We got a little warm in there (winters in SF, ugh) but all in all a successful outing! Next time we're going to get Dad to do it. Mabel's accomplishments upon her 21st day out if the womb: Learned to stretch Rolls over to her side Can track mom and dad with her eyes Can turn her head from side to side during tummy time Power pooper (4 in a row!) Sleeps up to 3.5 hours Chased that jaundice away Proud parents have already signed her up for Kumon. I didn't think it possible for a human to pee more than two times in an hour. But like many things throughout pregnancy, my assumptions were defied and I have proof to the contrary. My pregnant body is like a human Brita., constantly needing a refill, followed by a unsatisfyingly low pressure output. (bam, how do you like that product placement. Bring it, SOMA filter, for a low low price, I'll compare you to any bodily function you want.)
Seriously, how do women who don't work from home or get to take leave before delivery deal? It's bad enough in an office environment where you have to get up from meetings or calls every 20 min. or speed walking past cubicles hoping no one tries to talk to you on the way to the bathroom. What about the women who are standing behind the counter at Starbucks, waiting for you to decide if you want Almond or Soy milk. Or the woman bus driver (tech bus drivers continue to unionize, yes!) Or your teacher. These moms deserve an award. Or you know, equal pay. One last biology lesson before I end. Babies 'declares' its position by week 37 - meaning that the position it's in at that point in time will most likely be the position it's in during delivery. Ours made up its mind around week 34/35 (not a procrastinator, how odd.) which also explains its big noggin pressing on my bladder earlier. Since then the baby slowly descents, or 'drops' deeper into the pelvis. For some women the change is noticeable and happens quickly, for me it's been very gradual. As much as the pressure is unpleasant, I figure the closer to the exit baby gets, the better. As much as I'm ready to be done with the aches, the sluggishness and needing help getting out of chairs and bed, there are some things I will miss about being pregnant. Here they are in no particular order:
1. Positive Body Image This is a big one. I can't remember a time when I wasn't self-conscious about some part of my physical body. From the very innocuous: in 5th grade, my ear piercings that took too long to heal and formed dark scars on my earlobes and I nearly died when someone asked what happened. To the life-long dysfunctional relationship with my weight. Some part of my brain was always unhappy with some part of my body. But for the past nearly-ten months, all (well ok, MOST) of that has gone out the window. I fearlessly stand on the scale every morning, letting the number reflect back at me, acknowledge the change from yesterday and step off without another another thought. Luckily maternity clothes are quite forgiving and come in S-L and variations there-of, but I've been fearlessly purchasing size Large whenever I need to. And lastly, I've stopped sucking in. Sucking in was happening so often - getting past people, chairs, in the presence of a camera - that it surprised me when I could no longer. And then I just took up space, and I liked it. Don't get me wrong, inhabiting a pregnant body isn't all ice cream and self acceptance. Pregnant bodies are subject to the same unrealistic and idealized images that female bodies of all stages are subject. That perfectly round, smooth-skinned belly surrounded by toned arms and legs and dimple-free ass? Doesn't exist. Your belly starts out a little loose, like you had one burrito too many, progresses to a wide, fleshy belt, sometimes followed by a full upper belly, making it looks like a square lunchbox in my case, and now in late term, can only be described best as lumpy and lopsided. By some miracle, I am OK with all of that. And I will miss being OK with my body, just as it is. 2. Ice cream everyday Perhaps related to perpetually not liking my body, I had a love-hate relationship with ice cream. It was a huge mental battle whenever I accepted or declined it. But during pregnancy the only second thoughts I've had are about which flavor? I can rationalize by saying that ice cream has calcium, which I need more of. That the combination of cold and creamy eases nausea. But seriously, I just like it, so I eat it. 3. No woman is an island At times a pregnant woman may feel like an island - large and isolated - but there is no better time to practice accepting help from others. Normally when asked if I need anything, it's rare to hear something other than 'I'm good' or 'No thank you.' These answers are second nature to me, because you know, I am woman hear me roar. But these days, when I need another pair of hands to simply get out of bed - NOT so simple, as it turns out - I can no longer rely on just myself. And it's been difficult to ask, to accept, and not to jump in when I see an opportunity to do something. But as it turns out, people, especially loved ones, love to help. Well of course they would - they're your friends and family, they're good people, and you've probably helped with once or twice - but that logic doesn't quite sink in. But trust me, don't fight it. It's much better for everyone to accept the help, accept the gift of time, advice, goodies and kind gestures, don't feel bad about it, and say Thank You. One of my main motivations for blogging about the pregnancy is that so many fascinating and unexpected things have happened/are happening. Yes, the human body is a miracle and there's a person in there, blah blah blah. But I'm also talking about those moments that make you go "huh, well no one told me that would happen."
Fuzz They warn you that you may develop some discoloration on the skin of your belly as it grows. Most notably, the linea nigra, a super tan line connecting from your belly button to the top of the pelvis. Sort of a lane marker for the baby. They say either that or dark circles around your belly button itself. I've been both on other women, I was mentally prepared. But that didn't happen. Instead, my belly grew its very own winter coat. Ok that's an exaggeration, it's a light summer layer at most. But still. A crop of fine fuzz has developed on my pregnant belly, gently and protectively covering the entire surface from my pelvis to (what was) my rib cage. It's more akin to peach fuzz than the hairs on one's legs. But there it is. My Underwear Doesn't Fit Get ready to buy new underwears and bras every couple of weeks. And none of your Hanky Panky's just in different sizes, I'm talking about generous, forgiving and soft fabrics that lets you be the boss. Your skin will get dry, it'll get itchy, and it's already putting up with being stretched to it's limit, the least you can offer is some comfy underwear w/o the elastic waistbands digging in. My favorites are anything made of jersey or modal cotton, and Motherhood Maternity's 'fold-over' undies (like yoga pants.) I'll admit the bra part made me extra sad as I had just invested in a repertoire of grownup bras that are well made, functional, and actually fit properly (bra fittings, what's the story with those?!) only to realize I'd be wearing wireless cotton bras for the next 1..5 - 2 years. Not only that, my bra size changed entirely. Some women manage with their current bras by adding an extension to the back hooks - you know how normally there's 3 sets of hooks, well you can get an extender that gives you 3 more. But the way my rib cage widened and my boobs grew, all the proportions were off. So I just called Gap Body directly and said, go ahead, take my money. Leakage This is the part of our regularly scheduled programming where you'd want to ask yourself, how close do I feel to Linda, and how much closer do I want to get? Because I'm about to talk about leaky boobs. On the one hand, it is pretty miraculous that even before your child is born, your body knows to start making stuff that will be the perfect food for your offspring. Way to be on top of it, reproductive organs! And like any good production line, one must test all the parts. That's the only way I can explain why/how colostrum (or pre-milk) may be coming out of your body even before your baby arrives. It's just a few drops and by the time you notice it, there's a good chance it's already dried up. My midwife was pretty excited to hear the news, she said it could indicate healthy milk production to come. On the other hand, your nipples are leaking. |