So what are the best ways to deal with the pressure to measure up to other people's ideas of what it means to be the 'perfect' mom-to-be?

Remind yourself that there's no such thing as "one size fits all" when it comes to any aspect of having a baby.
No one-size-fits-all maternity pantyhose. No one-size-fits-all birth plans. And certainly no one-size-fits-all pregnancy advice. "Mothers can resist the pressure to be perfect by realizing that pregnancy, labor, and birth can take many different paths," says Peskowitz.

Sign up for prenatal classes.
Once you've swapped morning sickness war stories, played "stretch mark show and tell," and confessed your biggest labour-related fears, you'll have living proof that pregnancy and birth play out in all kinds of different ways in the real world. Prenatal classes may not be as popular as they were a generation ago -- only 25 to 30% of Canadian moms attend prenatal classes these days, according to University of British Columbia associate professor of nursing Wendy Hall -- but they still have plenty to offer the modern mom when it comes to providing comfort and comraderie. Make sure you're one of the lucky moms who takes advantage of the belly-to-belly bonding opportunities!

Realize that some events in the ‘Mommy-to-be Olympics' simply aren't worth entering.
"Some moms feel pressured to keep their weight down and to wear increasingly body-hugging maternity clothes," says Peskowitz. "Others feel that spending more money on the best baby products means being the best mother-something that can leave less affluent mothers feeling like they can't be 'good mothers.'" Peskowitz's bottom-line advice? "Do pregnancy and motherhood on your terms."

See the other articles in this collection:
• having-a-baby.com.