Pregnancy's Easier When You're Fitter

We all know there are many pluses to not being plus-sized. For me, one of the benefits of losing weight was experiencing a much easier pregnancy.

With my first child, I started out my pregnancy around the same weight I am now (at 9 months along!) I had gained approximately 40 pounds by the end, and was feeling every bit of it. From the first few months, I was already out of breath doing the littlest amount of activity (like walking up a slight incline in a parking lot).

My back killed me -- and not just the sciatica pain I'm experiencing now. It was that general, overall lower-back pain that flared up whenever I started doing chores like laundry or cleaning. Seriously limited my ability to get things done, let me tell ya.

I also swelled up like a balloon. My ankles, hands, face, everything just got so tight as the fluid collected in my body. It was so uncomfortable. My shoes didn't fit. I just felt awful being in my own skin.

Finally, the heartburn. Oh, the heartburn. It was probably in part due to the baby's positioning, but I'm guessing it was also the crap food I ate and all the extra fat in my body exacerbating it. I popped Tums like candy for most of my pregnancy. Everyone knew I was good for them if they had a twinge of their own heartburn -- I was the "Tums lady" at the office.

I realize none of these symptoms are unusual for a pregnant woman. And they're all considered "normal" -- no need to call 911 when back hurt or I got breathless. Still, during this second pregnancy I've been spared all of these things. Surely being fitter and thinner helped? I've been so much more active without getting out of breath or back pain (other than sciatica, which is a bitch, but what can you do?) No swelling, very little heartburn and less weight gain.

I appreciate how much easier this time around has been, and I attribute it to starting out at a much healthier weight. Highly recommend it to all you ladies thinking about getting knocked up!