Michelle and Jake in Brookville, New York; Baby Megan born 8 lb., 1 oz.
There's a new book out, Ripe, that consists entirely of nude portraits of pregnant women. The author, Alex Garbarino, is a friend of a friend and she sent me a copy. I paged through it, enjoying the beautiful bodies and kinda-sorta wishing I were pregnant again.
Deborah in New York City; Baby Remy born 6 lb., 2 oz.
Max was my first pregnancy, and it was a great one. I think in my my I've glorified it even more because what happened after he was born was such a hell. My pregnancy seems like pure bliss in comparison. Innocent, even, if you could call a pregnancy that.
I had good energy. I was in awe of my growing belly. I loved feeling Max kicking. Sometimes I'd just lie on the bed, watch the ripples and try to figure out which part of his was moving. My Sabrina pregnancy was easy and uneventful, too, though I got indigestion at the end (which she still gives me—girls!).
How did pregnancy treat you?
I would have to say Train wreck pretty much sums up my pregnancy with Tyler. Though he didn't have a stroke he was born 15 weeks early. At 25 weeks no matter the outcome they are JUST too early. He had brain bleeds that cause hydrocephalus and his cerebral palsy. We are now on pregnancy #2 after 3 years of trying. We are hoping for uneventful but have more realistic views on life.
ReplyDeleteExcept for some morning sickness (which tipped me off that I wasn't dealing with perimenopause) I had no major issues save an aching back....got fat as hell, though and kept some of it as a souvenir!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love being pregnant. The kicks, the movement, the growing belly. I love that your never alone, even taking your baby to work. Having had 5 though it's time to stop.
ReplyDeleteI love the comment about the souvenir fat (I have some too).
I hated both my pregnancies. Every minute of them. Was miserable with Sciatic pain, gained way too much weight, and with the second one? I lost the feeling in my hands at around 7 months and it didn't come back til she was 5 months old. Newborn diaper changes with numb fingers? Not easy.
ReplyDeleteI loved being pregnant though my husband would probably disagree with that statement.
ReplyDeleteI could/would NOT have taken naked pregnancy pictures...
My pregnancies were no fun! With both of them I had hyperemesis and lost about 30lbs with each one. Totally miserable! With Layne(my first) my water broke at 28 weeks and landed me in the hospital until 30 weeks when he was born.
ReplyDeleteMy first pregnancy was awful - all day morning sickness that lasted 8 months. I was puking everywhere and all the time. My second pregnancy, I had a different doctor who was nice enough to put my on anti-vomit medication, which I took religiously. I gained less than 20 lbs during each pregnancy, but the vomiting was almost enough to put me over the edge.
ReplyDeleteI remember how your pregnancies were kind of blissful and peaceful. Mine was pretty good also, compared to what it could have been - constant vomiting etc. I did have a bit of nausea for the whole 9 months and some indigestion at the end, but it was worth it to see the ripples in my belly and knowing that I had another human being inside me was pretty amazing.
ReplyDelete1st pregnancy: great.
ReplyDelete1st delivery: nearly bled out and almost died (BP 64/20), left with giant hematoma in pelvis and intense pain on movement and could only walk with walker.
1st child: Completely healthy and happy gorgeous boy, now 15.
2nd pregnancy: miserable. Sciatica, felt bad.
2nd delivery: textbook wonderful
2nd child: Mitochondrial cytosis by happy and gorgeous girl, now 9.
I don't know if I felt bad in the 2nd pregnancy b/c of the girl hormones, my later age, or her disorder (which didn't present until 6 months). If I could have had the first pregnancy and the second delivery I'd have had more kids.
My pregnancy was lovely until I was about 5 weeks along! hahaha. From then on everything turned to custard. At 16 weeks we were told that our baby had a terminal prognosis and would be stillborn within the next few days. We held onto him until I was 32 weeks pregnant (I spent the last 2 months in hospital). He still had a terminal prognosis although people were pretty amazed I stayed pregnant as long as I did. When he was born he was as close to dying as you can get for a while but he survived. He has heaps of health issues but he's still with us and he's 14months old now.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel sad that I didn't get to experience a 'normal' happy pregnancy though.
My first two trimesters were bliss. I loved feeling her move. Loved loved sitting in business meetings surrounded by men (all older than me b/c that's generally who I work with) and sharing these special moments with the little girl kicking and hiccuping in my belly. I went into labor though at 29 weeks, and the "bliss" was gone. I spent the next 6 weeks terrified of having her too soon, and on bed rest. Everything I did, I felt guilty . . . like if I made too many trips to the kitchen for water, I worried I was doing too much. That was when I really realized I had the "weight" of another little being on my shoulders. Although I'm so so grateful we made it to 34 weeks gestation together, I will probably always wonder "what if" we'd made it longer; "what if" I hadn't gone from strict bed rest to light activity the day before I had her.
ReplyDeleteBecause of that, I always feel so envious of the women who get totally blissful pregnancies without the scares and worry. And, I feel like I'll never get that with a second pregnancy because both of my first and that I know too much about this world of special powers to take much for granted.
Like a rented mule. I was in such pain during the implantation, then it just kept going. Miserably sick the whole way thru. Then was hit with fast and severe preeclampsia - I gained 22lbs of fluid in 10 days. Mango had IUGR, I had fluid in my lungs and ready to have a stroke. He was born at 29 weeks, 2lbs, 3oz. He suffered a grade IV brain hemorrhage which led to all of our issues.
ReplyDeleteWas my only pregnancy. After being told my whole life that I would never be able to get pregnant, it came as one heck of a shock. I was just getting used to the thought of BEING pregnant, then I wasn't any longer. I never did get to just 'be' and enjoy it.
My pregnancy with Emily was so easy. She was a born a beautiful healthy baby. My preganancy with Jude was hell on wheels including his in utero stroke. So strange how they can differ so much.
ReplyDeleteOne other thing...I think if they put me in that book, they might have had to call it "OVER RIPE!!"
ReplyDeleteYuck, yuck....
Hi. It's been a long day, and I just had the chance to read your stories. I am so moved by these, and horrified, and very sorry for what some of you have been through. I was fortunate in that I was spared the trauma of knowing the baby I was carrying was going to have issues.
ReplyDeleteMomttorney: The guilt comes in many forms. I am no expert but I suspect there is really nothing you yourself could have done to prevent what happened. I will tell you that I was calm during my second pregnancy, despite knowing all too well how wrong things can go with a birth. I guess I had that lightning-can't-strike-twice feeling. And I went to a high-risk practice, so I felt that I was under a whole lot of observation, and in excellent hands. A part of me eagerly anticipated what it would be like to have a whole other birth experience.
Felicia, I continue think you need a talk show.
Both kids were relatively easy, though since I walked everywhere, the round ligament pain after 24weeks (with T) and 20 weeks (with L) were NOT fun. I lost my appetite early on in each, but made up for it by the 2nd trimester with milkshakes (hey, I live in the mid-Atlantic and summer pregnancies are hotter than winter pregnancies!).
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could've done naked photos of pregnant me--I have enough issues with my body when I'm NOT pregnant!
I hate to say this but only one word comes to mind, Horrible. And after that flows a string of words like, stressed, unknowns, 20 ultrasounds, way to much fluid retention, extreme fatigue, sick every day, oh Lord please dont make me drop another thing! and finally ROBBED.
ReplyDeleteBut I did love feeling Ryan kick, he kept telling me "hey mum Im hanging in there"