For the longest time every I was s who would always chuck things up to. Any accomplishments or goals reached were always attributed to “luck”. Got into a good university: luck me to be considered an international student: diversity. Got a great job out of university? Lucky me for going to the one mixer prior to the career fair. Got the promotion I wanted, lucky me for working on all those projects that made me qualified and sitting across the right person. So forth… every time someone congratulated me on something I would crank up the humbleness notch and respond something along the lines of: “Thanks! I’m so lucky, I probably couldn’t have done it without…” I’d be a great Oscar Nominee speech writer.  

Over the years, my closest friends and fam pointed out, that everything I’ve accomplished so far was not pure luck. I’m a hard worker and when I deeply want something I will turn on my go getter attitude. I’m willing to make sacrifices, I’m willing to go above and beyond. Basically I was told that there is such a thing as being too humble and that giving myself credit and bragging a bit wouldn’t hurt. Especially during hard times, it’d help me remember how tough and strong I can be. I love constructive criticism, so I took the advice and determined myself to take some credit for my accomplishments. I’ve learned to recognize and acknowledge that not every good thing that’s happened to me has been handed on a silver platter by my good old friend luck.

Anyway, during my first pregnancy (and yes I carried really well that time too) anytime someone paid me a compliment, I’d respond “Thanks! I know I’m so lucky, good genes I guess”. During this second pregnancy things have gone similarly well. People who were around both time practically telling me my body has been made to carry babies, that I carry so well, and am the epitome of the ideal pregnancy. (Side note – if you’d read The Giver, basically anytime someone complimented me it sounded like I was at the Ceremony of Twelves, being designated a Birthmother.  This is what you’ve been born to do.)Which is so ironic, because if you were around the first time you probably know how hard adjusting to parenthood has been. In the beginning I defaulted to my good genes luck response, followed by a clever joke, that it was life being fair and cutting me some slack, because my kids are wild and having a rough 9mo plus then a wild start to it all just would be plain madness. Basically I defaulted to luck. 

Then one day during one of my reviews at work, my manager asked why instead of listing all the great improvements and things I’d done in the past 6 months. I realized in that moment, that I had gotten back into old habits of undermining my accomplishments. So I made it a point to start changing again. I won’t elaborate today on all the questions I had to rethink answers for, but I will briefly share why I think my pregnancies have gone so well. 

While I do chuck a part of it to my lucky good genes (cause I am aware that no amount of water keeps some women from bloating), another part to plain old luck (cause I’m aware some women go through some very rough complications), I think a big part of it comes to my commitment to take care of myself when I’m pregnant in the same way I do when I’m not. The next time someone complimented me and mentioned luck, I said yea I think in part I’m lucky, but I also work really hard to stay healthy. 

• I keep up with my work out routines, I continue to move as much as I can. During my pregnancy with Kiki I noticed that the times I'd stop doing some form of exercise I'd get sore and stiff, so even if it’s just a walk, I just make it a point to get some movement in. I modify where I need to of course, but aside from the physical benefit, it also helps my mood & sanity – The luck piece: I haven’t had any complications that prevent me from doing this. 
• I do my best to “keep going”. While I sometimes push myself to far to go do something fun or get an errand done, I find that laying around and bumming too much really impacts my mood and makes me feel extra tired and lazy. So I try my hardest to listen to my body and make sure that when I choose to lounge around I actually need it to recharge vs. just needing an endorphin kick. – The luck piece: I have an active toddler who won’t let me be a bum for too long. 
• Healthy eating - I don’t go into, I’m pregnant eating for two mode. I continue to eat balanced as I normally would and increase calorie intake as the pregnancy goes along, by either indulging in a sweet which I normally wouldn’t or adding more calorie dense snacks. After all pregnancy is not an excuse to have 9 months of cheat meals/cheat days. The luck piece: I don’t have strong cravings – though more than luck, this might be influenced by sticking to my healthy eating habits. 
•  I prioritize sleeping and me time where I can. Not as easy with a toddler/work, but here and there I learned to nap when Chiara naps. – The luck piece: my toddler actually will still nap (not without a fight, but still I manage to win that battle)
• I take care of my body whether it’s a massage, an extra yoga class or stretch session, a chiropractor visit. – The luck piece: good health insurance that allows me to afford these.
• Finally I don’t bother with the scale and I think this provides much sanity during the 9 months of hormonal haywire that is pregnancy. I trust my doc will let me know if I’m gaining too much or too little. I trust and embrace that my body is doing to grow a healthy human. I have yet to get that desperate feeling of I want my body back, I’m super proud of what my body has managed to do. – The luck piece: I realize it’s easy to stay positive when you don’t have insane bloating/weight gain/ other body issues.

And maybe you’re reading this, rolling your eyes and thinking “lucky girl.. you don’t even know”. I’d say no I don’t know, I am aware there are unavoidable annoying things that women deal with during pregnancies. From awful physical changes to debilitating nausea, to heartbreaking complications. I’m aware I’m lucky to have not dealt with any of them, I’m aware that all my habits and the things I stick to might only work for my body, but I want to give myself credit. I want to get into the habit of recognizing the effort I put into things impacts the outcome. Today I’d like to think that I did what I needed to do to help my pregnancy go as smooth as it did. I thank luck for being on my side, but I also thank myself for staying connected to what my brain and body needed during these 9 months and for staying strongly committed to what I know works for me to stay healthy and sane. 

Finally if you still think I’m too lucky and should be a birth mother on The Giver…

… google PUPPPS… it’s a nightmare but I am one of the lucky 1/200 or 1/300 women to get it during a second pregnancy.