Lessons in Parenting
I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but I received my first real lesson in parenting yesterday, and it was a bit of a slap in the face. I wouldn't exactly call myself a parent yet, being 7 months pregnant with our first child, and I think that may be part of the problem. Parenting involves sacrifice. Yes, I had been told this and witnessed it many times with my siblings and friends with children, but I think I was stubbornly hoping that for me it could be different. Ha, was I ever so wrong!
Let's start by saying that as far as pregnancies go, mine has been a cake walk. Sure I required 14hrs of sleep a night during the first trimester, and a few weeks of nausea, but other then that it has been smooth sailing. I have only gained weight on my belly, which is growing just as expected, I haven't had any strange food cravings, I couldn't complain of back pain or anything else until the last week, and I only threw up twice. For a women just entering her third trimester, I would say I am pretty lucky.
Yesterday morning I was offered the chance to go on a hike with friends, and though I hadn't been doing much more then walks or bike rides to the grocery store and chasing toddlers at work, I was feeling more then up for the challenge. As the hike progressed I was surprised at how good I felt, and when it came to an end I only felt a little tired, and my legs a bit sore. I was astounded how at 28 weeks, 4hrs of (fairly easy) hiking could be so easy.
Then about 4 hrs later it hit me! Horrible pain in my groin muscles, a sore lower abdomen, tight pain and pressure in my pelvis, and exhaustion. I was sure I must have killed our baby, or that walking for so long had caused it to drop down into my pelvis prematurely, and that this baby was coming 10 weeks early! I think I may have over reacted a bit, but the fears were realistic.
It was naive and irresponsible of me to have tried such a feat during this stage in my pregnancy. I think I knew this when I started, and I know my loving husband did. But I was not ready to make the sacrifice. After all this would be the first weekend since being pregnant I would be able to spend with others doing something I loved, and I wasn't going to pass it up. I paid and am still paying for that decision, and I imagine it is the first of many choices I will have to make involving sacrifice as I move into parenting. I just hope in the future I can push passed my stubbornness and accept the sacrifices of parenting, while relishing in its many rewards.
Let's start by saying that as far as pregnancies go, mine has been a cake walk. Sure I required 14hrs of sleep a night during the first trimester, and a few weeks of nausea, but other then that it has been smooth sailing. I have only gained weight on my belly, which is growing just as expected, I haven't had any strange food cravings, I couldn't complain of back pain or anything else until the last week, and I only threw up twice. For a women just entering her third trimester, I would say I am pretty lucky.
Yesterday morning I was offered the chance to go on a hike with friends, and though I hadn't been doing much more then walks or bike rides to the grocery store and chasing toddlers at work, I was feeling more then up for the challenge. As the hike progressed I was surprised at how good I felt, and when it came to an end I only felt a little tired, and my legs a bit sore. I was astounded how at 28 weeks, 4hrs of (fairly easy) hiking could be so easy.
Then about 4 hrs later it hit me! Horrible pain in my groin muscles, a sore lower abdomen, tight pain and pressure in my pelvis, and exhaustion. I was sure I must have killed our baby, or that walking for so long had caused it to drop down into my pelvis prematurely, and that this baby was coming 10 weeks early! I think I may have over reacted a bit, but the fears were realistic.
It was naive and irresponsible of me to have tried such a feat during this stage in my pregnancy. I think I knew this when I started, and I know my loving husband did. But I was not ready to make the sacrifice. After all this would be the first weekend since being pregnant I would be able to spend with others doing something I loved, and I wasn't going to pass it up. I paid and am still paying for that decision, and I imagine it is the first of many choices I will have to make involving sacrifice as I move into parenting. I just hope in the future I can push passed my stubbornness and accept the sacrifices of parenting, while relishing in its many rewards.
posted by Sades at
5:11 PM
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