I thought it was about time that I take a picture of my “baby bump” as the general public likes to trendify it. (And if anyone asks me/talks about anything with the word “preggers” in it…just don’t…) I had to take the picture myself since Nate is still at his class (done today!). It was kind of hard to get it in focus because I didn’t have anything to focus on before I set the timer and jumped in the picture. I found if I didn’t do the hand placement around the belly it didn’t look like a pregnancy picture. And it took me almost a week to talk myself into posting it. Most people I work with at the hospital tell me that I look really good; my doctor says he looks more pregnant than I do. But then there are some people who insist on commenting on my weight/how big I am getting every time I see them. I have not gained nearly as much weight as you may have imagined. The doctor said he can tell I eat healthy just by how much I weight I have/have not gained. That’s right. I’m normal. Surprised? Kind of reminds me of a “Dear Non-Pregnant Person” thing I read the other day. I’ll post half of it here; I’m pretty sure I would offend someone if I posted all of it because it is so blunt (doesn’t mean I don’t want to post all of it because I agree with all of it, I just haven’t lost all sense of tact just yet). But if you want it, I will send it to you.
I went to my 20 week ultrasound on Monday (6/8) and Nate was even able to come. Every thing looks fine. The baby wouldn’t roll around the right way so I have to go back for another ultrasound during my next doctors visit so they can get a better picture of the heart. Nate was starting to worry about it but I figure if they thought something was wrong, they wouldn’t wait another month to check it. He just wouldn’t roll over right. This just means you don’t get to view the video of the ultrasound that I’m sure you all are looking forward to seeing for another month.
It’s fun to be on the downhill side of the pregnancy. The first half went by so fast even though we found out we were pregnant super early. I’m actually starting to feel pregnant now. Standing up/sitting down constantly at work is finally getting to my poor abdominal muscles. I’ve decided I’ve got to start acting like I’m pregnant. Doesn’t mean I have yet.
Dear Non-Pregnant Person,
The body of a pregnant women should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone’s stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.
Likewise, no women wants to hear comments on her weight – ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is ‘You look fabulous!’.
By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don’t need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.
There is a reason that tickets to L&D are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL, or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. Like everything else is life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home.
If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.
Signed, All Pregnant Women
Posted by andrea on June 12, 2009 at 2:27 pm
i HATE “preggers”. who came up with that? not such a fan of “prego” either…that’s spaghetti sauce. i was PREGNANT, thank you very much:) and yes, dr. judd does look more pregnant than you – it’s nice of him to do that for all his patients.
and you really do look fabulous.
Posted by angie on June 21, 2009 at 3:35 pm
I feel bad because I lost track of your blog after we got called into the singles ward and haven’t checked in for a looooong time. I didn’t even know you were pregnant! Congrats! And I have to say, I am actually shocked that anyone would make a comment about you supposedly gaining weight, because you look awesome! You’re that pregnant girl that I hope to be someday, the one that looks totally normal everywhere but with the cute little baby bump. You know, the girl you can’t tell she’s pregnant from behind but then she turns around and you’re like “oh!” Very cute. Hope things are well with you, and I’m glad the pulled pork turned out yummy!