I worked, for many years, on a website that dealt with all things family planning. Posts about pregnancy were regularly submitted by our readers, and everything I learned about birth was gleaned while editing these articles. Therefor I KNEW that “every pregnancy is different” and to “throw all your birth plans out the window.” I’ve had those two concepts drilled into my head.
I edited hundreds of articles on how pregnancy never goes the way you think it will.
So why was I surprised when that’s exactly my experience?
I’m a very active person. I work out almost every day, and see a trainer three times a week. Getting up to 20k steps a day wasn’t an anomaly for me, as my minimum step count was set to 15k. So I easily envisioned myself working out every day while pregnant. Even on the rough days, I could at least do 10 minutes of yoga and walk 10k steps.
Cut to me today: 6 weeks into my pregnancy and I haven’t worked out for three of those weeks. Most days I’m so nauseous and dizzy that I barely get off the couch. And my hour-long workout sessions have now been replaced with 2 hour-long nap sessions, sometimes twice a day! (Gotta get those reps.)
Now I see, from deep within my soul, how all those women found themselves writing about how their pregnancy didn’t go they way they thought it would.
I know first hand how we put expectations we didn’t even know we had onto our pregnancies.
Because, silly me!!! I just assumed that I would continue to do the things that make me ME, I’d just also be gestating a human life inside of me while doing them. I was going to be the fit and sporty pregnant woman, because I am a fit and sporty regular woman.
Nope-opotamus. That’s not how this is playing out.
At this point I’m just looking forward to the second trimester. “They” say it gets better, and you start to feel more human again. Plus, I hope to be a little less precious about The Precious, and feel more comfortable with pushing myself physically a bit more. But we’ll see! Clearly I’ve been visited by the Pregnancy Reality Fairy and have been given the gift of humility.
So now I’m wondering about the other ways in which I won’t always get what I want for these next 9 months…
Hi! May B isn't my real name, but it's a real good name for now! I'm in a weird place as a childfree woman who decided to be a parent. And if you're on the same journey, know you're not alone. Join me as I try to figure out the wtf I'm doing. Maybe it'll be work? Maybe it won't? But it'll damn sure be interesting.