsty. I think I'll crack open a Diet Dr Pepper and enjoy the caffeinated contents...

Shelby