This week has been very similar to last week: not much cycling but a good amount of swimming and yoga. I’ve come to love the therapeutic quality of swimming slow and rhythmic laps in the cool water of our city pool. While the sun shines bright and hot above, I feel refreshed and weightless in the water below. And then I step out of the water and feel like someone just unloaded one of those sumo-wrestler outfits unto me.
As for yoga, I attended my last prenatal yoga class (the class won’t resume until after I have my baby). I’ve been trying to practice more on my own still, as you can see from the photographic evidence above and below. Needless to say, whenever I roll out that mat, it’s suddenly the most popular spot in the house.
On the cycling front, I did manage one bike ride all week. I met my friend H. for our weekly writing workshop and since we chose a coffee shop less than two miles from my house, I biked there. The trip was mostly on trails (as pictured) and through quiet neighborhoods, so I didn’t have any qualms about getting on my bike and taking this big ol’ belly for another ride. I do wonder though how many bike rides are still left in this pregnant body of mine.
Also, this is why my cupholder now resides on the outside of the handlebars…
On the other hand, I actually feel as though it’s easier to stay physically active at this point than it is to remain mentally engaged. Every day I set a list of writing goals for myself (I’m currently working on two big writing projects) and it’s a struggle to focus and put coherent thoughts to paper. Part of it is the constant distraction of thinking ‘I could give birth today!’ and the other part of it is the fatigue. As of last week, I can no longer make it through the day without a nap. And I was never a napper before, so I struggle with an irrational guilt when it comes to napping so frequently. Fortunately, I just learned of Jennifer Eye White’s new book on napping (read the hilarious interview over at Literary Mama) and so I’m coming more and more to terms with this new daily need of mine.
I’m curious, if you cycled through your pregnancy, at what point did you call it quits? And how did you manage to stay sane those last couple of weeks of waiting? Your thoughts and suggestions are much appreciated!
How did I stay sane? Hmmm…I worked both times (I have two boys) until I gave birth. But I do recall having difficulty focusing, because I was thinking about the birth.I was better at doing one thing at a time and making lists helped. Set little tasks for yourself, even if it’s vacuuming one room for the day. You seem like you are doing fine. Keep visiting friends and do take those naps. It’s preparing you for time when you will need them after the birth. You are very beautiful with that big belly!
I can’t answer that one about how to make it through the last two-ish weeks. My daughter popped out at 37 1/2 weeks. Big hugs! You are almost done!
Haha…oh kitty. Stop hogging the mat!
Don’t feel guilty about the naps. Any of my friends that got pregnant just gave into what their body was telling them. And it was telling them ‘naps, now’.
Poor girl! Tweet when you go to the hospital. I’ll be thinking about you. I feel like your blog readers are on-alert because you could go any minute.
Off topic question: Are those shoes in the last photos huraches? I’ve been thinking of getting some Unshoes as they are geared more towards the hiking set (me) rather than the running set (not me right now). But either way I love the idea of minimalist shoes.
Lauren, they’re actually a pair of sandals I got at American Eagle about 4 years ago. They’re nothing special but I really like the minimalist design, that they’re flats, and that they’ve actually held up surprisingly well.
Hi! I just discovered your blog a few weeks ago. Fun to read!
I was a pregnant cyclist, as well. The last time I cycled was actually the evening before my water broke – as I biked to my midwife appointment at 40 weeks. My water broke that night.
As for staying sane, the first time my little one came at 35 weeks (surprise!!), so I never played the waiting game. The second one came on his due date, but I was also chasing around a 2-year-old. 2 year olds have a way of keeping your mind off of things. :)
Best of luck to you!
You have come so far and stayed active throughout your pregancy. Enjoy your naps and don’t feel guilty about taking it easy these last couple of weeks. Walking and swimming is good. I had to stop (I was teaching aerobics at the time, running, and cycled a couple of times a week) early on (6 months) during my two pregnancies because I’m also a Type 1 diabetic, which is an autoimmune disease (not diet related, like Type 2), so I had to be extra careful. Though my doctor liked that I stayed active, back then, they recommended walking for my particular case. The last four weeks of my 1st pregnancy I had to be on bed rest, which was complete torture. So, kudos to you for coming this far and staying active all this time. I really enjoyed reading about your journey and what you experienced throughout your pregnancy. Now, I can’t wait to see that baby.
My son was born at 41w2d, but I didn’t struggle to stay sane until after the 40 week mark. I worked up until my due date, and, as I was taking a year-long leave of absence, I had to clean my desk/work area and get all my files in order, so that kept me busy as I trained my replacement and transitioned out of my projects. But after I was done at work, I hardly wanted to do anything because I didn’t want to be halfway through something when the baby came. I did a few small projects (made cloth diaper wipes, made a storage cover for something in our garage, etc.) and, fortunately, had my mom to keep me busy. I also read an entire newly-released book in a couple days.
But, honestly, I don’t think I was fun to be around as the days wore on! I started to get annoyed and worried about a potential labor induction. Good luck! It could be today, or it could be 3 weeks from today. Enjoy every moment, plan a few “must do-s” each day, and then just do whatever you feel like doing.
embrace the naps. your amazing body needs the rest and never feel guilty about that :D plus naps make you feel refreshed… i love taking naps!
xo,
cb
I totally resonate with you, S.! My babies both came the day after their due date, but not before I lost my sharpness. I “worked” right up until the end, but I’m a scientist and I know I wasn’t at my best. Long walks along the lakes in Madison were my activity of choice, plus a cooking meals for my freezer. Savor the anticipation, if you can. I’ve found nothing else quite like it!
I have a three month old sweet little girl. I figured my naps towards the end were just “practice” for when she came. And I was so glad I had gotten all that practice in. Your body is working hard, so give it the rest. The ubiquitous advice “sleep when the baby is sleeping” is so true and beneficial for those first few weeks. So just count these naps as practice for new parenthood, and good luck staying sane. I’m not sure how or if I kept myself sane then. A lot of reading and walks through our neighborhood, plus preparing for my parents visit. It was much easier to focus on their visit (since I knew they day and time they’d arrive) than worrying about when the babe would make her debut!
Well done, lady! I totally understand the staying mentally engaged struggle — my last few weeks of work were a bit of a battle to remain focused on what I was doing while fighting the enormous list of things about the “next” phase of my life that I was hoping to get to work on before I got to be too tired! Fingers crossed for you as the process continues — I’m hoping your online absence the last couple of days means that little C. has blessedly arrived and you and T. are relaxing and enjoying the magic of new parenthood!
Pingback: Thank You Huntington, Herald-Dispatch, Carfree with Kids, and Simply Bike | A Simple Six