Reflection

I wore a pregnancy suit every day in private from April 13th through Mother's Day, May 13th, 2007. My objective was to gain a better understanding and stronger appreciation for the challenges that women encounter while pregnant. I am proud to say that I feel that I accomplished what I set out to do. As I've stated many times, this experience came nowhere close to duplicating what a woman experiences. To say that this was even the tip of the iceberg might be overstating it.

Nonetheless, it was worthwhile. And I learned a lot - perhaps more from the new conversations, blog comments, and emails with other moms than from actually wearing the suit. They shared stories, challenges, and the joys of their individual experiences. And individual is the key word here. Just as there are all types of people in this world, and all types of moms, there seem to be all kinds of different pregnancy experiences. Certainly, many similarities exist, but it is important to understand that variety rules.

My individual experience with the pregnancy suit opened my eyes to how heavy that amount of weight can feel when added to one's belly. Every time I put it on, the weight surprised me anew. Fortunately it was not debilitating, but merely slowed me down. Sleeping, on the other hand, was a draining experience. Getting out of bed was a struggle. My once usual 6:15 a.m. workouts became a thing of the past. In fact, I struggled to rise at 7:15 a.m. This was the result of becoming uncomfortable during the night and waking just to roll over, as well as trips to the bathroom thanks to the water I would drink before bed. Needless to say, a restless night meant a draggy day. In general, I felt lethargic - a feeling I was already familiar with as a parent of two young kids. Let's just say I know how lack of sleep can have a ripple effect on other areas of your life. I revisited that experience during my "pregnancy."

As I stated, the best insights came from conversations with other moms. For me, it boiled down to a single principle: assuming to know what a woman is experiencing and how she is feeling about her pregnancy is likely a mistake. Everyone has a different pregnancy experience - even guys. :-) Sure, true moms have pretty good insights into what other moms are going through in general, as they share many common experiences. But since pregnancy is such an incomparable experience, it is sometimes difficult to recall and definitely a mistake to assume anything without asking.

I plan to continue this blog, although tummy-less, in hopes of continuing the conversation and discovery into motherhood.

I welcome your comments, ideas, and further dialog.