Everyone has an opinion about your baby bump...

Nobody tells you that being pregnant means that your belly becomes public property... From the moment you announce the exciting news it quickly starts to feel like everyone has an opinion about your growing baby bump... and they have no reservations sharing it with you.

Below are some of the comments and actions that have made the greatest impression upon me:

- "Are you SURE you're pregnant?" Yes I'm sure, he's kicking me in the kidneys right now making me need to use the restroom every 30 minutes. 

- "One of these days you will wake up and be huge." Gee, I was excited about my growing baby bump, but you just made me feel like a beached whale.

- "How much weight have your gained?" When did this become an acceptable question outside of the doctor's office?

- "My belly is larger then yours and I'm not even pregnant." Hmm, how do I politely respond to this statement...

Then when my baby bump finally started to become obvious, even to total strangers, I was not prepared for...

- "Looks like you are due any day." Considering a few days before people were exclaiming how small I am, I was quite caught off guard and suddenly felt like a blimp at 8mo pregnant.

- Strangers with no warning reach out and grab your belly. You know in some countries that would be considered battery, but somehow being a human incubator means anyone can touch you without permission.

- Then of course there are those who do ask first, well kind of, it's more like they indicate their intentions prior... It typically goes something like: "Is the baby kicking?" Then without hesitation they proceed to grab me and speak directly to my belly: "Hi baby, are you awake?"... Long awkward pause... "Baby, are you in there?" Yeah, as evidenced by my huge belly, he is definitely still in there.

-Then of course being pregnant is an instant invitation for everyone to share their own horror stories of pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Why do people always want to tell you the worst parts? But this we will save for another day.

Prior to pregnancy these intrusions into my privacy and personal space probably would have made me laugh. However, when your body is surging with hormones-- you alternate between feeling like a human incubator and feeling like a weight watchers commercial in reverse-- meaning simple comments can send you on an emotional roller coaster or lead to tears.

Pregnancy: The good, The bad, and The ugly

Pregnancy can be a beautiful time, a time of bonding with a tiny person nestled deep inside, a time of excitement and celebration, but not everything about pregnancy is beautiful...

1. Breasts: 
1. The good- They grow, a lot. Like to the breasts I always wanted, but thought I would need a surgeon to get.
2. The bad- They hurt! During the first trimester especially, your breasts ache so much you have to shield them from the water in the shower and enact a hands-off policy with your man.
3. The ugly- They leak! Not just starting after childbirth, but starting from as early as mid-way through your pregnancy.
2. Your body:
1. The good- You get JLo quality curves. The kind that makes you do a double take in the mirror as you walk by and your man wants to spend some quality time with.
2. The bad- You start to sweat, no not glisten- sweat. The kind that requires you to invest in a stronger antiperspirant because nothing is worse then raising your arm mid-day and wondering what that smell is.
3. The ugly- You leak, no not just from your breasts, from your lady parts. And the closer you get to term the more you leak. To the point you have to wear panty liners or bring underwear changes because you constantly feel like you peed yourself... and sometimes you do pee yourself. Like when you cough, sneeze, laugh, or get up from the couch.
3. Your wardrobe:
1. The good- You get to go shopping, guilt free and buy yourself a whole new closet of clothes! This was something I was super excited about, I was all about flaunting my baby bump.
2. The bad- There is this awkward transition period when your showing just enough that you feel fat and bloated, but not enough that anyone thinks your pregnant. Nothing fits! The maternity clothes are too large and your old clothes are too tight and uncomfortable.
3. The ugly- One day you wake up and feel like a beached whale! Your baby had a growth spurt and you discover the hard way that you don't fit into the corner booth at your favorite restaurant like you once did. You finally fit into the maternity clothes you bought and relish the comfort of that huge belly panel in your mom jeans; but you are embarrassed when you see the look of shock and horror on your man's face when he wonders why your pants go up to your arm-pits.
4. Sex:
1. The good- The orgasms are amazing! Once you get over the terrors of the first trimester and want some cuddle time again, get ready! The increased blood flow means increased sensitivity. This translates into stronger, more intense, or maybe even multiple orgasms.
2. The bad- Your beautiful growing baby, means a growing belly that can make your favorite positions uncomfortable or down-right impossible.
3. The ugly- Orgasm and breast stimulation may lead to your man getting sprayed by that breast leakage we were talking about earlier...
5. Sleep:
1. The good- Early in pregnancy you can sleep anywhere, I'm talking curled up in the back seat, middle seat of the airplane- ANYWHERE.
2. The bad- Late in pregnancy there is absolutely nothing you can do to get comfortable. It doesn't matter how many pillows you have, every part of your body is exhausted and constantly aching.
3. The ugly- You now snore... The increased blood flow to your nasal passages result in swelling and congestion. This means you're not the only one who is now sleep deprived. As soon as you get in a sweet spot and fall asleep you wake up to your man elbowing you because he can't take your  chain-saw snoring any longer.... even with the ear plugs. (I suggest breathe right strips =) )

Pregnancy is a beautiful, exciting time. Thankfully, the first time you feel the baby kick, hear the hearbeat, or see your little one during an ultrasound make all the gross, uncomfortable, and unattractive parts worth it.

Will My Baby Have...

Dec 18, 2015
As a Pediatrician I thought I was ready for parenthood and in many ways I am, but what caught me off guard were all the fears I would have about my unborn child...

At just 4 weeks pregnant I took my first pregnancy test, I was elated when it came back positive. Images of a sweet perfect newborn to cuddle with and coo at came to mind, my hormones were already kicking into high gear. But over the next couple weeks those images of a perfect baby were replaced by worries that I would miscarry or that my baby would be born with a serious life threatening birth defect.

I was 11 weeks along before I had my first OB visit. I walked into the office secretly afraid there would be no heartbeat or something would be wrong. As though she sensed my anxiety, my doctor immediately pulled out the ultrasound machine and there he was our little wiggle worm bouncing around so much she almost couldn't measure him. The sense of relief was incredible.

As we began to announce the exciting news of our pregnancy, people repeatedly pronounced that somehow being a Pediatrician must make pregnancy easier; yet it was quite to the contrary. I worried if our child would have kidneys, a well developed heart, or some rare genetic disorder.  Each day that passed I would silently praise God because I knew he was one day closer to being able to survive should I deliver early.

It wasn't until we had the detailed ultrasound at 20 weeks that I finally started to breathe easy. We are having a son, and by all accounts he is perfect and healthy! Now I am nearing my 32nd week, and my fears about his development have turned to thoughts of which car seat is safest, what swing will he like, and will all those 30 hour shifts I spent working as a resident somehow prepare me for the sleep deprivation that comes with a newborn?