Thursday, May 10, 2007: 11 Weeks
In my area, there is a famous baseball player whose record-breaking home runs are being tracked with a special flip board on the wall of the stadium. I would like something similar for the number of unwarranted, unannounced, stealth belly pattings I receive.
So far, there was friend N., who — upon hearing my good news — leapt up from her chair, and dove (yes, dove) face-first into my midsection and kissed my then flat-ish abdomen (I was sitting on the couch). Friend J., sitting beside me, just laughed as my face registered the shock. (Home Run). Attempt number two, my mother’s housekeeper putting one celebratory arm around my shoulder and the other going in for the now-larger-belly pat, was not as successful, as my midsection reflexively swerved away from her to avoid contact (Steerrriiike.)
Week 11, as of today. How do I feel? Like the old joke: I just flew in from Week 10 and boy are my arms tired!
As I’m not entirely sure what my weight was when I got pregnant, I am not sure if I’ve (ummm, successfully?) gained four pounds or seven. In any case (embarrassing truth coming), most days over these last few years before become pregnant, I weighed 151, probably 15 pounds more than I should weigh, on my stocky 5-foot4 frame. Now I’m at a strapping 158. And my rounder arms and neck show it. Friend Emily (mother of a two-year-old) laughed sympathetically with me last night as she shared her similar experience: “How does gaining weight in my neck have anything to do with having a baby? How is this useful?”
Ah well. One of my four pregnancy-information books chastised me for gaining this much, and warned that whatever is gained during the first trimester is not only not particularly useful for the baby, but also that it doesn’t count as stored fat or energy for the next trimester. I will just keep eating and gaining. No dieting allowed. Umm. Errrr. Okay. Need to reset brain. No dieting. Right. But it couldn’t hurt to make a few lower-fat choices these next 29 weeks…?
This week I regretted not losing weight or working out more before starting this endeavor. I’m sure this isn’t a unique first-trimester lament.