Are you a pregnancy slacker?

Pregnancy has become a competitive sport these days.  You're expected to follow your baby's growth week by week via pregnancy calendar, schedule hospital tours in the first trimester and interview more and more professionals to help you raise the baby from your doctor or midwife to baby shower planner and nursery decorator.  And if you don't, you're considered to be a pregnancy slacker - not fulfilling your duties as a pregnant woman.

But perhaps you've chosen the slower route for your pregnancy. Maybe you only follow the pregnancy month by month view of baby's growth. You're leaving your baby shower planning up to your best friend and (*gasp*) you've decided to do a DIY baby nursery.

The truth is you're not alone. Many women would categorize themselves as pregnancy slackers - and proud of it!  These women care just as much about their babies, they simply have a different philosophy of pregnancy.  One mom said to me that she felt anxious and worried when she tried to follow a weekly pregnancy calendar.  Instead she opted for daily pregnancy affirmations and focusing on her health and well-being - physically and mentally.

Another mom talked about decision fatigue - too many decisions to make.  This, she said, made her feel physically ill.  "I had a headache a lot and one day I realized, it was all the comparison shopping for just the right baby car seat," she explained. "I knew that I needed to conserve my mental energy for the truly important decisions about my baby's health and stop worrying over which print for the car seat fabric for which car."

Can you relate?  Do you take the slow road?

Related:

• Your Baby Month by Month Calendar
• Week by Week Pregnancy Calendar
• Making a Decision in Labor
• 10 Reasons to Take a Hospital Tour Before You Give Birth
• Positive Pregnancy Affirmations
• Baby Shower Planning

_{Photo © Jorn Georg Tomter / Getty Images}