Thursday, February 16, 2012

Narcissistic Pregnant Lady Post

You know what's a little awkward when you're in the ravenously hungry/everything finally, finally tastes and sounds GOOD again phase of pregnancy?

When your husband is religiously dieting to win a contest at work. I'm eating two lunches while he's eating raw carrots. Every day my tum pops out a little farther and his gets a little flatter. And yet I am unfazed. When we went out to eat for V Day, we were cracking the waitress up, Jim with his virtuous plate of salad greens and raw broccoli and me with my giant steak and cheesecake, every bite of which got devoured while I patted my stomach contentedly and lolled around like a gluttonous Roman. I'm amazed Jim didn't just stare at me resentfully the whole time.

I have to say, he's an awfully good sport while dieting. If I was being that strict about what I ate, I don't think I could bear to go out and watch someone else gleefully gorging on rich stuff. I'm weak, frankly, when it comes to food. I love salads and veggies and fruit, but I also love cheese and chocolate and wine. I don't generally struggle too much with weight- I'm not skinny or even really thin but my doctors both say that I don't have a weight "problem" either (i.e. sure, you could drop ten to twenty pounds but your health is fine) so that's good enough for me.

I do know that at some point, though, when I'm done gestating and nursing and when age has finally sneaked up on me and begun winding down my metabolism, that I will have to be a bit more aware of what I'm eating each day. Sadly there won't always be babies to enjoy and use up those extra fat stores. I (honestly, truly) don't care to be a Hot Mom!, but I do care about being a good role model to my kids by controlling certain appetites and by taking care of and respecting my body (i.e. certainly not forbidding sugar, but also not snarfing down an indeterminate amount of peanut M and M's each evening while catching up on Netflix.)

But hey, no need to go dark just yet! This is still definitely the fun part of pregnancy and I intend to enjoy the heck out of it while it lasts. No heartburn to speak of, hardly any nausea, headaches pretty rare again, and a body that is rounder in... many places, some of which are very pleasing. FINALLY rounder, I should add. I never seem to get that whole chestal region explosion everyone talks about in early pregnancy until more like mid/late, and even then it's not exactly an explosion. Slight swelling, maybe. I'll take what I can get.

I have a decent amount of energy, I sleep pretty well, don't really have hip or back pain; I can finally feel the baby move a few times a day! Things are good. Except for constant round ligament pain, which is really stabby sometimes and seems weird since this is my fourth baby for heaven's sake. I thought round ligament stuff would ease up the more kids you had and the more relaxed your abdominal muscles got. Anyone else who's had a lot of pregnancies want to weigh in on body aches and pains that were different or surprising?

For instance, with my first two babies I would get sudden, sharp hip pain starting within a month or so of being pregnant, and lasted pretty much the whole time. My joints were just really really loose and it felt like anytime I stepped or sat wrong my hip kind of slipped out of place or something. But with Jamie, and now this one, I've barely felt any hip pain or weirdness at all. I think my hips finally just gave up and STAYED spread after I had Eli, so they haven't had to do as much adjusting to make room for these last two babies?

I know, I know: every pregnancy is different. Every baby is different. Every KID is different. Why is it so hard to resist comparing everything?

6 comments:

Nowheymama said...

Well, now I'm hungry.

Swistle said...

Because comparing things is one of the FUNNEST PARTS!

Jules said...

During my second I thought my big toes on both feet were broken. I tried multiple shoes and about two weeks after I gave birth - Viola!! No more pain. I think he was trying to manipulate me like a puppeteer in utero. What am I saying? as a toddler he still is trying this on me!

CAQuincy said...

Because...you just GOTTA!

I don't remember much hip/ligament pain the first two go arounds. I DID have hip pain AFTER #2 was born. That was weird. The last two babies--and especially this one--pain, pain, pain. I think it's just because I'm OLDer.

I don't get much bigger in the chest area either. It's definitely a conspiracy.

d e v a n said...

I had WORSE ligament with each pregnancy, for sure! And kudos to your hubby because if my hubby ate like that while I was dieting I would probably stab his eye out with my salad fork.

Caitlin said...

I don't have any kids (yet) but my best friend is pregnant and is going through the same stuff! Her husband is also working on weight loss :)

You should enter the giveaway we posted on Friday for your new bebe:

http://www.hardlyhousewives.com/2012/02/hip-on-house-max-magnolia.html