Summary of Pregnancy

I wrote this a few weeks back but never posted. It's a summary of my view of pregnancy.

Posting semi weekly updates has helped me remember these last 9 months well and something I will always be able to look back on in the future for fun memories and knowledge for baby #2. However, I wanted to do one post of my thoughts on being pregnant after all is said and done. Here are the main highlights.

I was very blessed with an easy pregnancy. I read those books about what to expect and took great notes. To me pregnancy is like medicine commercials where they list out 100 side effects and you think why in the world would I ever take this medicine if that's what going to happen to me.  In reality those are just possible side effects. Totally worth it for the relief or in this case the miracle of a child. My pregnancy was a lot like the dad's young hot wife, I think her name was Skylar, on the movie What to Expect When you're Expecting. I had a total of about two weeks where I felt nauseous occasionally but never actually got sick. There were no smells that made me feel sick either which was good because I have a co-worker that ate food at her desk regularly that was usually some kind of steamed veggie and they smelled bad but never sickening.

I would get tired but I never felt exhausted. I made sure to get at least 8 or so hours of sleep each night and I felt good. That last month though I did get worn out a lot quicker so I tried to just make sure I didn't over do it. I noticed more of the aches and swelling that last month and the pressure on your bladder is crazy for the last two weeks but well worth it.

My favorite part of being pregnant was feeling her move around inside of me. It wasn't always the most comfortable thing but it sure was the coolest. And I loved having Kevin feel her. I was not a fan of people touching my belly but there were times where I wanted to be like "hey feel this it's so neat!"

As far as weight gain I don't think I did too bad. I weighed myself the day we found out at 6 weeks and only gained a total of 35lbs. I read they recommend only 25-30 but considering how picky and terrible of an eater I am I think an extra 5 is no big deal. Plus I did not workout once while being pregnant other than walking, which doesn't last long. I had many people tell me how good I looked  and that I was only carrying it in my belly. I know most of them were being honest but I'm sure they were also just being nice which was nice to hear often. The really good comments came from strangers, I had two incidents where I was asked how far along I was and I said 38 weeks and they thought I was lying or had a wrong date. They would say I figured you had a good month or 2 left so that was nice to hear.

One thing I am most thankful for during the last 9 months was that we never had any complications. Every time I went to the doctor it was quick and the same thing was said "you look good and she sounds great." This is huge! The stress of being pregnant alone is more than some should handle but to be told that something may be wrong or need extra attention would be hard to hear. I have many friends who handled their situations so well and I know it's because of their faith in God and the power of prayer from so many friends and family so I make sure to remember that daily as well.

Another great thing about being pregnant is how nice people are to you. You do get a lot of people that just stare at your belly which is so funny to me but in general people are so interested in you. Pregnancy is a good conversation starter. People will always tell you how their pregnancy was and want to know the gender, name, how far along you are etc. and I think that's what makes it easier for people to open up to begin with.

So for all the first time moms out there I unfortunately can't promise you will have it so easy but also note that all those horror stories you hear aren't always the case either. Everyone is different and each pregnancy may differ for the same individual as well. I realize I won't have the best advice since I didn't go through much but it definitely was an incredible journey and I am thankful God gave me the opportunity. It's funny the little things you miss while you are pregnant. I can now sleep on my back and stomach again, I can tie my own shoes, and I can roll over in bed and not get out of breath! With all that being said I have loved being pregnant.