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Turn off your phone. One more phone call or text from family asking if you’ve had the baby yet as if you have forgotten to tell them and you’re gonna have a meltdown.

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I no longer want to be spread thin like sand. I want to be the ocean. I want to be whole, and self-contained, and self-serving — so that if the time comes for me to love another, I have a vast, infinite well of love to pull from.

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Some of you may be compulsive people pleasers. You only think of yourself after everyone else has been taken care of. Well, during your pregnancy, it’s your turn to sit back and enjoy the first place, the center of attention. Whether it’s getting a seat on a crowded bus or not having to stand in line, people will bend over backwards to accommodate you.

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Sometimes no amount of discipline can influence a body. Sometimes discipline is just an excuse to punish ourselves: I will make my muscles ache and my lungs scream for air, because I am not yet a good enough version of myself.

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3. Go on a date…or 6