Knocked Up Week 24: Getting in Touch with My Inner Goddess and Bitch

This week marks week 24 of my pregnancy.  To keep my family and friends who reside outside Chicago (though those inside the city limits are welcome to read this as well), beyond the state of Illinois, and across the pond of my pregnancy's progress.

So far so good.  On May 11, Maternal Fetal Medicine at Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation will have me under go a glucose test for gestational diabetes.  A woman from my prenatal yoga group said it tastes like Orange Crush .  Luckily, I love Orange Crush the drink and "Orange Crush" the song by R.E.M. -- my favorite band.  Maybe it won't be too bad of an experience.  Even before pregnancy I ate healthy and exercised.  Even though my exercise has changed, I remain active:  prenatal yoga, prenatal pilates, lots of walking, strength training my arms with five-pound weights, and swimming at the Ray Meyer Fitness Center .  Had hummus with pita chips for a snack today in addition to drinking water and milk.  Prenancy has not been a drastic sea change in terms of my diet and fitness regimen.  As an MSer, I have no choice but to live a healthy lifestyle.  While I cannot be  on my MS meds right now, living healthy has proved as beneficial as the increase in progesterone that has helped keep my MS stable.

Now you may be wondering what the deal is with the Bea Arthur picture from her Maude days above my text.  Last week I finished my prenatal yoga class at Sweet Pea's Studio .  My instructor, Jennifer Barron Fishman , often referred to the warrior pose as the "goddess pose."  In addition to yoga, she provided informtion regarding doulas, breastfeeding, identity, essential oils (she went around to students and had us sniff different ones), childbirth, and post-partum recovery.  For post partum recovery she advocated, like the pediatrician Bill and I have chosen--Andy Sagan , being a queen during the first weeks and months following delivery.  Maude is the perfect symbol for embracing one's inner goddess, who I also like to refer to as an "inner bitch."  Do you know mythology?  Some goddesses have been nuclear bitches? 

Having lived with MS for over ten years, embracing my inner bitch has become easier.  Women need to take a proactive role in their health care.  I know women's health is not taken as seriously as it should be by some doctors.  And with a baby now in my life, my inner goddess/bitch needs to come out more than ever.

Another area Jenny discussed was everyone not being shy nor embarassed about embracing our primal side during childbirth.  She also mentioned that feminists (though some still look at having a baby equal to injesting hemlock) are now believing motherhood is an extremely feminist life choice.  Unfortunately, there are some feminists and American politicians who look at child care and motherhood negatively.  When a Canadian woman in my prenatal yoga class mentioned that the Canadian government allows post-partum women to take a year of paid leave, I knew feminists and women in general need to do a better job of embracing their inner godddess/bitch.  What is sad is that I don't believe some feminists or women in general know that amongst her feminist platforms, Betty Friedan advocated for better child care and treatment of women's health.  Friedan, after all, in addition to being a feminist who wrote The Feminine Mystique and started the National Organization for Women (NOW) , was a mother herself.