“The lack of control is really hard,” the first-time mom-to-be, 27, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive new interview. “I’m kind of a control freak, and with pregnancy, none of it is in your control.”
Past the halfway mark in her pregnancy now, Johnson East and her husband are simultaneously “ecstatic” and “terrified,” with the athlete admitting, “It’s a verydaunting thing to raise a human being.”
Shawn Johnson East.Jason Hall
Lindsey Grace Whiddon
“We got a lot of moms who completely understood what we were saying, and the fear of the unknown as a new mom. And of course we got people who didn’t understand what we were saying, and Iwould never mean to offend anyoneat all,” Johnson East tells PEOPLE.
The happiness had more to do with the relief at understanding what was going on.
RELATED VIDEO: Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson East Opens Up About Her Walk Down the Aisle
She is currently partnering withPhilips Avent, which makesanti-colic bottlesand a stuffed animal-pacifier combo called aSoothie Snuggle— because as a first-time mom, all her friends with kids told her it was the right move.
“I went in very blind. I didn’t know what was good,” Johnson East says of looking for products, but many people recommended Philips Avent, telling her, ” ‘Don’t use anything else.’ ”
Johnson East also says that she loves the company’s “momtuition” campaign because as she learns more and more about being a parent from others, the most consistent advice she gets is “don’t listen to everyone.”
“It’s not easy for anyone — it’s a very emotional, very vulnerable time — but all you can do, truly, is hope for the best, stay positive, as hard as it is and as cliché as that sounds,” she says. “And find a community of people to encourage you and support you through the process.”
source: people.com
