Imagine you have just chugged at least half a can of Coke (and, yes, in the black and white world I live in, the world in which I am all the way left and not even partially moderate, it has to be Coke, not Pepsi…. Blame it on the fact that I grew up drinking ice cold Coke from 16 ounce glass bottles). So you’ve just finished swallowing at least 4 ounces of bubbly Coke and your stomach is an eruption waiting to happen. You know that feeling where you have to force yourself NOT to burp, where it hurts if you don’t burp? Well, now imagine feeling like that all day long no matter what you eat or drink.
Apparently the new digestive symptoms of the second trimester have arrived. I spent the day suppressing air that seemed determined to make its way from my now much higher stomach up into my esophagus and out my mouth. Lovely.
I’m also finding that my new changing shape is creating interesting physical challenges. Last week’s 20-week OB visit showed a total weight gain of 13 pounds. You wouldn't think 13 pounds would make that big a difference in mobility, but it's where that 13 pounds is concentrated that makes everything so tricky. My entire digestive system is pushed way up and my diaphragm is compressed, and my center of gravity is shifted forward. It makes anything physical a little more challenging... on both my back and on my lungs. I’m starting to notice that I get out of breath much easier, and reaching for things or squatting for things requires more exertion than it used to. Even turning around to back out of a parking spot is quite uncomfortable. And I still have at least 15 weeks to go!
This coming weekend I’ll be on the beach in Door County building sand sculptures with my niece and nephew and showing off my stunning maternity swimsuit. (In case it’s not obvious, that is meant to be facetious.) At least out there nobody will care about the Coke effect. As a matter of fact, knowing my family, they’ll actually try to compete with me. I can’t wait!!! (And that I did not mean facetiously.)
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