Week 27: Slow down, Sally

A few days ago at work, a co-worker asked me how I was feeling. “Oh, good, a little tired,” I answered, trying to downplay my complete exhaustion. “Well, you are growing lungs today,” she playfully responded along with a “Hello, duh!” expression. While it may not have been lungs in particular in the works, it did put me in check. I’m growing a human, and yes, I’m pretty darn tired.
A few blogs ago, I wrote about working two part-time jobs. Although I am happily still holding down both, things admittedly have gotten a little tough. I kept thinking that I could handle what pre-preggo Miranda could with early mornings and long nights, being constantly on my feet. But, I was wrong. Little things have become major struggles for me, and tiny annoyances are now huge hurdles.
For over a year, I have had sciatic nerve pain down my left leg. If any other preggos out there are dealing with this pain—I feel for you. I truly do. Not knowing what it was, I let it go and just dealt with it. But now, with the newfound weight, it’s gaining on me—in more ways than one. I’ve gotten to the point that I try to scheme ways to avoid walking or bending down. Last night, while lying on the couch, I asked Darrin to hand me my purse, which was sitting on the floor less than two inches away. Though it was fun to laugh at this together, I was completely serious and dreaded reaching for it. At my restaurant job, 9:30 p.m. has become the loathed hour. Basically, I can handle the pain until about 9:30, and then it’s on. I feel bad enough for myself—but worse for my co-workers and customers.
I’m so used to going a mile a minute. It’s a hard habit to break, but a new phenomenon has started to occurr: When I feel myself getting stressed, I simultaneously feel baby girl kick. Not only has my body (and baby) been telling me that something has to give, but so has my fiancé, Darrin. The other night, he broke it down for me and let out his frustration and rightful concern. His point was that while my intentions are good, if I work myself too hard and stress too much, it’s inevitably for nothing because my end goal is to have a healthy baby. So, I’ve decided to go down one shift for now, giving myself one full day off from both jobs per week. I will keep lessening my load as my body tells me to do so. I’ve also started to see my friend who is a chiropractor for my leg and lower back pain. I’m truly giving it my best efforts and keeping in mind that I am in fact growing a human, and my body needs a break.
When I first became pregnant, Darrin’s mom (my mother-in-law-to-be) kept reminding me to stay relaxed. Judy would work it in to almost every conversation. I always thought it was very sweet, but I kind of swept it under the rug with the other advice I was given. I thought, I can handle this. I always do. But inevitably, she was right. So here I am, trying my best to slow down because my life isn’t just mine anymore. I am literally a vessel whose sole purpose is to carry this priceless package, and I want to ensure she is delivered in mint condition.
Psst! If you’re doing the math and wondering what happened to week 26, my doctor told me at my last appointment that I’m actually at 27 weeks!