Any woman of child bearing years knows the one question they ask you every time you visit the doctor. If you go for a scratchy throat or broken finger they ask you...what was the date of your last period?
Reason being of course that if you are pregnant they use this date to calculate the 40 weeks of gestation and predict your due date. When you are, in fact, pregnant you get to repeat it over and over throughout the many doctors visits you will attend. Every doctor you see (in my practice it's 5) and nurse who checks you in will ask you...what was the date of your last period?
It's fair to say that over time that date gets stamped in your memory. And I remember, without a shadow of a doubt that Tessa's date was July 18th of 2006.....I repeated that date over and over as they used it to calculate my weeks gestation and predict her due date of April 24th, 2007 (of which she arrived exactly one week early).
That means that for exactly three years to the day I have been either pregnant or breastfeeding with no break. I overlapped Charley's pregnancy and Tessa's nursing by only a month cause I found it just too taxing on the body.
My body has given me three years of excellent service. I had two wonderful and uncomplicated pregnancies, which produced two extremely healthy children. I had two great labors, one without the use of medication. Both children have enjoyed the benefits of breastmilk...one for 14 months and one for almost 6 months and still going strong.
I guess when I look in the mirror I only see the devastation left behind after my body's three years of service...stretch marks, floppy skin and a breastaraunt that is bigger than I could have ever imagined (or desired). I still weigh about 35 lb more than I did three years ago today and am finding it extremely difficult to lose more weight while still nursing Charley. I look worse for the wear.
BUT when I look in the mirror and start to feel sorry for myself I have to remember everything that my body has done and all the changes it has been through....and feel proud that we've come out on the other side feeling stronger and healthier than ever.
Good job body, keep up the good work. You're not perfect but that's okay, nobody is!
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3 comments:
I think you are beautiful!
.......some things we just accept as they are. You have been very fortunate that all of you are so healthy - that is all that matters. You have the rest of your life to get to where you want to be, and running after two little guys will soon trim you down!
AWWWW...I need to paste this one on my fridge!
Thanks for reminding me about the date...remember grace was exactly one year ahead of Tessa. That' means it was four yeard ago already. Man, time does fly!
Hey, I have a random request. Last weekend when I was with the kids I noticed the saying, or list on your frigde of the things you want to succeed in a day. I've been thinking about it ever since. Can you post that list,or at least email it to me?
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