Last preggo pics... taken at 34 weeks, the week before Bailey was born.
Size of Baby: It's just mind boggling to know that the baby grew from the size of a pen drop to over 5 pounds in just 35 weeks. Absolutely crazy. Bailey was measuring right on time throughout the entire pregnancy.
Total Weight Gain: The last time I weighed myself, which was at the doctor just a few days before Bailey made her surprise entrance, I was up about 20 pounds. Seeing as how Bailey came just a few days later, I imagine this was my total gain. Now, I had gone full-term, I'm SURE I would have gained a solid 10ish more pounds, but I suppose I'll never know for sure.
Working Out: I think overall, I got really lucky with working out, especially on the mental front. Maybe that sounds crazy... so, let me explain.
I think when I first got pregnant I put a lot of pressure on myself and told myself I'd keep running ALL the way through the pregnancy and be super fit and active. I put a TON of pressure on myself and normal Meagan would have caved to that pressure and possibly been unhealthy to ensure I met those ridiculous expectations. Some how, a new Meagan emerged early pregnancy and I quickly became OK with just doing whatever I could, whenever I could and enjoying the ride. I know... I don't know who that person is either, but thank goodness for the transformation!
I would have LOVED to run through the entire pregnancy. But, it didn't happen. My last pregnant run was on October 11.
Yes, I did take a bathroom selfie of myself on my last preggo run.
Could I have run the next week or the week after? Probably. But, it didn't FEEL good anymore. I ached and DREDED the idea of running. What's the point of that? I LOVE to run. If I don't want to do it, why would I? Silly. There were PLENTY of other things I could do to still be active and healthy.
So, I did. The Hubs and I went on 3-mile walks with Sadie almost every day, including the day before I gave birth (and, NO! That is NOT the reason Bailey came early!!!). I ellipticalled during my lunch hour, keeping the pace slow and the resistance crazy easy, including a few sessions the week before I gave birth (again- NOT the reason Bailey came early!!). I did some light strength training til a little over half way through my pregnancy, then just got too busy and tired.
In the early days of pregnancy, I did manage to run 2 official half-marathons and a handful of other races. I think that's pretty cool. When I ran, I felt incredibly connected to Bailey. It was such a quiet time where I could really talk to her (in my head) and think about who she would become and just really focus on thinking about her and nothing else. It may sound crazy, but I think we became even more bonded during my runs.
Overall, I'm incredibly proud of both my ability to shut the f up and not drive myself crazy trying to workout just as much as I did pre-pregnancy AND of my ability to stay active and healthy throughout my entire pregnancy. I put a LOT of the credit of the ease of my labor and the ease and quickness of my recovery into staying active throughout the pregnancy and if/when I ever get pregnant again (in the DISTANT future!), I plan to try to do the same again... though I'm sure it'll be MUCH more difficult with already having a child, too. :)
Food Aversions: During my first trimester even the idea or smell of bacon made me want to gag, but that quickly went away (though bacon still didn't sound GOOD til after I had Bailey... now, yuuuuum!!!). Oh! And, salad. The idea of a salad sounded SO good, but the few times I actually tried to have one-- barf central. Salad is the only food that actually made me sick during pregnancy.
Old pic of a salad from the early days of pregnancy... yeaaah, that got thrown back up about 5 minutes after this
pic was taken. YUM.
Food Cravings: This is a tough one... I mean, I craved pretty much everything! I always do, so I don't really think it's fair to blame pregnancy on that one. Nothing really crazy different came up... just the usual ice cream, peanut butter, candy, chips... ya know, the normal bad foods one would crave.
Greatest Moments: Feeling her squirm around inside me was definitely the coolest, greatest feeling. I wish I had realized I was in labor earlier so I could have realized and enjoyed the last few kicks. It feels like nothing I can explain and is pretty darn cool to know that Bailey kicking is a feeling only I will ever know. She was a BIG mover and kicker, too. Girl was ALWAYS on the go... and still is. The doctor comments on it all the time... she's just a squirmy lil' nugget.
Seeing her on the ultra sound and hearing her heartbeat were also pretty amazing moments, especially when the Hubs and I first got to see her and it looked like nothing more than a little peanut and then a few short weeks later when we got to find out she was a girl and she looked like a real baby in the ultrasound. Crazy just how fast they grow in there!
My baby shower hosted by my sisters and MIL (THANK YOU!!!) was also a great moment. I got to see friends and family I hadn't seen since the wedding and it was just so nice to all get together and celebrate this new life that was on it's way to the world. Plus, the Hubs and I got a TON of stuff we needed thanks to everyone's generosity. I pretty much have the world's greatest family and friends.
Biggest Symptoms/Complaints: I'd say overall I had an extremely good and easy pregnancy. I didn't have really any morning sickness and felt pretty good the entire 35 weeks. Now, I didn't experience the last 5 weeks where a lot of women get the most uncomfortable, so I can't really know how I would have felt at the end (though trust me-- I would have LOVED to experience all 40 weeks and had Bailey NOT need any time in the NICU. TRUST ME.). I'd say my #1 complaint was insomnia. I slept like complete crap for the last 20ish weeks. That's a long time to sleep like shit, especially when then you have a newborn and you REALLY sleep like shit (getting up every 2 hours to pump and/or feed is NOT an easy thing!). I was exhausted all the time and had little energy. I'm a VERY go-go-gooooo person, so not being able to be so go-go-go was tough on me. I also broke out like crazy during the pregnancy. I looked like a 14 year old boy! And, I got extremely chapped lips. Like, cracked and peeling and bleeding. Constantly. No matter how much lip balm I used. It was crazy!
Final Thoughts: I know some women love being pregnant and some women hate it... I'd say I fell somewhere in the middle. I certainly didn't love getting huge and being uncomfortable. I also didn't love the crappy sleep and pepperoni face. But, I did love feeling so connected to another person. I loved feeling so bonded and in-tune with this little growing being in my belly. I loved knowing I was 100% responsible for my child's safety and well being. I loved knowing I was experiencing something no one else ever would (sure, tons of women get pregnant... but, none of them with my little girl!) and getting to bond with her in a way no one else ever could. It's unexplainable... but, it's definitely a feeling and time I'd never trade for anything in the world.
35 weeks FLEW by. I honestly can't even believe just how fast it went. I'm glad I took moments (usually when running) to really think about and reflect on what I was feeling and really cherish those moments. They were gone WAY sooner than I expected and it's a feeling and they are moments I can never duplicate or get back.
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