Don’t get me wrong, I am so excited and so thankful for these two babes inside me, but I am definitely NOT one of those glowing ladies who thinks pregnancy is a magical experience. In fact, I’m never doing this again. Maybe it’s because there are two babes inside me, trying to kick their way out of me, but I am done. I’ve hit my pregnancy wall.
Twin Maternity Photos
When running the LA Marathon back in 2010, I hit “the wall” around mile 19. I didn’t know it at the time, but I had 7 blisters on my toes and heels and I was running in pain for last 7 miles. I ran the marathon with my best friend and during those last few miles I did NOT want her words of encouragement (I believe I told her to STFU several times) and when some cheering spectator tried to give me a hug (probably because of the tears running down my face), I told her NOT to touch me.
I assume that when the time comes, if I have to push these babies out of me, I will be exactly the same way in the delivery room and I apologize in advance to my husband and the Labor and Delivery staff.
But within this pregnancy itself, I’ve definitely hit the wall at 29 weeks. I got my TDAP vaccine a few days ago and it hit me with some hard side effects (which are RARE, so if you’re pregnant, protect your baby and get the vaccination! If I had to do this all over again, I’d still get the vaccination! It’s worth it so my babes don’t get the whopping cough!). I
t’s currently 2:30 am and I’m sitting on the couch writing this post because I simply can’t get comfortable in bed, in a chair, or on the couch to go to sleep. All of my bones, joints, and muscles ache and if I do ever manage to get comfortable, then someone starts kicking or head-butting me from inside. Or, I have acid reflux. Or, I have to pee for the 5th time.
So I guess it’s appropriate that I took my maternity photos in front of some colorful wall murals around town. Thank the gods my photographer, the talented Ilene Squires of Ilene Squires Photography, suggested I take photos before I got “too big,” so I took them about a month ago around 25 weeks when I was still getting around fairly well. We first stopped by California Donuts so I could get a couple panda donuts.
Side note: did you know that pandas often give birth to twin babies in captivity because they are usually inseminated because pandas refuse to have sex in captivity? Yup, in the wild, they usually only have one baby, but in captivity, they have twins, so I had to stop and get a couple panda baby donuts to rep my IUI twins!
Then we stopped by some colorful murals around town and there were a couple of outfit changes. I felt like Mariah Carey in concert with a different outfit for each song! We also did some more traditional maternity photos at my house and I’ll share those later.
Seriously though, this twin pregnancy is hard! When I told my friend Jenny, a fellow twin mom, I was pregnant with twins, she told me, “You’re totally tough enough.” I thought she was referring to raising them, but now I’m thinking she was referring to this third trimester! And then the husband and I went to a Labor/Delivery class full of pregnant ladies all about to pop in the next 2 weeks to a month … and I was the one who was struggling to get up off the ground or get comfortable in my chair. So any twin mamas who are feeling bad that they have to quit work early, or feel like they can’t get out of bed all day, you’re not alone. This shit is hard!
Mural Credits: Top pink/blue mural by RISK.
Bottom bleeding hearts mural by JGoldcrown.
Keep going you’re glowing and You, Me, Us mural by Dallas Clayton. I’ve heard Dallas Clayton speak at an event and I’ve loved his inspirational artwork, so taking photos in front of his wall was perfect for my maternity photos. But please NOTE that since taking these photos, Dallas Clayton has been allegedly accused of rape and sexual assault and this mural has been since painted over. At first, I didn’t want to use these photos, but I’m not going to let him ruin some of my maternity photos. I’m going to appreciate the art of my photographer and my moment of pregnancy and not the mural artist.
All photographs by Ilene Squires of Ilene Squires Photography.
Ilene is an excellent photographer who I believe excels at portraits! If you need portrait photography, whether that is wedding photos, family photos, maternity photos, or baby photos, hire this lady! She is available in NYC and LA and available for travel.
And more maternity photos here:
Jenny
Saturday 4th of November 2017
You are totally tough enough! Twins only happen to people who can handle them!
Andrea
Thursday 9th of November 2017
Thanks, Jenny! I'll keep telling myself that!!