Dear Final Weeks of Pregnancy,
I must admit you have been pretty easy on me. You never caused me to lay on the bathroom floor, waiting to lose any food I was able to get down earlier in the day. I haven’t craved strange combinations of food. There were no serious food aversions as a result of you invading my body. I’ve had energy to take walks with my family and even went running during the early weeks.
Some might say that you’ve allowed me to have an easy pregnancy. I wouldn’t deny that, but I also am ready for you to be over and done with. You have caused me several annoyances that I certainly won’t miss. I will gladly trade them in for snuggles with our sweet baby girl. Many of these annoying things have joined the pregnancy party in the late stage of the game. I’m counting down the weeks until they are gone!
Sleep
Why is it that everyone tells me to enjoy my sleep now because when the baby comes there won’t be much sleep? I slept more after our first child was born than what you are allowing me to sleep right now. In fact, I’m pretty sure I get more sleep during a nap than I do at night. Naps, unfortunately, are hard to come by with a toddler running around and working full-time during the week. So instead, I will continue to grumble as I toss and turn every night trying to control my restless legs that heighten themselves during your 40 weeks. I’ll get up 20 + times to make a trip to the bathroom for only a dribble to come out because there is a human head pressing down on my bladder. I’ll pop another Tums to control the heartburn that will instantly disappear when our little one is born.
So Much Pee
I’m thinking about taking up residency at night to sleep on the bathroom floor to make the trip that much shorter for how many times I have to make it. Also, don’t even get me started on the fact that I pee my pants a little every time I sneeze or cough. Why I thought it was a good idea to welcome you to my life during allergy season is beyond me. Panty liners are my new friends to control the embarrassment of my lack of bladder control. At this point, I’d trade sleepless nights with extra trips to the bathroom, heartburn, and restless legs for sleepless nights nursing a baby. The second option sounds much more enjoyable.
Eating
I’m always hungry. However, at this point, you have left me with no room to fit any food in my stomach. Often, when you do allow me to eat a meal, I have the consequence of horrible heartburn. As a result, I am popping antacids all night long. It’s usually easier to enjoy a nice, big bowl of cereal than experience the feeling of burning in my chest every night. I should have bought stock in Tums at the beginning of this journey for how many bottles I’ve bought and consumed in the last 36 weeks.
Movement
While I love every moment that you allow me to feel our baby move inside of me, her movements have been violent to my body. I’m thinking I might be growing a soccer player or sumo wrestler. Her kicks and movements have often left me yelling out in pain. I’m not sure how much more room she will have to move in there. I keep reminding myself that the constant beating up of my uterus just means I have a healthy baby, but it doesn’t make taking the beatings any easier.
Breathing & Bending
For being a relatively active person during pregnancy, I seem to lose my breath after the simplest tasks or shortest walks. I have to walk a lot at my job and need to go up a flight of stairs to get anywhere else in the school. Often, when I reach my destination, my co-workers will ask me if I’m okay because I’m so out of breath. My response is just to blame you. It’s also becoming increasingly difficult to put shoes and socks on or bend down at all. I feel like I’ve ran a half-marathon after completing the simplest task. I often reward myself by sitting on the couch for the rest of the night.
Now, don’t get me wrong, pregnancy. I’m thankful everyday that you’ve allowed me to experience you, not once, but twice in my life so far. I know so many others close to me who are struggling every day to experience you and many who may never ride along on the journey. They would be fortunate to feel the kicks of a baby, even if they are violent. They’d be grateful to get up many times in the middle of the night to pee. I try not to complain during your time with me. I know I am grateful to be blessed with every moment of the 40 weeks. However, I also won’t be sad to see the final weeks be done. I’m ready to meet our newest family member and start the next chapter of our lives.
Sincerely,
A VERY Pregnant Lady