Anyways, yesterday was the first day of maternity leave/summer vacation. In a fit of determination, I set off the beach. By myself. One of my colleagues had recommended a beach that I had never been to. So off I went with my lunch, my blankies, tons of water, and a few other props to keep myself comfortable.
I should first mention that I do not own a maternity bathing suit. And I refused to be on the beach bare belly. So I wore a bikini top from many summers ago, a loose fitting tank top, bottoms from yet another bathing suit from many summers ago and some gym shorts. None of these items matched any of the other items, so I was quite the sight.
So after a longer than anticipated ride to get there, I made it. It was already nearly 90 degrees in the parking lot around 9 am. All I wanted to do was plunge in the water, which is extremely out of character for me, but I have been extremely hot recently. Anyway, first a stop to use the bathroom, then I lugged my gear out of the trunk. Staring at me was a daunting flight or two of stairs that I had to go up to get to the beach. So up the stairs and the hill I trudged, only to find more stairs on the other side. I dropped my stuff and ran breathless into the water, which was a chilly 57 degrees. Sounds like exactly what I needed with being so hot right?
Well Baby Girl Milette disagreed, loudly and a strongly. As soon as I made it in to my hips (or the region formerly known as my hips) it was contraction city. So I took the hint and got out, after splashing some water on my upper half. I set up the camp and went for a walk, crossing over to a sand bar. I tried to go in again because the water was warmer and once again, 2 contractions back to back.
I tried to rest on the blankie but couldn't find a comfortable position. Then it was uphill and upstairs to the bathroom. After 20 minutes there and back, I went into the water, being careful to avoid the baby zone. I went for another walk in the opposite direction and tried to sit on the balnkie to do some people watching but once again couldn't get comfortable. I decided that it was time for lunch and couldn't wait any longer to dig into my tabbouleh salad. Imagine then my dismay when I learned that I had not brought a fork with me. As I was bemoaning that situation, I realized the tide was coming in and my camp was in danger of being taken over by the next wave. So I moved everything up beach.
After yet another hip high adventure into the water, I decided I would go back up the hill and up the stairs to get a fork from the concession stand. I arrived out of breath and practically panting. The 16 year old who was working informed me that forks were for customers only. I promised to buy something later and patiently explained my situation. Thankfully, he gave me the fork and said I did not need to buy anything. Back to the blanket to realize that I have already consumed more than 50oz of water and that I am now out of water ( that I could have bought at the concession stand!) I ate my salad, splashed in the water a few more times and decided that it was time to go.
Back up hill and upstairs with all my gear, a pit stop in the changing room, a dollar in the vending machine for water and to the vehicle. The beach was absolutely gorgeous and I was sad that I couldn't spend more time there enjoying it. I welcomed the blast of AC and drove away, feeling like I had worked really hard when I was planning a relaxing day.
Here is what I learned:
- Maybe a maternity bathing suit would have been a good investment after all
- Baby GIrl Milette does not like cold water
- A spouse/girlfriend/companion would have made things easier
- When planning a beach trip while pregnant, understand where the bathrooms are in relation to where the beach actually is
- Bring a fork, always
- Bring way more water than you normally would
Fun times!!
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