My Almost Panic Attack

Confession: I have never had a panic attack, so tell me if I'm wrong and I wasn't close to one.


So Mike and I have a baby bug. Eek!! We are a little short on cash so, although we are leaning toward baby Eek again!!! we are still working on making sure the finances are locked down.  It's looking ok.  It's not 100% perfect, but the worst case scenario is doable.  And that's the worst case.  Best case scenario we're great.


So I'm at lunch and I'm chatting about the idea of having a baby and the money involved with a friend who is a stay at home mother of 2 whose husband is currently stationed in Afghanistan coming home in a week or so!!!! She's all for the baby.  She says we'll figure it out.  I agree. She tells me how I'll get tons of diapers at the shower and how I should look into the WIC, who will help with formula.


WTF?!?!?!?!?


WARNING:  I plan on sharing my opinion and you might not agree with me.


I am all about having federal and state help for families in need.  There are a lot of reasons to need help, and you never know when it could be you.  I fully support such programs because no matter who you are, what you do, where you've been YOU DESERVE A HEALTHY LIFE!!!! Your BABY deserves a healthy life.  I think it is the responsibility of a community (hear: county, state, country) to help those in need because a community is only as healthy as the citizens that make it up.  I also support universal healthcare.  Being healthy should be a fundamental right.  Not a privilege.


That being said, I am 110% NOT OK with planning to have a baby thinking you might need help from the government.  It is completely irresponsible.  It is 100% your job as a parent to make sure you can afford a family BEFORE you choose to have one.  Yes, things happen.  Fate has other plans.  Karma catches up with you.  This is why I agree with help programs.  However, you should NEVER PLAN to need help.  That's not what the help is for!


How do you respond to a statement like that?  Here's what I did.  I panicked.  I started thinking, what if my planning is off?  What if we aren't as ready as we think we are financially?  What if something goes wrong?  OMG what if we end up needing help? I checked, by the way.  We make too much money for WIC, which is actually a comfort to me. This thought process got me to the point of a racing heart, chest pains, blurred vision, hyperventilation and almost tears.  I did eventually calm down with some help of my loving husband and wonderful BFF.


This isn't the first time I've heard this sort of atrocity, however.  A few years ago, walking on campus I overheard a girl say she was "thinking about getting pregnant, because you know the government will pay for college" (in other, less grammatically correct believe it or not words)


Has any of you seen or heard of this?  I'm not naive (no sirree).  I know this goes on all the time.  I never EVER expected to have someone suggest it to me, though.  Have you?