Pregnancy is a great time to kick off your shoes, put your feet up and relax, right? I always thought these nine months would be a great time to catch up on movies, skip a few social engagements for more relaxing nights at home, ease up on exercising and enjoy a spa day from time to time. However, life doesn't stop just because you see a plus sign.
I'm the type of person that is typically "go, go, go." I've never spent my weekends napping on the couch or catching up on reality TV. Weekends are for getting tasks done, going to boot camp, running errands, spending a day at the beach or meeting up with friends. And now that I'm pregnant, preparing for the baby has made my task list even longer.
My husband and I spent the first trimester looking for and buying our first home so we'd have enough room for baby. In the second trimester we had to pack up and move out of our apartment, into a temporary apartment and then into our new condo—a truly exhausting process during which I had to ask for much more help than I normally would have. Now in my third trimester I finally have time to stock up on all the baby essentials and there's still plenty of things to put together and organize. Not to mention all the doctor's appointments, childbirth classes and other get-ready-for-baby tasks.
I can't deny that pregnancy is zapping my energy and making everything a little tougher, though. So I'm learning to let go of my "go, go, go" attitude and trying to slow down, but it isn't easy.
While I kept up with boot camp and jogging through the second trimester, now I'm opting for prenatal yoga and swimming. I even tried the local Y's Aqua Zumba class, which comically turned out to be filled with seniors, which I suppose is sadly more my speed right now. Burpees and star jumps aren't in my repertoire anymore anyway, so I'm trying to look at these easy classes as a new adventure.
I have also learned to enjoy and embrace a Saturday afternoon nap. After all, soon enough I won't be sleeping at all, right? And now that I've finished writing this piece, I'm off to cuddle with my dog (and maybe my husband too) and watch TV from my new big, comfy couch—a task that I'm officially adding to my to-do list for every day of my last six weeks.
10 Ways to Slow Down While Pregnant
