Preggers!

Feb 5, 2018

I loved being pregnant! After years of having a Gumby shape, I now had curves and bumps in all the right places. I actually took a photo of my cleavage the first time I noticed it. Kind of embarrassing, but true. I was working as a College professor at the time. I parked in the nosebleed section but, for once, I didn’t mind the walk. It was cold and I crossed the parking lot with my coat open. I was so warm, the cold air felt refreshing! I was feeling really sexy throughout my pregnancy. I was so round and full for the first time in my life. Ahhh!

Then there was my appetite. My husband and I share many stories about eating together during the pregnancy. At first, it was his shock as I ordered a 12” meatball sub at Subway and ate the whole thing before he even reached the table. Prior to the pregnancy, I would have ordered a 6” grilled chicken sub and he would have helped me finish it. Not today! At home, when we ordered our usual pizza, I ate more than my allotted share and my husband sat there staring at this new eating machine. I noticed the look on his face-hurt, scared and disappointed. That’s when I realized I had eaten all but one piece. Oops! On my way to work, I drove to Wendy’s, a fast-food restaurant I had never been to before and ordered the biggest burger on the board. As I pulled up to the drive-through window to pay, I came face to face with an old student. I was so embarrassed. It was going to be my little secret. One morning, I showed up to the college cafeteria at 10am to request a cheeseburger. The young man informed me that they were still serving breakfast. I had to wait an hour. I walked back to my office and worked distractedly, checking the clock regularly and, at 11am on the dot, I was back at the counter to place my order. I ate the burger as I walked back to my desk. I also craved and ate Reuben sandwiches throughout my pregnancy. I had never eaten them prior to this pregnancy but, now, I couldn’t get enough of them.

I was so sleepy during the first trimester. I would sit at the dining room table with paperwork and fall asleep, face smooshed onto the table. My husband had started working from home. His salon overlooked the deck and our backyard. He had a break in the morning so I sat on the deck to catch some sun. I fell asleep. When his next client arrived, he parted the curtains and saw me sitting there, head back, snoring and drooling all over myself. He and his client had a big laugh at my expense. Whatever!

The women in my family are really close. When I went out with my mother, favourite aunt and two cousins, they touched my belly and we stood in a circle just loving this little being growing inside of me. I asked my cousin Martine to be the Godmother. I don’t have any siblings and my cousin was like a sister to me during our childhood. When my husband and I went to get an ultrasound and we were told we were having a girl, I was so excited! I called my mom, my cousin, my grandmother and my aunt before we even left the clinic. We cheered and I felt so blessed!

I rented a machine from Vancouver to hear our daughter’s heartbeat. These were early days and I wanted to be sure she was ok and thriving. One night, my husband and I were listening to her heartbeat. It was the weekend and my husband had been drinking. He listened to the heartbeat, nestled against my belly. I was laying back on the bed. Then he uttered these words just before he passed out, “I think I hear two heartbeats”. He was out. I was unable to sit up with him across my lap so I stayed there, unable to sleep, wondering if we were having twins. We weren’t. It was just the echo of the heartbeat. Thank goodness!

We documented the pregnancy by taking photos every month. I would stand sideways with my fingers against my belly indicating how many months had passed and my husband would take a photo. He always cut off my head so all you could see was a belly. Luckily, my mother also took photos during her visits so I actually have some photos of my pregnant body with a face attached.

I was very lucky. I never experienced any nausea or complications and my skin glowed during the entire pregnancy. I loved the way I looked and felt. I savoured the intimate experience of feeling my daughter grow and move in my belly. I was going to be a mom and it was all very sweet and exciting!