I don’t give up easily. Even when I was pregnant, I powered through certain situations others probably would have taken a hard pass on (like spending the day on my feet at a company-wide volunteering effort). I don’t know what I was trying to prove, or to whom I was trying to prove it (other than myself). The truth is, there are sacrifices you make when you’re pregnant because you simply are not the exact same person you were before you started growing a human. Pregnancy doesn’t necessarily change you, but it does cause you to alter your behavior and curb certain choices, as you marvel in the amazing feat your body is undertaking. That’s why there are some things you give up when you’re pregnant that are totally worth it.
As someone with a Type A personality, I didn’t give up the gym (I took my last spin class on my due date), but I gave up certain aerobic activities. I didn’t completely change my diet, but I let go of certain foods. Even what appeared to be a sacrifice (what, I can’t have my late afternoon diet soda?) could turn out to be a benefit. Giving up that Diet Coke meant I didn’t have to pee so badly on my commute home.
When you're pregnant, you try to take care of ourself to the best of your ability, for the sake of your baby (and you). That’s maternal instinct, I guess. So, whatever “sacrifices” I made that led to my delivering two healthy, robust children were absolutely worth it. I never felt like I was losing myself in the process of becoming a mother. Instead, I was gaining some perspective on my ability to evolve my habits and lifestyle in an effort to make the world a better place for my kids. Turns out, giving up the following was just part of that process: