[vc_row unlock_row_content=”yes” row_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”3″ back_color=”color-lxmt” overlay_alpha=”50″ border_color=”color-jevc” border_style=”solid” shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ shadow=”sm”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_custom_heading auto_text=”yes” heading_semantic=”h1″ text_font=”font-377884″ text_size=”h1″ text_weight=”100″ text_space=”fontspace-210350″ separator=”under” separator_color=”yes” mobile_visibility=”yes” subheading=”AUGUST 9, 2019″][/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading auto_text=”yes” heading_semantic=”h1″ text_font=”font-377884″ text_size=”h1″ text_weight=”100″ separator=”under” separator_color=”yes” desktop_visibility=”yes” medium_visibility=”yes” subheading=”AUGUST 9, 2019″][/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]A mom walks into my studio for a maternity session, and I am greeted by her her profound belly, glowing skin, and cute baby-growing waddle– she is gorgeous. I am in awe. She is 36 weeks pregnant and all I can think about is how miraculous this time is of growing life inside you.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=”180″ media_width_percent=”100″ border=”yes” shadow=”yes” shadow_weight=”std”][vc_column_text]Over the noise of the camera lens quickly opening and closing, she lets out a comment about feeling insecure about her body. I am struck by the dichotomy of our experience in that moment. How is she seeing herself so different than I am? How is she seeing anything other than a breath-taking, life-giving goddess? Does she know how amazing she is? And then I come back to reality and remember it was not too long ago that I was in her exact same position. I remember that no, I did not walk around daily feeling like a breath-taking, life-giving goddess.
It is easy to forget the struggle that can come from having such rapid changes occur in our body. From afar, nine to ten months seems like an eternity; in the process it can pass in the blink of an eye (except the last month of course, which does last an eternity…). In addition to our evolving physical selves, our minds are trying to wrap themselves around so many new things: I can create life, I am going to be a mom (again), what will life look like in a few months time, who is this child and what will they be like?
So, what do I want to say to you amazing mamas that are perhaps going through this crazy amazing journey of pregnancy right now?– it is ok to feel a lot of things. Pregnancy can be both hard and miraculous, unsettling and profound, beautiful and painful. There is no rule that you have to only be happy about being pregnant. You are a wonderful, complex human with complex emotions. A lot of those emotions will probably come out while pregnant; that is so very normal. Allow yourself to feel tired. Allow yourself to feel overwhelmed. Allow yourself to feel tapped out. Be honest with yourself. When we practice acceptance of our reality, we take the first step towards changing (if we want to). When we acknowledge the emotions we are experiencing, we open the door to letting go that which we don’t want to manifest. When we let go of what does not serve us, we welcome in peace.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″][vc_gallery el_id=”gallery-504696″ medias=”604,603,602,601,599,598″ gutter_size=”3″ screen_lg=”1000″ screen_md=”600″ screen_sm=”480″ single_overlay_opacity=”50″ single_padding=”2″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_button button_color=”color-167478″ size=”btn-lg” border_animation=”btn-ripple-out” hover_fx=”full-colored” border_width=”0″ link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fapriltrettel.com%2Fcontact%2F|title:Contact||”]Get in Touch[/vc_button][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]