Please Share What It's Like Being a Mermaid While Pregnant

[MermaidBonnie]

I am 7 months along in my pregnancy and have kept working as a mermaid during most of it (first trimester I had to take off a month due to throwing up and being underwater made me queasy). I have googled pregnant mermaids extensively, but there aren't any of us that I can find who continue to free dive and work in oceans/aquariums while pregnant...I'm sure they can be found on here though! Even googling free divers I heard of one called Maria, but she never wrote about it and I can't find one picture of her pregnant while free diving. Who else has kept up being a mermaid while pregnant? I'd love to share experiences, see your pix/vids, and also bring our knowledge to the forefront so future mermommies know the real information from those of us who have lived it. There's so much misinformation out there! I've been told by women in my pregnancy support group that my baby would be retarded bc I held my breath so long and it would be all my fault (I quit that group immediately. They were a very hateful bunch). I saw an older thread about Dottie-I'd love to hear how mermaiding while pregnant has worked for her! I also talked with Kariel awhile back but her OB told her to not hold her breath during pregnancy so she did not do any underwater work while pregnant.

Here is some of what I've experienced and would like to share:

I'm obviously not a doctor, so of course go by what your doctor says. I've been working as a mermaid, holding my breath and diving for a long time before getting pregnant, so my advice would not be for someone who is very new to this lifestyle. My OB, who is one of those high ranking doctors that I had to know someone to get an appointment, and is one of the best in his field nationally (I won't share his name bc of my privacy). He told me that I'm his best patient and he's been in practice for decades! I have no swelling at all, no aches/pains, blood pressure, vitamin levels, and glucose are normal, and my baby is perfect in her development down to every inch. He said he's never had a mermaid as a patient before, but that this is the perfect job for a pregnant woman from what he's seen through me. We've talked about natural birth and he thinks I will be very good with it because of my breathing techniques and body conditioning from being a mermaid. He gave me some perimeters for safety such as diving depth, breath holding time, and now in my third trimester to avoid public pools and lakes due to contamination in these hot summer months. This weekend I dive in Mexico with whalesharks. So far all the sharks and other fish I've swam with have responded to the pregnancy with curiosity and it's been amazing! I will let ya'll know how these large animals react, if they do react differently at all. Hopefully dolphins come find me, they will definitely "see" the pregnancy.

I'm really looking forward to hearing about other pregnant mermommies' experiences!!! :)

[Aziara]

Yay! Good to know it's possible to keep on swimming! I only found out I was pregnant a week or two ago. (And today I think I will go back to bed; yesterday I had to have nearly a pint of blood drawn for testing) :bed now:

[AniaR]

Mermaid Dottie did some mermaid stuff while pregnant.

I love that you document everything Bonnie. I find it so interesting! I will admit I worry about my mermaid business when I am able to have a baby. Because of all my other health problems I'll be a high risk pregnancy so I think I'll have to back off the more physical things which makes me a bit sad. That's why I'm trying to get my business to a higher level of self sustainability so if I can't do parties it keeps going.

I hope you'll keep sharing things and photos etc. It is so exciting. I know Kariel did a bit while pregnant too

[Mermaid Amelia]

My boys will be turning 1 next month and I'm so excited! I mermaided in the first trimester but had to stop due to the utter non stop horrifying morning sickness. Like seriously MORNING sickness? I got it all day everyday, even threw up while giving birth haha. But my case is slightly different as I had twins and all the other fun consciences of a high risk pregnancy. I also had gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. I did keep working in my full time job as a manager of a retail craft store but I can probably write a book called " how to throw up at work". Then when I hit my third trimester my body just hit a wall and I could no longer cope I went on maternity leave and gave birth to my beautiful boys when they where only 33weeks old. They had to stay in hospital for over month until I could bring them home, and unfortunately the smaller of the two had to go back again because he was anaemic as well as other health issues. The hospital was about and hours drive away and I would get up when it was dark go to the hospital spend all day with them and drive back home in the dark. I was also breast pumping around the clock to be able to bring them milk. I did this everyday without a break and it wears you down mentally and physically. At that point mermaiding was far from my mind and I didn't even know if I would be able to do it ever again. When the babies where about 3 or 4 months old and home and safe and healthy I eventually let myself mermaid again. My friend Jessica who had helped my out a couple of times merwrangling and taking photos stepped into the limelight and became my Mermaid sister and business partner. Taking on a partner is the best thing I've done for the business because it took the pressure off and we have been able to accomplish a lot together. But Bonnie you sound like you are having a wonderful pregnancy I wouldn't worry, just listen to your doctors and listen to your body, it's pretty good at telling you what it can and can't do. I hope everything goes swimmingly and can't wait to see photos of you and your bun :)


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[Capt Nemo]

I would be a little cautious, as you do develop a nitrogen load even while freediving. The air in your lungs pressurizes as you decend, forcing nitrogen into the system. Not much has been studied about the effects of nitrogen build up in the child during pregnancy. From studies from some of my litrature, seem to indicate that kids under 16 should be kept from picking up large nitrogen loads like those incurred deeper than 40 feet. So try to keep things shallow if you do go out!

[Echidna]

I don't think she will do much deep diving :p

it would be interesting to see whether a child born of a very active mermaid/freediver would possess a higher tolerance to nitrogen and affinity for the water.

[Mermaid Amelia]

I'm pretty sure babies lungs don't inflate until they take their first breath after being born. It's a very interesting concept


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[Capt Nemo]

The laws of physics/chemistry dictate how nitrogen goes in and comes out, there's no gray area there for building tolerance! Fat/lipids hold nitrogen longer, and those extra pounds put on during pregnancy will add to the nitrogen holding capability of the body. A fat diver is a greater risk for decompression sickness.

Freediving may also starve the child of oxygen. Remember, you're breathing for 2 people instead of one. Shallow water blackout will also occur easier. Remember, with a blackout, you're at the point of brain damage starting to occur.

[malinghi]

Wow, that's all really interesting.

As for mermaiding while pregnant, a couple years ago Mermaid Goldie from Foxmoon Productions posted some photos of her swimming during her pregnancy. She's another person who's also had the experience of being a pregnant mermaid.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/943692_190737817744724_1621945901_n.jpg?oh=8df5960 92da3d1237c35cadd6056f08a&oe=544BCA74&__gda__=1412807927_75fcf78c07031bdecf11ef60d2d4f37 0

[Mermaid Adriel]

Aww... It's always so nice seeing things like this!

[Echidna]

swimming is probably the best workout during pregnancy.

just be careful when taking babies to pools.
there are many studies indicating early exposure to chlorine fumes can trigger asthma in young children.

(we met a woman who had her newborn, 2 or 3 weeks old, with her at the pool.
probably not the best idea with the yet undeveloped immune system and such, but of course, parents know everything better...)

[MermaidBonnie]

Aziara-Congratulations!!! I'm so excited for you and your new pregnancy! :) I hope you're able to continue mermaiding while pregnant! Mermaid Amelia-OMG, you are my new hero! Pre-eclampsia is very serious! I don't know one person who has given birth to a live baby with that condition-let alone two! Plus you had GD? Seriously, bless your sweet heart for making it through it all plus working a full time job!!! And congrats on your new partner. Malinghi what a cute picture!!! :) My OB has restricted my diving depth from the beginning and that has worked out well so no worries Capt Nemo. I can't believe just a few weeks ago I was still able to practice my breath hold swimming up to 75 ft in one breath. I'm so big now, I can't dive deep at all, my bump is so buoyant! My breath hold has also seriously decreased since crossing the third trimester especially. I was lucky to make it 20 seconds swimming next to the whalesharks last week. My abs are pretty much obsolete now so I was super slow in trying to keep up with them. I was grateful that I got a two piece tail bc I couldn't reach my feet and had to have two men help me get into my tail every time. I did shoot in the water an hour at a time with the sharks and after about 2 hours my body had enough. There's a pic of me online passed out on the boat lol. Something I hadn't counted on was that when a whaleshark swam directly towards me with its mouth wide open (both of us underwater) my mommy instinct kicked in and my body swam away from the shark. My intent was to be directly in front of its mouth for the shot but my body totally took over. And that happened a couple of times. Looking back I think that's pretty amazing how our bodies can do that! I think for now I'm done swimming as a mermaid for awhile. Besides hanging out in my saltwater grotto, I am officially on my maternity leave until December. To keep me busy I am working on my newest tail and then will work on another one for my daughter.

[Mermaid Amelia]

Yay more baby mers!


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