A New Mom's Worry and Fear

This probably happens to all of us: as soon as we find out we are pregnant: we start thinking back about what taboos of pregnancy we broke; then as the pregnancy goes along, we are paying attention to whatever we eat. However, as new (especially first-time) mom, we sometimes forget about the special role we just started taking. And some of the times, the condition just don't allow us to choose what we know is the best for our baby.

Here are some scenarios of me.

Scenario 1: right after the pregnancy test showed as positive

I am at the bathroom sink, looking at myself in the mirror: well, what I was really doing is to look at my newly-colored, not-so-well-showing hair. It was supposed to be brown, but because of my already-dark shades of the hair, the brown only shows up under sunlight or lights.

Then I realized how more awful it could be than just not looking like what I wanted: it is hair color! it is a DYE! Chemicals! I colored my hair with over-the-counter hair color just for fun and a little bit of change one day before Valentine's to surprise my hubby, but who knew I could be pregnant then? What to do what to do what to do? I was driven crazy by the sudden sense of realization, and started Googling the answers I needed so desperately.

After some number of page- and forum viewing, I came to the conclusion that, over-the-counter hair color is mainly not harmful for the baby if only used once during early pregnancy. That gave me a relief of sign.

Scenario 2: Pink Meat, what?
I was eating at the school cafeteria, and somehow chose steak over chicken. Now remember that I am not originally from here, so I forgot that steak could be cooked differently; and since it was cafeteria food, it was not customized. Anyways, I started eating and most of the meat was well done. Only the latter part of the steak showed a little of pink meat, and pink juice leaked out when I was cutting the steak. Being a new, first-time mom, I forgot about my new identity, and ate the entire thing. It was not until shortly after when I reflected back did I start to panic. OH MY GOODNESS IT IS RAW MEAT! Well, not completely raw, but still pink. What if it had bacteria? I remember when I first told my closest friend that I was pregnant, she asked her mother for advice for me; the first thing her mother ever said was to stay away from sushi and any other raw- or not-well-cooked meats. Cold sweats was coming down: what should I do?

Again, I used the power of social networking: I posted the situation on the pregnancy forum embedded in the iPregnant app, and got some answers immediately from veteran mother-to-bes.

Turned out again that it should be fine. Just don't make a habit of it, they say.

Scenario 3: OH NO THE PROFESSOR HAS BRONCHITIS
The professor of Literacy for Diverse Learners came in and started coughing. She also told everybody that her doctor diagnosed her with Bronchitis and she is on a certain kind of antibiotics.

I just wanted to run out of the room. Bronchitis and she is still coming to class? Really?

But I couldn't, because we had to do a presentation that day, and it was a group project; how I performed would influence how my partner did, and we just put so much effort into this one.

So I suffered through the entire 3 hours, trying to get as far from the professor as possible, while at the same time worrying about whether I would be affected or not. I was never a germphobic (not even to airborne diseases), but everything changed after I discovered I was pregnant.

I only want to say that mom's worry and fear are common and natural, because we all want the best for our precious baby. What I can say now is that we just need to try our best for our babies, and don't fret about the rest.