Obviously, a lot of things change when you get pregnant/have a baby. You have to go through a lot of adjustments to your life and most of the important ones are things people discuss openly, like finances, priorities, lifestyle...things like that. But it turns out, there are a lot of tiny things you have to recalibrate and adjust during pregnancy that no one really talks about, mostly because in the grand scheme of things, these things are tiny and insignificant. And probably because after you've gone and had your baby, they're no longer relevant, so you just forget. Since I'm in the thick of it right now, I wanted to note some of these things down so I don't forget later.
As your belly grows, you have to constantly reassess where you exist in space. Living in the same body all your life, you tend to have a reasonable sense of your outline and instinctively know how much clearance you need. That's currently out the window, because not only has has my belly changed drastically, but it continues to change. I keep bumping into door frames, tables, and chairs because I underestimate how much room I need to turn around. Even little things like doing dishes require some extra thought now. I'm used to leaning against the edge of the sink as I wash dishes, but I can't really do that anymore. Ditto with the bathroom sink as I brush my teeth. A couple of weeks ago, Chris went to hug me and kind of crashed into my belly. We're rocking the A-frame hug now (previously reserved for people you're obligated, but not excited, to hug).
As my body continues to ready itself for the big event, I can feel my joints loosening, particularly in my pelvis. Sometimes, this hurts badly enough that I can't really walk normally and other times, it's just a feeling of weakness and lack of stability. Some mornings, I have to sit down just to put my pants on because I don't trust that I won't topple over while trying to balance on one leg.
For the most part, I can still bend over to tie my shoes and all that, but a couple of times, I've been in the passenger seat of the Saturn (which is rather low-slung) and dropped something in the footwell. The first couple of times this happened recently, I bent forward to pick up the item like I normally would and found that it's kind of a no-go situation: my belly is in the way. Instead, I have to use my foot to scootch the item in question closer so I can grab it. Even sitting here at my dining room table, it can be difficult to bend over sideways to pick up a dropped pen.
Getting in and out of bed continues to be entertaining. I used to dive into bed but can't do that anymore. I have to do this careful roll-in maneuver to avoid landing on my belly. Getting out bed is no longer about popping up into a sitting position and hopping up because my abs (or lack thereof) don't let me pop up in the same way anymore.
Even the cats have to do some adjusting, mainly to the fact of my slowly shrinking lap.
These little adjustments are such minor inconveniences and it's mostly amusing to notice them. I can't wait to see what else is going to change.
Labels: pregnancy
