A number of my friends are currently pregnant and I’m just hoping none of them utter the dreaded words, “I hope Baby arrives early.” Those five words make me cringe. They make me want to yell at the top of my lungs, to warn the speaker of what they are hoping for, to spew my cautionary tale. There are few subjects I’m as passionate about as this. I never wished for my baby to come early, but I lived it, nonetheless. I realize that pregnancy can be super uncomfortable, but please be careful what you wish for.

I understand that sometimes there are health risks involved. The medical community can do amazing things and if the health of Mom or Baby are at risk, I know that there is value to delivering the baby early. Much of the time, though, that isn’t the case.

There are now scores of moms that want to choose their delivery date for convenience. Sorry ladies, you’re about to be a mom, you can pretty much throw convenience out the window. I get being a busy working mom, but waiting until Baby is ready is the best policy!

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Another common worry is how bad the pain is going to be. Guess what!? It’s going to hurt whether your baby is two pounds or ten pounds. I don’t know the pain of delivering a seven or eight pound baby, though I would have welcomed the opportunity. But there are other pains I know all too much about:

  • I know the pain of delivering my baby and not being able see him immediately. He was whisked away so quickly and probably seen by at least twenty people before I could even clearly lay eyes on his sweet face.
  • I know the pain of having to wait three days to hold my baby for the first time. And even then it was only with the permission of NICU staff.
  • I know the pain of having to leave the hospital without my precious new baby – something no new mom (or dad) should have to do.
  • I know the pain of watching my baby fight for his life because he was born too soon. I’ve seen him stop breathing more times than I can count.
  • I know the pain of worrying beyond belief for almost four months, having to trust in his medical team, as my baby lived in a hospital without his family.
  • I know the pain of not feeling like a ‘real’ mom because I wasn’t there every second of the day. I wasn’t the first face he saw in the morning or the last one he saw at night.

The list could go on and on. I continue to deal with the pain of raising a preemie and all the struggles that go along with that. My experience is on the extreme side, but to me the lesson is clear. The experts say pregnancy lasts 40 week. This is not a number that was pulled out of a hat – there is a reason for 40 weeks – many actually. All of that time is vital for the development of baby’s heart, lungs, and brain, just to name a few. There are numerous benefits to getting to 40 weeks, or very close, for both Mom and Baby.baby2

Though I haven’t birthed an eight pound baby, I’m sure the pain pales in comparison with having a baby in the NICU for months – or even weeks – on end. I have vowed to myself that if we have another baby, I will not wish to deliver even one day early. If you are fortunate enough to go full-term, appreciate what you have, because not all of us have been afforded that opportunity. Sometimes problems arise, but barring major complications, shoot for forty weeks and give your baby the best chance you possibly can!

This post has really moved me and so with permission of sister blogger mamawoot publishing it.