Today I’m 36 weeks pregnant which leave exactly one month until our newest family member is expected to arrive. Over the last several months there have been many changes in life and my body. This past weekend of pampering and perspective is exactly what I needed to prepare for my final month of pregnancy.
As the uncertainty of pending motherhood draws closer, big changes are imminent, and my anxiety has slowly been on the rise To combat these feelings, I’ve been running around completing to-do lists in a desperate attempt to hang-on to the familiar. While in reality I’ve been creating more stress, and exhausting myself in the process.
To add fuel to the fire; I have been bombarded with comments and commentary about how my life is about to change, to prepare to never sleeping again, and general negative attitudes, regarding what is supposed to be a exciting time in my life. A complete stranger ask when my last day of work would be, and looked horrified when I told her I was planning to work until the week before my due date. She told me that I would never have time for myself again, and recommended taking weeks or even months off before the baby was born.
In addition to the unsolicited advice, there is the constant sharing of birthing and pregnancy horror stories. I’m starting to think its a sort of hazing ritual for a sorority I’m about to enter.
Finally to bring things to the boiling point, my workouts have lost both intensity and frequency, leaving me without an outlet for my anxiety. Having and outlet for the extra adrenaline my body produces is fundamental, otherwise I move through life in a hyper-vigilant state of aggravation.
So in summary:
No outlet + added anxieties = emotinal upheaval
35.5 weeks pregnant
As luck would have it, several weeks ago I planned a pampering Valentines weekend with a maternity massage I received for Christmas. This past Saturday I enjoyed prenatal yoga class, followed with a maternity massage at the Rain Tree Spa. After a little papering I gained some perspective…….
My Mom once told me, “Having a baby and raising a child will be one of the hardest things you’ll do in your life. It will also be the most important, and most rewarding. You will never regret it.” It seems fitting as my role as Step-Mom evolves to incorporate motherhood that I find comfort and strength in my Mother’s words.
I have been a Step-Mom for 5 years, one of the hardest parts has been navigating the boundaries of this unfamiliar role. I walked into an instant family, and built extraordinary relationships with two children that I love very much. I make a conscious effort to be an appropriate role model. Long gone are the child free days when I could hang out and socialize after work and didn’t have to worry about the indiscretions of a wild weekend. Now I ensure the music I listen to is appropriate, as is the language I use, and the people I choose to spend my time with. I make an effort to model core values through a healthy lifestyle, responsible behavior, and healthy family and relationship dynamics . I help identify learning oppourinties, helping to develop independence and maturity, while trying to provide a loving and supportive atmosphere. I may have skipped the baby stage, but I’m pretty confident I have a good understanding of what it means to be a parent, and its been pretty great so far. 🙂
It think its completely normal to have a certain amount of apprehension about the changes that are about to take place. I may not get as much sleep as I would like, I may not have as much time for myself as I am accustom to, and my priorities will undoubtedly change. I cannot control or anticipate any of this, all I can do is enjoy the journey and trust in my Mom’s words.
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