thoughts on pregnancy...

This weeks marks week 30 for baby Flies. 10 weeks left. The latest question I've had lately (mostly from patients at work) is "how have you liked being pregnant?" The answer is I like being pregnant...I do not like pregnancy.

Now, I think I should elaborate b/c y'all could be thinking I'm crazy by now...although I am quite serious.

First off, I am not complaining. I'm so thankful that my body has been able to carry this baby safely. God's design is amazing. These are just my thoughts on what I've experienced (and on some things I haven't, but know they are still a possibility). I think it's important to be honest...so I am. :)

I LOVE watching my belly grow....I love watching her jabs and kicks and rolls make waves on my stomach. It's fun to know she's moving and shaking in there...this is Nick's and my baby girl...all happy and content in her watery world..blithely unaware of what I'm going to bring her into in a few weeks...

anyway...

I do not like pregnancy. In the first trimester and now in the 3rd trimester, I was exhausted ALL THE TIME. I could not get enough sleep. Now usually when I'm tired I'm able to push through the day and be fine, but pregnancy tiredness shoots you down. It's hard to function. All you can think about is sleep....even though you have to be at work or get a bunch of stuff done that day....does your body care? nope.

The nausea--aka morning sickness. This is one I didn't have alot of problems with. About week 8 to week 11 I would wake up nauseated.....I had to eat small meals throughout the morning and I would be feeling fine by lunchtime. Sometimes I had a hard time and couldn't eat or more at all...it was better just to sleep it off. Smells make you feel sick...normally I like the smell of coffee, but even now I can't smell it too long or I feel sick.

Hunger....all the time. No matter how much you eat. You can be full for 5 minutes and then starving again like you haven't eaten in weeks. And instead of being able to ignore it or satisfy it with a drink of water...your body starts to shake and you sweat and you have to have food that minute or you'll absolutely die.....regardless of what you're doing that minute.

The irrelevant weight gain. I understand that a woman's body needs to put on the extra pounds to protect the baby, prepare your body, feed your baby.....but seriously.....do you need to have the extra cellulite on your butt and legs? I mean where does that become necessary? I'm already feeling huge...please let's make it worse by putting on unnecessary pounds without trying.

Emotional craziness. One thing you shouldn't say to someone who's pregnant "it's just your hormones"...because at that time, I don't care. Let me cry over rotten mangoes. Let me be upset over not having enough sour cream to make the perfect mashed potatoes. I know I'm pregnant and my hormones levels are sky high.....but I can't seem to control it. Just hug me and let me be upset....I'll get over it in a few minutes.

Heartburn. This has been plaguing me for the last 4 weeks...and it HURTS. I know it's from pregnancy hormones slowing down gastrick motility (which also leads to constipation...sweet) and b/c baby is getting bigger (which is a good thing) and taking up more space which results in my stomach being pushed up which makes whatever I eat or drink push yuckiness into my esophagus causing the burning.....but SERIOUSLY. I'm popping Tums every hour...and they do not taste good. If the heartburn gets bad enough, I have a major coughing fit.....lately this has been happening in a patient's room and it's embarassing b/c they look at you like you have the plague, so then you have to explain it's one of the many ways your body reminds you your pregnant.

Constipation. This is one that goes throughout pregnancy b/c like I said, the hormone surge slows down your gastric motility which means food is in your intestines longer which means more water is pulled from it which means by the time it's done being moved through.....you get it, right? anyway....so i carry a water bottle with me everywhere and yes, i do take a stool softener every day, thank you very much. My husband would be so proud of me for telling you that too.

Hemorrhoids. I have not had the honor of experiencing these buggers, but I hear they are quite painful. They are caused from being constipated too often, baby getting bigger and more pressure in your pelvic area, and then from pushing out baby at birth. I'll say no more b/c I don't even want to think about it.

The shortness of breath. Oh my word...this is not fun. Again, it's from baby getting bigger and taking up your lung space....how long or short your torso is makes a huge difference too. You can't lounge back b/c if you do, you can't breathe. Walking and going upstairs makes you feel like you just ran a marathon b/c your are so out of breath. Sitting down, you have to sit completely straight or you can't breathe (but sitting up straight, of course, causes a major back ache, so you're uncomfortable no matter what you do). When I'm at work or talking on the phone and I get going on a conversation I have to stop a few seconds for air b/c I don't have the lung capacity to carry on a conversation like I used to!

The back aches. These are from your center of gravity changing and your expanding belly pulling your spine forward. My consant back ache is across the center through my shoulder blades. Sometimes changing how I'm sitting or standing helps, but there are lots of times (like last night, actually) where not matter what I do it hurts so bad I'm close to tears. Thankfully I have a wonderful husband who is willing to rub and knead my back which helps a ton.

Now, a new one I've had lately is constantly having to go to the bathroom. Baby kicks your bladder and oops...you hafta go now. You're in the middle of a deep sleep? Don't worry, it won't last long b/c you'll have to get up and go the bathroom in about 2 seconds....my reaction is to want to drink less so I'm not having to go so much...however, this is super bad b/c then you can get kidney stones real easy.....you get dehydrated which makes your Braxton-Hicks contractions worse...you get even more constipated.....there's no solution but to just go.

Swelling. Now if you read my blog earlier, you know I've had a brush with this. It's from extra fluid in your body not having anywhere else to go, but into the interstitial space of your skin. Everyone gets this at the end of pregnancy, but most people (like me) get it around the 7th month. Mine isn't terrible, but if I'm on my feet too long (like at work) or sitting with my feet dangling down for too long...my feet and ankles swell and it is SO uncomfortable. One of my coworkers had it so bad by her 5th month, you could make hand prints in her legs....she also had preeclampsia and had to be put on bedrest for the rest of her pregnancy and that was why her swelling was so bad.

Stretch marks..I've been fortunate to not really experience these. I do have one teeny one right where my belly button was pierced, so it's not noticeable unless you're actually looking for it. I know I still have 10 weeks left, so there still may be time :) But stretch marks a genetic...my mom didn't have them at all...I don't know about my dad's side of the family...but I figure I have a good chance of escaping them (hopefully, anyway) :). I know lotion and stuff doesn't prevent them, but it makes sense in my mind to keep skin moisturized, then it should stretch easier, right? so I still try and take good care of my belly and keep it lotioned up :)

et's see.......oh yeah.....varicose veins. Again, so far I've escaped them, but I still have 10 weeks and baby isn't going to get smaller. I'm sure I'll have a few by the time baby arrives.

Okay, so I think I'm done. :) I'm not trying to scare anyone who hasn't been pregnant and is planning on getting pregnant someday. Some people will tell you they LOVE pregnancy and that's awesome...

It is a beautiful thing to know that your body is growing and nurturing this little child. God's design for a woman's body to carry a baby is incredible and I am thankful for the experience. But I still say, is some of the previous stuff necessary? I mean really. :)

I want to say again I am not complaining; I have been blessed to have had an easier time than some other women I know and for that I am thankful....it's just frustrating when some of these "pregnancy symptoms" are hindering you from doing normal activities like you used to...like bending over to pick up a pen I just dropped on the floor? Instead of just leaning over to get it....I have to stand up, hang on to the counter and bend down with my knees, grab the pen and then use the counter to help pull myself up.....what's it going to be like in another few weeks when my belly is definitely ginormous and in the way??? ;)

anyway....I would love to hear thoughts from you who have been pregnant...did you like pregnancy? Or were you ready to be done sooner rather than later??