How am I feeling at 22 weeks?

One question I get most often is "How are you feeling"? Throughout the pregnancy, I've been blessed with a no stress lifestyle. The most tired I felt was for a few weeks in the 1st trimester and early in the 2nd trimester. I was so proud of myself for even making it out to a rave in Montreal for Sonia's birthday where I lasted until 2:30 am. Most nights, I'm still a night owl and stay up till midnight reading and tiring myself out in order to have a deep sleep.

Reading the Economist: The Secret to a Good Sleep
If anyone wants to know a secret in how to sleep fast --- read the Economist! It's Cam's favorite reading material, but I swear by it. All I do is read about the economy in Germany or articles on the new hobby of chicken farming and I'm out like a light. The stories also don't impact my dreams either - so it's the perfect solution for head dropping sleep. If anyone knows me, it doesn't take much for me to sleep anyhow. I used to fall asleep at bars on seats next to the bathroom, at red lights, anytime I was in the car with Cam driving, oral testing kids in Taiwan, in meetings - you name it. My dreams have also been spectactular - partying it up in Cancun again with Paola, Dana & Son, shopping in San Fran, and even meeting Barack Obama and Michele. Barack even gave me a hug in my dream and I could smell his nice cologne! I love sleeping because each night, I get to meet people I would never meet in real life!

Happy Thoughts
Since becoming pregnant, Cam's banned me from horror movies. He caught me watching "Scream" the other night and made me turn it off. Boo hoo. Apparently, I've read that how the mother feels emotionally affects the baby. If my mom had it her way, she's have me watching documentaries on forests and butterflies so that the beauty I am viewing translates into happy thoughts for Nicholas' development. I think I'll just stick with comedies that I can now get at Blockbuster for $1.99.

Yoga and Massages
About a month ago, I began to feel some pinching in my lower back, which I've since learned is sciatica. At that time, I was still doing kettlebells, which I read was ok for pregnant women and following my regular workout routine. I don't think it caused the sciatica, but likely contributed to it. It was quite painful to squat down and get up from sitting. Since then, I've discovered the combination of prenatal Yoga and Massaging of the Glutes as the solution. I highly recommend yoga classes for anyone pregnant as it helps to learn the breathing techniques and completely relaxes you - it even puts me to sleep in class with some poses. If you get your glutes massaged, it's one of the most painful areas, but the relief is so worth it.

Great Friends!
One of the best things you can have in your life to help you feel good are great friends! Throughout the pregnancy, I've been lucky to have superb friends surround me everywhere. It helps to have people in your life who've gone through it all, cheer you on and share their experiences with you about pregnancy. I've counted about 9 good friends I know who are pregnant this year already! Last night, I got together with Adrienne, Sue, Laura and Tan who all shared their baby stories about sleep, discipline, dealing with the new family life -- all useful snippets of info that I'll soak in. The ladies all have little girls that Nicholas can pick and choose from - hahaha. Tan came over early to drop off the cutest pink tub that Mackenna has outgrown and to give me some advice on arranging Nicholas' room. Adrienne is the best cheerleader for all pregnant moms. I love the exhuberance she exudes when she talks about motherhood. I've lucked out with Sue - not only is she my team mate, but she shares her tips every day as we sit next to each other and she's just back from maternity leave so it's all fresh in her mind. While Laura isn't pregnant, she's got a little baby of her own - a puppy!! Many of the stories are ones that Laura can relate to with a little pup to train.

These are all elements in my life that has gotten me to this point - it's been a stress free life so far at this half way point, so I'm hoping that the latter half will be the same.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Growing Baby

Final Countdown - 7 days till due date

21 Weeks!