the not-so-loved parts of pregnancy

This post should have a disclaimer.  I will address a few symptoms that aren't so pretty.  They don't embody the glow of pregnancy, but more of the hard parts that I've experienced so far.  Thanks for reading.

At yoga last Wednesday we talked at the beginning of class for more time than we usually do.  Blooma is such a wonderful, non-judgemental place where a lot of us make ourselves vulnerable.  I told the class about the baby's cysts a few weeks ago and got so much encouragement.  I have talked about how I have meltdowns because John did something as simple as take a nap.  It's a blessing to be surrounded by other pregnant mommas and not feel judged, but also feel like I am not going hormonally crazy.  It has been such a blessing to me since I've been going and I would recommend it to anyone living in the Twin Cities area.  As we were talking on Wednesday I just thought about how generally it is the only place I'll share the difficulties of pregnancy (besides with John, my mom, my sisters and a few friends).  I want this blog to be honest, so after some encouragement from my sweet youth group girls I decided to write a post about my "not-so-loved" parts of being pregnant.

1.  Riding an Hormonal Rollercoaster:  Poor, poor John.  He is the one that has to deal with the emotional rollercoaster that is his wife most of the time.  He is so good to me.  He lets me cry when I need to and is excited with me when I'm happy.  I think the hardest part of having raging emotions is that I don't feel like myself.  There are times that I'm crying about nothing, but can't control it.  I've actually had meltdowns over something little, calmed down, only to start up again.  It's a symptom John and I can laugh about after the fact, it's just not that funny when I feel like I have no control. 

2.  A Faulty Digestive System:  Gas.  Constipation.  Bloating.  Heartburn.  This might be TMI, but they are symptoms that I've heard SO many pregnant women experience. As a positive to this I have been able to get over my "peeing-in-public" phobia because if I have to go to the bathroom my pregnant body has to go.  No waiting.  There isn't really too much else to say about each of those things because they're pretty self-explanatory.  I haven't had too much heartburn, so that's a plus.  I guess my digestive system doesn't appreciate being squished by an ever-growing uterus or not having the help of my stomach muscles that are continually stretching and weakening. 

3.  Twenty Pound Weight Gain for a Two Pound Baby (Currently):  Yes I am growing a child, but why in the world have I gained twenty pounds for a child that weighs 2 lbs.  I have been told that for my body type/BMI I am supposed to gain 25-35 pounds total, one pound per week during the second trimester and 1/2 pound per week in the third trimester.  It was crazy to learn where all the extra weight has gone.  Here's break down from WebMD (http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/healthy-weight-gain)

• Baby: 8 pounds
• Placenta: 2-3 pounds
• Amniotic fluid: 2-3 pounds
• Breast tissue: 2-3 pounds
• Blood supply: 4 pounds
• Stored fat for delivery and breastfeeding: 5-9 pounds
• Larger uterus: 2-5 pounds
• Total: 25-35 pounds

I'm just amazed where all it goes.  It makes sense that after delivery my body won't go back to normal right after birth.  Thankfully I've had friends tell me about that or I'd be expecting to look differently when I left the hospital.  I am thankful that looking pregnant has helped me be not quite as stressed about gaining weight.  The weight seems to be centralized in the front between my pelvis and neck, so as much as I like that look it also adds to to the next point.  


4.  Achy Breaky Body:  My poor body.  Growing a baby is hard work.  The leg cramps, the pinch in my back, the pain in my lower back, my feet, just being achy in general.  I think a lot of my aches and pains have to do with the fact that I've had a really hard time slowing down.  Allowing aches and pains is probably my body's way of saying I need to slow down.  The babe and I need to take breaks.  I'm working on it.

All of those parts of pregnancy aside I really enjoy being pregnant.  It is such a blessing and such a miracle.  I thank God for this babe everyday!  With every kick and movement I can't help but smile.  He is so loved and I cannot wait to meet him come August.