This is What a Pregnant Farmer Looks Like!

What! What! Shout out to G and everything, Glenside or my hubby, depending on how you want to read it.

The Pregnant Waitress

My friend sent me the link to this blog, "The Pregnant Waitress." The blogger is cool, her logo is really awesome. If anyone wants to make me a similar progressively pregnant farmer logo, I would love it! Her labor story is funny too, or at least how her water broke. =)

And she isn't a stranger to farming either. Here's a link to one of her farming posts www.thepregnantwaitress.com/?p=416. She has another post called "The Pregnant Farmer," when she goes to volunteer at her old farm when she's 7(?) months pregnant. A girl after my own heart.

I can't believe the due date countdown is already less than 100 days. Crazyness. By the way, according to our online sources, the babe is 14.5 inches and just over 2 lbs, and it can now open and close it's eyes. The lids were fused shut up till now.

Butterflies!

The week keeps getting better. My mood is much improved. The humidity today was still hard to handle, but it's fun when we can all commiserate together and laugh about how much Adam and I sweat.

I've been realizing how alive the farm is lately! There have been so many gold finches, and I think literally hundreds of swallowtails, as well as other butterflies, moths, and bumblebees, honeybees, etc. If you sit still and just listen, you can hear their vibrating buzzing all around you. And the flowers that they're perched on are looking so gorgeous! We took it all in today, taking photos and just wandering the garden. Hopefully I'll pick some nice bouquets tomorrow too.

These are the things that sometimes we're too busy to pay attention to, but they're so significant. Diversity on the farm is so important to us. We try to have a bunch of flowering plants at all times, in order to attract all these different types of pollinators. A diversity of species matters so much ecologically, not to mention how much we appreciate their service pollinating our vegetable plants. I was definintely diggin' the farm today, no pun intended.

I came home with a lovely looking eggplant and made delicious eggplant parm with homegrown sauce and tomatoes. That sandwich just hit the spot. And now, for dessert. Impulse buy at the store: double chocolate chip cream cake. Served with a nice tall glass of milk. Oh no! At least I'm getting some calcium in!

Tykio

Better day today than yesterday. Still funkified though, and still working on cultivating joy (in addition to all the veggies). And trying to see this pregnancy as the honor it is. It's hard to keep that in perspective sometimes, when there are so many ailments tied to it as well.

I was reading about how negativity and stress/anxiety can affect the baby's brain development and have repercussions down the line. The brain starts getting signals (via negative emotions) like "It's a dangerous world out there," and then evolves accordingly. A brain wired for stress is supposedly reactive, impulsive, and short on attention. Dunno, perhaps it's all hogwash. But I think the best thing for the baby is to stay as calm, and content as possible. The Japanese have the phrase "Tykio," meaning "think pleasant thoughts."

I'm making my nice home-cooked meal tonight since it didn't pan out last night. Roasted shoulder of lamb from a local farmer that raises the lamb on pasture, and humanely. And balsalmic honey-glazed carrots from the farm, with some couscous on the side. Dessert? Either ice cream, or more local fruit with yogurt and honey. Hoping to enjoy dinner and some baby kickin' time with G when he gets home. Now, when the baby kicks, not only can we both feel it, we can see my stomach pulse out too! Pretty wild.

Mondays... blegh!

The weekend in NY was great, really nice to see old friends. It was ridiculously hot though... we just went from one air conditioned place to another: restaurant to movie theatre to bookstore to beer garden to restaurant, etc.

Then it was back to the grind. Mondays have always been hard for me... the start of the work week. I'm still tired, feel like I haven't rested enough over the weekend, thinking about all the work that lies ahead. It's getting especially more challenging as my pregnancy woes reach a fever-pitch. Fatigue, back/sciatic pain, shortness of breath, heartburn, what-have-you. I don't always want to be moaning about being a pregnant farmer, b/c it's also amazing and I'm really proud. But it's tough. Especially on Mondays. =)

We did get a lot done today, even though I felt like I was moving slow. And we had much nicer weather than we've had in a while. Gotta be grateful for that. But I was still in a funk. And by the end of the day, I was trying to just enjoy the U-Pick garden and get some things for a nice home-cooked dinner, when I got sandwiched between some sunflowers and some cherry tomatoes and I got stung by a bumblebee!

As if that wasn't enough, I got ready to go, and realized my purse and keys had been accidentally locked in the office. I had no way to get in the office and no way to start my car to head home. I just wanted to go home! I had to wait for Gerard to come with a key, and dinner plans were subsquently foiled as I lost too much time and did not have the energy to start dinner after all that. Gerard's plans for Dragon Boat practice were also foiled. We are eating pizza and fries (sorry baby) as I write and going to watch TV. Sorry Ger, and thanks!

I can't believe how much worse the day got as it went on! But the thing with these funks is, the negativity breeds more negativity. I know this; but sometimes it's hard for me to get out of it. I feel like on some level, I willed the bee sting and the car lockout with my bad attitude. C'est la vie. I'm hoping to fall asleep tonight, sleep well and wake up with a new attitude. Wish me luck.

Bright Lights Big City

Lil' pregnant farmer's going to the Big Apple! Gerard and I are going to NY for weekend to see some friends of mine from college and high school. Should be fun, nice to get away, but it's gonna be another hot one! Yikes! Lots of cool drinks and air conditioning I hope.

The week ended with a bang: planting broccoli, huge harvest, tractor work, lots and lots of heat and humidity. The whole crew's pretty dead. Hoping for a cooler week next week. Until then, sionara suckers!

Physical and Mental Health Day

I couldn't sleep more than a few hours last night so when my alarm went off at 5:30 and I felt like hell I decided to call and let everyone know I'd be coming in late. This is not my style; I feel bad, it feels wierd. But this is what pregnant farmers have to do! (Or even just ordinary people who want to take care of themselves).

Anywho, I went in later, had a pretty low impact day, though I was able to get completely drenched in sweat as we had another 90+, humid day. And apparently they're calling for more heavy rain (which probably won't cool anything down b/c that's the new norm). This isn't what Aby and I need or want at the farm. Ah well.

Then I left a little early becuase I had scheduled an urgent chiropractic appointment to try to deal with my sciatica. The doc specializes in perinatal chiropractic work. I haven't had chiropracty in a while, but it went really well. We talked a lot about posture changes I might try to make, as well as just simply slowing down and being mindful of what I'm doing and how I'm doing it. Basically he just reiterated that my body is kind of falling apart a little due to the increase in relaxin in my body. Certain muscles can't do what they used to and other muscles/ligaments are trying to compensate, resulting in tension and overstretching. I feel a lot better than before I went in, and will set up more appointments as needed/the budget will allow.

After that I quickly stopped by the grocery store to pick up some odds and ends. Impulse buys while there: baked organic cheese puffs, natural grapefruit soda, and Armenian string cheese (the most delicious stuff on earth!). YUM!

Home for a quick shower and then back out for a hair appointment. My hair feels liberated and smells like the salon's delicious Moroccon musky shampoo... what an amazing turn-around in my day.

I feel grounded and at peace. Wishing the same for all of you. Be well.

Another Don't for the List

Don't bring a crapload of tomatoes home to process/can when Gerard isn't around to help and you were already pretty done with the day by noon.

I am eating dinner now, with my feet up, so I am relatively happy. But there is a big mess in the kitchen and tomatoes that have yet to be dealt with and my sweetness is going to have to pick it up from there. Oops...

Watermelon in my Belly!

Gerard read the other day that my uterus will grow to the size of a large watermelon by the end of the pregnancy. I can't stop thinking about this as we harvest watermelons and canteloupe on the farm. Of course, the watermelons we grow don't get that big, but still it got me thinking.

The uterus before pregnancy is the size of a fist. Now, in my 25th week, it is the size of a soccer ball. I don't feel like it looks like I have something the size of a soccer ball in me, but that's what they say. And it just keeps getting bigger, expanding with the baby, and when we welcome our little melon-head into the world, it will contract back to a little bigger than it's original size, within 8-10 weeks. It's all so fascinating.

Maybe I will name her Crimson Sweet, or Sugar Baby. Moon and Stars? Hmm...

Baby Catcher

This is what I want my midwife to look like catching my baby... full of glee with a little bit of crazy mixed in. Haha.

Having a nice weekend, though it is still hot! We had an event at the farm yesterday, with a tour, panel, cooking demo/lunch. This was organized by Katie Cavuto Boyle, a local caterer/cafe owner. It was really great. People were excited about the farm, had lots of questions. Then I took a SOLID nap, which I never have time to do, and then back to the farm for an outdoor movie night. We watched "Big Night," which Gerard and I decided is definitely one of our all time favorites.

Got a lot of sleep last night and thankfully don't have too much on the agenda. I have to do a quick water at the farm, but beyond that I'm open. Maybe I will work on my baby registry or my never-ending project, the t-shirt quilt. Hasta luego!

Dos and Don'ts

When you're farming, you often get so caught up in your day that you realize "I haven't drank any water!" or you say to yourself "Don't hold it in ANY longer... go pee!" Maybe you're thinking, if you're not drinking, you shouldn't have to pee but stranger things have happened, believe you me. Anywho, things just get so hectic and crazy, and you get into a rhythm, you don't want to stop to do anything.

These are things I can't afford to do pregnant. I HAVE to drink A LOT of water; it's really important. Especially with the hot hot spring and summer we've been having. And I HAVE to pee when I have to pee (increased chances of getting UTI when pregnant), which is a VERY LOT MORE OFTEN than when not pregnant. This is due to increased blood pumping through the body, ultimately leading to increased fluid processed by the kidneys and ending up in the bladder. Also, there is additional pressure on the bladder as the baby and uterus grow.

In general I just have to take more breaks more often. To snack, as pregnant women are told to increase their caloric intake about 300, and I need to take in a bit more because I'm so active. Also to cool down if I'm out in the sun too long. And just to rest. I push push push and I realize it's taking a toll on my body. Another interesting thing that happens during pregnancy is the body produces much more of the hormone relaxin, which essentially relaxes and makes more elastic the ligaments and joints, ultimately aiding to loosen things up during the birth. But if you're doing a lot of strenuous work, with less stability and strength in the joints and tissues, you can strain things more easily and hurt yourself. This is also true of the abdominal and core muscles, which must loosen and expand to allow for the growing uterus.

Where am I going with all of this? Nowhere really. Just sharing some things I've learned. And realizing how hard it is for me to come to terms with some of this. I am used to working, and working hard. If something needs to get done, I just do it. I am trying so hard to navigate all this and respect my body. Ask for more help, lift fewer 40 and 50 lb. lugs of produce. It's not easy. But it's important. But don't let people tell you can't stay physically active, you can! If you were slothful prior to pregnancy, don't go running any marathons. But medically, I have been told and have read you can continue doing what you're used to doing, just keep being mindful of your body and what it's telling you. And it's good to stay active and stay strong.

But, this whole taking breaks thing can be a slippery slope. Especially with all these 90+ degree days, and excessive heat warnings. If I give myself an inch, I want to take a mile. I DON'T FEEL LIKE DOING A DANG THING ANY MORE, EVER AGAIN. Know what I mean? I was at the farm for 13 hours today. This is rare, but nonetheless, there I was. In that smothering heat. Not something I want to sign on to do again. But Aby brought lemon icebox pie for lunch, with an Oreo cookie crust and our farm raspberries and whipped cream on top and it made it all worthwhile. Thanks Ab. TGIF.

Earlier this Season

When I first found out I was pregnant in early March, there was no way I could keep it from Aby, my partner in crime at the farm. So the morning Gerard and I saw the plus sign on the pregnancy test, I brought a couple old "Congrats" balloons from a friend's recent party into work and played this song on the computer (http://www.starbittrune.com/Jack/littlepotato.html), hitting the balloons around our office, saying "You know what this means! You know what this means!" and making eyes at her. She did not get it right away but I wouldn't say anything else. Then she got it and we hugged and we've been in shock pretty much ever since. It's funny how I still haven't gotten used to it. It's so amazing and strange that I have a little baby growing in my body. I feel so different, but I also feel the same, and I'm used to growing tangible things that I look at every day, water, weed, nourish, etc. I'm doing similar things for my baby, but the whole process is all so invisible and mysterious. Plus in those first few months, your body is not necessarily changing all that much externally, so it's even harder to believe what's going on inside.

We were hired to manage a farm on land we don't own, so we actually have a supervisor that is usually relatively behind the scenes. I did have to notify work about my news, which I did at 3 months, and I was a little nervous. The boss man was very happy for me, and we chatted about pregnancy, and parenthood, discussed what my plans were down the line.

But I do remember, God love him, he also said I did not yet have the pregnancy glow. He is not the only man to have told me this. Gentlemen, a word of advice: you need not ever tell any pregnant woman that she is not exuding the pregnancy glow. In the words of Stephanie Tanner, "How rude!".

At some point, when I was not showing much, but my jeans were not necessarily super comfortable, I was rocking my husband Gerard's jeans a lot at work. These were quite holey in the knees. I got a little talking to about that, as believe it or not, we can't wear whatever grungy holey clothes we want to at the farm. I was quite offended again; this was all that fit!

Where was a pitchfork when a woman needed one? I'd like to introduce him to the nice healthy glow of those steel tines! Nonetheless, I went to the thrift store after work and picked up some more jeans.

Beyond that, in those early months, I don't remember too much in the way of pregnant farmin' stories. I wasn't getting sick, but I wasn't feeling great. I was tired and nauseous, but work had still not picked up too too much. Aby and I start moving out of the office, and into the fields a bit more that time of year, and we just kept plugging away at the tasks at hand. I think she remembers me getting a little wobbly and wierd while pruning raspberries. On the homefront, Gerard and I were enjoying telling more friends and family after 3 months, and learning what changes were happening with the baby and my body week to week.

Intro to Farmin' Pregnant

I am almost 24 weeks pregnant. I manage an organic CSA farm with my best friend, Aby. This is physically and emotionally challenging work, as is baby-making. Although I am happy for the fresh air, exercise, and access to nutritious food, especially while pregnant, this has definitely not been as easy as I might have originally thought. Heck, I pretty much planned the pregnancy around the farm season (many of you may know farmers can be slight workaholics), thinking "Oh this will be perfect! I'll be pregnant during the whole farm season, work as I've always worked and when the baby is ready to come, the season will be winding down and I can take a rest!" To boot, this goes with the assumption that life with a newborn is restful. I never said I wasn't naive.

As my pregnancy has progressed, I've wondered about all the other pregnant farmers out there. I never hear much about them! I know they're out there. When I google such things, info about lambing or Farmville comes up, or bad news stories about violence against pregnant farm workers (Not what I want to be reading). I'm interested in sharing my experiences, and hearing about other people's. Challenges, funny stories, whatever. I'll try to do a little bit of backtracking to bring you up to speed, as I will be moving into my 3rd trimester fairly soon.

Also, I've never blogged and don't know anything about uploading photos, designing blogs, and don't have much time for it, so hopefully you can deal with the basics. Eventually hopefully I'll get a little more creative.