Weight a minute!!!
Ahh yes. Weight, poundage, libras and whatever other word fits into the category of the number on the scale. As a girl who grew up chubby, weight has always been on my mind. I did my best to stay thin-ish during High School and then yo-yo'd from college and beyond. And let me tell you, being Hispanic and having a mom whose solves all of life's problems by making you yummy delicious food, does not help the cause.
I am now in my 6th month and trying to stay mindful of my weight. It hasn't been easy because naturally, I want to eat the world! But I've had 2 encounters centered around my weight that I just had to share.
1st encounter: Happened while sitting in an Uber in NYC. Accompanied by my 2 best friends. It went a little something like this...
BFF 1 to BFF 2: So, how's your sister doing with the pregnancy?
BFF 2: She's good. Getting closer to her due date. But my mom was saying, 'Oh xxxx is getting soo big!'. I said to my mom no way! She is not huge at all. I mean MamiSaurus is only 5 months and she is wayy bigger than her.
Me: Thank you.
2nd encounter: Happened at the house of my parent's friends. Two beautiful people who mean well but missed the mark on this one. The setting is their kitchen.
Husband: So how many months are you now? Everything going well?
Me: I'm 6 months! Everything is going well. The doctor says the baby is doing well.
Husband: Good. But you are really big for 6 months. You have to be careful not to gain too much weight. Wife: Yeah. You have to be careful.
Me: Yeah, I know. (Awkward pause.) Ok, well I have to get going.
Husband: Ok, sweetheart. Here, take some cake before you go! Oh, and take some of these coffee cakes, they are good.
Wife: Hold on let me cut you a piece of this cake.
Ladies and gentlemen, I can’t make this shit up. LOL!
I've learned one thing from those encounters. Sometimes we may mean well by expressing our concern-or what have you-for people but guess what: DON'T TELL A PREGNANT WOMAN THAT SHE'S HUGE!
For the love of sweet, beautiful 8lb 2oz Baby Jesus, just don't. Don't do it to yourself. Love your life!!!! Don't say it!!! Tell her she is gorgeous, even if she looks like a hot ass mess. And women, especially those that have carried a child, don't do it either!!! No one wants to hear about how much weight they have gained. Especially -in my opinion-pregnant women.
Listen. I'm not putting on this weight because I opt to just eat bread sandwiches (bread on bread with bread on the side like Panera). I'm actually growing a human here and this human demands that I eat more than I normally would. And you know what???? Every woman carries differently! So please, don't compare me to yourself, your momma, your sister, your dog that just a litter of puppies or Barbie who had a magnetic baby bump that came off whenever she pleased. Don't do it to yourself.
That being said, or rather ranted. I am proud of ALLL the weight I am gaining. It is being gained so that I can grow this precious gift that I have been given. It is being done- consciously- for the sake of another life and when he or she is out, I will go back to monitoring it for the sake of my own life.
That's it. Rant over. Excuse me as I eat a pickle and ice cream sandwich. 😉 😉
-Peace, Love and HUGE Baby Bumps!!