I’m not going to lie. It’s been tough. Really tough – mostly on my wife. Having a baby is no easy chapter to flip through. However there are myths in our world today that I find to be farfetched. Here are some of them.
Pregnancy is Terrible
There are horror stories left and right about pregnancy. Yeah we’ve heard our share. And you know what? All it took for me and Apple is prayer. I’m serious – just pray about your pregnancy. Pray about your delivery. Pray about your baby. It’s really what matters.
We were able to go through pregnancy normally. No morning sickness. No real food cravings. No difficulty.The baby was breached a month before when we had our last ultrasound. We prayed for him to turn, and by the end of the day, his head was at the right place. The morning after, he was engaged. It was nothing short of a miracle.
Our delivery was a blessing. All natural, normal delivery. Yeah it was painful and yes I’m a 100% witness to that as me and my wife delivered using the Lamaze method.
Our check-out at the hospital was a huge blessing. I was expecting a certain amount to pay for as the hospital bill and the professional fee of our OB/Gyne and Pediatrician. To my utter shock, it was less than half what me and my wife was expecting to pay for.
Our pregnancy, delivery and check-out was a huge blessing in itself.
Truly God is good.
Sleepless Nights
While it’s true that you will have less sleep – perhaps far less sleep than what you normally have, it is an exaggeration to call it ‘sleepless’. Me and my wife have been tag-teaming on taking care of our baby boy, Leo. It was tough adjusting to less sleep but it was certainly not sleepless.
Apple was able to get more sleep as time went on. Today she experiences around 6 hours of sleep because I’m able to take over through the night. I’m able to use stored breastmilk during that time so Apple could catch some sleep. It’s really a husband and wife thing to take care of a baby.
Changing Diapers
This is really one of the things that are overly dramatized in movies and other media. I change our baby’s diaper all the time and it’s really no big deal. One reason may be because, hey, it’s your baby! Another reason may be because their excretions doesn’t smell half as bad as yours.
Life’s Over
This may be one of the greatest fears of our generation. It may well be a factor why single men and women today fear getting married. It has been instilled in our minds that once we have a baby, life’s over.
It’s not.
Life, as we know it, is just beginning. I’m very much looking forward to going to vacations with my new-found family. Yeah going out with friends may be awesome and the party may get wilder, but at the end of the day, is it what really matters?
My son will be the future of my bloodline. He will be the future of our world. He will be my legacy. Partying with friends is temporary. Spending time mentoring my son will be remembered by my God for eternity.
It’s Expensive
No it’s not. The problem with our society today is the excessive consumerism. We spend and spend and spend – even for our baby. We have been offered crazy things for our son. Things that are not really necessary like cord blood banking, clothing for this purpose and that, baby mattress for this and that – it’s crazy!
Sales people will tell you that it’s needed. Well, it’s not. We’ve been getting along just fine with the things me and my wife bought – and we have bought very little. Most of our baby’s stuff came from the baby shower done by Apple’s closest friends.
And hey, if you know the necessary things you’re going to spend for your baby, you have 9 months to save up. So go do it!
A Simple Encouragement
I’ve been praying for a firstborn son ever since I can recall. I’ll be honest, it’s a big deal for me to have a baby boy (as I assume with most men out there). Yes my world has changed and it’s an exciting new chapter I’m endeavoring in. I’ll be sharing the things I’m going to learn in this blog as a dad. I hope this entry has encouraged you and all other young couples out there with regards to pregnancy and having a baby.
I’ll leave you with this verse:
“Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.” – Psalm 127:3-4