Ballet Baby, 21 Weeks

Hello Beauties! I am 21 weeks pregnant now and amazed by how big my belly is getting! The baby must be going through a growth spurt — my bump looks a little bigger to me every day!  According to the Bump.com the baby is the size of a pomegranate this week. How cute is that? The changes in my body in the last couple of weeks have really been dramatic and I am so thankful to still be feeling so good. Perhaps it’s because I’m feeling so energized and physically terrific, but even though I’m now clearly pregnant, it still surprises me to realize that this little miracle is totally out there and obvious to others. It might sound silly but pregnancy is such a special and almost private time in the beginning when these huge changes taking in your body are hidden to the world. It has been so exciting to be able share my joy with others! And suddenly everyone is now sharing their happy stories about parenthood, childbirth and the beautiful process of building a family with me. It is such a delight! With pregnancy there’s a fair amount of sacrifice involved, but I’m not focusing on that.  Sure, I miss drinking my usual coffee, occasional glass of wine, raw oysters and yummy soft, unpasteurized cheese but these are all things that at the end of the day, I can live without. Instead of resisting the inevitable changes that pregnancy brings, I’m embracing them with everything I have. I am delighting in every minute of this incredible new phase and trying to really tune in and listen to my body and my baby’s changing needs. As a ballet dancer you become an expert at pushing your body to limit, every night on stage.  It’s a quality that I see in so many women.  An almost crazy level of discipline, high tolerance for pain and undying focus are as natural to a dancer as breathing. While the same qualities serve me well as a business woman and entrepreneur, as a new mama-to-be I’m working overtime to tune out this instinctive part of me. Suddenly the actions and decisions that I am make every day about my body are about so much more than me. And I am loving it!! While I might not be charging up the steps to our studio with the same gusto as before I’m getting up there all the same. I’m keeping up with my prenatal BB workouts and am loving how strong yet balanced they make me feel. With my diet I’m definitely splurging more than usual on treats like ice cream (this little baby loves a milkshake!)and french fries. I’m not sure what it is about potatoes but I’ve been pretty obsessed with them for months. I’m also trying to balance it out by focusing even more on good nutrition — have I eaten enough fresh fruit and veggies today? Am I getting my greens, my whole grains and enough protein and calcium? Pregnancy can be a bit exhausting so I’m finding that planning ahead and a good grocery shop and frequent stops at the farmer’s market make it so much easier for me to eat and prepare low key healthy meals. And when it comes to sleep, at the risk of sounding terribly lazy, I’m treating it like my job! I know that once the baby comes sleep will be a precious commodity. I’m indulging in an early bed time and doing what I can to rest as much as possible, while I can. There’s nothing more luxurious to me now than a nice bath in the evening and snuggling up in bed with enough time to do some reading. One of my girlfriends told me that people treat pregnant women like the goddesses that we all really are. Isn’t that beautiful? I love thinking about how much beauty and power we all have inside of us. As a pregnant first timer I am way more in awe of the female body than ever before. I just can’t get over the knowledge that my body is nurturing and creating another life! With love and best wishes for you & your loved ones! xoxoMary Helen