5 Things I’ve Learned About Pregnancy

I’ve been pregnant four times in the past five years and am getting to the point where I feel like an old hand at pregnancy. The babies just keep coming. The thing is, babies grow bigger and soon I’m wishing for a tiny little one again. Andy tries to be the helpful husband. When he sees me melting over a precious little newborn he leans over and whispers to me, “Morning sickness. Ligament pain. Labor!” But it usually falls on deaf ears. I get baby fever like crazy.

So before long we are expecting another one! And once the excitement of having our own little secret and then telling everyone is over reality begins to kick in along with the nausea and throwing up and can’t-cook-anything-without-a-clothespin-on-my-nose. You get the picture.

Each time it’s a little different than the last, but here are five things I’ve learned about pregnancy.

1. Pregnancy makes me feel old.

I am 25. That’s not even middle aged, but pregnancy has a way of making me feel old before my time. Heartburn is awful, as the baby gets bigger my joints get loose and achy, plus the extra weight has  me walking rather slowly and shuffly. Yup. It’s true.

One night this summer I was out weeding in the garden and Gabe was out there with me. My supper was trying to come back up my throat from the weight of the baby, and my back was aching from all the bending over. As I stood up slowly, grimacing, Gabe looked st me strangely. “What’s wrong, Mommy?”

“Nothing,” I said trying to make my grimace into a smile.

“You look old,” he said with four year old wisdom. “An old lady weeding.” Then he ran off to play.

I laughed pretty hard about that. Truth be told, I DID feel old in that moment.

2. I feel regret.

I always feel a little sad when I start getting a big belly again. Not that I’m not excited, not that I don’t love the baby, but look how big I’m getting again! I just did this and it felt so good to be skinny again for what, five months?! A few moments of regret are routine during pregnancy. It’s hard not to feel sad for your old self when it feels like all you consist of is Big Belly with arms and legs sticking out. See picture below (at the bottom – it wouldn’t let me insert it here.) taken two days before Oscar was born.‎

Yup. Looks like I’ve got a basketball under my shirt. Try sleeping with that.

3. My first pregnancy and my fourth pregnancy WILL NOT be the same.

Andy and I are both middle children and felt like the oldest and youngest got most of the attention in our families. At the start of our own family we decided we would not give the royalty treatment to our firstborn. If he got a special blanket, or birth announcement, or fancy picture book chronicling his first year we needed to do the the same for the rest of the children.

So far we’ve been able to keep up, but there are some things that are just different. When I was pregnant with my first baby I had all these ideals. Proper nutrition, weight gain, daddy talking to belly etc, and I would never drink more than one cup of coffee per week!

This baby? Ehhh. I’m trying to keep three others alive in the midst of fatigue, nausea and house jumping. The fourth time around we do what works and hope for the best.

4. A cute baby bump is a myth. First I just look a little fat for a few months, and then all of a sudden the belly pops out like crazy and I’m an elephant and my clothes don’t fit. What happened to the cute baby bump I’m supposed to get?!

5. I enjoy each baby more than the last.

It’s true! Sure there are other children to take care of, but I already know how to take care of a newborn and each time I treasure those first days more because I realize how quickly they go by!

In closing, for those of you who haven’t already heard, we are having a baby girl!! We can’t wait to meet her!