Monday, January 7, 2013

Resting

I gained a substantial amount of weight during pregnancy. Not an unhealthy amount, but more than average. My beginning point was probably a little under the average weight, and it came off within a year, so I believed my obstetrician when he said it was "healthy". I didn't even look pregnant until I was 20 weeks, then I gained it steady and fast.

I'm long waisted, so that probably accounted for not showing soon. However, it also meant I carried the baby really low. This made sleeping very uncomfortable. I could not lie comfortably on my back. I tried to sleep on my side, but my leg placed too much pressure on my pelvis. Before I was with child I would often snuggle up against Him and lay my leg across His, wrapping myself around Him. He encouraged this cuddling position, and during pregnancy I continued to sleep like this as it was the only way I could get any rest.


He is usually a stomach sleeper, but He need to remain on His back in order for His leg to be high enough to offer my pregnant thigh a comfortable perch. We slept like this through four pregnancies. It wasn't until many years after our last child was born that I heard Him commiserating with another father about how unnaturally heavy a pregnant leg was. This was the first time I ever heard Him mention that He had not been an eager participant as my pregnant leg rest. I'm not going to quibble about the "He has no right to even mention His discomfort after what I had to endure". The truth is: He was uncomfortable-for an extended period of time-and through multiple pregnancies; He never made me feel like my "maternity" thigh was any different than my "normal" thigh (until of course after the fact); and He never complained. He knew I was uncomfortable and He tried to ease my burden without turning it into one of His.

He propped my leg...

...one more reason I love Him

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