Some of the physical changes with pregnancy make me laugh. The first one that struck me was restless leg syndrome. When I heard about this at first (advertised through drug companies on TV), I thought it was a classic case of over-medicalizing normal conditions. I could not imagine that anyone would experience their legs as restless to a degree that would prompt medical attention. But when I first realized that my left leg had taken on a life of its own – the foot twitching, the whole leg kicking out at random, unable to lie still and let me sleep – I understood that this was a REAL PROBLEM! At first my twitching leg amused me; now it’s a bit more irritating as I can’t shake it out enough to get rid of the annoying restless feeling.
Being out of breath is another new one, often combined with a pounding heart. I know it’s because the baby is pushing on my lungs, and because of my increased blood supply, but it’s still not fun to be out of breath and exhausted after climbing a flight of stairs (only sometimes, that is – other days it doesn’t affect me much at all).
None of these, however, really bother me. Very small price to pay for having a wonderful new baby, and they will go away once baby arrives.
I love you, baby!