Ode to Pregnancy.... Part II

I know some women who just loved being pregnant and I totally thought I would be that way. While it was/ is amazing and there are a few things I will miss (see Part I) overall, it wasn't easy for me. I think this is mostly because it changed my daily routine so much! I went from being VERY active to being semi active and a couch dweller. So not my norm, and really not enjoyable for me.

Things I WILL NOT miss...

Midnight trips to the bathroom
Or for that matter multiple trips to the bathroom ALL DAY LONG! I know I still need to stay hydrated even when I'm not pregnant but this is extreme.

Braxton Hicks contractions
I didn't even know I was having them until we had our little 2.5 day stint in the hospital back around week 26. The nurse said "you know you're having contractions, right?" well, no, I didn't. and if they're not painful are they REALLY contractions? and who knows when they started. I have them almost constantly now but still no pain. I notice when my belly is tight and that's about it. It's just weird.

Morning sickness
Mine was not nearly as bad as some people I've heard of but it was still not pleasant. Really, I felt hungover and tired all.the.time. Hung over without the party from the night before which is just cruel. I ingested a lot of preggy pops during the first trimester to make it through work. I can vaguely remember how not fun it was but I'm already forgetting the specifics.... so this must by why women continue to have children.... they forget the bad!

Rib pain
I was not expecting this one at all and when I complained to my doctor she looks at me like I was the first person who'd ever said that to her before. Luckily my good friend "Google" knows lots of women who do have this problem so I at least know I'm not crazy. Why no one has come up with a solution to this problem or at least a remedy is beyond me. I'm telling you, it's got money making potential because I'm not sure there's a limit to what I would have paid for this to get better. Still in pain on a daily basis.

Being out of breath
I'm a runner and swimmer for goodness sakes, I can regulate my breathing! or COULD several months ago. Now, long bouts of standing can bring me to panting. Just pathetic! When I first found out I was pregnant I did lots of research on working out and running through pregnancy. I read lots of blogs of women who ran their entire pregnancy like it was nothing. Well, they are freaking super women! For me, it was difficult from the start. Although some days it did momentarily make the morning sickness better. Second trimester was a little better but still a battle. I was willing to push through the uncomfortable runs UNTIL the hospital stay. Obviously not worth it to risk having a preterm baby. I was able to keep walking, swimming, and lifting light weights 5-6 times per week until the end (as in I still am). Better that than nothing I suppose.

Round ligament pain
This is relatively new, too. I'd say starting around 32 weeks. Sharp, shooting pain in my groin/ leg region. One night I was dreaming I was in pain and then I woke up and realized it was REAL pain. Joy! It just randomly happens without warning.... nothing like the horrible, earth shattering, husband waking leg cramps that happen in the middle of the night. And now I have the obstacle of not being able to reach my calf from the laying position so it's back to the "helpless" scenario where my husband has to wake up and save me. Although, that may not be a whole lot different than how leg cramps were dealt with before pregnancy.

All the time on the couch
Morning sickness and being exhausted led to lots of couch time in the first trimester. Then bed rest and more exhaustion led to more. I essentially live there. Thank goodness my husband had invested in a nice couch during his bachelor days! I don't think I have ever spent this much time on the couch! Thanks to my laptop and flexible bosses I do get a lot of work done there and I'm very thankful for that.

Feeling totally worthless/ helpless
I can't lift anything heavy. Can't (or not supposed to) climb on a chair/ ladder/ stool. Too exhausted to pull weeds in the flower beds. Can't use heavy duty cleaning supplies (which are obviously the best ones). Can't/ shouldn't/ don't.... I have never watched what I've eaten or monitored my activity level so much.

Heart burn, reflux, and tums for dessert
Before pregnancy I could probably count on one hand the number of times I've had indigestion. Oh my how things have changed. Tums is essentially candy at this point. Very necessary candy.

Sleeping on my side
I am a back sleeper!!!! So sleeping on my side is really a task. I have to shove pillows on each side of me to keep me from rolling onto my back (Yes, I've tried the big snake pillow thing and it didn't work for me). Then multiple times a night I startle myself awake because I realize I'm on my back and I may be pinching whatever vein is leading to Taytum and cutting off her nutrients or any number of horrible things they say sleeping on your back leads to. Then I have to stay awake to make sure she moves and is still alive. Vicious cycle of this all night.

And I'd do it all again in a heart beat. I'm so thankful for a supportive husband that has tried to make things easier on me. I can't wait to see Taytum's little face, who she resembles, and what her little personality will be like!

Ode to Pregnancy, Part I

The title should really be... "Ode to pregnancy... how I will not miss thee." I started this post as a humorous take on all the not fun things about the miracle of pregnancy. I actually thought of more good stuff than I was anticipating so we'll make this a 2 parter.

Now don't get me wrong, I know exactly how blessed I am to even be able to get pregnant and I am truly, unbelievably thankful for that! I just point out all the crummy things for humor's sake. For as long as I can remember being a mommy and having a family was the biggest goal I had for myself. and really, it still is. I know I've been through a lot of school and have this career and such but that's just what I do and is certainly not the most important thing to me. I have always looked forward to getting pregnant and how "amazing" it would be! I'm not sure amazing is how I would describe it now that I've been through it (well most of it).... and I haven't even given birth nor have I been through the oh so fun postpartum part. There is more excitement to come!

I WILL miss....

Feeling her move
The kicking in the ribs is not my favorite but it's still an amazing feeling. I realized last week that some of the repetitive movements must be hiccups which makes me feel bad for her because having hiccups and not being able to get rid of them is horrible.

My belly and being unapologetically fat in tight clothes
I tend to wear more form fitting clothes because I feel like it accents the belly and makes me look a tad less than huge. This probably leads to all those people starring at me but whatev! My grandmother would die if she knew I was walking around in a bikini 9 months pregnant but honestly this is the best I've ever felt about my body. I'm dreading getting the post baby mushy stomach back in shape.... along with all the other body parts that have decided to follow suit.

I do plan on posting monthly pictures of the science experiment that was my body for the past several months and showing how I get it back in shape. Hopefully! I mean I KNOW this is not going to be easy. And really, posting about it will keep me motivated and accountable... in theory.

Having people be nice to you just because you're pregnant
Although I wish I had a sign for my car or could put a bubble around it to make people not drive like jerks around me. Speaking of which, my mobility and cat like reflexes are severely limited right now in addition to the fact that I am admittingly not a good driver so I would stay clear of me on the road.

Eating ice cream every night!
I did not go crazy with my diet by any means but compared to what it was before pregnancy it was a lot different. Possibly in a good way... On the nights when I couldn't stomach anything but a corn dog and tator tots, possibly not the best.  I had a huge aversion to the salads I used to eat every day and still haven't gotten that taste back. I'm not a huge fan of meat but I made myself eat 70 grams of protein each day. Between a protein shake (topped off with Mootopia), yogurt, and cheese it wasn't hard to get enough meat in there to hit the magic 70. I tracked everything I ate on an ap that counted calories, totaled all my nutrition, and even added in my cardio activity so I would know to eat more and compensate for those lost calories or missing nutrition. Those end of the night left over calories usually went to ice cream or some sort of dessert :)

"Part II... The ugly side" to come soon! I'm sure I'm forgetting some of the great things about pregnancy so if you've gone through it please comment and add your favorites!