The Nine Month Journey: How I Dealt with Gaing Water Weight

When I went to the doctor for my daughter, I was told I would gain a small amount of weight. What she forgot to mention to me that it meant every part of my body, including my feet. The weight started at a small amount; like the little one in my belly. I was soon to learn that the small amount of weight was a teaser and the real weight gain was on the way. Walking became a problem for me in my fifth month and I was wondering if I would ever see my feet again. I actually thought maybe my feet didn't exist anymore. The weight I had gained from this pregnancy was making me wonder if my child was carrying extra food for a camping trip.

I was not only gaining weight from the child growing inside me, but also, I was gaining an enormous amount of water weight. The water weight and the pressure of the weight in my newly occupied belly, was causing swelling in my ankles and my feet. I started to think I was one of those blow up displays on a cell phone building. Since it was my first child, I having no clue what was going on, talked to my doctor asking her if this was normal weight gain? She assured me that under certain circumstances excessive weight could occur. This really wasn't a vain issue of whether or not I had looked different in my weight gain, as more as it was that I missed walking, sitting and my feet.

I believe sitting down was the most challenging thing while being pregnant I have ever done. All those college exams had nothing on me compared to sitting down while carrying a ton or what seemed a ton at the time. I would first position myself over the chair, turning to look behind me to remember where it was and then trying to make sure I had that right. The next level of this task was to see if I could bend myself in a position to ease into the chair without getting stuck. I would ease into the chair, making sure my legs were bent just so. After accomplishing this great goal, I would then find it difficult to get up. The chairs we had were slippery, meaning they were cushioned and the cushioning did not have hand holds. I would struggle getting up, moving myself this way and that, until I had no energy left to give. After I claimed defeat on getting up from the chair, I hoped my husband was around to get me out of it.

The next part of the weight gain challenge was to be able to walk from the chair to the bathroom. I could barely get to where I needed to and forget about seeing my feet, I had no feet! An idea came to my mind, maybe just maybe I could roll to the bathroom. No, no, I could not do that or maybe just jump and see what happens? All these ideas at the time seemed good; of course I never used any of them. What ended up happening, is I made a decision, kind of like Rocky did in the movies, and committed myself to walking. It became a good half hour to get there from the chair, but I declared victory and was happy with myself.

The one thing that made this weight gain special, was the fact of what produced it. My daughter became the most precious gift I could have ever had; though I did have an adventure with the weight gain and the challenge of finding my feet again. I would not replace that experience for the world. My challenges now amount to the same bundle that gave me no feet to the five year old that gives me joy and headaches all at the same time.