At 35 weeks pregnant, I have to admit that I am starting to get anxious for the end of this experience. It has gotten to the point where I am uncomfortable sitting in one position for too long, my feet tingle when I stand for any length of time, and I take more bathroom breaks than a drunk old man. Still, I have, for the most part, really enjoyed this pregnancy.
You hear a lot about the pitfalls of gestation: morning sickness, heart burn, difficulty sleeping, etc. Not only have I had very few negative physical effects in the past eight months, but I have a much longer list of things that I have genuinely loved about being pregnant. Here are a few:
1. The fingernails
I was never one to spend a lot of time or energy thinking about the everyday health or appearance of my fingernails until I became pregnant, and they started growing like weeds. I swear pregnant fingernails, especially during the first two trimesters, are made from some brilliant, alien substance. They are long, strong, and beautiful. They are extremely difficult to break, but if one does snap off, it will grow back the next day, looking as lovely as ever.
This may seem like a small thing, but it is quite comforting. While the rest of your body is changing and, to some extent, betraying you, it is nice to have ten little allies at the ends of your fingers. The quickness with which they grow also provides an excuse for frequent maintenance and regular manicures; a wonderful way to take some time to yourself and feel pampered and pretty during pregnancy.
2. Reading aloud
When my developing baby's ears supposedly became able to recognize and distinguish voices at 23 weeks gestation, I began reading the Harry Potter series aloud to my belly. At first, I felt a little bit crazy reading to a seemingly empty room, but as I got into the habit, I discovered that it was something I genuinely enjoyed. We are now almost half way through the last book of the series, The Deathly Hallows, which means that I have read some 3,500 pages to my baby before I have even met him. I have found that this ritual makes me feel bonded and motherly towards my baby, and often he moves around and makes me aware of his presence while I read. Which brings me to...
3. Having a constant companion in my belly
Ever since I felt the first fluttering or "quickening" sensations in my belly a few months ago, my unborn baby's movements and kicks have become increasingly more frequent and strong. This might be my favorite part about the whole experience. While it is a sort of strange and foreign feeling at first, it is something that I became very quickly attached to. Before long after feeling the first movements, I was able to distinguish different body parts as they poked out of my belly. Now, when the baby kicks, I can poke him back and feel him respond in kind. It is like having a playmate always with me, and it is wonderful.
4. Sleeping in
No matter how much you sleep when you are pregnant, no one will ever call you lazy or judge you. This is a wonderful thing.
5. People telling me I look phenomenal
People don't generally expect pregnant women to be a fit size two, or to wear full make up all the time, or to rock high heels. Therefore, when a preggo ventures into public looking fairly decent, people are quite impressed.
I have to admit that at this point, I am starting to feel sort of gross. I am ready to go back to my old body and feel genuinely attractive again. However, up until a couple weeks ago, I was still feeling really content with my pregnant body. People constantly told me how beautiful I looked, even when I was kind of icky or had dirty hair. I think this is partially a consequence of lowered expectations for the pregnant set, and partially a result of what I have termed "pregnancy goggles", which focus observers' energy on a big, round belly and full, ample, baby feeding boobies while distracting from things like eye bags, thunder thighs, and *shudder* armpit fat.
6. Nice women
It isn't a secret that it is often difficult for women to immediately feel warm towards other women upon meeting them. Pregnancy changes this. Women see a pregnant lady and think a) This girl is probably not going to sleep with my bf/husband b)I can identify with that, and c) Awwww babies!
The combination of a,b,and c above creates the kind of friendly, warm, immediately accepting women that I have never known before. And they are everywhere! The drugstore check out lady, the other women in waiting rooms in doctors' offices, chicks on the street; they all want to know when I am due, what sex the baby is, and if they can touch my belly. Many don't even ask about the touching thing; they just go for it, because what is more unifying and communal than a new life?
7. The doctor
I have heard some pregnant women complain about the seemingly constant doctor's visits associated with growing a tiny person, but I have really enjoyed mine. For one thing, until I became pregnant, I had not seen a doctor for an overall check-up since before leaving for college in 2004. So, just hearing that I am in good health was a relief. Then, getting ultrasounds, hearing my baby's heartbeat every couple weeks, and learning about his development became things that I really looked forward to. These days, I have weekly doctor's visits and fetal monitoring, all of which increase the excitement of knowing that he is almost here!
8.The presents
Our baby shower was overwhelming, with more gifts than I have ever received at one time in my life. I was so thankful that so many people cared about me and Tony and our baby and wanted to be a part of the process. Then, packages began arriving in the mail with such frequency that it was strange to have a day when a delivery man did not ring the door bell. Unwrapping adorable baby clothes and toys never gets old, and it makes me feel truly loved by my friends and family.
9.Being sober all the time
I came to college in New Orleans partially because I was ready to party. It is no secret that I loved going out and having some drinks. I worked in a bar for quite a while and genuinely loved the Nola bar life style. Still, I was honestly beginning to tire of the whole thing when I got pregnant. The past several months have been a time for me to grow up, mature, and put that period of my life behind me, and being sober for a while is the best way to do that. There are obvious health benefits for myself and my baby associated with not drinking, but I find other benefits as well. I think more rationally when I have not had a drink for a while than when I am going out many times a week. I am also much more emotionally stable now than I was when I was partying all the time, and I am pregnant, so that is saying a lot!
10. Thinking of myself more and more as a mom
I have always know that I wanted to be a mother, but nobody can tell anyone else how it really feels. As my pregnancy has progressed, I have begun to feel closer and closer to my baby. I have definitely become very attached to him while carrying him, and I feel almost like an actual "mom" at this point. I can envision myself years down the road, with young children, acting like a real mother and loving my family unconditionally, and I like what I see.
