If you’ve followed along since Hudson, you may remember this post. I wrote it at around 29 weeks pregnant, so granted maybe my mind will change in the next few weeks. I am officially 25 weeks pregnant as of this week, and I have to say, I do not hate pregnancy the same way I hated it the first time around. I don’t LOVE IT, I am not going to gush about it and say I miss being pregnant once baby boy is born, and I don’t find having a bump necessarily enjoyable, but I also don’t HATE it. There’s so many reasons why I think it’s different this time around…
For one, I knew exactly what to expect. Any fear about weight gain or insecurity about my changing body I had the first time around is much less apparent this time, because I had Hudson and went back to feeling like myself, so I know that it is possible! I think that piece is HUGE! I was so unhappy to feel so far from myself during my pregnancy with Hudson, because I couldn’t see it for what it was – just a passing phase of life. This time around, I have a different perspective on it. This body I am wearing right now and this bump are both fleeting. I will be myself again come March, and so I should embrace the changes while they happen. I also know how much weight I gained with Hudson, how I lost it, how great exercise was for me physically and mentally, and I use all of these strategies to combat days that I am feeling low. I have so much more love for the cute bump, for dressing the bump, and for savoring this time in life and this bump that could be my last one.
Another huge shift that I think has made a big difference is how I am carrying. With Hudson I carried very very low. I had so many aches and pains throughout the pregnancy, especially in my lower back. This pregnancy, my first trimester was much more difficult, but after it passed, I’ve felt virtually no pain. This past week I started to feel a bit of round ligament pain in my belly, but my back has been SO much better, and my bump feels so much less heavy at night when I am trying to sleep than it did with Hudson. I am sure as I grow it will get worse, but for right now I feel really great!
The last piece that I think has really made me love this pregnancy more than the last is finding how to dress my bump. Feeling put together and well-dressed is something I’ve always held to be important, and with Hudson I just could not figure out how to dress. This time around, I opted to size up in most of my clothes, and not jump into maternity clothing. I have a real love-hate relationship with maternity pieces, and I personally think they’re designed for “comfort” but not to make a woman feel beautiful at a time in life when sometimes confidence doesn’t come as easily. This time around I made the splurge, and bought high waisted denim in 1-2 sizes up. I know I will eventually outgrow them, and need to make the switch to maternity, but I have made it this far and can still wear sized up pieces. I think spending the first few months still in clothing I would normally wear has made all of the difference! I feel cute everyday, and not like some weird preggo version of myself!
I wanted to just share these feelings for women who are in the thick of pregnancy, or maybe had a similar experience during their first pregnancy as I did. This time around has flown by so much quicker, and it feels nice to embrace it, wear that body con dress, flaunt the bump and to know that this year will just be a blip, so I may as well remember myself feeling happy and beautiful throughout!
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