I know what you're thinking…can there possibly be ANY pros to being pregnant during a pandemic? I might have said “No way!” had I not lived it and simply had no other choice than to look for such pros to maintain my joy and sanity! For reference, my list pertains to the pre-vaccinations Covid-19 Pandemic culminating in my son being born on October 22, 2020. Everyone loves a good list, so here goes:

Starting with the obvious CONS. As we used to tell our pre-ballet students at City Ballet Dallas when they would say they CAN’T do something: “You CAN keep trying!” Well, I wish that could've applied in this case:

1. Can't enjoy recreation at some of our favorite places safely.

2. Family can't visit from across the country to help out when the baby is born.

3. Can't hang out with friends or make new mommy friends.

4. Can’t work. I know, some of y'all probably started working from home, but the nature of my job and the fact I was transitioning from teaching dance and Pure Barre in Connecticut to teaching in Virginia meant that I didn't get prioritized when studios were putting their classes online. The Pandemic affected Ben's work as well; filming got postponed and coordinating a time to be the only one in his shared warehouse shop became as tricky as making plans with a flaky Angelino Tinder match. Dinner at midnight on their side of town? In other words…super late and inconvenient.

5. Can't have an in-person baby shower or professional maternity photos like I had always dreamt of having.

6. Can’t go grocery shopping so opted for getting groceries delivered and thoroughly sanitizing each delivery. It was frustrating because we didn't always get what we wanted if the store was out of something or the shopper got the wrong thing (I know, I know, first world problems). Grocery delivery days always occupied a good 3-4 hours of our day, from texting with the shopper about substitutions to sanitizing and putting everything away. Sometimes I was so exhausted from my pregnancy that less perishable items didn’t get dealt with for a few days…

7. Can't safely travel meaning no baby moon. I felt pretty bummed about this as I love traveling and would've really loved to visit the ocean.

8. Can't take in-person birthing, breastfeeding and baby classes. These classes just aren't the same virtually, they lack the personal connection of being face-to-face with an instructor and the opportunity to make friends with fellow expecting parents.

9. Can't shop in-store for maternity and baby stuff. I didn't always end up with maternity clothes that fit regardless of how much I checked the measurements and size charts, so would've really loved to try stuff on. We also didn't get to get our hands on baby gear when making our choices and had to strictly rely on pictures and reviews.

10. Can't get tattoos. Doesn't every pregnant woman have a plan to get a matching tattoo with their baby daddy? No? Just me? Well, it's a con. Now that my baby is born and we have been vaccinated, my fiancé and I plan to finally turn our moon tattoo dream into a reality.

Now on to the PROS:

1. I spent more time in nature than I would have.

2. We weren’t stressed with accommodating visiting family when Alden was born.

3. Abundance of quality time with partner. I got to spend lots of quality time nesting with my love, trying our skills at everything from cutting and coloring hair to backyard DIY maternity photoshoots...

4. I became eligible for and received excellent social services due to my lack of employment. I've never been eligible for unemployment benefits before, being independently contracted, but the combination of the relaxed rules due to the Pandemic and my being pregnant afforded me unemployment and Medicaid.

5. More people were able to attend a Zoom baby shower than an in-person one with less time and travel investment. My sister was such a rock star at creating the best baby shower possible over Zoom, that friends still rave to me about her skills.

6. I stayed really healthy. I didn't catch ANYTHING. I did have a bit of seasonal allergies but Claritin kept em in check.

7. Had time to make and create: tried bunch of new recipes, refinished a dresser, painted nursery shelves, reupholstered 2 chairs, created a painting for our bedroom, and Ben made a bunch of cool furniture for our home as well as built a modest garden and place to hang our hammock.

8. I took lots of guilt-free and FOMO-free naps.

9. I got really good at online shopping and returns. See These Are A Few Of My Favorite [Baby] Things for baby stuff.

10. Had plenty of time to really think about the tattoos.

Here’s hoping this list becomes irrelevant sooner rather than later. Til then, keep your mask over your nose and your chin up!