Belly Shots (weeks 4-7) Yeah, it's early, but we like to see growth!

[Spark]

Ok, so should we start belly shot stuff? It might be fun to take a picture for where we started out. I actually wanted to take one just after finding out, but I just didn't feel well enough. Now... I've popped out a bit. So I won't have a "true" starting point. Ahhh... I wish you all to pop a bit though, it means less bathroom runs. The bad part is... strangers at an appointment I had asked me when I was due. Uh... last time it happened at about 6 weeks. So I guess 4.5 weeks isn't so unreasonable this time? I thought I was just looking pudgy... but nope. I got asked.

Makes me think we'd better start documenting. Anyone else up to posting early belly shots?

What if we did threads like: Belly Shots Weeks 4-8. And Belly Shots Weeks 9-12. Etc? That way when people arrive for end of Dec, they can feel not so far away from the others. 4 weeks sometimes makes a big difference.

[Geofizz]

Sounds great.

I thought the frequent peeing was more hormonal that space at this point

I've seen no change yet. No frequent peeing either :LOL

Maybe I can get DH to take a picture tonight. He'll think I'm crazy.

[dandelions2]

k, should this pic be of us standing up straight or slouching...I think if I slouch I can make it look like I'm preggo. lol

[camprunner]

Gosh I didn't pop out until like 8 months last time :

[Geofizz]

I was like you, camprunner. Some people didn't know I'd been pregnant until I showed up with a baby! I do kinda hope to *look* pregnant this time, but I'd be happy to wait a bit. My belt is still tightened to it's regular spot today.

**breaking out the almonds for the day after a particularly stressful morning**

[camprunner]

I'd like to wait again to pop out only because of the looking for a new job thing. I would really like one closer and i don't care how illegal it is. If they suspect I'm pregnant there is no way they are going to hire me. They can't fire me though for taking maternity leave after signing a contract I'm pretty sure. Especially since I won't be taking off for doctor's appointments.

[Geofizz]

Ok, camprunner, we're in this together. How long can we go before popping out? :

Of course, I might pop out due to work stress. ARGH! Any other time, I'd be going out for a long lunch for burgers and beer after dealing with bs like this. Sigh.

[IncaMama]

i think i'm a bit pudgier in the front but it could be all of the crap i've been eating this week. LOL!!!

i'm up for belly shots.

[Spark]

Originally Posted by camprunner

Gosh I didn't pop out until like 8 months last time :

Wow you and Geofizz are at one end of the spectrum and it seems like some of us are at the other end. THey both have their benefits... I mean, for work it's much nicer to not show. For having to buy maternity clothes it's much cheaper to only need them for one season. But, then you don't get all the "ahh, how cutes" or doors held for you. And, you feel sick but no one knows. Showing early has it's benefits, you get doors held for you longer, people cut you slack and you get to feel all mother earthy. The drawbacks are you can't hide it even when you want to, you have to buy maternity for every season... I mean folks... summer through winter? And, if you're like me some poeple I don't get around to telling and I just show up 6 weeks pregnant and they think I've been hiding something for 4 months! That's kind of tricky.

[Spark]

Originally Posted by michelemiller

i think i'm a bit pudgier in the front but it could be all of the crap i've been eating this week. LOL!!!

i'm up for belly shots.

:LOL

[dziejen]

Belly shots sound ok to me. I am just trying to find something "nice" to wear today to dd's school and it's not working I have been wearing these jeans for days -- I'm afraid if I wash them they won't fit :LOL

[selazenby]

sounds fun! ok - stupid question from the new kid - how do you post pictures here?

[Geofizz]

My first shots


selazenby, you need to have the picts on another site and then link them here. You can just post the url or you can put the url in as a link like I did above by typing:

[ URL = webaddress ] link [/ URL ]

but leave out the spaces.

[Minnow_]

Hey Wendy, nice photos! Are you a biker (it looks like a bike logo on your shirt)? I bike a lot and have some questions about biking during pregnancy... any good resources for that?

[Geofizz]

Yeah, I'm a bike commuter, but that sweatshirt has my college logo on it. On the back is a list of stupid physics and engineering jokes.

I biked to work through week 20 during my last pregnancy, when I stopped biking and running after my physical therapist told me it would make my sacro-iliac joint injury worse (the injury is a result of sitting too long, not biking). Looking into this more, I think she was wrong about the effects of biking in particular on my SI joint.

I've read that the main concern with biking while pregnant is balance. I honestly don't see how more weight in front will affect my balance much, though. I am a tad concerned with how it will feel to have the weight hanging, but I honestly don't recall how sitting in the position felt late in pregnancy. I'm pretty much planning to continue biking to work until my body says I shouldn't anymore. I rode in this morning for sure!

[Minnow_]

My biggest concern is mountain biking. I'm guessing that I will have to stop riding trails at some point due to risk of falling, but I haven't found much real information on it.

For road biking, we ride a tandem. That's nice because since I don't steer, I have more freedom to change my position and adjust to a more upright position if I need to.

We'd been planning a biking vacation for this summer, and I'm trying to figure out if that's still possible.

BTW, I apologize for hijacking the belly photo thread. I haven't got any posted yet but hopefully soon.

[Geofizz]

I like my route paved :LOL

I would bet a lot of people would caution you against mountain biking because of the jarring. I'm not convinced this is a problem, though.

Good information is hard to find! My general rule of thumb that I used with dd, and will use this time, is to keep my perceived exersion level constant when running, biking, walking whatever. That means that on Monday I ran a 9:20 mile, but yesterday I ran a 12 min mile. (Normal, non pregnant pace is ~10.) I have stopping trying to increase my pace, and I'll just do whatever pace feels right. I figure towards the end, my pace will be indistinguishable from my walking pace, but the perceived effort will be about the same as my pre-pregnancy 10 minute mile.

[Minnow_]

See, that's the thing - if it is a real risk, obviously I don't want to mtn bike. But if it's a 'they say' thing, rather than a known danger, I'd like to keep doing it, at least for a little while. But I don't know that I can find that out, so I may have to take a conservative approach and stick to pavement.

Funny, I just realized I must like biking better than beer... it's much easier to pass up the beer!

[Viriditas]

Here are my first belly shots at 4 weeks 3 days:

front shot

profile

And you guys also get the first public display of my armpit hair (that's 6 months growth!)

and a bonus shot: the flax seed represents the baby!

baby at 4 1/2 weeks

[Geofizz]

I love the flax seed pict! So cool!

Both your other picts are of the front shot. Can you fix the profile link?