Kate Cameron is a 29-year-old mum to be, who starred on the 2016 season of The Bachelor NZ. She’ll be writing an exclusive column for us every fortnight, sharing her journey to new motherhood, and her real – not perfect – take on life.
“Hello second trimester and cheers to reaching the 17-week mark (I’m raising a glass of soda water, occupied by a sliced lemon and ice to celebrate).
As I type this, it’s a Saturday night and I’m at home watching OJ vs. The People on Netflix, half way through my bowl of orange chocolate chip ice-cream, slightly distracted by my neighbours who are partying like its 1999.
I’m braless and as I check in with myself to see if I have any degree of FOMO I suddenly realize that my once small mosquito bite excuses for boobs are now so large they are resting quite comfortably on the tip of my stomach. I am exactly where I want to be; within metres of my delicious fridge and a short, waddling distance to my glorious bed.
I’ve always been able to laugh at my own expense. And to be honest, I think it’s this ability that’s getting me through this crazy but wonderful time. The second trimester has arrived and has quickly let me know by body is dramatically changing to make way for my little miracle.
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Some of these physical changes have been glorious and well received, like I mentioned earlier – my increased bra size.
Most mornings I stand in the shower and watch in awe as the water flows rapidly off my twin peaks of goodness that have been a desperate desire of mine for so many years. In high school, I was crowned “President” of The Little Titty Committee so to discover overnight that I now have a c cup is pretty incredible. I feel like a teenage boy staring at boobs for the first time.
I have proudly named them; my left boob is called Pamela (Anderson) and my right; Rachel (Hunter). Even if they return to puppy dog-ears post breast-feeding I don’t mind, as I know my little buds have the potential to be Pamela and Rachel someday again soon.
I’ve begun to put on a lot of weight (I know, revolutionary discovery), and after so much time spent fussing over diets, it seems strange to just embrace it. I’ve done every diet under the sun, run marathons to lose weight, cut out carbs (but never wine) and even Googled ‘weight loss retreats Bali’ before thinking ‘get over yourself.’
And the greatest thing about the place I find myself now? Even though I know I’m getting cuddlier, I am more than happy to walk around in my bra and undies – confidently – than ever before. It’s like I’ve been injected with a sense of pride and awe that my body can make a tiny human. I’m feeling so content within myself physically that if I had to model swimwear in front of Ryan Gosling, I would happily do so.
If you had asked me this question six months ago, I would have needed three tequila shots before doing it.
And finally my stomach now looks ‘pregnant.’
I’m no longer looking like I’ve been a guest at the last supper, and I actually have a bulge to prove there is something going on in there. So much so I can no longer see my fufu. Is this normal for 17 weeks? Apparently not, but what is normal when you’re pregnant?
Am I ‘carrying big?’ Absolutely! How glorious! I am going to be all baby and I couldn’t be happier (I may beg to differ at 30 weeks…)
A dear friend made a glorious statement that summarized the physical side of pregnancy so well that I experienced slight bladder leakage – at my desk.
She walked past me, stopped and said ‘you know pregnancy can be summarized simply as this: in like a banana, out like a pineapple.’
I do understand the banana part (sorry Mum) and I’m learning what happens before the pineapple part day by day. But for now I choose to happily stay in my second trimester bubble where I am enjoying my new found love for my cuddly bits and my twin peaks Pamela and Rachel.
Read the next installment of Kate’s pregnancy column in two weeks.
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