I decided to change up my "Friday Five" routine a little bit, and make it 5 things I've learned about pregnancy. I'm about to enter my 38th week, and things are slowly but surely progressing and I feel confident we that there's a good chance this little guy might make his debut a few days early. (We'll see, if he's anything like his father, he will wait until the last possible minute).
For most of my life, pregnancy and childbirth has ranked right up there with sky diving as my all time worst fears. No, really. I've never been a "baby person" - I'd much rather cuddle with a puppy or any other baby animal. I don't really get enthralled with babies, and the smaller they are, the less I generally want to do with them. I don't mind toddlers and kids - but babies? Babies terrify me. I have a feeling that I can't be the only woman out there with similar aversions - and that is what this post is about. My entire life, I've heard the horrors of pregnancy. Starting with how that baby actually makes it into this world. (Seriously, why can't we just lay eggs like birds?) And, once you're finally over the idea of where that child will be exiting - then everyone you know starts telling you about the horrific things that happen to you and your body while pregnant. (And people wonder why I was scared ??)
The thing is, no pregnancy is 'normal'. Everyone is different. But, I thought I might give my top five misconceptions about pregnancy in the hopes that it might calm your nerves a little. If nothing else, I hope to balance out some of the horror stories :). Again, this is just MY experience and this is not to discount the challenges that others faced - I know I've had many friends who went through the ringer for 10 months.
1. You're Going to Get HUGE.
You will get bigger. That's a fact. Not all of us are the body builder model that is sporting what appears to be a beer gut at 30 weeks. (ok, pretty much none of us) But, getting bigger doesn't mean you're going to be a beached whale. I can touch my toes. Seriously. I can shave my legs. I get up and down off of the floor without help, and when I lay on the examination table at the doctor, I can sit up without help. I can even wear some pre-maternity dresses and tops (depending on the cut). I measure in the 'normal range' and have gained somewhere between 26-29 lbs. (My pregnancy was kind of a surprise so I'm not 100% what I weighed before...at 7 wks I was 130. I'm usually in the 127-130 range so that's what I"m working from.) Now, as I've said before, some of us will have 10 lb babies. Some of us have husbands that are 6'6" - there's no way around a large bump in some cases. But, just know, it's not always the case.
*Note: I don't know how I got lucky enough to be as mobile as I am, but I can say that from day one, I have not allowed pregnancy to stop me from doing ANYTHING. I was crawling under the christmas tree to water it, decorate it, take it down etc etc - I've been on my hands and knees scrubbing floor boards - I didn't let anything stop me from doing what I needed to do. It's not proven, but I think you can do what ever you tell yourself you can do. Pregnancy isn't a disability...don't treat it like one.
2. You're Going to Feel Like Crap 24/7.
So the first trimester can be a doozey. Some of us get sicker than others - and even when you have a 'mild' case of morning sickness you'll still think it's the worst thing ever. I was convinced I'd be a really angry pregnant person - but looking back (I hope others would say this too...) I feel like I've been relatively laid back about it. And I'm not a laid back person - AT ALL. In the beginning when your hormones go crazy, you will be a little off. You may get your feelings hurt SUPER easy. You may cry when you hear "Danny's Song" on the radio. You might end up having a blow out fight with your husband over who should have let the dogs out. (Not drawing on personal experience at all here...) But, once your body adjusts, to flood of estrogen, things will even out. And, while you're still a tad more sensitive (those Hallmark commercials...man) you really will start to feel normal again.
3. Your entire body will swell.
I might regret writing this. But, I haven't had a bit of swelling. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Rings? Still on. Ankles? Totally fine. Face? Just the same. I've got no idea if its dumb luck, or if its because I don't eat too much sodium or if its because I drink enough water - no idea. But good news, it hasn't happened. Yet. #TwoWeeksToProveMeWrong
4. Your Feet Will Grow (or other body parts).
I have big feet. I'm a solid 9 or 9.5 and sometimes I've bought size 10 shoes. I could NOT afford to a) replace my shoes b) have my feet look any bigger. This might have been one of my top fears of pregnancy. Then, there was someone I knew whose nose literally doubled or tripled in size. There is probably only 1 organ that we all wouldn't mind getting a little bigger - and we all know what I'm talking about about. (And, if you're a Kim K fan - maybe you might like for your rear to be bigger as well!) But good news, nothing out of the ordinary grew this pregnancy.
5. You'll Lose The Ability to Sleep Through the Night.
Maybe I'm just genetically a good sleeper. There are nights I sleep better than others, but for the most part, I've slept like a baby (pardon the pun) for the entire time. Sometimes I have get up and pee, but some nights I don't wake up at all. The snoogle is a big help for me because I LOATHE SIDE SLEEPING. I'm a back sleeper all the way. (Recently I discovered that despite my best efforts, I apparently sleep on my back a lot still. Oh well, I try.) The bladder thing can be crazy depending on where your baby sits in your body, but sometimes I just make him move by tickling my left side and magically the urge goes away. Or I roll over. Problem solved.
I would never describe pregnancy as a 'breeze' - it definitely does require some adjustments. Some of them are harder than others (the whole out of breath things was tough on me). I clearly have not yet endured the hardest part of the entire process but from what I hear that part is rather short lived and pales in comparison to the result. I hope that this in some ways has calmed your nerves, or maybe makes you feel more ready to take on the challenge of growing a person. Just know, that you can do it. You never know how strong and resilient you are until you have to be. Becoming a mom is crazy surreal experience (so far anyway) and even though baby Beckett isn't here yet, I feel like I know him already. Oddly enough, I think I'm actually going to miss his relentless kicking and movement once he's out. I will definitely miss how silent he is :)
Have a great weekend!
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