What I Learned from Pregnancy

Random pregnant Sunday before church

• You've never been tired until you've been pregnant tired.  It's like a 24 hour sleeping pill, I used to say.
• Long term nausea can be depressing and panic inducing.  Proceed with caution.
• If you don't proceed with caution and find yourself in that happy, pukey situation my favorite helps are peppermint herbal tea, cold or hot, peppermint gum, and eating often.
• A lot can be learned.  I learned more about my body and its reaction to each kind of food when I had gestational diabetes.  I've never been a dieter and never plan to be but since I had to track every single item I ate and the time and my blood's reaction I learned much more about my own body's interaction with food
• I came to terms with my maternal instincts.  Fears, hopes and plans all became centered on the human and eventually humans affected by my choices.  Besides the post-partum times that the obsession made me a little crazy I enjoyed seeing that deep part of myself.
• It's physically dangerous.  It's not kosher to say in most company but it is a deadly health condition even today, and especially through all of human history.  It is not to be taken lightly and I'm so grateful for the healthcare available these days to help with it.  
• I've never had a better body image.  My feet and ankles swollen, my face puffy, and everything heavy, I always loved to hold that big tight belly in my hands.  I loved carrying my babies.  I love looking at my body then.  In my last pregnancy a friend took belly pictures for me and I cherish being able to have that memory.
• As my abdomen muscles split (they've grown back together 3 years later, woot!), my nerve got pinched in my back, I passed out following childbirth, and treated a 4th episode of post partum mental illness I have come to terms with no longer having this beautiful opportunity.  I look back on it with fondness and awe and wish all those looking forward to this event all the health and joy possible.  And of course the freedom to vent openly to friends about the not-so-joyful times ;).