(by @alice_gao)
As I write this, we’re just days (or hours!) away from meeting baby boy #2, and I’m getting more and more excited for what’s to come after delivery — besides welcoming a new little person into our family. I’m talking about reintroducing all of the things I’ve had to abstain from during pregnancy!
Here are 9 things I’m looking forward to after giving birth:
Food:
Brunch is usually my favorite meal — except during pregnancy. I miss runny eggs, piles of bacon, hollandaise sauce, and endless cups of coffee. A girl can only eat so many well-done omelets and pancakes with syrup.
Sandwiches made with piles of cold meat. A simple turkey, lettuce, tomato, oil and vinegar sub never sounds more appealing than when I’m pregnant and avoiding deli meat.
I’m not a die-hard raw fish fan, but I do miss having the option of having sushi for dinner.
Wine and cocktails. Obviously.
Style:
Although I do worry about fine lines and wrinkles, I’m surprisingly not obsessive about my skin care regime. Still, I typically use serums, creams, and moisturizers with some type of anti-aging properties when I’m not pregnant. Give me my retinol and vitamin C!
Working from home during both of my pregnancies allowed me to be pretty frugal when it came to shopping for maternity clothing. In fact, I barely bought anything new during this pregnancy because my sister, who had a baby one year ago, loaned me most of her maternity wardrobe. Granted, she’s five inches shorter than me, and our style is slightly different, but I “made it work” as best I could. To say I’m excited to wear my own clothing again would be an understatement!
Life:
Sleeping on my side has taken a toll on my body, even with the assistance of a pregnancy pillow. I wake up with cramps and invisible bruises on my hips. I just want to sleep on my stomach again!
Related to having a good night’s sleep: I want my energy back! I want to be to walk, not shuffle, through Whole Foods; to actively play with Levi; and to not nap during the precious few hours I have available to work every afternoon.
And, obviously, I want my pre-pregnancy body back. Nothing makes you appreciate the body you had (even if you wished you were 10lb. lighter or had a flatter stomach) than when you can’t recognize the person you see in the mirror. It’s not necessarily even about being skinny; it’s about having a body that lets me comfortably curl up on the couch with JB, cuddle next to Levi and hold him on my nap, or run around the backyard with Briscoe. I don’t feel like the most beautiful version of myself when I’m pregnant (although I know some women do), partly because I don’t feel at all in control of my body.
What did you miss the most when you were pregnant? Do you remember the first meal you ate without all those pregnancy restrictions? I’m considering asking my family to drop off some sushi while I’m still recovering in the maternity ward!
(Apologies for yet another pregnancy post! I promise I have much more to talk about than motherhood. It’s just that I’m slightly preoccupied at the moment…)
PS – A few honest thoughts on nearing the end of pregnancy.
I can totally relate! I am reaching the end of my pregnancy as well and I’ve started to dream about life after being a watermelon. After my first they brought me a deli sandwich, it was the best sandwich I’ve ever eaten! I can’t wait to have clothes to wear! I am carrying a big baby and my uterus is all out front so maternity clothes barely cover this bump. At this point I’m working with only 5 shirts and 2 pairs of pants. I can’t wait to have options again!
I cannot believe how much I miss wine this round! Ugh. Having a toddler and not being able to drink a glass of wine feels so mean, some days! And I have a friend who made her friends bring sushi right to the hospital post-delivery, so I say go for it! I have also missed two, really good corned beef opportunities in the last 2 days and I feel like I’m being tortured. Here’s to 15 (hopefully) more weeks, then celebrating!
Thinking about you as the end nears!