This Pregnancy Expat Diary is a bi-weekly entry of a hilarious, very honest tales of a free spirited Canadians pregnancy journey in a practical German world. That is me by the way, Robin J, I am the free spirited Canadian living in a very practical German world. Same old story, I moved here for work, fell in love with a bad boy who is actually a great man (the best kind), got knocked up and here I am. So if you want to laugh (at me mostly) as I tell the stories of my crazy pregnant life, I am 95% sure you will probably feel better about your own situation (unless your the other 5%, who have legit coo-coo circumstances) and to you chicks who are in a real rough patch of grass, keep on keepin on sister, and may the power of Mama Lion be with you.
Ok lets dig in. This article is like a…you know…’preface’ to an entry. Its not a real Diary Entry. This article is so you have some backdrop on me before we get into the thick of it.
Anyone who’s ever moved abroad for their career, or the career of their partner, can relate to the sometimes stressful…but very often comical aspects of ‘expat life’. If you have never moved abroad then surely at some point in your life big changes happened and you felt like a fish out of water.
Either way we can all relate to that feeling of OMG what is happening and how did I end up here!?!? Well take that WTF feeling, triple it, then accidentally drop your iPhone in a public toilet, take a deep breath to acknowledge just how ‘deep you’re in it’ (no pun intended), and then you will know more or less what it feels like to find out you’re pregnant while living in a foreign county.
Of course I am thrilled to be going on this life changing journey, and to welcome a new love and life into our family, but let’s be honest, the tidal wave of ‘eeeeeks I want my mom’ is also setting in. Luckily I have a good long-distance plan and I call her everyday (thanks mom, your #1!!, but don’t tell my fiancee you still have top spot…. ok whatever he already knows.)
Here’s some basic info on my me: I am 32, originally Canadian, I work in the Interior Design Industry as a sales manager for major brands, my fiancee owns a big nightclub and event center in the city where we live, and we are totally clueless about babies.
I am 5.5 months pregnant and not really showing at all, but don’t be mad I am a giant (6’0”) and this is almost certainly the reason you cannot see my baby bump, it has nothing to do with the fact I work out every day and eat super healthy. Moving on.
I have some amazing girlfriends here in Germany but the ones who are my age do not have kids. Germans love to have kids, but later in life, when it is ‘practical’ .. check it, seriously, they have the lowest birth rate in the world – Fact. Most of my Canadian friends (‘impractically’ by German standards) have 2 or 3 kids by now but of course they are busy moms who are also millions of miles away and absolutely no help AT ALL!! I hope none of them read this… if you are reading it, you know its true. I swear you pretend not to ‘know how to call Germany’ because your actually just to cheap to. But don’t get it wrong I love you, and will always call you. Thank God one of us can figure out international dialing codes. #candianschoolsystem #timeforareview?
In all fairness it did take my immediate family about 1 year to ‘figure out’ the time difference and I finally stopped getting calls from my mom and sister at 3am on a Tuesday. Mom: “Hey honey just wanted to see what your up to” Me: “ughhh it’s 3am I am sleeping” Mom: “Oh sweetheart I am so sorry” pause pause pause.. “but did I tell you what I heard about your cousin?” Me: “Mom I love you but this doesn’t sound like am emergency” Mom: (getting a bit angry now) “well do you want to hear the news about your cousin or not!!) Me: “sure mom, what the news”.
Ok somehow we go off topic (we..not just me 😉 Anyways I am more or less the only pregnant chick I know. I am working to change this by ‘friend trolling’ at a Pilates for pregnant chicks class, I will update you on the results. But yha, the journey I am on is, for the moment, a solo act.
So to clarify: I am a lone ranger, new to the whole babies and pregnancy thing, and can only offer advice based on my day to day experience. If you still want to follow my Journey then you are making the right call! Because even if my entries don’t always offer a wealth of new valuable and detailed info on how to be a super duper better mom-to-be (seriously no need for me to get into this …the Pregnant & Perfect basic articles already have this covered, thank God! ). I will definitely make you laugh, and probably make you grateful to be in your home country, while I share my advice on navigating the bumpy waters of balancing pregnancy and … regular people life.
1st Diary Entry coming in a few days – Pregnancy Speed bump #1, The crazy bad timing of it all, and how to get over it, quick!!
XXOO
Robin J
As soap is to the body, so laughter is to the soul. — A Jewish Proverb
2 comments
HI Robin, this is Shawnee, we met years ago at SFU through Andrea. I am looking forward to reading your updates! As I am currently 38, almost 39 weeks pregnant myself with baby number 2 (you are right about the Canadian women your age deep into the baby making stages of life) I am super intrigued by your German life/pregnancy! Also, as I have literally just finished my last day of work yesterday and am officially on Mat leave, I’ll be looking to fill my time in lots of different internet avenues. I look forward to reading more!
Hi Sahwnee! Of course I remember you!! Sorry for the late Reply. I am just flew over to the USA yesterday for a 10 day work trip so in my busy prep and packing mode I missed you comment. Congrats on baby #2. Maybe you have already had him or her by now?? Enjoy your time aways from the office and in full momma mode. Sometimes I wish I could also take full time off to embrace the mom mode 100%. Maybe next time I will be in a position to do that (fingers crossed). Thanks for reading and I will def make sure to provide some insight on the funny differences between Germany and Canada. – xoxo Robin