I was one of those pregnant women who felt determined to prove that pregnancy wouldn’t slow me down. Take the hike? You betcha! Paint the house? I’m all over it! Keep weightlifting? Of course! While I definitely had my moments of complete pregnancy exhaustion, for some reason, during all of my pregnancies, I was hell-bent…
pregnancy
There’s No Such Thing As a Perfect Pregnancy
You know what? I’m just going to tell you the truth: there is such a thing as a perfect pregnancy. The perfect pregnancy exists, all right. It just so happens to live online and online only. In the carefully-curated, beautifully-edited world of Facebook and Instagram, pregnancy is definitely perfect. But in real life? Pregnancy looks…
The Bottle of Prenatal Vitamins That Nearly Broke Me
I spent over $30 on prenatal vitamins the first time. This time, I’m going to do things right, I told myself. I’ll exercise the whole time and do yoga and cherish every moment. I won’t complain at all, even when I look like an actual beached whale. I made a special trip to the health…
Don’t Bring Us Your Mucus Plug
During a quiet night on the labor and delivery floor, the phone at the nurses’ station rings, breaking me out of a sleepy reverie. “Birth Center, this is Chaunie, how can I help you?” I answer. “Um, hi,” a hesitant voice responds. “I think I just lost my mucus plug and I was wondering what…
When Your OB is on Vacation
In between her heavy pants through her contractions, I hook up the new momma to the fetal monitors and switch on the computer. Based on her wide-eyed, wild looks and her contractions kicking off steady and strong on the monitors, I don’t think it will be long before she is holding her baby in her…
Is Pregnancy Beautiful?
Pregnant women are beautiful. Or are they? I will admit that I never felt beautiful as a pregnant woman. Sure, there were times, especially in my first trimester, when my husband would comment how gorgeous I looked or that I was “glowing,” but I highly suspect those compliments were derived more from the increased volume…
Pregnant and Job Interview?
After getting a call for a job I had applied for last spring, I hurried to my closet to pick out an outfit. Of course, I wanted to present a professional and polished appearance, but I also had one other mission in mind: Deciding if I should hide my baby bump. I know, I know,…
My Miscarriage Was Nothing Like What I Expected
By now, you may have heard that I lost our fifth baby. The experience has been a long and emotionally exhausting one and I’m finally just rounding the corner on seeing the light again. I feel embarrassed, among other things, that my loss affected me so deeply when I have so much already and when…
Let’s Talk About Pregnancy Weight Gain
Can we talk about pregnancy weight gain for a minute? I know the buzz words of the day tell us that we need to love our bods and embrace our weight gain and stretch marks and I know that we are deeply skewed in what we think is a “normal” body thanks to celebrities who…
10 Problems Only Pregnant Women Understand
1. Sincerely wondering if you’re a horrible parent or just a genius for convincing your 3-year-old to paint your toes for you. via GIPHY GIF by Tumblr Oh, honey, you missed a spot. Oh, actually, never mind, because you just painted my entire toe. RELATED: I Was Completely Embarrassed About My Fourth Pregnancy 2. Trying to talk yourself…