born.in.japan

Graduating

This past week I graduated out of the second trimester. I am now firmly planted in the third trimester and I am hoping that it is as enjoyable (and comfortable) as the second trimester was.

But before we move on to all the joys of the third trimester (including all the nesting that has begun around here), I thought I would post up one last belly shot from the second trimester.

There I am, in all of my big belly glory. (We affectionately refer to my new figure as the Downward Slope. My chest and belly just sort of mesh together into one, downward slanting shape. It’s kind of like a ski slope, with a few moguls.)

Many sources say that the second trimester is the time of the most rapid growth for both the baby and the mama. I must say, as I look at myself in the mirror now and compare it to the photos from just three months ago (when we were visiting Chicago) that I agree. I both look and feel bunches bigger than I did before. 

But I also know that I still have a long way to go. Books estimate that the baby weighs about 2 pounds now. Knowing that the baby, and therefore me, have at least another 5 pounds or so to put on, the growth in the third trimester is probably going to be quite substantial as well. In some ways, I am really looking forward to it.

Bring on the big ole baby belly!

Irony

You know how I was talking about my pregnancy cravings. The three foods that I want so badly (sweet potato, kabocha, and peppermint) . Well, I just got some bad news about one of them…

Last night, while suffering from a particularly painful bout of heartburn, I decided to check my Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy to see if there was any useful information that I had forgotten that might help me overcome the burning sensation in my chest.

First the book explains why pregnant women are more prone to heartburn – their digestion slows down, the uterus presses up against the stomach, etc.

Then, they talk about some of the things that can aggravate it or make it worse. Eating too big of meals, getting an empty stomach, etc.

And they give a list of foods that are common culprits, things that might potentially make it all worse. There are the usual suspects – fatty foods, fried foods, spicy foods and acidic foods (citrus). But then, where I least expected it, right in the middle of the list of foods:

PEPPERMINT and CHOCOLATE

Clear as day. This is the most tragically ironic thing ever. Just as I was lamenting to everyone that I craved peppermint and couldn’t find it in Japan, my family came through. They included enough peppermint chocolate inside the Christmas packages they sent as they could fit.

And now it is sitting there taunting me. Do I eat it anymore? How much peppermint and chocolate would be enough to aggravate the problem? Surely one or two squares of a chocolate bar would be ok, right?

Just 104 days unti my body will be mine again….just 104 days.

One more thing, the kicking is awesome. Little R has been having a serious party for close to 2 hours. I am sitting at my desk at work with my cardigan unbuttoned looking at and feeling all the movement going on. I think my co-workers must think I’m crazy. Crazy foreigner, sitting and staring at her belly.

Those Seats are for Me

Every bus and train has a special area for priority seating, seats that are supposed to be reserved for elderly, handicapped, pregnant women, or women with small children. I appreciate that these spaces exist but, more than that, I appreciate that most people respect these spaces and are glad to offer them to those in need. (Emphasis on most. I am sure that at some point in the near future you will be reading a rant about how inconsiderate some people are and how miffed I am when I’m not offered a seat, despite being obviously pregnant.)

Pregnancy has changed much of the way I do things, including how I get to work. Instead of riding my bike each day (about 30 minutes each way), I now have to take the train and the bus (about 40 minutes each way). Generally it isn’t too bad, but if I have to go to work a little earlier or I live a little later than normal, the trains/busses are packed and my commute can be a real pain in the ass.

Yesterday, as I was standing at the bus stop outside the high school I work at, I looked at all the students around me (at least 100 of them) and lamented over the fact that there was no way I was going to get a seat on the bus today. Granted, I can manage, but it certainly isn’t comfortable. 25 minutes of standing, in a packed bus, with my big ‘ole belly, it’s just not my idea of a good time.

The first two busses pulled up, announced that they were full, and without even opening their doors pulled away again.

The third bus came, after I had already been standing at the bus stop for about 15 minutes, and thankfully had some room. My students and I mobbed our way towards the bus and many of us were able to get on. All the normal seats were filled long before I boarded the bus but, much to my relief, two of the priority seats were open. But the aisle was so crammed with students, that I couldn’t imagine how I would get over there.

As I stood there, trying to figure out how to make this work. One of my students sat down in the priority seat and told one of her friends to sit beside her. Her friend pointed to the sign and told her that the seats were priority seats. The girl sitting down explained that it was ok, the bus was filled with students, no one needed those seats. The girl that was still standing seemed to think about her remarks carefully, while scanning the bus to be sure that what she was saying was true. As she scanned, our eyes met. But Danielle-sensei is on the bus, she said.

After making this realization, she asked some of the students that were between me and the priority seat to make way. My big ‘ole belly and I waddled through the aisles and practically fell into the seat. I was glad to be off my feet for the ride, and really impressed and thankful that there are still some kind and considerate high school students in this world. Actually, I was quite impressed with her and I can only hope that one day my son/daughter will be just as thoughtful of others as well.

Baby is Already Here

DISCLAIMER: So, before anybody out there starts panicking. No, the baby hasn’t been born yet. It is still inside my belly, just as it should be at this point. Right where we are hoping it will stay for another 3 months or so. The title of this post refers more to my frame of mind about the baby, and some helpful words of wisdom from a friend, than its actual whereabouts.

Alright. Now that that is out of the way, let’s continue.

I have found myself thinking a lot about what I want to do or what I must do now, before the baby actually comes. I have also been lamenting over some of the things I want to do, but already find myself unable to do, since it won’t get any easier once the baby is here.

Sleeping, for example. I know that newborns need 24-hour parenting. They don’t enter the world ready to sleep through the night because that is not what is best for them, their health and their development. I recognize this, so I know how important it is for me to get my rest now. To sleep well now, before I have a little person that wants to be fed, changed and comforted throughout the night.

Despite wanting, desperately, to sleep well through these last few months of pregnancy, it seems as though it is going to be near impossible. Already, sleeping is becoming more difficult for a number of reasons.

First, I sleep on the floor. Yes, we have lovely futons and memory foam pads, but it is still the floor. It isn’t the floor, specifically, that is the problem. It is more the fact that getting up and down from the floor is becoming increasingly difficult. Now, if I could sleep throughout the entire night without waking, it wouldn’t be so much trouble, but let’s face it, that simply isn’t possible because of reason #2.

Second, I have to pee, a lot. I try to stay hydrated, knowing that it is important for my health and my babies health, but that means I need to make anywhere from 2-4 trips to the toilet each night. Getting up to go to the toilet that many times is disruptive no matter what your sleeping location, but getting up from the floor that many times is even more so. There is grunting and heaving and trying to stabilize myself as I get up slowly (this must be done slowly to avoid the inevitable lightheadedness that results from getting up too fast). Since it is such a process, it takes more time and makes getting back to sleep that much more difficult. Fortunately, my husband usually makes a trip or two himself. Now, when he gets back he offers to help me up. This really does help simplify the process for at least one toilet trip each night.

Third, my preferred sleeping position is not an option. I have always been a stomach sleeper and now I have had to find other ways. I bought a wonderful pregnancy pillow designed to help me sleep comfortably on my side  and it does help considerably (I sleep much better with it, on the floor than I did with just two pillows when I was sleeping at a hotel a few weeks ago). Still, side sleeping just doesn’t do it for me. My hips and shoulders get sore, I find that I am constantly in need of adjusting my position. I try to flip myself each time I go to the toilet, and for awhile that was enough. But now I find that I need to switch sides even more throughout the night. Each switch involves flipping the big pregnancy pillow, scootching to the other side of the bed, and reorganizing the covers. It’s a process.

I mentioned this all to a friend a few days ago. Telling her all the things I wanted to do before the baby came, and how frustrated I was that I wasn’t able to. She, being a mother of two grown children herself, said something that seems so obvious, but was quite interesting for me to hear.

“Danielle, the baby is already here,” she said.

“No it’s not. It’s just inside. It won’t be here until March, at least,” I countered.

“No, really, it’s already here. You are already a mother and your baby is already changing your life, as it should. Don’t be upset about all the things you want to do before the baby comes, it’s too late for that. Embrace your life as a mother now, and accept that it is never going to be the same.”

Somehow I had never really thought about it that way, and having her say it to me, in such a gentle, yet matter-of-fact, way really helped.

So, the baby is here. As we speak Little R is thumping away inside me. Kicking the edges of my belly and having a grand time. Sure, things will change even more once the baby comes out, but for now I am going to work on embracing and accepting all the things that have already happened, all the changes that have already occurred for our little one.

Pickles and Ice Cream

One of the things I get asked most, aside from whether this baby is a boy or girl, is what strange pregnancy cravings I have had. Honestly, until the past few weeks I hadn’t had any. I have a huge laundry list of foods that I don’t want to eat, things that don’t sound good, but I haven’t had many foods that are on my must-eat-them-now list.

But now, I finally am having a few and it is really strange to want, desperately to eat a particular food for no particular reason. I am craving three things these days; sweet potatoes, kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) and mint.

The first two cravings have been easy to satisfy. The sweet potatoes are a little odd, because I have never traditionally liked them. Sweet potato is always the dish that I shy away from on the Thanksgiving Day spread. But now, I just can’t get enough!

Since we live in Japan, kabocha has also been easy to come by. One day, on the way home from work, the craving was so strong that I stopped in the local grocery and picked up a few pieces of kabocha tempura. I couldn’t even wait until I got home to eat it, I nibbled on my tempura as I waited in line for the train.

Mint has been the real problem. It is a flavor that is almost non-existent in Japan. I am craving mint with chocolate and I try to find it in every store that we visit. I have had this craving for a few weeks now and I still haven’t been able to fulfill it. A good friend suggested yesterday that I pick up some peppermint extract from a local grocery and make up my own batch of mint chocolate. I think she may be on to something!

So yeah, those are my cravings right now. I am really looking forward to seeing what else I crave during this pregnancy!