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Mini Letters, Pregnancy

Mini Letters 5 (Pregnancy Themed)

Dear cravings… I’m really glad you’ve calmed down from all the bad, naughty things… Right now I can’t get enough oranges and glasses of cold milk, and with the amount of vitamins I take, including vitamin C and calcium, I’m surprised I have these cravings at all!  I also have the cliched pickle craving (seriously) and various summer fruits.

Dear Baby G, we’ve been together for 15 weeks and what a ride it’s been so far. You’re apparently the size of an orange now (sometimes it sounds like I’m giving birth to a fruit salad thanks to all the size depictions) and when I get to see you in the scans, you bounce around and move a lot. It’s bizarre that there is so much action happening and I can’t feel anything yet. I still think the best sound I have ever heard is your heart beat. It whooshes so fast!

Dear Fibroid. You officially suck. Yes, I sound very mature right now, but it gives me a lot of pain. Luckily it hurts me and not baby, so I’m fine with that, but sometimes the pain keeps me up at night. In the beginning, before I knew what the pain was or that it wasn’t hurting baby, it terrified me. In the very beginning there was the fear of it being an eptopic pregnancy. It’s also growing thanks to my hormones, which means I am showing a whole lot bigger than I should be. Imagine this: Bloated from the hormones, an enlarged uterus, orange size baby, amniotic fluid, placenta AND a 6cm Fibroid pushing my uterus out even further. It’s caused me some complications, but I’m taking it all in my stride, but I would love it to…

Dear Hormones. Jeepers. For someone who is pretty consistent in mood, I’ve been all over the place. Little things that would never affect me, do. I can get weepy over an advert or a internet meme. I can get irritated over the most ridiculous things and all I can say is: Poor Sox. We were laughing the other day, OK to be fair, I was probably finding it a little funnier than he was. I think I’ve said “I’m so sorry!” more in the past 12 weeks than I have in a total of 5 years. It’s the worst, but I’m incredibly lucky to have a tolerant, somewhat patient husband. My love, if you’re reading this, I promise you it’s not ME! It’s the hormones!!

Dear stranger who asks how far I am and then gets shocked when I tell them. Thank you for making me feel freakishly whale like. Yes. I know I’m bigger than I should be. I also don’t feel like explaining my Fibroid situation to you. No, you can’t touch. Would you touch my stomach before? I’d hope not. Would you say to any woman ordinarily: “Wow, you’re huge hey?” I didn’t think so.

Dear Body… for someone who hasn’t always been the kindest to you, I have a new found respect for you. I’m pretty in awe with how amazing you are, for not only continuing with all my usual functions, but growing this orange size person. When I found out, baby was the size of a poppy seed. I’ve always been most self conscious of my stomach and now it’s all people look at and want to touch. You have no idea how weird it is to get my head around it and remind myself: “You are growing a human there!”  I must sound loopy, but it’s so weird to think that there is a perfectly formed baby with all it’s own functioning organs and limbs in me. 

Dear Moms, I finally understand why you speak in weeks. I used to sigh (I think I even eye rolled) when I’d ask someone expecting how far they are and they’d say xyz weeks. Um… how many months is that? Please don’t make me do the maths!

I get why the weeks are so important… it’s all about the development because so much happens from week to week that it’s weeks that are milestones, not months.

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8 Comments

  • Reply Karolina Sky

    This is so precious❤Here’s my note to you: Dear Bailey, you’re going to be(and already are) the most amazing mom a little baby could be blessed with❤ Keep on shining and smiling, you’re growing a gorgeous and happy little human in there. Love you Xxx. K

    January 13, 2017 at 7:07 pm
  • Reply Esti Le Roux

    Haha Bailey! These are just perfect and I can definitely relate. I just had my baby boy 9 days ago and your cravings make me wonder if it’s a boy thing, as I had the exact same ones. Could not get enough of those Woolies fruit salads en drank milk by the litre!

    Regarding people commenting on your size, if pregnancy taught me something it’s that people (mostly strangers) are very insensitive and opinionated – you’re going to get comments on your size, your choice of name, whether you deliver naturally or c-section and whether you breastfeed or not. Try not to let it get you down, everyone wants to somehow feel part of this time and some don’t know how to do it in any other way than this.

    Luckily the other thing that pregnancy taught me is that people (also, often strangers) get very excited about the prospect of a new baby and you will be showered with love and kindness from the most unexpected sources.

    Wishing you a blessed, healthy, safe and joyous pregnancy!

    January 13, 2017 at 7:28 pm
    • Reply BaileySchneider

      Esti, CONGRATULATIONS on your baby boy! Oh my goodness, I feel honoured that you even read my post with so much going on for you right now! Thank you for such amazing advice… “everyone wants to somehow feel part of this time and some don’t know how to do it in any other way than this” really resonated with me and it’s actually a wonderful way to look at it! THANK YOU!

      January 13, 2017 at 7:40 pm
  • Reply Caley

    Haha, I could have written all of these too!! What a miraculous experience and so weird and crazy at the same time… Our little girl is a major mover and it often freaks me out (even being my third) but I cannot help but be in awe of all that is growing and developing inside of me each week… I think you look gorgeous friend x

    January 14, 2017 at 8:24 am
  • Reply Louise

    I loved reading this, it took me back to my pregnancy, over seven years ago now! Gosh time flies. It’s awesome. One day you’ll read back on this, and be in awe again. And people are all weird about touching preggie bellies – I know! It used to freak me out too.

    January 16, 2017 at 4:29 am
    • Reply BaileySchneider

      Time really does fly! Hahahaha and I know it’s special and people intrigued, but it’s strange when they reach in and give my tummy a rub; like I’m a Buddha

      January 16, 2017 at 7:06 am
  • Reply A Daft Scots Lass

    I didn’t like people pawing at me either! Just because you’re baking a miracle does not make our bodies public domain! Hands off…I showed very early too… I got incredibly emotional when everyone told me how huge I was. Us girls are sensitive about our weight to begin with and now when I was pregnant I didn’t really have control over it…now family, friends and complete strangers have to be so completely insensitive as to mention it AGAIN!!! It used to do me in.

    January 16, 2017 at 2:07 pm
    • Reply BaileySchneider

      I feel so relieved to read this because I know I’m not the first or last woman to be pregnant, but it’s a whole new world for me and it’s completely foreign! Everything is new… including getting bigger and being told how massive I look and while I know the reason is a pure blessing, it’s still hard to hear when hormones are surging too! So thanks for making me feel normal! xxxx

      January 16, 2017 at 2:25 pm

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