Aim low

Pregnancy has generally been pretty easy for me-- no severe morning sickness, bedrest or medical complications. I think that while for some women it truly is a labor of love to make it through 40 weeks of pregnancy, for many it is a pretty normal time. For me, I think that being pregnant has many positives in my life. I'm happy most of the time and seem to lose the seasonal depression that often kicks in in the winter; after the initial period of tiredness at the very beginning, I actually have big surges of energy; and it's a magical process to be able to see my body transform to accommodate this life growing inside of it. It's a beautiful time.

But, I also realize that like many life phases, pregnancy is a time that has limitations. With my first pregnancy, I think I was almost trying to prove to the world that pregnancy was no big deal. I remember going on a 7 or 8 mile hike in the White Mountains with Ben and some friends when I was about 6 months along. I thought, "see world, I can do this!" but the next morning I could hardly walk and had the worst leg cramps of my entire life. Apparently, my pregnant body was not ready to perform in the way that I would have expected my non-pregnant body to perform.

This time around, I think I am being much more realistic about what pregnancy is and isn't. I am much more likely to ask Ben to take Selma for a walk in the evening, ask a family member to watch Zosia for a bit while I lie down to rest (especially if I'm under the weather), or take a nap with the baby. I think I'm just happy to have a healthy pregnancy, but also happy to take it easy and to be totally honest, doing so has made this pregnancy easier than my last, because I'm not suffering the consequences of pushing myself too far. I remember the zen-like slogan my most beloved college professor espoused: Aim low. That's what I'm all about these days.