I should start a series of these since it seems there are so many. One thing you get a lot more of when you are pregnant is attention. For the most part it's not a bad thing. A lot of people you barely now all of a sudden ask you all kinds of things about the baby & how much longer you have, etc. Of course, strangers do double takes when they see your belly. And, It is really funny to watch people I don't see very often at work checking out my belly discreetly, trying to figure out if I'm pregnant or not (this doesn't happen much anymore because it's obvious now) before they ask.
But the subject of this particular rant (which I feel entitled to since I've made it seven whole months without ingesting someone's head in a hormonal rage) is the never-ending "How are you doing/feeling?" questions. I know most people are just being nice/making conversation. Some are genuinely interested in how I am & how the pregnancy is going & others really do want to hear that I'm uncomfortable as all get out most of the time (those people enjoy others' pain/difficulties). But, when you get asked at least twenty times a day (I promise I'm not exaggerating) "How are you feeling?" "How much longer do you have?" "Are you to the uncomfortable stage yet?" "How's the pregnancy going?" it gets old pretty fast. The biggest reason this starts to grate on my nerves is because I know most of them don't really want to hear my litany of complaints - they just want to hear that I'm doing fine.
Still, I'm sometimes tempted to give them an honest rundown of all the miraculous changes my body is going through making this baby. "Well, actually I can't sleep very well because it feels like I have someone sitting on my lungs, another person using my bladder as a stress ball and a very heavy bowling ball strapped to my abdomen which crushes me if lay on my back or causes me roll over on it if I try to lay on my side. When I do finally get some sleep I wake up to leg & foot cramps every time I try to stretch. Oh, and the very fun kicks/punches in the ribs & feeling like an alien is doing gymnastics in your stomach while you're trying to eat are loads of fun, too. Or, one of my favorites, the sensation that you've just consumed the biggest Thanksgiving meal ever & the skin on your belly is at its absolute breaking point & if you take one more teeny bite you will simply explode - except you have this sensation for hours on end - not just when you eat." I could keep going, but I'll stop there before I get into some of the more gruesome & unpleasant gems of pregnancy.
Still, I'm sometimes tempted to give them an honest rundown of all the miraculous changes my body is going through making this baby. "Well, actually I can't sleep very well because it feels like I have someone sitting on my lungs, another person using my bladder as a stress ball and a very heavy bowling ball strapped to my abdomen which crushes me if lay on my back or causes me roll over on it if I try to lay on my side. When I do finally get some sleep I wake up to leg & foot cramps every time I try to stretch. Oh, and the very fun kicks/punches in the ribs & feeling like an alien is doing gymnastics in your stomach while you're trying to eat are loads of fun, too. Or, one of my favorites, the sensation that you've just consumed the biggest Thanksgiving meal ever & the skin on your belly is at its absolute breaking point & if you take one more teeny bite you will simply explode - except you have this sensation for hours on end - not just when you eat." I could keep going, but I'll stop there before I get into some of the more gruesome & unpleasant gems of pregnancy.
So, the next time you see a pregnant acquaintance, instead of asking her a pregnancy/baby related question, assume she's already been asked 10 times that day & just tell her she's the most beautiful pregnant woman you've ever seen. :) If you're related to said pregnant lady or she is a close friend, feel free to ask genuine questions of her condition... but only if you want the ugly truth. Rant over with... :)
In other news, Anthony survived our second and final childbirth class this last week & actually said he learned some useful information. As of today, I have only two months left until my due date - hard to believe she's going to be here soon.
In other news, Anthony survived our second and final childbirth class this last week & actually said he learned some useful information. As of today, I have only two months left until my due date - hard to believe she's going to be here soon.
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