i just wanted to write something about this because it actually helped to calm my nerves a lot. it's normal for women to worry about a variety of different things throughout their pregnancies, even the stupid silly things have us concerned. but, i've come to a realization.

don't stress yourself out worrying about that cup of coffee you had this morning, a quick dip in the hot tub, or some medication you took in the beginning of it all. babies are a whole lot stronger than we think. in my heart, i truly believe that no matter how safe you are, or how "by the book" you do things, your baby is going to be born as it should be, healthy or not.

i've know women who smoked a pack a day throughout the 9-mo's they spent pregnant, had some alcohol here & there, but in the end they gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby. and then i have know women who ate right, exercised daily, did everything in all the right ways, but in the end they gave birth to unhealthy babies.

i've seen television shows about miracle babies. just recently there was a woman on a talk show who went through emergency open heart surgery in the beginning of her pregnancy & they told her she would definitely lose her child. the baby stuck around. then, she went through 4-mo's of hardcore chemotherapy when she was in her second trimester. once again, she was told her baby would be lost. induced early, she gave birth to a beautiful, completely healthy baby girl. i saw another show about a woman who was doing her daily swim in the ocean, when she was attacked by a shark. she was in her last trimester. a couple of weeks later, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. kelly ripa's sister was in a horrible car accident when she was pregnant. so bad that her baby was actually put into a coma in the womb. a couple of months later, she gave birth to a completely healthy son.

i'm not trying to say that a woman should be wreckless during her pregnancy, not at all. but knowing that these babies survived the impossible really helped to calm my nerves. i question everything i do while i'm pregnant, but then i realize being pregnant doesn't make me handicapped. yes, there are things that a pregnant woman shouldn't do, but we're not restricted from enjoying life day-to-day.

i wish every woman on this forum a smooth pregnancy & a beautiful, healthy baby. i just thought i'd give you something to think about, so that the next time you start to over worry, you can calm yourself down a bit.