This past weekend, Scott and I had dinner with several of my Fuqua friends. There were a total of four couples that went out to dinner - all four of the couples met through Fuqua and we're all still in town.
One of the couples already has a nine month old baby. So we were asking how the baby was doing, since this couple just recently moved back into the area. And then the big announcement came - one of the Fuqua friends is nine weeks pregnant. There were claps and cheers as the sonogram picture was passed around. And then the second big announcement came - the other Fuqua friend is nineteen weeks pregnant. Everyone hugged. And then everyone looked at us.
This is one eggo that is not preggo.
It's very strange that just one of my college friends has a baby and no one is even pregnant, but several of my Fuqua friends are already pregnant. I wonder if it has to do with where we all are in life - my Fuqua friends are all at a similar stage: advanced degree, settled, good jobs; whereas my college friends are all at different stages: some are back in school, others are changing jobs, some aren't married, so there's less congruency in terms of having a baby.
It's amazing the peer pressure that these pregnant women exert on non-pregnant women. Whether it's explicitly asking when we're going to have a baby or talking with other pregnant women about day care and matters-of-the-belly (a conversation to which I can contribute nothing), there's this constant pressure to join the "club."
In school, you learn about how to resist peer pressure when it comes to smoking, drugs and drinking. About how to say "no" when you feel peer pressure to have sex. But no one tells you about the peer pressure you feel ten years later when these mothers try to get you to have a baby.
I am (we are) just not ready for a baby now. I admit it - I'm selfish and can't imagine sharing what I have with anyone else. But this peer pressure will get to you.
I'm staying strong.
2 comments:
You're right about the club thing. We'll welcome you with open arms when you're ready to join :)
You'll be ready when you can handle almost all of your conversations (at some point) discussing the many aspects of a BM (aka-poop). :)
...and these conversations start shortly after conception.
By the way, you're never REALLY ready to have kids. Afterall, that's why it takes 9 months for them to get here, so you can be sort of ready by the time it gets here :)
I'm a strong hold out with you Laura!
You and I can start our own club.
We'll meet and drink and talk about OUR poop.
It'll be fun.
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