Week 26: Party like a pregnant chick

During these past six and a half months, I’ve had plenty of reminders that life doesn’t stop just because you’re pregnant. Unless you’re diagnosed with some sort of high-risk pregnancy, it’s business as usual for the majority of those 40 weeks. My responsibilities have not changed; I still work 40 hours a week and try to maintain a clean home, among other things. Life goes on as usual—and for me and my pregnancy, that means being a bridesmaid for not one, but two of my best friends.
This past weekend, my baby bump and I geared up for a bachelorette weekend in San Diego in honor of one of my best friends and bride-to-be. The weekend was chock-full of fun things to do, including opening day at the Del Mar horse races, a day at the beach and a wild night out on the town. Needless to say, attending a bachelorette party pregnant makes for a whole different kind of experience. I got lucky in that I wasn’t the only pregnant mama along for the ride.
At 26-weeks pregnant, I struggled with a few things over the weekend. For one, I subjected my feet to cruel and unusual punishment all weekend long in the form of wedges and high heels. Exhaustion was something I battled each evening, finally succumbing once I’d gotten back home to my husband and dogs. And of course, there was the inability to indulge in a glass of champagne or derby style cocktail. I can only imagine how my fellow pregnant bridesmaid pulled through the weekend like a champ at 35-weeks.
Don’t get me wrong—I had a blast celebrating my bestie’s last few days as a single woman, and there was no way I was going to miss that, pregnant or not. Still, no matter how much of a team player we wanted to be, the pregnant girls had to bow out once or twice. When the other ladies were ready for another round of drinks at the party area of the Del Mar horse races, my pregnant friend and I remained at our seats and took off our shoes. We enjoyed chitchatting about our registries, furry babies and what life would soon be like with baby. For the big night out on the town, we donned bright colored wigs and danced the night away … until just after midnight when we respectfully bowed out.
A lot of people gave us props for “toughing it out” through the bachelorette weekend. I won’t pretend to know how my fellow pregnant bridesmaid felt at 35-weeks, but for me, the weekend didn’t even come close to feeling like a chore. I was happy to sport a derby hat and spend the day at the races. I couldn’t drink, but I could still enjoy a bet or two. And for our night out, I couldn’t have been more excited to skip the blow drying and curling in favor of a mint green wig. I squeezed into my little black dress and danced along side the bride to be for as long as my feet would carry me. I had fun, regardless of the fact that I was as sober as they come.
There are actually a lot of perks to being pregnant at a bachelorette party—not just for the preggo, but for the group as a whole. For one thing, there is no need for an uber when you have a pregnant girl or two as the designated driver. All the ladies could drink without having to worry how we would safely get from one place to the next. Being pregnant also means you don’t have to wait in those long bathroom lines. I was surprised to find out how many women would offer to let me go ahead of them, at the horse races, in the crowded beach bathroom, and even in the noisy nightclubs. And of course, there is the added bonus of feeling good in the morning, instead of hungover with the rest of the bachelorette crew. Being pregnant at a bachelorette party can actually be kind of great.