The Best Advice...

While talking with my friend Grace the other night she was giving me so much beautiful and not-so-beautiful information about birthing, her story, stories of her friends, random experiences, et cetera. We talked about birth, about babies, about health, about living, about diet, about jobs, and she shared with me many of her opinions. Throughout the evening as we spoke (we were at a Halloween party, mind you, where there were many people around) many others decided to come up to us and give us their two cents. As nice as it is to hear others' opinions, for some reason I was getting irritated. Grace told me the best advice that I have heard so far, and I think the best advice there is to give. She told me that everyone holds their opinions and that an opinion is just that, an opinion. She said to listen to what others say and to take all the opinions I'm hearing and all the craziness that I'm am learning about through websites, books, and documentaries, and use it to form my own opinion.

When people talk about pregnancy and about birth options, or really I guess about anything, they like to share what they know and what they feel is right and comfortable because they feel that others should know or experience the same thing. This information is so great to know and there is something I can take from everyone's knowledge, but in the end what it really comes down to is me and what I feel is right. Grace told me that this is my pregnancy and it is about me; that I loved to hear. I make the decisions (with Chad by my side of course, and in conjunction with his input) so I make this my experience.

Now while talking with people I know to come into the conversation with an open mind and open ears. I love to learn, I love to talk, and I love to listen, so with this lovely advice I know to take what others say and learn from it to make it something of my own.

Thanks Grace!