pregnant girls can rock a swimsuit, too

Our local YMCA pool is crawling with pregnant women, most of them Baby Bunchers.  This is probably because A) the pool is the only place a pregnant girl can find any relief in the summertime and B) the specially designed graduated walk-in pool and ample number of lifeguards make it a fairly safe place to bring your toddler when you can't move fast enough to keep up with him.  In any case, there is definitely something in the water at our pool, which is why I'm planning to stay out of it as much as possible this summer.

Last summer when I was hugely pregnant, the Y was my favorite place to go, not only for the reasons cited above but also because it was good for my self esteem.  Parading your post-baby body around in a swimsuit is bad enough when you're just post-baby.  It's even WORSE when you're post-baby AND pre-subsequent baby.  But bless their hearts, those girls at the Y.  If you eavesdrop on enough conversations, you learn that they always have a sympathetic ear and a kind word for any of the poor preggos lumbering around the pool area, and I was no exception.  Pretty much every time I waddled into the Y, I received an encouraging comment from some woman who had traveled this road before me about how great I looked in my maternity swimsuit. 

It may have been the suit, which was courtesy of Liz Lange for Target and really WAS great (so great, in fact, that I kind of wish it came in non-maternity sizes).  Or it may have been my tan, which never fails to shave 10 pounds off my frame (skin cancer be damned, when you're pregnant you need to take advantage of every slimming illusion you can).  Or it may have been blatant lies on their part.  All I know is that it was a combination of the Y's cool water, free babysitting, and compliments that got me through the home stretch. 

This summer, I plan to pay it forward.  Any chance I get to let a pregnant girl know how great she looks without looking like some kind of maternity-obsessed stalker, I'm gonna do it.   

Comments

[Stephanie]

With all the "word vomit" we hear it is nice to hear a compliment here and there. It is true that people have no restraint on their comments and sometimes it drives me crazy!

[Laurie]

Thanks for the ideas! I posted a link to your post on my blog - www.expectingwords.com

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My sister also did this. I thought she looked stunning.

and now she's looking for a swimwear to match her toddler girl.

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This summer, I plan to pay it forward. Any chance I get to let a pregnant girl know how great she looks without looking like some kind of maternity-obsessed stalker, I'm gonna do it.

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great article,my wife is pregnant and Im going to encourage her to do all this that you mention. Thanks for sharing.