Summer mama
We hear it all the time, "pregnancy is a blessing". It's a beautiful time when a woman's body works hard to create a human life. However, carrying a tiny human inside of you doesn't always feel like the most beautiful blessing. Especially when it's summer.
I got pregnant in February, giving me a November due date. Which means I get to be pregnant for the entire summer. Everywhere I go people say, "You're glowing!"
Glowing?
No..
It's 90 degrees and I'm waddling around feeling like I have a watermelon taped to me. That's not "glow", I'm just dripping with sweat.
Women often claim to feel beautiful, confident and powerful while pregnant. But between the swelling of my hands, the all day morning sickness, and feeling like I weighed about 1,000 pounds, I felt anything but confident.
I found it very easy to find things to complain about and even easier to find excuses to stay inside all day and lay naked next to a fan.
However, I have slowly managed to find the tiny pleasures of being pregnant during this lovely season.
For one thing, this summer is my free pass not to stress about having that flat stomach in a two piece. Being pregnant means you are allowed (and encouraged) to have a big belly! Summertime is the perfect time to embrace your baby bump. Bikinis, tank tops, stretchy sun dresses- the outfit possibilities are endless!
When it isn't too hot, my husband and I have been doing little things outdoors to help stay active. Riding bikes, going kayaking, and even just evening walks are all summer friendly activities which help mom and baby stay healthy during pregnancy. I also found that they were not only a good distraction from the nausea but also helped to calm it a little bit.
However, one of the best ways to stay active during the summer is swimming! Swimming is both great way to stay fit while pregnant and also helps pregnant mommies to feel great. The water obviously cools your body temperature down a ton (making it possible to pull my rings off of those sausage-like body parts I once called fingers) but the best part about swimming is that it makes all of the pain from the extra weight I carry around all day just simply disappear.
At first, I was a little insecure about going to the pool with a belly as big as mine. But throwing on a bikini, cherishing the days where the words "flat stomach" are not in my vocabulary, and reading a book by the pool has quickly become a favorite pastime of mine this summer. I encourage you mommies to try it as well. Embrace that bump while you still can! And, relaxing by the pool gives you the perfect excuse to catch up on some pregnancy reading. Here are some of my favorites from this summer. Order a few and head out to the pool!
Xoxo,
Mommy
I got pregnant in February, giving me a November due date. Which means I get to be pregnant for the entire summer. Everywhere I go people say, "You're glowing!"
Glowing?
No..
It's 90 degrees and I'm waddling around feeling like I have a watermelon taped to me. That's not "glow", I'm just dripping with sweat.
Women often claim to feel beautiful, confident and powerful while pregnant. But between the swelling of my hands, the all day morning sickness, and feeling like I weighed about 1,000 pounds, I felt anything but confident.
I found it very easy to find things to complain about and even easier to find excuses to stay inside all day and lay naked next to a fan.
However, I have slowly managed to find the tiny pleasures of being pregnant during this lovely season.
For one thing, this summer is my free pass not to stress about having that flat stomach in a two piece. Being pregnant means you are allowed (and encouraged) to have a big belly! Summertime is the perfect time to embrace your baby bump. Bikinis, tank tops, stretchy sun dresses- the outfit possibilities are endless!
When it isn't too hot, my husband and I have been doing little things outdoors to help stay active. Riding bikes, going kayaking, and even just evening walks are all summer friendly activities which help mom and baby stay healthy during pregnancy. I also found that they were not only a good distraction from the nausea but also helped to calm it a little bit.
However, one of the best ways to stay active during the summer is swimming! Swimming is both great way to stay fit while pregnant and also helps pregnant mommies to feel great. The water obviously cools your body temperature down a ton (making it possible to pull my rings off of those sausage-like body parts I once called fingers) but the best part about swimming is that it makes all of the pain from the extra weight I carry around all day just simply disappear.
At first, I was a little insecure about going to the pool with a belly as big as mine. But throwing on a bikini, cherishing the days where the words "flat stomach" are not in my vocabulary, and reading a book by the pool has quickly become a favorite pastime of mine this summer. I encourage you mommies to try it as well. Embrace that bump while you still can! And, relaxing by the pool gives you the perfect excuse to catch up on some pregnancy reading. Here are some of my favorites from this summer. Order a few and head out to the pool!
Xoxo,
Mommy
This was one of my favorites because of how blunt it was. (It's also the book featured in my photo!) It was incredibly enjoyable to read and also gave a ton of good information about having a healthy pregnancy. Not to mention, the book ends with a chapter full of tips on how to be a hot mom after baby is born.. so yeah, I'd say it's worth the read.
Now unlike the last one, this definitely isn't an "easy" read. But, it's still a great book for moms hoping to have a natural, unmedicated childbirth. It's extremely informative and was recommended to me by my bradley method instructor.
This was my absolute favorite out of all the ones I've read this pregnancy. I actually read the entire thing while sitting beside the pool for hours one day. Not only was it really enjoyable but it was soo relatable too. The author spills about all the weird things no one tells you about pregnancy and it's really reassuring to learn you're not the first person to have these crazy symptoms.
Chicken Soup books are so great to have just to pick up and relax with for a little bit. This one is full of wondeful stories about women discovering they're pregnant, funny stories from during their pregnancies and birth stories. There is even a chapter full of stories written by dads!