Going to a large amusement park seven months pregnant isn’t the best idea in the world but it isn’t the worst idea either. Earlier this summer my daughter and I were at a minor league baseball game and got on local TV. where we were presented tickets to Hersheyland Park. This amusement park is three hours away from NYC, so not the most convenient of things to win. We ended up turning it into an overnite vacation. But packing for one night is just as difficult as packing for four weeks. You still need all the essentials and toiletries and swimming gear and car games. Once we were at the amusement park, there was no turning back. A 200-acre labyrinth of rides and restaurants and shows and a zoo and theatres and stores confronted us. The day was turning hot. I had comfortable shoes and my daughter was in a stroller and I had a big bottle of water and we had already eaten lunch outside. Thank goodness for those things. Now what? I pushed forward with the crowd. I saw toddler rides. For the next hour my daughter went on those and I sat on benches. They had the decency to put in hundreds of benches throughout the park. I got several questions about my due date from other mothers. A lot of babies were there, but not one other pregnant woman did I see throughout our eight hours at that amusement park. Why was I the only one? Was that just a coincidence or was I committing a pregnant faux-pas? We pushed onward and came across another level of rides. Time to re-fill the water bottle with the much-coveted water fountain. I wanted to avoid buying the $4.50 bottles for sale. I had wanted to bring fruit in but there was a sign that read, “No outside food.” I snuck a bag of nuts in anyway. The food for sale at the various food courts was all tasty looking but way up there on the “I really shouldn’t” list. The healthiest item I ever saw was a Greek salad for $14. We weren’t hungry, just drank water and ate nuts and popcorn all day. I paced my day between getting my daughter on rides and sitting on benches. There were too many hills. I couldn’t go on any rides except the Lady Bug and the Classis Cars. Even they were hard to get into and out of. On the Lady Bug I met a new mother who had flown to Disney World at 7 1/2 months pregnant in 100 degrees heat and delivered back at home three weeks later. That made me feel better about being at an amusement park waddling around. I should have rented one of those battery-charged three-wheelers. Oh well, at least I was exercising, even at a very slow pace. After leaving, we did hit the nearest Wendy’s and tried to order as healthy as possible. We ended up with a baked potato, chili, and Southwestern salads. I hoped my daughter had a good time, even towing a hugely visible pregnant mother around. Whatever it takes, I want to spend every quality moment I can with her up until I go to the hospital. No more amusement parks or snorkeling for now. Been there, done that. But let’s see what this big belly mass can do in its third trimester.
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