Happy Thursday evening! Can you taste Friday yet? I’m glad you all found humor in my dark side of pregnancy post from earlier today. As much as I joke, I do love being pregnant. Even when things don’t go as smoothly as planned. In fact, my 6 month check-up this afternoon kind of let me down.

Most of you know that I have no desire to know my weight gain during this pregnancy. I don’t mind the number on the scale, but simply do not care to know it. Too many people emphasize it as the “be all end all” to determine the health of a pregnancy. I do not agree with this thinking. I believe that each body will gain exactly what it needs to in order to support a baby if you eat a mostly nutritious diet, eat when hungry, and stay moderately active. That is how I approach my pregnancies and I never doubted it.

Today’s appointment affected my will though. Despite numerous times asking not to know my weight, the midwife blurted it out. The nurse didn’t say anything because of my request, but since I forgot to specifically tell the midwife she “brought up her concern for the jump in gain this past month”. Apparently, I have gained 9 pounds over the past 4 weeks. My initial thought was OUCH! I felt guilty and kind of mumbled “okay, I’ll pay closer attention and be careful” in shame to my midwife.

Later, after reflecting on this, I got a bit angry. For one, everything else checked out perfectly fine health wise. Two, my total gain (which of course she told me) is only 13 pounds at 6 months along. The average woman should gain 25-35 pounds during pregnancy. Only about 7-10 pounds of that gain is in the form of fat. The rest is fluids, blood, baby, placenta, enlarged breasts/uterus, etc. Lastly, I know my body!

I know with M I gained 1/3 of my total weight gain in month 5, which is the month I just got through. My weight gain slowed down and I trust it to do the same this time around. I know I have not put on an excessive amount of fat this month because I feel the gain in my breasts and belly. I popped big time this past month. Everyone who sees me has noticed it.

I also know that I do not sit around and gorge myself. I admit to eating more…because I have truly been hungry. Even though I don’t show all my meals on this blog, joke about eating loads of candy corn, and share my out to eat ventures, on the whole I know I eat well. I have some sort of oats mix for breakfast, leftovers or a sandwich with fruit for lunch, a bowl of cereal for a snack, and mostly healthy dinners that include lots of veggies and whole grains. Yes, I have a small sweet treat every day and an extra more indulgent meal or two on the weekend, but its not enough to load an extra 5+ lbs of unhealthy weight on me. Check out the pics below – on the left me at 6 months with M…on the right me at 6 months with B.

I still work out 4-5 days most weeks, guzzle water, and pay close attention to my body as well. I take care of myself! And to be told I’m not doing that and need to watch it bothers me. I will certainly pay close attention to my choices after that visit, but I refuse to not eat when hungry or deny myself anything deemed unhealthy for fear of it making me fat during pregnancy. If for some reason, the extra weight gain continues I will take a closer look. But I know my body. And I know it appreciates how I treat it. I’ve learned the hard way that the most important thing is to trust yourself. I’ve been through a lot learning just how to do that. No one will make me question that. No one.

• Have you ever had to trust your body over what a doctor says?
• What things really irk you? Obviously, I get frustrated when people don’t honor my requests or question my habits.

Check out this morning's 30 DSLR post. All about challenges!

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Is it seriously already mid-day? Where has today gone?! I started off this morning like any other with some work on the computer before Makenzie woke up. Then a pumpkin infused breakfast, of course.

Apparently, this little concoction has been floating around blog land the past couple of days. I mixed up some pumpkin, Justin’s maple almond butter, and maple syrup as a topper for some waffles. It sounded good to me and I went for it, then read others doing the same thing while devouring my own. Great minds think alike! 😉

I spent the majority of the morning hours hanging out with fellow mom friends in Makenzie’s playgroup. Now, I have a bit of down time before spending the majority of my afternoon at the doctor’s office. I have my 6 month prenatal appointment today. Really?! I’m already that far along? I have only 4 months left?

Ohhh…didn’t you know pregnancy is closer to 10 months than the popularly stated 9 months? Fooling you into a shorter time span is part of the dark side of pregnancy. Check out some of the other dark sides of pregnancy.

Say hello to Pamela Anderson.

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Your boobs grow. It may sound appealing, but trust me its not. They get in the way and cause too much discomfort – like an achy back and boob sweat. Yep, I said boob sweat. Then, you get to look forward to them swelling up even more after the baby. I literally wore a size F bra the first 2 months after M. SIZE F!!!!! Only to have them deflate to floppy things later on. But you know? I prefer the floppy.

You consider buying stock in panty liners.

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Extra trips to the bathroom during pregnancy may not be breaking news. But did you know that sneezing, laughing, and coughing can cause leakage? Call me grandma!

You also consider buying stock in prunes.

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Even with all those trips to the bathroom, you don’t go go. Likely because a baby has your intestine pinned to your rib cage and unable to process anything. It makes for very pleasurable gas. And one thing to remember for when your time comes? Get the enema! It can save you from an embarrassing accident. Oh yes, that happens on the delivery table!

Why is there hair…there?!

Pregnancy may help give you more luscious locks on your head, but the hair growth extends elsewhere too. Like your stomach….lower back…your Pamela Anderson zone. Dang hormones! And get used to being hairy overall. Shaving becomes a near impossibility by the end. Welcome to France! Or the 70s. Pick your mental image.

Huff huff huff.

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With the baby pushing all your organs around the easiest tasks will wind you. I literally get out of breath going up the stairs. Physically, I don’t feel tired but my body just. can’t. breathe!

There is nothing you can do about stretch marks.

They’re genetic. Did your mom have stretch marks? Then, you likely will too. Save the $ on those fancy creams for something you really want. Like a massage. Just remember to verify they don’t rub you raw through a sheet first. 😉

The cruelest joke in the world.

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Say good-bye to quality sleep long before that baby comes. You would think mother nature would allow you to stockpile sleep in the last half of pregnancy to prepare for all the night waking a newborn brings. You would think. Potty breaks, painful hips, a limited number of sleeping positions, and just plain ole can’t sleep issues plague you like no other.

So, there you have it. If you have a kid – you likely got a chuckle. If you want a kid in the future – I gave you  some truth. If you aren’t sure – I apologize for scaring you from ever wanting children. 😉

What’s the dark side of something that you can share? Running? Your job? Being married? Living with roommates? Cooking? Anything!