I love being pregnant. It probably sounds weird to some people to say that, but, to me, there is something so magical about what my body is doing. I feel so special, and there is an amazing connection for me with that baby growing inside. Now before you roll your eyes at this mushiness and stop reading…that’s not to say there aren’t a few things that still annoy the crap out of me while being pregnant. Throwing up in a client’s parking garage? Been there, done that. It sucks. Stretch marks? They suck too. Having feet so swollen they look like they belong to someone else? Yup, had that too. Here’s proof.
This was at 28 weeks with my son. EEK!
But I’ve compiled a list that represents some annoyances that aren’t your standard pregnancy woes. Those I can deal with because I expect them. These? Make my head spin Linda Blair style.
- The Name Game. Our son didn’t have a name for 2 days after he was born. And we knew at 20 weeks we were having a son. And we ended up naming him Trent, and my husband is Brent. Yup, it took us that long to change 1 letter. It’s a challenge for us. So for this girl to be any different shouldn’t surprise anyone. Yet we get lots of comments about it. I don’t mind the suggestions and questions. It’s fun. What I mind is people acting annoyed that we haven’t named her yet. People, she’ll have this name her ENTIRE life, and her last name isn’t the easiest. {Sorry honey} We’re going to take our sweet timing thinking it over until we know it’s right. Why does that concern you?
- Skinny $%#^**%’s. You know those women who at 40 weeks look 20 weeks pregnant and complain about how huge they are? I hate them. I gain every ‘recommended’ pound and then some. I grow larger than average babies. And it shows. So when women complain about how big they are, I want to smack them. You want to see big? I’ll show you big.
- You know it’s going to Hurt, Right? I want to have this baby naturally. It’s my body, my experience, my choice. People look at me like I have 2 heads. Yes, 85-90% of women have epidurals. I did with Trent. I don’t want to this time. Keep your trap shut because all you do is knock my barely there confidence a little. Am I scared? YES! And you telling me how hard it’s going to be and how crazy I am doesn’t help. Can’t we all support each other here?
- Size Schmize. Similar to #2, but it is frustrating this time around to have this pregnancy be classified as ‘LGA’. What is that you ask? ‘Large for Gestational Age’. Oh goody. I’m growing another big one.
- Pee. You think I’m going to talk about needing to pee all the time. Well, I’m not. I’m going to tell you about leaking pee. When I cough, when I sneeze, when I get up. I’m constantly dribbling. I know my bladder is a little ‘looser’ after having 1 pregnancy. Still sucks.
- It’s a Christmas Miracle. Our daughter is due 12/26. I don’t think much of due dates, but regardless, she will come somewhere around Christmas. And people love to tell me how unfair that is to her like I am abusing her in some way. Oh yes, so horrible. Two people conceived a child in love, she will be born into a happy family, and she will have 2 parents, a brother, 4 grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles to love her. She will never want for food or shelter or love or opportunity or education. Yes, her birthday sounds super unfortunate to me.
- Stupid Policies. I scheduled a prenantal massage in a hotel recently. The only information provided said you must be at least in your second trimester. Check! I got a call back saying oops, I was in my 3rd trimester and their hotel policy wouldn’t allow for me to have a massage. What? So you offer a service for roughly 12 weeks out of 40? Less than 1/3 of the time a woman is pregnant you’ll provide a pregnancy massage? I feel like there are these little jabs everywhere you go. I’m not going to go into labor yet, I promise, so please rub my aching back.
- The money. Babies are expensive. I’m not concerned about the cost of her nursery (which is going to be INSANE y’all), her clothes, all the gadgets we’ll buy. That’s part of the deal. I expect it. What I have a problem with are the costs that shouldn’t exist or should be covered by insurance. You might be able to tell I’m walking a little outside the norm when it comes to childbirth and parenting…and trust me…if you couldn’t yet, you will. So what if I want to encapsulate my placenta? {And yes, there will be a whole post about this.} And what if I want to have a doula present at my birth? Well, add those 2 things together and we’re looking at roughly $1,000 out of pocket. I have amazing mainstream insurance. So I can’t really complain about that per se. But I have to pay the state of Texas $240 to get a court order to allow me {said with much sarcasm} to take my placenta home. You know that organ I created all on my own? It becomes medical waste the minute it leaves my body. And the encapsulation service that will hopefully keep me off antidepressants and not seeing a psychiatrist (both of which ARE covered by insurance) is my out of pocket expense. An expense I deem well worth it. And the doula that will hopefully keep me from needing medical interventions (which will save money) is also an out of pocket expense. Seems a little backwards, huh?
- My Closet. One of the best parts of a second pregnancy should be that you already have a ton of maternity clothes. So how is it possible that by 30 weeks I have outgrown a lot of the clothes from my first pregnancy? Here I am having to buy MORE maternity clothes when I have a full closet of them. And let’s not talk about night clothes. All I can sleep in are my husband’s t-shirts. Somehow he has gotten possessive over his TWO full drawers of shirts. I’m sorry but your turquoise ‘So Fresh and So Clean’ shirt you wore as a joke? It’s mine!
- Awkward Angles. My first pregnancy I was able to lounge around a lot and could do whatever I needed to be comfortable. This time around I have a 3 year old to consider. Holding him is impossibly awkward. Sitting on the floor to play hurts. He can’t sit in my lap anymore because he’s uncomfortable. We can’t really play rough; I constantly say ‘Be gentle! Remember Baby Sister is in Mommy’s tummy.’ This is probably silly and a little dramatic, but I guess it just preps us both that he won’t be the only little person we have to consider anymore.
So there you have my list of what I find annoying this time around. {grin}
What annoys you the most about pregnancy?
