The Whiny Chronicles of Other Pregnant Women

I somehow find it necessary to ocassionally torture myself by reading a huge website designed for parents and expectant moms. Ostensibly it's to provide support, but all it does is raise my blood pressure and make me understand why it is pregnant women get a bad rap.

A sampling of headlines/posts from recently (all from a group of people expecting in August 2009):

• I can't stand my mother-in-law because *sob* she's buying my baby's clothes from WalMart. My baby is going to be dressed wonderful, not cheap.
• I can't believe no one has offered to give me a baby shower! I mean, I still need stuff like bottles and things. - This said by a woman who is expecting her second child, which will be 18 months younger than her first child.
• *sniff* My [insert friend/in-law/sibling here] is throwing me a baby shower, and she refuses to listen to what I want.
• Multiple threads along the lines of, My husband/boyfriend won't do every single thing I ask and refuses to make me the absolute center of attention for 9 full months - he's being so selfish!.
• I am so tired of hearing opinions on the name we chose. (Hint? If you don't want to ear others opinions, don't share the name until it is inked on the birth certificate).
• I am only getting one baby shower - I guess no one cares about me..
• Offended by [fill in blank]

And on and on and on ... endlessly. Women whining about the brand of clothing someone bought their baby, or the fact that people aren't buying off the registry, or the fact that it's their fourth child and no one has brought up having a baby shower, or the fact that their mother-in-law (or mother) is out to get them, or the fact that so-and-so had the nerve to show her up by getting pregnant at the same time, or so forth.

For the record, I consider pregnancy one of God's greatest miracles. I am thrilled to be able to bear another child - when for years I thought I wouldn't be able to have one. I realize I'm among some very fortunate women and there are others who have to endure much more. That said, I don't particularly love being pregnant. This time, it has been much harder physically - there have been some complications, and I'm in pain almost every single day. I'm still losing my breakfast at almost 30 weeks. Yes, it's worth it, but yes, it's hard. Some days I'm a hormonal mess. Some days I can't get anything done. Most days I want to crawl into a hole and take a nap.

But I am profoundly grateful for a) a so far healthy baby b) a so far healthy pregnancy, all things considered c) a husband d) a family e) jobs f) the fact that I have everything I need for this baby - sure I need new bottles, diapers, wipes, etc. - but I've been picking those things up here and there, g) that my drug co-pay is only $150/month and not the full retail price of $4k and h) that there will be an end point to the twice-a-day painful self-injections and ugly granny socks. :)

I guess I'm just fed up with complete and utter self-centeredness - complaining about everything, "I must be treated as a diva and am going to act like a selfish spoiled brat otherwise," attitude. We're in the mist of a global economic crisis and it seems all that some can think about is how stingy people were at their baby shower or how few baby showers they are getting or so forth.

I just want to say, "Can we all just not be happy, blessed and grateful and focus on those who have far less than we do?" I'd also like to add, "It is your husband/boyfriend/partner's baby too, his mom is no less important than your mom, you are not the center of the universe, your baby will be fine whether you dress it in Goodwill or Dolce and Gabana, there is no perfect way to raise a child and chances are you'll throw out 95% of it and wing it anyway and for crying out loud it is RUDE to ask someone to throw you a party/give you gifts."

I'm no saint, and I do whine - sometimes more than I should - but heaven help me if I become so shallow and knock me upside the head and remind me of this post.