For the first time I'm pregnant and a lot of my friend are, too. With my first two I was in my very early 20's and I didn't know anyone my age who was married or pregnant. It's been 4 years since my last daughter, and now it seems like everyone I know is pregnant! I've been really enjoying connecting with other women, it has made this pregnancy feel incredibly fast and has helped me to keep calm.
I've come to see how important community is. With my other daughters I embarked on this journey alone, at times it enabled me to do what I felt I had to without the input of others. Other times it was very lonely! I suffered because of the isolation and loneliness after my second daughter, it was the hardest 18 months of my life. Had I reached out and had other women to speak to, I highly doubt my situation would have been so unbearable. Motherhood is hard! No one should have to do it alone.
I have friends who are a month behind me and a month ahead in their pregnancies. I love telling the moms who are a bit behind me about what I'm going through and how I've coped. In turn, seeing the moms a month ahead reaching the final weeks has been magical! One of my best friends is about a week away from delivery and I am dying to relive the moment with her and see her beautiful baby inshallah.
This week has been huge in terms of growth. My belly is massive, and by massive I mean a giant obstacle. I've accidentally opened doors into my belly, hit the wall while turning corners, watched my kid's heads bounce off of me at every turn. It's exceedingly hard to bend over or lay on my back. I have always been one of those women who shows early and get big! This pregnancy is clearly no exception. Having girls between 4 and 5 kilos, I expect #3 to be just as big. Countless Doctors have asked me if I'm carrying multiples or if I have Gestational Diabetes, but I'm not and I don't. My body just really likes to show off!
My size surprises me, I'm a tall woman so I would never have expected pregnancy to show as much as it does. My own mother hardly looked pregnant. It just goes to show how different we all are! In terms of body image, I'm not exactly upset about my size. I usually have unusual confidence while I'm pregnant, I feel beautiful and it's the only time where I love my stomach. Being as big as I am (and you'll have to take my word for it), I feel like I look great.
That's not to undermine those who don't feel as confident about their appearance during pregnancy. It's a massive change and can be startling. It's important to take care of yourself and keep up your routines so that you can feel as good as possible. The belly is temporary. So is the extra weight! If you love a full face of make up every day, it's really important that you keep it up. Do your hair, pamper yourself. If you give up your usual pampering because you feel out of control in terms of your appearance, it isn't going to help your self esteem. If you feel particularly bad about the changes your body is going through, remember you are growing a human. Talk to your doctor about managing your weight,talk to a friend, a therapist. It's important for you to look after your mental health as much as your physical health!
Every time you look in the mirror remind yourself: Your body is going through so much! You are doing something miraculous! This is not the time to be hard on yourself or worry about fitting into certain clothes.
My thing is nails. I always have my nails done (at home) and if I don't shower, I spiral into a dark place. I think I've come to terms with the changes because I'm always on top of my hygiene and beauty routines, even when it gets hard (shaving legs doesn't get harder than this, my friends). Eating healthily and doing a little workout 3 times a week has also helped a lot. The best confidence booster, though? My girls patting my belly and saying, 'We love your big tummy, Mama.' My husband has also been super supportive this entire pregnancy, even going as far as to get me big nightgowns that are comfy and cute. Never underestimate the power of new pajamas!
What am I doing now?
I'm still eating the dates and drinking tons of water! Ramadan comes to an end tomorrow, so I'll be back to my usual 10ish glasses a day.
Squats became difficult this week, so I'm taking it easy. I'm finding with certain movements I am getting pretty intense braxton hicks contractions.
I have recently ordered Red Raspberry Leaf extract and Evening Primrose Oil so I can prep for the labour. I'll do a separate. post on what I'm doing and the outcome, later on.
What have I got this far?
On a separate post I'll talk about the new baby carrier ($8 and decent quality) I've found. I will also be sharing a wetbag I got for 3$! With the help of my great friend Jess, I got some awesome baby sleep sacks from Carter's and Walmart in Canada (all on sale!). I can't wait to show you.
That's everything this week! Let me know how far along you are and if any of your friends are pregnant at the same time!
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