Pregnancy's a Tough Racket

It's funny the things you conveniently forget about being pregnant. Some good, some not so good.

Getting big - Carrying around a bit of extra weight in tedious. Carrying around 30+ extra pounds that has a life of its own is seriously annoying. It's not weight that sits there, but it kicks and pokes your stomach, ribs, and (worst of all) bladder. It also sits in one spot which throws off your center of gravity, causing a change in posture and walking. This, in turn, has an impact on your back, knees, calves, and feet. I remembered getting big, and I remembered getting back pain, but I didn't remember the painful pressure from being on my feet too long (relative these days), constant cramps in my calves, knees that occasionally lock, and so on. Oddly enough, the back pain thus far has been a fraction of what it was the first time. I've got two months to make up for that ;-)

Kicking - I love the kicking. It's so bizarre to feel the little "somethings" (arms? legs?) feeling their way across my tummy. It's not so fun when the other appendages kick other things, but eh...it's hard to have it both ways, isn't it? As I sit on the sofa (which it seems to dislike, just as MetaToddler did way back when), the kicking starts in a serious way. Every night, I insist on sharing with MetaDaddy, but as it's rather removed from him, it's more an "ooo, look at that" reaction. I can't blame him. I do wish MetaToddler was old enough to experience and remember it. I can't think of anything else that's quite like it. Though the feeling of the movements compressing on my organs sometimes reminds me of being on the free-fall segment of a roller coaster (or sky diving, if that's your thing).

Anemia - It's not uncommon for a pregnant woman to become anemic. Pregnant women's blood expands by about 50%. The extra iron is required for the additional blood, as well as for the baby and placenta. My first pregnancy, I found out at the 6 month mark that I was anemic. After taking iron supplements, my energy levels increased dramatically. I had a terrible 2nd trimester because I was exhausted the whole time. In fact, as a result, the 3rd trimester was by far my "honeymoon" period. This time I found out at the 4 month mark, which has made a big difference in my energy levels. Whew!

Hunger - I eat a lot these days. I've never been a huge eater, in terms of quantity. When I was pregnant the first time, I had to get to month 5 before I was able to start enjoying food, thanks to morning (all day) sickness. But when I did, there was no kidding around. I would eat my meal and start nibbling at MetaDaddy's, much to his shock. My appetite stayed pretty hearty through the first 6 months of breastfeeding. As nursing lessened, so did my need for food. It was kind of a relief. But my appetite is back with a vengeance now. I need a hearty lunch and dinner, as well as a serious afternoon snack. And if I don't have an after-dinner something (e.g., snack, dessert), I wake up starving in the middle of the night. I'm usually too tired to actually get out of bed, but I have seriously thought about it, which says a lot for me.

Tired - If I don't sleep for 8 hours, I can barely survive the day. In fact, I probably need closer to 9, and if MetaToddler keeps me seriously active, there's no question as to whether or not I will need a nap. It's all I can do to avoid caffeine some days.

Sleeping - If I'm not waking up in the middle of the night with some bladder dilemma, I'm waking up to reposition the belly that gravity has taken a liking to. But this I remember. This is my body's way of saying "get used to surviving on no sleep." Oh, so afraid of what August holds. In fact, I know what it probably doesn't hold...it doesn't hold much computer time :-o