I really like my OB.
He’s very detailed-oriented and cautious, just like I am, and he’s pretty good at dealing with my high-anxiety personality.
At my appointment yesterday, I asked him if I need to make any dietary changes since I’m stuck in bed all day.
He looked at my charts, and said, “Well, at this point you’ve gained — can I say it out loud?”
I nodded.
“Well, at this point you’ve gained [x-amount], and that is a little ahead of schedule. That’s to be expected, though, since you’ve been on bed rest for several weeks, but you could look at reducing your caloric intake a little bit.”
He continued, “Really, though, you’re this mask of strength every time I see you. But this is a really hard time, and some women in this situation turn to eating as a way of comforting themselves. I’m not going to take that away from you.”
Wow. Now normally I am all for healthy nutrition and discouraging obesity and all that, but my OB’s statement was pretty much exactly what I needed to hear. His words reminded me that our goal here is a healthy baby and healthy mommy — physically and emotionally — and if my biggest worry at the end of this journey is a few extra pounds to shed, that’s a cause for celebration.
I really needed to hear that perspective. I avoided exercise throughout the crazy heat of the summer, thinking Ian and I would take walks this fall. Even before bed rest I was on track to gain a lot more weight with this baby than I did with Ian, and since I’ve been confined to bed I’ve been worrying about losing all my muscle mass and gaining tons of weight. I appreciated the reminder of why I am doing this in the first place.
I am trying to manage my nutrition a little bit better, remembering that I don’t have to finish every meal someone brings me and occasionally declining a sweet snack. But yes, it is nice to know that a small amount of emotional eating — in this particular case — is doctor-approved.
I love your OB.
I love your OB, too. And balance. Did he talk to you about any very light exercises you can do to keep up some muscle mass so that you can squeeze on that little boy when he arrives? I have some friends who worked up some, um, activities that helped. “Exercises” is probably too strong a word, and not one you need to be saying. 😉 Have a yummy snack for me!