Does size matter?

Posted: June 5th, 2010 | Author: Marissa K. | Filed under: | Tags: Dim Sum, Pregnancy | 3 Comments »

For, well… the entire pregnancy, really, people have been asking me to post baby bump pictures. Initially, I stalled cuz there wasn’t really a bump to speak of (see my post from January). More recently, I’ve been hesitant cuz I don’t want to be one of those pregnant ladies who’s blog becomes all about the growing fetus. This is a Kaiser family blog, and the Kaiser family does so many more interesting things than think about or talk about our kid. Granted, because of the state I’m in, Dim Sum gets a mention in just about every post… It’s just not the sole content of my writing.

But I get the whole preggy picture thing. There’s so many friends and family members that don’t live nearby, haven’t seen me pregnant, and would like to. So here’s a few pics, just for you

The first thing you’ll probably notice is that I’ve stayed pretty tiny. I’m 34 weeks along in a 40 week journey. That means I only have 6 weeks, or about a month-and-a-half to go! According to my last doctor’s visit, I’ve gained a total of 14 lbs, so yeah, my baby bump is tiny. I’m guessing I won’t put on more than 20 lbs throughout the pregnancy… in the final four weeks I’m expected to gain about 1/2-a-pound per week.

I’m pretty lucky on the size front. I thank good genes (thanks Mom & Dad!), being in good shape prior to the pregnancy, staying active throughout the pregnancy, and my general propensity to eat well. I don’t crave chocolates, cake, ice cream, fried foods, or all the saturated fats–but I’m happy to indulge in all of the above when presented with the opportunity

Staying small has afforded me some nice luxuries in keeping with my “normal” life:

• I was able to wear many of my regular work clothes until just a few weeks ago (thanks to an elastic invention called the Bella Band that held up my regular pants even when they weren’t zipped or buttoned).
• I spent the entire ski season in my own ski clothes, and managed to ski over 12 days this year. Even though I was prepared to hold up my ski pants with suspenders, I never had to use them–yay!
• I still wear “regular”-sized yoga pants, tee-shirts and sweatshirts from my pre-pregnancy days.
• I still wear my own underwear and don’t plan on buying any bigger-sized panties. (Despite warnings from friends.)
• I can wash dishes, do laundry and reach the bottom of the top-load laundry machine, and put things away in low or high cupboards just fine. (Again, despite warnings.)
• I still reach down to tie my own shoes, but it’s not the easiest thing in the world to do

So the question remains, Does size matter? At the very beginning of my pregnancy, a friend shared these wise words from her doctor: “At the end of your pregnancy, you’re baby will have taken 6-10 lbs of whatever you’ve gained. You’ll lose a little more from the weight of the amniotic fluid and the placenta, but the rest is for you!”

I’d rather have the “rest” be as little as possible.

---