So I’ve spent the better part of the last 4 years being pregnant and despite the 118 weeks of practice so far, there are still some mysteries to me in this whole process.
Most of these mysteries deal with things people have said to me while I’m pregnant.
For those of you who have known me through the last 4 years, it has appeared that I have had three identical pregnancies…the supposed traits of having a boy or girl didn’t quite appear very different on me. I’m also lucky in that I’m tall, it seemed to help with this whole pregnancy thing. I never showed very early on to anyone but me.
I took it as a compliment the whole way through the first two trimesters that people would say that I just didn’t even look pregnant. I think people equate looking pregnant to looking like you have gained weight. This whole equation is humorous to me because in every pregnancy I’ve gained close to 40 pounds. I’m not shy about it, its a painful progression while you go through it (the scale is my least favorite part of each ob visit), but at the end of the day you take the higher road and just feel blessed to be able to go through this whole creation process.
By about month 7, I finally look pregnant. I can’t pull off many of my regular clothes….and this is when the real interest in my growing belly comes out. Every cashier, waitress, co-worker, random acquaintance, etc. wants to take about the baby in your belly.
Is it a boy or a girl?
When are you due?
Is it your first? (cue look of shock when I tell them its my third)
Do you have a name?
Do you feel like a crazy person that you are going to have three kids under four? (oh wait, that’s the question that rings in my head, no one really asks me that, even though I know they want too).
Around month 8, the questions above are still asked in quickening speed, but we add some additional comments…
Them: When are you due?
Me: November 5th
Them: Wow, you are so tiny / you aren’t even showing at all / where is that baby? / are you sure that’s the right due date? / I was twice as big as you when I was that close / that is so unfair that you get to be so little / etc.
Me: (thinking…is this a compliment, do they think my baby is going to be a midget, are they mad at me because they were bigger than me at this point, is this conversation really happening again)
Me: Thanks??!!!!
I’m not joking when I say I’ve had the above conversation an average of 2-3 times a day when I hit the 8 month mark with each baby. The nurses at the hospital (after my water had broken with Bree) didn’t even believe that I could be ready to deliver. Don’t tell a woman who is a week late, having really fast, strong contractions and watching water leak down her leg that she could possibly not be ready. Bree was born at almost 8 pounds a few hours later…
And yes, don’t get me wrong, I’d rather be on the seemingly small side of belly size than vice versa, but you begin to develop a complex when you know that the scale is moving up and up and you see yourself as carrying a “Labrador” sized toddler in your belly, but everyone else thinks that you are barely getting started.
Tonight at Sam’s, this conversation happened in front of Sean and the kids with the lady checking our receipt to let us out the door. I responded with my normal, “Thanks”! and as we were walking through the parking lot, I made some comment about that conversation being really awkward and old. Sean in his continual optimism was like, “It was a compliment, Julie…it’s a good thing!”
And of course he is right…I think…it is a compliment, but still one of the strangest I have ever received from so many people over the course of such a long period of time.
I wish I could be witty enough to come up with some other responses than “I’ve got a long torso / don’t worry he is in there / the doctor said everything is normal / I’m measuring just right / or the awkward Thanks!
But by 8 months, I’m tired…
And while I’m pretty sure God uses all the people who talk to me about the baby inside my belly to help me keep prospective on what a gift it is, I’m still tired.
But I’ll be tired with a smile and know that just like the 2 before him, Bennett is going to be a big baby and will probably leave a few extra stretch marks behind for good measure!
Today’s doctor’s appointment left me with great news: Bennett is head down and I’m a half cm dilated at almost 36 weeks. This is new territory for us as I never dilated with the other two until after my due date! Who knows what this big baby inside this small belly has in store for me!
Until then…I’m going to brainstorm some more witty responses to the world’s strangest compliment! And of course continue to count my blessings on a third uneventful pregnancy!
