The Best Pregnancy Ever!

My body's journey into my third pregnancy was quite different from the first two. First of all, I had switched to a Paleo lifestyle about 2 months before conceiving. Second, I was exercising in a way that my body thrived.

The first two pregnancies weren't bad - no morning sickness, no serious food aversions, no swelling - but they weren't great. I had problems with circulation that caused me to wake up in the middle of the night feeling as if my hands were being stabbed. I often had to walk around the house in the depths of darkness to regain feeling in my arms. It didn't happen with pregnancy #3!

During Prego2, I was a vegetarian and I was ravenous ALL.THE.TIME. I couldn't eat enough. I felt sick because I was hungry. Rice, beans, tofu, veggies, fruit and nuts just couldn't satisfy me! Of course, I ate lots of processed sweets, too. I baked pans of brownies on a regular basis. What a sugar fix! I didn't have hunger issues with Prego3. I ate nourishing, filling, calorie-dense meals and rarely required snacks between. I did get hooked on all-natural ice cream during my last trimester which caused some fat gain at the end.

In the first two pregnancies I gained 40lbs each. Prego3: 25lbs.

Oh, and the acne! No pregnancy acne the third time around. None.

The dreaded heartburn? Only when I ate bread or carby sweets. Otherwise, I had no heartburn during Prego3. I remember keeping a huge bottle of Tums near by during the entire first pregnancy. I never once connected the dots between pans of brownies and heartburn! I always blamed it on the weight of the fetus and my changed body.

I hadn't been lazy during pregnancy, I just didn't push myself really hard. In the year prior to Prego3, I did Tabata Bootcamp twice a week, tennis twice weekly and walked as often as possible. I had dropped 14lbs and 6inches and was in the best shape of my life! Since I was active before I got knocked up, I continued through the full 10 moon pregnancy. My water actually broke at tennis practice when I was 41 weeks and 4 days pregnant! 

My third pregnancy was so much easier! I attribute better circulation to increased activity, regular stretching/yoga and chiropractic care. Everything else was a result of eating Paleo. If I could have such a different experience in my third pregnancy at the age of 35, imagine the benefits for the average human suffering from acid reflux, diabetes, heartburn, acne, lethargy or binge eating.

Prego1

39 weeks

29 years old

Prego2

39 weeks

33 years old

photo courtesy of Hailey Faith Photography

Prego3

39 weeks

35 years old

An old FaceBook post...

Wow, this year flew by! I haven't posted in so long - there's so much to share! No time for it now, but I wanted to save this FaceBook status I wrote back in March 2013. No better place than here.

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Today is the day. It's the day that no one wants to remember and I'm certain those being remembered never want us to dwell on these days... it's the day of death. Today is the day I said goodbye to my mother's physical body. Today, four years ago, is the day I started my motherless journey.

It was Friday the 13th, just before her favorite holiday: St. Patrick's Day. It's all a haze from the 13th to the 20th when we celebrated my mom's life at a beautiful facility in Asheville NC. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the sunset was breathtaking. Her friends were there, loving her and giving love to our entire family. Our extended family was there, telling stories, hugging, laughing, crying and just loving each other. The young children were playing during the ceremony, just as she would have wanted them to. She was in their hearts, teaching them to sing instead of cry. Reminding us how grand life is, no matter how short.

Never will she be out of my heart or out of my head, but forever will I miss our conversations.

I was a tough teenager. I pushed the boundaries in life and in parenting. And I am so thankful that I was old enough when my mom passed (I was 31, she was 64) that we had a chance to reflect on it. And you know what? She didn't resent me! She was thankful! She told me that I pushed her to be a better person. All those times in the car when she'd put on the personal growth tapes, I cursed under my breath how annoying it was. And all this time later, I still use those lessons to grow. To stay grounded. To remember that life is what I make of it.

So, as I remember this day, the toughest day I've ever experienced, I also remember how fortunate I am to have had a mother who pushed back when I pushed her. Who always kept learning, who always stayed hopeful and who always said the things that made us step back and contemplate ourselves.

It's a good life.

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