Pregnancy & Me

  Being pregnant has been one of the most difficult and rewarding things in my life so far. I've learned a lot since getting pregnant, about myself and pregnancy in general. One of the main lessons I've taken away from this, is that pregnancy is different for every woman- and that's okay. Some women get "the glow". Some women are tired all the time. Some women have morning sickness. You get the picture. Pregnancy hasn't been easy on me or my body- but I wanted to document some of the things I've been through so that I could look back and remember those moments. Below is a list of some of the stuff I'd like to remember- and there are a few really personal and potentially graphic (depending on your sensibilities) things on there. So- if you don't want to get too personal with me, don't keep reading! (As an aside, that's totally okay!)

Being pregnant to me means:

1) Having "morning sickness" for two weeks but actually only throwing up 3 times- once in the sink. The rest of the time was just queasiness. All. Day. Long.

2) Learning that my hubby will hold back my hair when I puke and try to be comforting.

3) Absolutely insisting that you're at the right car dealership to pick up your husband, when in fact, you are at the one next to it.

4) Transitioning from not wanting to talk about or deal with labour, to wanting to talk about labour and learn others' experiences.

5) Cheering if you can go #2 that day, especially if things move smoothly and you don't feel like a rhino is coming out of your butt.

6) Being turned off BBQ and being really sad because it's summer.

7) Sweating buckets at work and coming home drenched.

8) Having total strangers come up and make conversation with me about my pregnancy, and those same strangers saying "wow, you look so (insert big or small here)!" and then saying "you still have a long way to go" or "not long now"

9) Being frazzled with not sleeping. And being frazzled with people saying, "sleep now, you won't get any when the baby is here!". Wanting to yell back "But I'm not sleeping now!!"

10) Being too hot all the time.

11) Period bloating? That's nothing. Pregnancy bloating? I'm a whale....!

12) Cankles. See above.

13) Feeling flutterings in my tummy and not knowing whether it's gas, or baby.

14) Realizing those flutters are baby!

15) Bawling my eyes out seeing the baby on the 10 week ultrasound.

16) Feeling victorious when your gender guess is confirmed.

17) Going from loving baby movement, to loving and hating it at the same time. (Feet in ribcage syndrome is not fun).

18) Heartburn. Repeat x100

19) Having no item of clothing that feels comfortable some days.

20) Being worried that baby is okay in there. Loving the kicks because I know he's alive.

21) Not wanting to trade this for the world, and yet wanting him out.

22) Starting to get really excited to see his squishy little face. While alternately still not looking forward to labour.

23) Sitting on the couch with hubby, with his hand on my belly, loving how he's laughing every time the baby kicks or rolls over. Feeling really bonded over baby for the first time in that moment.

24) Drinking half a cup of coffee and peeing 3x in 20 minutes.

25) Getting up every two hours at night (I checked my clock) to pee. And probably more often than that in the daytime.

26) Realizing no one told me how much toilet paper I'd be going through. (see above)

27) Dealing with massive amounts of groin and pelvic pain- feeling like said regions are 80 years old instead of 27.

28) Dropping things on the floor. And leaving them there.

29) Still freaking out about things like spiders. But not caring as much about other stuff.

30) Needing help to lace up my shoes and feeling like a child.

31) Realizing I am strong to be able to carry a baby.

32) Knowing that I am blessed when so many others cannot have children.