Summertime Pregnancy

In case you haven't noticed, we're having a heat wave. It's hotter here than it is in Hawaii; my parents just informed me of that. For pregnant women, whose body temperatures are already higher, this is plain cruel because we are sweating like whores in church AND because we are not in Hawaii. Unless of course you are.

In an effort to see the silver lining, I've compiled a list of reasons it's actually nice to be pregnant in the summer. Yes. There are reasons. Plural. Not many, so don't get too excited.

1.) The clothes are cuter- I'm a firm believer that spring and summer clothes are cuter in general anyway, but especially on a pregnant woman. It's easier to look pulled together with a pod growing out of your abdomen while wearing a summer dress than wearing a chunky sweater, cords, and boots (I actually cringed at the thought of wearing that because it's 7:30 and 101 degrees out). My summer pregnancy uniform is shorts (tangerine ones are my fav), sleeveless tank, and Toms/flops. No stuffing swollen feet into socks and boots!

 


2.) You can be tan!- Granted, I do not let the sun touch my face-- I get ugly splotches when I'm pregnant-- but, the rest of my body is tan, which makes me feel healthy rather than fat and pasty--very easy to feel when you're pregnant in January. I loathe burning, so I'm a Nazi about sunscreen, and am proud of the glow I've attained despite wearing SPF 30 religiously.

That's me. Pfff! 

3.) The food is better- for you, I suppose. There are so many delicious fruits and vegetables in season like:  cherries, watermelon, strawberries, summer squash, corn on the cob, etc. I know you can still gorge yourself on hamburgers on the 4th of July and ice cream at the pool, but I don't tend to feel hungry when I'm sweating buckets.

4.) Fewer gluttonous holidays- If you are due after the terrible triumvirate (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas), expect a few extra pounds than normal. It's really hard to deprive yourself when that cute little bump seems to hide everything. Over the summer, you catch a break. The food at get togethers is less carby and more fruit and vegetabley.

Would you like some butter with that Christmas ham?

5.) Time flies- Vacations, reunions, cookouts, and weddings seem to come charging at you like an unstoppable rebel force. Once you hit September and the kids are back to school, time seems to slow down a bit as does your social calendar. (Keep in mind this is relative--if you just got pregnant, I can imagine nothing worse than being a nauseous, sweaty, vomity mess in 101 degree heat. I'm sure you feel every milisecond of summer and would gladly cut me for making light of summer. In which case, I'll gladly hand you my nail file should we meet at Target).

6.) There's always air conditioning- unless there's not, like this past weekend. I'm thankful that every where I really need to go, has air conditioning. My house, my car, where I shop. Unless it's the pool, I do not need to associate with places that don't have air conditioning, thankyouverymuch. Ms. Mess enlightened me when we were both pregnant with our first children. I was due in July, she was due in September. I said, "I'm so sorry you have to endure the rest of the summer". She said, "Why? Everywhere I need to be has air conditioning". Duh!

7.) The weather will be nicer when the baby gets here-  Unless you give birth tomorrow (like I did two years ago), the weather will be nicer when the baby arrives and you are ready to get out of the house. When I had Henry two years ago almost to the day, I was so annoyed that it was too hot to take him out for a walk. Even if I stripped him down to a diaper, it was to damn hot out. I had horrible cabin fever and didn't feel like I could handle taking him to the mall by myself. If you're due anywhere from September-May in this area, I feel like you can always bundle yourselves up and get some fresh air. Right now, the air is neither fresh nor air. It is odious steam.

8.) You'll get to drink when it REALLY counts- This one is a little debatable, and I'm not afraid to admit I'm grasping for straws here, but football season and the holidays are when I want to drink. I LOVE drinking a Corona with a lime on the beach, but I adore drinking Sam Adams Octoberfest during a Redskins game or having a glass of red wine by the fire at Christmas. I also love drinking a glass of champagne (or ten) on New Year's Eve, but that's neither here nor there. The jury's out on this one since drinking Coronas on the beach is exquisite, but I'd like to think that drinking during football season trumps all. My apologies to the ladies who are due after the season ends. If it's any consolation I think we're in for a doozy with the mess the Saints left us in the NFL and the BCS play-offs in college football.

I'm waiting my friend. See you soon.