Week 31

 

Ahh, there's nothing quite like a simple white dress in summer.  I got this dress at my favorite vintage shop in Michigan when I was in town for my baby shower.  I love it so much!  Although I have to say it is not the best choice for trips to the neighorhood ice cream shop.  You don't want to see the aftermath of these photos.  Trust me.  Ice cream disaster.

 

Doesn't my hair look pretty awesome in the above photo?  It looks like I'm rocking some serious feathered bangs.  Yuck.  I feel like you have to include the goofy photos as much as possible though.  My hair isn't great (damn you wind!) but it's all in good fun. I was happy in the moment and that's what is important.

 



It's weird, a few weeks ago everyone was doting over my belly and now all of the sudden everyone has become increasingly judgemental of it.  I haven't really been around too many pregnant women to know what is and isn't normal.  My doctor is happy with my weight gain and has told me I'm well within the healthy range.  That's what matters to me.  However all of the sudden everyone I come across seems to feel the need to tell me that I'm huge and either my baby is coming way before August or that it's going to be a gigantic baby. 

 

There are a few things about the weight gain that I am not too fond of - cellulite in places where it never existed previously for instance.  Other than that I am just mostly amazed at the fact that my body has the ability to stretch and grow so much.  I love my pregnant belly.  I mean it's just so incredible, especially now that I can actually see when the baby is moving and kicking. 

 

I've been reading a lot of pregnancy blogs and articles lately and I keep coming across all of these "belly shaming" ones.  They list all of these tips about staying "healthy" during pregnancy.  "Work out just like you normally would every day...run 2 hours on the treadmill the day you go into labor".  "Stick to a strict diet, don't give into cravings".  "If you are committed you shouldn't gain more than 15 lbs and should be back to your old body a few days after leaving the hospital."

 

I'm sure this is all well and good for some people, but the part about these articles that I find shocking is that the alternative to following these rules, in their opinion, is becoming obese.  Which is just straight up blasphemy.  I practiced yoga regularly up until about my 10th week of pregnancy.  All of the twisting, bending, and constant flow of movement started making me feel really sick.  The last session I did I spent the night throwing up.  My body was telling me it was done, it needed a break.  Did this mean I was destined to become obese? Heck no.

 

After yoga failed me I tried to remain active in other ways.  I was still working about 8 hours a day on my feet up until my second trimester.  I was also walking 30 minutes to and 30 minutes from my second job about 4 times a week.  But you know what?  I now work 4 hours a day on my feet because if I work more than that my hips, back, legs, and feet all give out and I'm stuck fighting back tears as I talk to customers.  For my other job I now have to take the bus to and from work because again...hips, back, legs, and feet.  Does this mean that I am destined to become obese?  Heck no.

 

As far as eating habits go I was always "mostly" healthy before my pregnancy.  I followed a vegetarian lifestyle.  I cooked most of my own food.  I tried to avoid foods with additives and ingredients that I cannot pronounce.  I even rarely drank soda and other sugar heavy drinks.  However, just having my menstrual cycle is enough to throw all of that healthy eating out the window.  Add the fact that I am actually growing a little person inside of me and I feel that it's understandable if my eating habits are a little different than those of a health food fanatic.  I've had pretty bad morning sickness and food aversions throughout the entirety of my pregnancy.  Yet I find that if I don't eat once every two hours I get equally as ill.  Oh, and the baby loves sweets.  Does this mean that I am destined to become obese?  Heck no.

 

So far I've gained between 20-25 lbs.  If I continue to gain 1 lb/week that means I have 9 more lbs to gain.

 

To any other pregnant women out there if I could give you any advice it would be to not try to hide your pregnancy or aim to never have a bump.  Embrace and love your new body.  It's  beautiful and completely amazing. <3

 

 

 

 

 



Week 30

 

Oh my gosh - only 10 weeks left!!  Eep!  It's so soon! I feel like we still have so much to do and so little time.  I've reworked my work schedule a bit so instead of working from 7am-11am at the café and then 6pm-11pm at the cinema I'm now working 12pm-6pm at the cimema.  So my work day starts around 7am and ends around 6pm and afterwards I am free to do what I wish.  Which, after working for 11 hrs isn't very much.

 

I'll only be working at the café until the end of June though.  I cannot stress enough how much I am looking forward to a bit of a break.  I work on my feet at the café, which isn't as terrible as it sounds.  It's actually a great way to get my daily exercise in.  Some days are more difficult than others but overall it is getting to be just to much.  My goal was to remain at the café until the end of July.  I usually don't get many shifts at the cinema this time of year because for indie cinemas the summer is actually the slow season.  However, since we're short staffed at the moment I've been getting a lot of shifts which means I can leave the café and only work the cinema job for the remainder of the pregnancy.

 

 

 

Way back when I first found out that I was preggo I remember being happy that I would be delivering in the summer.  I wouldn't have to buy a new winter coat, try to stuff my huge feet into my boots, or waddle through the snow.  I am still grateful of the fact that I will not be delivering under those conditions.  However...all of the pregnancy books, articles, and classes have not lied when they have said that summer pregnancies are a b****.  My feet, legs, and ankles are swollen all of the time.  All I want to eat are popsicles and ice cream (okay, to be fair that actually applies to most summers).  I cannot breath.  Roibeard has told me that I sound like Darth Vader when I sleep at night.  Add 80% humidity to the list and you'll get one miserable preggo.  To make things worse I am over heated 90% of the day.  You know how amazing that first blast of air conditioning can be on a really unbearable hot summer day?  It has absolutely no effect on me.  None.

 

 

Okay, okay, I don't mean to sound too negative on here.  I don't want to scare anyone with my tales of misery.  It's just that when I'm out and about and talking to people and they ask me how I feel I know they are not asking for a laundry list of my symptoms.  So I have to smile and tell everyone I'm alright as I swallow a bit of my lunch that has crept back up due to my wonderful acid reflux that I'm now experiencing.  This is my place to vent and vent I shall. Also, I just think it's good to be open with this stuff.  Making a baby is hard work.

 

I tend to be a hopeless romantic in all aspects of life.  I once volunteered at a flower shop over Valentine's Day because I thought it would be adorable and a lot of fun.  I even got all gussied up in my pink and red outfit and heels.  Big mistake.  After spending eight hours in an unheated room with blood dripping down my hands from shoving wire up rose stems I learned a valuable lesson...Valetine's Day is the worst.  Oh yeah, and things usually don't turn out as glorious as I picture them in my head.  I've always imagined pregnancy as a magical time in a woman's life.  A time that is full of belly rubs, amazing glowing skin, and all the food you can possibly eat - guilt free.  Oh man...I was so wrong.

 

On a more positive note, the biggest plus I can think of about having a late summer baby is he'll be here just in time for autumn to start.  I'll have three months of (hopefully) great weather to explore the city with my little guy and it will all have been worth it.  Plus....adorable baby Halloween costume.

 

Also, on a more random note - sometimes it really is the little things that help to get me through the rough patches.  The other day I went to see Love & Mercy, which for those of you who don't know is a biopic covering the life of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.  It really was a great film and I fully recommend it.  Anyway, one of the reasons that my experience watching it was so positive was because every time the music would start up little Micheal would start dancing around in my tummy.  It made me smile every time. :)