photo c/o Blair Stern (http://www.blairsternphotography.com)
* Please note: These questions were asked the week before I went into labor, and I'm answering them after..so hopefully this still makes sense to you all!
The most ASKED question by far:
How much weight did you gain during your pregnancy? I actually weighed myself the day before I went into labor and I had gained 23lbs. However, it felt like a lot more because Memorial Day weekend (that Monday night is when I started going into labor) it was over 95 degrees so my swelling was at an all time high.
What were your biggest complaints during pregnancy?: I had severe sciatic nerve pain in my left leg for the last 2 months of pregnancy; however, the last week or so it was almost unbearable. I would be walking and every couple of minutes I'd get an intense shooting pain down my leg. My leg would give out and I'd be unable to move it until the pain/cramp passed. I had never experienced nerve pain before. It is completely different than bone or joint pain as it seemed more intense and almost shocking.
Did you do anything during your pregnancy that "broke the rules"?" Oh yeah. I had sushi a lot, but I actually did talk to my doctor about this. I don't eat a lot of meat and sushi is still a great source of protein. She said to just be smart about it-- meaning I shouldn't eat grocery store sushi or leftovers. If I eat at a nice and trusted place, then my risk of getting a food borne illness is the same as it would be from eating chicken or other common foods that can cause food poisoning. Funny enough, when I was at 14 weeks, I got food poisoning from PASTEURIZED cottage cheese. It just shows, no matter how careful you are, anything can happen!
I also got highlights, and occasionally ate deli meat. But, other than that, I swear I'm a good mom :) ha ha.
Do you think your having a girl or a boy? I was 100% convinced I was having a boy. In two separate ultrasounds the tech casually said "okay we're just going to flip him to see the other side" or "he's measuring in at 5lbs right now" etc. Although we always said we didn't want to know, I just assumed that if the slip up had happened twice it had to be a boy. Also, at my doctors office, a nurse will always come and take you back to the room, and I can't even tell you how many times a nurse said "so how's he doing?" In hindsight, I realized that "he" was obviously a general term they would all use instead of saying "it", but they really threw me off!
To be honest, I've always wanted a daughter. Since the second I got pregnant I was so convinced by the doctors and everyone else that it was going to be a boy, so I just got on board and was super excited about having a boy! That's why when SHE came out, it was the best and biggest surprise of my entire life. (I'll tell more about this in my Birth Story blog)
Do you believe in any of the gender myths?: The Chinese calendar has been right for almost every single person I know, so I guess have no choice but to kind of believe in that one. (One variation said I was having a girl and one said I was having a boy) Someone also told me that they thought I was having a girl because she was stealing my beauty, and since I definitely didn't feel great about myself when I was pregnant, I could see that one being true. (Ha ha ...but rude!) As for the cravings myths... I don't believe in them because I craved everything...sweet, sour you name it. The heartbeat myth was true for her because her heartbeat was always in the "girl" range. And last, the myth of how you are carrying did hold true because they say low is a boy and high is a girl, and Ryen was pretty high up the entire time besides the last week or so!
What will you miss most about being pregnant?: I literally tell her I want her to crawl back in me! I feel like there are not enough hours in a day with her, so I loved having her inside of me and feeling every kick, hiccup, and movement.
I'm going to be writing my birth story this week, and I will let you guys know when it's posted on the blog! I had such a positive experience that I can't wait to tell you guys all about it, however, I am COMPLETELY aware that things don't always go that way. I realize how lucky I am, and can't wait to share the story and pictures that were actually taken during labor and right after. I truly consider it the best night of my entire life, and wish I could go back and do it all over again starting POST epidural! ha ha
