21w3d - Bigger is better

I've gained 21 lbs so far and couldn't be happier. As someone who loves to eat and who usually gains weight by just looking at food, I could never have imagined that it would be a struggle to add pounds to my frame.

With triplets, it's important to add the weight early as it will be hard to find room to eat larger meals later in the pregnancy. Higher birth weight will also help to give the babies a fighting chance in case they arrive early.

It's interesting how my body image is changing, because despite the discomfort, I'm loving the bump. I'm proud of the bump. It symbolizes everything I've always wanted and dreamed about, and the long road to get to this point. The bump reminds me of all of my friends who are still struggling to conceive, or who have conceived but suffered devastating losses.

But sometimes, despite all that, I can't help but feel fat and sluggish. I have to remind myself that I'm incubating three little munchkins. When I feel especially huge, it helps that my husband tells me I look sexy, and that he puts his hands on my belly and talks to our baby girls.

I've always been kind of average height, average weight, average shoe size. Suddenly, I'm carrying around a 42.5" waist on plump feet that refuse to fit into my usually comfy shoes. I was also amazed to discover that my bump is about the same size as a friend of mine's who is seven months pregnant with a singleton. I'll have to remember to ask the midwife to measure my fundal height at the next appointment.