Perks of Being Pregnant During a Pandemic

Tweet

Pin It

There are plenty of cons to having a baby during a pandemic, so I decided to take a little time to write a post with the silver linings of being pregnant right now!

More time with my husband.

My husband has been working from home since late March and will be doing so until next spring at the earliest. He's my favorite person in the world, so it's been wonderful to have all this time together. We both do our own thing for most of the day on workdays, but it's really nice to have access to him always, for a quick hug or to say hi or to pet our cats together.

When he's at the office his company's chefs prepare lunch for everyone on the team. At home he doesn't have that perk, so it's been fun trying a bunch of different lunch recipes out on him over the past half a year! At this point, we've gotten into a routine with dishes that he really likes and I make for him regularly, but it's always a lot of fun to try out something new. 

Pictured is a massaged kale salad with maple salmon that was a hit the other day! Cooking two meals a day most days has also been great practice and I feel like my cooking skills have improved. I've also noticed I'm a lot more comfortable cooking off-recipe, altering recipes, making up my own recipes, and cooking while juggling other tasks. That multitasking ability is going to be super helpful when the little one is here, especially because we want her to mostly eat healthy, homecooked meals.

Reduced wait times at doctor's offices.

Doctors are important and especially so when you're pregnant. That said, there are so many doctor's appointments when you're expecting! I've already been to the doctor's office more often in my pregnancy thus far (at 22 weeks + 5 days) than in my entire adult life leading up to now. 

Due to the pandemic and wanting to reduce the risk of in-office transmission, doctor's offices have been much better than usual about scheduling appointments to minimize waiting time. I've been seen within 5 minutes of checking in for almost every one of my appointments so far! Being able to get in and out fairly quickly is so appreciated. It makes all the appointments feel more manageable, and less like a part-time job.

Improved virtual access to doctors.

Everyone's doing more remote work these days and doctors are no exception. Hospitals and doctor's offices are implementing better patient portals where you can message your doctors questions at any time. Best of all, they're being really responsive! I've sent a ton of questions over already and always get a prompt response from my obstetrician.  

There are so many pregnancy symptoms and before getting pregnant I only really thought of morning sickness, stretch marks, and a growing bump. So now when other symptoms pop up, it can be worrying! New moms just want their babies to be okay. It's so nice to get a quick response from my doctor assuring me that my symptoms are normal and it's all okay.

The pregnancy adds something positive and hopeful to a rough year.

It's been so fun sharing the news with family, friends, and people at work. 2020 has been a rough year for everyone, so having some happy and hopeful news to share feels great! It feels like adding a bit of sunshine to a dark time.

More time to prep for baby and think about what kind of mom I want to be.

I'm a freelancer and work is a lot slower than usual due to the pandemic. While normally that would drive me insane, right now it's really appreciated! In the first trimester it was great to be able to take it easy and rest when the combination of debilitating 24/7 nausea and fatigue made it impossible to work effectively. Now in the second trimester, all that free time is useful for preparing myself for the new adventure of becoming a mom. 

There are so many books and studies to read, podcasts to listen to, and people to talk to. I have time to do all the research I need to do to be confident. I also have time to sit with my thoughts and reflect on my own upbringing. I have time to think about what I want to do the same and what I want to do differently. Putting it into practice will be a whole other story, of course, but I'm grateful to have the time to plan!

Moms, what were some of your favorite moments from your pregnancy?