People seem to know it all!!

PC: Google

Starbucks is my favourite pastime place. I love their coffee above all the other cafes in India. But that's not the only reason why I like to spend hours there. Starbucks provides me with so much entertainment and information, in the form of fellow coffee drinkers and their stories... That it just loads me up with so much knowledge in life... 

Just the other day, I was in Starbucks, while my husband was in a meeting nearby. My main motive to be there was to translate my script to Hindi. Little did I know that I will be enlightened with so much knowledge about pregnancy? 

When we, me and my husband, found out about our pregnancy; we were these naive, new students in class, who didn't know anything about pregnancy other than the fact that nine months later we would hold our little miracle in our hands! People, both women and men, seem to know so much more than us. And so much in detail that I felt like this dumb idiot sitting next to those two in the cafe that day. 

She was a seven months pregnant lady and he was her school friend, who had come to meet her to wish her on hearing this 'good news'. They discussed everything from when did she conceive, to whether they were planning it, to how is the baby progressing, to all the prenatal tests and finally the future plans. 

Excerpts from that conversation:

Him: " Aah!! You look seven months pregnant!!"

Her: "Wow! How could you say that so accurately?"

Him: "Some how you know how people look every month... Isn't it common sense?"

(I wanted to shout - No.. its not common sense. Could he tell, I who was sitting a table away was three months pregnant - with no signs of a baby bump yet?)

Her: "So we had started our planning to conceive, but little did we know that in the very first month we would achieve results? So I actually conceived in October and didn't find out till late November."

Him: "How didn't you know? Didn't you miss your periods?"

Her: "Actually I had just got operated in September for some cyst in my uterus - it was a small operation - and after that I was bleeding for almost 15 days in a row. So when I didn't have my periods, I initially assumed it was because of that."

Him: "Acha.." 

Her: "And then at that time I was in Goa for Rodrigue's wedding and trust me for four days I drank like a fish... So much wine that I can't even tell you."

Him: "O.. So what did the doc say?"

Her: "She was like thankfully it was wine and in the first month.. So not to worry!"

Him: "Ya true.. I was just going to say that.. Wine is not a problem. And in fact in a few places they recommend wine as well!"

(I wanted to shout - How and why do you discuss your menstrual cycle with a friend? I mean was it necessary? And so important to know the story of how I conceived na!!)

Him: "So have you got all those double / triple marker and anomaly tests done?"

Her: "Yes, got the initial ones done.. As you see I am 35 - so under high risk category already... So had to get them done. We didn't even disclose our pregnancy to anyone till the first trimester and first  marker test was done! Not even our parents!"

Him: "Not even parents? Isn't that a bit too much?"

Her: "The doctor strictly advised us against it! She said we shouldn't build hopes when we are unsure where we want to take this"

Him:  "Wow.. you have a morally conscious doctor!"

Her: "Huh?"

Him: "I mean how many doctors even get into all this you know.. They just give you medical advises.."

Her: "Hmmm... And for the anomaly tests are due now. They will check everything in detail now.." 

Him: " Ya that's main na.. You will take the final call after that only.. "

(I wanted to shout - Mr. Know it all, what more is left to take the final call I fail to understand. Unless it is an extreme case of handicap. But why would you anticipate such a thing? And how does this man know so much about these tests? He has read up so much about pregnancy that I guess he could himself be pregnant anytime soon)

On a serious note: It is good to know all these things actually. Knowledge never goes waste! I know a lot of cousins suffering to have children only because they are not aware of possibilities and are not receptive to embrace the changing trends and/or are willing to discuss their issues with the doctors or well-wishers! So better to know than not to know, you know ;-)))))