Angie and her husband Ronald have been married for 10 years. They reside in Niagara Falls, NY. They have 5 children. In addition to being an author, free-lance writer, teacher, and motivational speaker, Angie & her husband host their own local televsion show titled, "The Marriage Cafe".

As I begin my fourth month of pregnancy with my fifth child, I’d like to present some food for thought in hopes that it will not only bring some humor, but more importantly shed some light on behalf of new moms everywhere. Many of moms have had the displeasure of sharing these same experiences, yet have never been able to vocalize what they are actually thinking.

Here are just a few myths or opinions that I have heard again & again, while expecting:

- Be prepared not to get any sleep for the first 6 months. ( Just what every new mom wants to hear, right?) This statement alone may very well be the cause of sleepless nights.
- You’ll never be able to sit down for a full meal again.
- Your sex life is over. (If that were true, I wouldn’t be awaiting #5)
- (Here is another favorite of mine) "Face it, when you have a small child, your house and car will always be a mess, and food will be everywhere."

These incidents are appropriately referred to as myths or opinions, because they are certainly not facts. As a matter of fact, none of them applied in my case. Let’s keep in mind that every child and situation is different. What applies in your case, doesn’t necessarily apply in mine or anybody else’s for that matter. I’ve enjoyed hundreds of full delicious meals, since having my children, with them being present. As for having a clean house or car, it may be more challenging, but let’s not kid anyone, you can do it! There need not be food everywhere. Teach good manners early on. What ever happened to eating "in the kitchen", using a highchair, or feeding them from your hand while in the car to avoid mess? You can, and should determine the boundaries for your child. Finally, in reference to the sleepless nights, yes unfortunately there may be some, but to say "you’ll never..." is way off base. Some children are great sleepers , and others may take a little time adjusting to their new lifestyle.
I leave you with this, if you don’t have anything positive to say, say nothing. If a mother is going to experience these things anyway, your telling her them isn’t going to do anything, but cause her more stress. Focus on the positive things you can say to encourage a woman who is expecting. God knows, there are many wonderful experiences that a new baby adds to your life, why not share a few of those???

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