I’m 34 weeks pregnant right now. Holy Cow. Over the past week, I’ve been reflecting on what I might do differently next pregnancy (god willing) and what I’ve been so grateful for throughout. Hopefully this post will find some new soon-to-be mommas who might be struggling with exactly what I have.
Body Changes
This is a photo from my baby shower so you can see just how very far along things are lol. To be completely transparent, I started this pregnancy weighting approximately 135 lbs and I am rocking about 175 lbs now.
One thing I learned during this pregnancy is that it is extremely uncomfortable to gain 30-45 lbs in 9 months. I don’t think anyone really talks about that at all. Certainly, nobody prepared me for it.
First, I’ve found that moving my body in any way has become more difficult. Think of anything: putting on shoes, getting out of bed. You’re out of breath and cannot reach things you need.
Second, clothes obviously don’t fit. Undergarments have been the biggest battle. being comfortable in your clothes might be a luxury during pregnancy BUT I really believe its worth it to try and make yourself as comfortable as possible.
Two things I’d do differently given this struggle:
myself (right) and my best friend Kam (left)
1) Keep exercising regularly, as long as I can safely do so
Why? Not to lose weight or to avoid the weight gain. That should never be the goal in pregnancy. Instead to keep my body in a condition that it can move easily despite added weight. For example: maybe if I continued to run a couple times a week into the pregnancy, I would not be short of breath so quickly now. It would likely still happen eventually, but the whole process might not have been so uncomfortable.
One extra thing I would consider for a solution to this is getting a membership to a community pool, I love to swim and its a form of exercise that you can do long into pregnancy.
2)Get fitted for bras, and buy just a couple in a style I love.
Why? First get fitted by someone who actually measures you. I’ve been the same size for years until this pregnancy and I had no idea how to even find a new size as I came to needing one. A professional, even a saleswoman at Victoria’s Secret really will have a better idea of how to fit your changing body and you can always go somewhere cheaper for a new bra once you know your size.
I say just buy a couple in the new size because your size will likely change again after baby (breastmilk will take up more space). Ultimately, I believe its important to get them in a style you love and are comfortable in because you’ll end up in them every day and a bra really does make an impact on how you look and feel in your clothing. It’s always worth the investment to feel good about yourself.
boat day on my Baby-Moon
me enjoying every sip of a virgin Pina Colada
Mental Health
I took things slowly and leaned on support to adjust to the realities of being pregnant. My husband has been amazing with the hormones and emotions. I seriously cannot thank him enough. He really is my rock.
Regardless of the support, hindsight is 20/20 and there are still things I will do differently next time and would recommend others do to manage anxiety and stress during pregnancy if anyone were to ask me.
The thing is that tackling the anxiety that comes with childbirth and then being a PARENT after all of this is still a lot to deal with.
So to start, I’m grateful for the relationship I have with my husband and I know I’m spoiled because I can say this: I’m grateful to have been on a baby-moon with him.
The trip we took in December helped us both relax and recharge and bond a bit more as we looked ahead to becoming parents. I would certainly recommend a baby-moon to anyone who can afford the time and money for a trip at that time in their life. Having one last memorable adventure with your person before you take on new roles really is a special experience.
What I’d change if I could:
1) Talk to my health care provider sooner about pain control
Why? The options can be confusing. I’m a nurse and this all still mystified me. There seems to be opinions everywhere about how to manage pain during labor. And for every opinion on controlling labor pain there seems to be just as many people shaming or judging one method or another. I have some very intelligent and wonderful certified nurse midwives that I see who were able to dispel my fears and help me understand what will probably be best for me.
2) Buy the birthing class
Why? I sat on the fence about buying a birthing class for the longest time. They really can be so expensive. It actually wasn’t until I confided in one of the nurse midwives at my 30 week appointment about how anxious I was for birth that anyone encouraged me to get one. I ended up buying the Mighty Mama Movement class after participating in the free webinar and there is just so much useful information in it that it would have been nice to have bought earlier. I certainly have had the time to start practicing some of the pain control techniques they teach and this has given me confidence and relieved a lot of anxiety as my due date comes closer and closer.
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