Meet the new me

By Published On: March 3rd, 2010

Written by: Ginny March 02 2010 When I knew I […]

Written by: Ginny
When I knew I was pregnant with my daughter, I scoured the bookstore for material on morning sickness, fetal development, infant care and the best baby gear.

I wore “the bump” at maternity stores so I could stock up on prenatal duds even before my belly began to show. I spent my weekends recording every thought in a cutesy pink baby book. I was excited every time I saw someone in an empire waist top, hoping she was a fellow mom-to-be. I secretly wondered to myself, “Can everyone see that I’m special now?”
This time around, things are a little different. Instead of counting down the days between doctor’s appointments, I have to make notes to myself so I don’t forget them entirely. When I’m at the doctor’s office, I no longer arrive with a list of queries and concerns. I’m not sure where my baby is in his/her development right now, and in fact, sometimes I even forget which week I’m on. If I have a caffeinated Coke or some feta now and then, I don’t beat myself up in fear that I may have ruined my unborn child’s chance at life. I don’t anxiously anticipate the day that I’ll be undeniably pregnant with a big round belly. And I don’t issue a public announcement every time I feel my baby shift.
Then again, there are a few things that haven’t changed … I put away OJ and pickles just as easily as I did last time. I still spend time at work surfing the internet for fun baby stuff, but that’s because it’s my job. And I still think pregnancy and babies are pretty cool.
Note: As a follow-up to last week’s post, my doctor recommended I slow down my weight gain by cutting back on the sodium. Oh Claussen, why are you so crunchy and irresistible? (Is there a patch for dill? I don’t think I can quit cold turkey.)