Wife is pregnant...

[quote]Snoochie Boochie wrote:

I am so sick of people getting on here and saying how great it is to be a parent and how wonderful it is to have kids (later to bash those who don't have them). quote]

It is great to be a parent and it is wonderful to have kids.

I won't bash you if you don't have them, instead I will breathe a sigh of relief. The last thing the world needs is more Snoochie Boochies.

Congratulations brother!

Having a child is the greatest thing ever.

Every woman and then every pregnancy is different, so you can't be sure what will happen. My wife could not stand the smell of broccoli (my favorite vegetable) during her first pregnancy so I didn't have it, but she had no problem with it the second time.

My wife and I made sure that she had the very best food possible during her pregnancies -- no MSG, very limited preservatives. Every meal featured whole grains and lean souces of protein and vegetables and fruit. I know she ate one fast food meal during her first pregnancy, and I don't think she had any during the second. Lots of rest and super nutrition is the best thing she can do while pregnant.

Congrats again.

Snoochie Boochie wrote:

I am so sick of people getting on here and saying how great it is to be a parent and how wonderful it is to have kids

Too bad your parents decided to have you. The world would be better off without you. But it's not too late to, say, slit your wrists or something.

1. She'll get nauseous every time you drive, even if it's on some mid-western interstate. Let her drive while you ride shotgun. She'll get less nauseous that way.

2. You may think she's beginning to lose her mind. The littlest things will make her cry. She'll forget to do simple things like buying toilet paper. It's just her changing hormones.

3. Don't make a big deal over it when her weight surpasses yours. See #2 above.

And you gotta get the real, soft, multi-ply toilet tissue. No sandpaper during pregnancy.

We have two kids and man, they're a blast. Yes there are some late nights, some stress over their health, the house will never be tidy again, they eat/they don't eat etc. But let me say the hugs you get back are all worth it. And the bonding is great: my 4 yr old son and I get to nap on the couch most Sunday afternoons "watching" golf on tv. I normally would never be allowed to have a Sunday nap if not for him falling asleep on me.

Can't remember what life was like before kids. I call it the dark ages.

nuttybuddy wrote:

Snoochie Boochie wrote:

I am so sick of people getting on here and saying how great it is to be a parent and how wonderful it is to have kids

Too bad your parents decided to have you. The world would be better off without you. But it's not too late to, say, slit your wrists or something.

Wow. Snoochie sure hit a nerve with some of you twits. And he's exactly right.

If the child is the most important thing in your life, I guess that leaves the wife out. Good luck with that balancing act.

There are way too many freaking people on this planet already. Congrats to Snoochie and others who don't feel the need to create a mini me and pass on their low-grade DNA.

nittanyboiler wrote:Let her drive

like id ever do that

Cool! Aside from Snoochie Boochie's comments the upside has all been said. It is a fabulous experience. I also agree that there is nothing more beautiful or sexy than your pregnant wife. That was probably the biggest surprise for me.

My advice centers around preparing for birth. For our first baby our strategy was to let the midwives take care of everything and we just showed up at the hospital. 55 hours later she was wisked away for a c-section. A very disheartening birth experience but we did get a great little boy. No doubt that he's going to be a great 5k guy...

For our second baby we were much more diligent. I recommend the book Optimum Fetal Position. It gives your wife exercises so that you can more proactively prepare for the birth. We had him at home and it was an awesome birth experience and another boy. Probably a rugby player...

The difference between the two was that we were so much more prepared for the second one and we didn't delegate any of our pre birth preparation.

Do as much advance prep as you can. As you can imagine there's tons of info on the subject. Do some research and prepare yourself as much as possible.

Also, your job can be to shield your wife from any negative stories, thoughts, experiences. Which means that you need to sensor buddies who feel compelled to talk about the friend of a friend's wife who gave birth to Godzilla...

Giving birth is not a train wreck, it is one of the most incredible experiences of a lifetime, even if you are just a spectator...

Snoochie Boochie wrote:

I am so sick of people getting on here and saying how great it is to be a parent and how wonderful it is to have kids (later to bash those who don't have them). All too often to I see parents who are overwhelmed, there kids are brats and run the house and they complain about how "hard" it is to be a parent.

Dude, some others have already told you to go soak your head, and they've been nice about it. I won't be as nice. You suck hard.

You should definitely not have kids if this is your impression. If the people you associate with (your peer group whom you are likely to emulate) are all overwhelmed and complain all the time about how hard it is, then they aren't the best parents; and that tells me you won't be either. Of course it is hard, but you've got to know that going in, and then no complaining. If you can't imagine the joy you can get watching your kid learn to ride a bike or swim across the pool for the first time or any of the other million things they will learn, then you need not be a parent.

I've got no problem with people who don't want to have children. In my opinion, more should NOT have children because I don't think most are qualified, but the weird thing is that you bash people who say having children is great. Odd. People like all different kinds of things brother. That's what makes the world go 'round. Lots of Canadians like hockey and I think it's boring, but I sure don't bash them for liking it.

Just understand that all people are different brother.

Read the post on childless couples. You have my sincerest sympathy.

I am sure you are one of those parents who complain how hard it is and then tell everyone what a joy it is.

First off I never said any of those were me, I do not have kids (and here comes the comment on how do I know if I never had kids). What I do see is little young brats throwing a fit in resturants and grocery stores because they are not getting what they want and their little pussy parents caving in every time.

These comments are direct observations.

1. Agreed. There is more to life then running, work, movies, going out, traveling, etc. But a child changes your life. Like you said, so what?

2. Do you really let your wife assume her time is more valuable then yours. It should be 50/50. You sound pussy whipped.

3. Not like me, I'm married with no kids so its not a problem. Maybe for you? I didn't you hear brag about your sex life. What I have heard though is plenty of guys complain they don't get it anymore.

4 & 5. What time do you eat? I thought you enjoy sitting down at dinner to talk about their day? How then can they be asleep? Again, every married person with kids (0-10) cannot sit through a dinner and have an adult conversation.

6. Yes, it takes both! I thought it was GREAT to help out your wife? So why is your wife taking up all the time for herself? And why the "moron" comment? These are strictly observations I have seen from multiple parents.

7. Yes I will. Thank you!

Search for the old thread I began on "Post-Nuptial shut off". Good luck.

It must suck to be your wife. How many have you been through and care to guess what the final number will be?

Whose bashing Willy?

Just scientific inferences that have been directly observed. Deferent strokes for different folks. Of course I'm exagerating a bit but there is a bit of truth to it yes? Like you said, its hard and you deal with it...like we do out on our runs.

If someone were to say, "A marathon is hard. Sometimes the training will feel impossible and there will be days you don't want to get out of bed. You won't be in the mood to have sex as much and when you have to do the chores you'll be cranky. And you and all your runner buddies will talk about it running and annoy everyone else around you."

Would I be based for that too? Though that has a ring of truth to it as well...

What I don't understand is why everyone wants to pretend that everythind is so wonderful. You are right, it is stressful as much as a joy. So don't pretend the negatives aren't there.

First, congratulations! Second, it must be a relief to know that the little guys do, in fact, work. Third, always remember that it is your wife who is pregnant; "We," are never pregnant. Other than that, enjoy the ride!

I'll go R E A L S L O W this time because it's obvious you have a very hard time following along.

1. I said so what because you made such a big deal about it. Now, you have changed your tune. You're a dumbass. So what?

2. Sharing time with your child after your wife has had him/her all day IS being 50/50. You presume that being with your own child is taking away from YOUR time when in fact it's adding to it.

3. I don't brag about my sex life to immature dorks like you on a message board. Why do you? Oh, that's right, because you're having sex ALL THE TIME. Yeah, right.

4 & 5. I was talking about small children and older children. Are you really this stupid, or is this an act?

6. This makes no sense.

7. You are a perfect example of why some people's gene pool should be drained.

Good luck with being alone the rest of your life! At least the world will be better off without you procreating.

Snoochie, please don't ever have children.

As for what to expect for the next 8 months:

I was very tired and nauseous for the 1st trimester. This doesn't happen to everyone, but for me it was quite bad. I really couldn't eat much, and I could have slept all day if possible. At week 12 into the pregnancy I felt normal again. During the 2nd trimester I felt great. I had energy and wasn't uncomfortable. The 3rd trimester I was uncomfortable. I had trouble sleeping at night, was very hot. The last month I couldn't eat very much b/c the baby took up so much room. I ended up have a c-section. The recovery wasn't very difficult. I think it is key to walk around as soon as they let you.

Once the baby arrives you will have the most amazingly peaceful feeling.

Our daughter is a toddler now, and she is so wonderful. Honestly, life couldn't be better.

First, I'd like to congratulate the OP. I don't know if I'll ever have kids, but I can somewhat see where you are coming from. I see out of control, annoying, screaming, sticky kids running around and their parents yelling at them and complaining about how tough it is (then why did they have them?) and start thinking that I will never have children. Then I realize that I am not those parents. Too many people are having kids without thinking it seems. It somewhat inspires me to want to have children someday even more because learning from their mistakes, I'd wait until I was ready to have them and raise them well to be productive members of society (i.e. runners) instead of mindlessly getting knocked up and dropping little brats I couldn't control. But what do I know since I don't have kids?

...great... a thread where the majority are describing having kids as dealing with household pets or installing new software... just great...

little human beings, growing, evolving... if you invest time and energy you might end up being radiant, just like all things in Life, however no guarantees...