#pregnancyrules

1. People care about you all the time… Like you’re a fragile little baby

Im the tough type of girl, as people see me… So it tickles me a lot to receive ‘kamustas’ or ‘how are you and your baby?’ Constant questioning such as ‘have you eaten already?’ ‘are you eating/ sleeping well?,’ ‘wag magpagod ha,’ makes me kilig… Most especially from random people who I thought don’t give a damn about other people’s lives.

2. You can sleep and eat a lot and people around you will perfectly understand

Come on, who wouldn’t want a more-than-8-hours-a-day peaceful sleep? I can eat and then sleep after, and nobody in the house would scold me. They’ll perfectly understand

3. You can get fat… and ugly, and people will not judge you

Going out looking pale without make-up on, or not having to wear ‘ootd clothes’ is a gift from God. If not for pregnancy, people will be like ‘girl why do you look like that?’ or worse, ‘girl you’re fat.’ But in my current state, I can easily butt-out in a cute manner, ‘but i’m pregnant :(‘ and then people will be like, ‘oh shocks sorry, sorrryyy…’ And they totally mean it.

4. Pregnancy rights.

Which includes passing-on household chores, having seats on public transportation, not to wait in line, gets free things and cute stuffs like additional drizzle of caramel on your frapp. These things, although un-pregnant women can get them too, make pregnant women feel really special hehe

5. Having reasons to buy new clothes

Being a cheapskate that I am, I always reason-out on buying new clothes. I believe that as long as it fits and that I can still remake the clothes by pairing it with something, it’s still wearable. Problem is, when you gain weight, most of your clothes can’t even fit your thighs. So the solution is to buy clothes and not feel guilty about it.

6. Having the right to bitch-out once in a while and people will feel really sorry about it

Haha… This one I enjoy the best. There’s this one night, I’m trying to sleep (even though it’s just 8pm) and then my neighbors were having a videoke inuman outside their house, which was also infront of our house. So I went down and talked to them nicely and told them that i’m trying to sleep. They were all sorry and then they turned the volume down. And then I went back to my room and played music as loud as my baby can hear it. OMG. Hahahaha... And then I can also trick my 11-year old brother to stop watching annoying cartoons on cartoon network because ‘my baby can watch what im watching’ so he turned the TV to food network instead. OMG hahahaha

7. The ability to feel sexy all the time.

I don’t know with you, but since I got my belly swelling, I feel more confident in bra and panties… And good lord, my husband can testify to that… EVERY. SINGLE. FREAKING. NIGHT. as in.

8. Mommy boobs are great

Boobs are power. No explanation needed.

9. You can excuse yourself from occasions you don’t want to attend

-Groceries, boring basketball games, birthdays, accompanying pets to the vet… Ugghh… Annoying errands. Being pregnant excuses you to join these events just because you feel lazy, you don’t want to dress-up, or you’re just not in the mood to see other people. Guilty. Hahaha

10. Immunity from jerks and Aholes

You can easily bitch-off jerks from their A-games as easy as ‘cut the crap, I’m pregnant, get out of my face.’ Or, point out other people’s bad behavior by guilt-tripping them saying, ‘grabe! I have to hear that from you? Buntis ako. Preno naman.’ When in fact, what they say didn’t bother you at all coz you own a mind as crude and dirty as theirs. Hahahaha….

So you see, a lot of girls, women, ladies, are blabbering about how painful their pregnancy is; or how it cuts them the life that they had before the baby came in. They’re forgetting the good sides of being pregnant, for however shallow (and mean hahaha) they may be.

The bestest (bestest because best doesn’t even justify) part of being pregnant is feeling the little bumps of your baby from your womb. The cute little pang of excitement when your baby starts punching and kicking from inside could make all the pregnancy pain and annoyance go away. It can make you smile a lot because that’s their little way of saying hello to you, their mom.

For every piece of advice that you decide to follow while you are pregnant (and as a new parent), you’re bound to hear a multitude of things that just don’t make sense for you and your situation. Give yourself the okay to do your own thing. Understand that it is okay for someone else to take baby yoga or use cloth diapers or take a “breast-feeding vacation”*, but it doesn’t make you a bad parent if you decide to do things another way. As long as you are doing your best to provide your baby with a safe and healthy environment in and outside of the womb, and they are thriving as a result of your efforts, then you’re doing okay. So breathe.

So What did I Decide Against?

The Flu Shot. I did not get the flu shot while I was pregnant, and I haven’t had it since (or ever). My thinking was/is that I am a fairly healthy person, I rarely get sick, and I would not be in contact with other vulnerable persons.

Avoid Paint. Although my husband did the bulk of the work, I did help with the painting of the nursery a little. I spoke with my Doctor beforehand and he okayed it. We also made sure to purchase paint with minimal toxic fumes, made sure the room was well ventilated, and I spent a limited amount of time near the wet paint. I wanted to participate in decorating the baby’s room and feel like I had helped prepare the special space for him or her.

Avoid Hot Baths. I mostly took showers, but toward the end I did take a few hot baths to try to find some comfort. I just made sure the water was a reasonable temperature and I didn’t submerge my stomach completely or for very long. They have soaker tubs in many birthing rooms at hospitals these days, so it must be safe to a certain degree.

Avoid Certain Foods. Although I did cut out prepackaged food, Aspartame, and things like deli meat, I did not cut out all of the foods that they recommend in most pregnancy guides. For example, it is recommended that pregnant women do not eat sushi. From what I have learned, the reason that sushi can be problematic for pregnant women is because the fish can (in some cases) contain high levels of mercury and, if sushi is not stored and prepared properly, food-poisoning can become an issue, which may put the fetus at risk. I allowed myself to have sushi about five or six times throughout my pregnancy. I chose to eat at reputable restaurants with excellent health and safety standards, and I avoided eating anything with raw fish in it. Basically, I stuck to California Rolls, vegetarian items, and cooked rolls.

Why Did I Decide to “Break the Rules”?

The more I read and received advice about having a perfect pregnancy and raising a perfect baby, the more I realized it would be impossible for me to do it all. And I realized it’s not a competition. I was not setting out to be perfect, and I didn’t want to create expectations that my child should be perfect either. Did I want to have a safe and healthy pregnancy? Yes, of course. Did I want my baby to be healthy and happy and arrive here safely? Yes, of course! Did I really think having a California Roll or forgetting to take my Pre-Natal vitamins a couple times would ruin everything? No.

So I made a deal with myself.

Try your best. Be healthy. Be Happy. Relax. Trust yourself.

It seems to have worked out for me. It will probably work out for you too.

xo Mama