Welcome to Mommy Mondays, the one day of the week when I devote this space to all things parenthood.
I have now passed the halfway mark in my second pregnancy. This makes me think, "YAY! Halfway there!" while also thinking, "How in the world am I only halfway through this thing?"
But this milestone also allows me to think about the finish line. I have a list of things that I want to do differently during childbirth than I did the first time. When some people think about the things they want to do differently, they think about involving a kiddie pool in their living room or freezing the placenta. Two things on my list: Don't let them turn the epidural off and do whatever it takes to wash my hair pre-push.
But lately another thought has come into my head: sharing the birth experience on the internet. If done in a non-cringe-worthy way, I can see both sides of the argument:
A new life entering the world, entering a family, should be a private and intimate thing. Not to mention all of the, um, less special parts of childbirth that shouldn't be shared with anyone, possibly ever.
OR
Technology makes such momentous occasions easily shared with friends and loved ones, making the world a lot smaller and that much sweeter.
I see myself falling somewhere in the middle come October. I generally know when to put down my phone and laptop and cherish life. But since I choose to live a lot of my life online, it's hard to imagine NOT sharing it here.
I've watched several women on twitter give varying degrees of detail during their labor & delivery. I think it's interesting to watch, even though they're strangers to me. Interesting in both a "Wow, I can't believe she typed that," and also, "We're all 'there' cheering you on, momma!"
What do you think? Have you seen it done in a way that seems comfortable? Or have you seen it done in a way that was atrocious? Give me the Do's and Don'ts.
