When I found out I was pregnant last September, I told all of my friends that I wanted to go clubbing/dancing when I was 9 months pregnant. They laughed, nodded and said, ‘yeah yeah, ok Diana!’. Well, I wasn’t kidding! I’ve been lucky enough during this pregnancy to still feel pretty great and I still have a good amount of energy so why not? When they started advertising the 10th anniversary of the Insieme party at Rouge, I messaged all of my friends and got them on board to come party with me one more time before this little one joins us.
Here are a few of my tips for going clubbing when you’re 9 months pregnant
1. Elevate your feet to reduce swelling: Before heading out on the town, make sure to raise your feet for a few hours to reduce any swelling. The ninth month of pregnancy was when swelling really started to be an issue, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me! The party we were going to happened to be on the same night as the last Game of Thrones episode, so while watching with my friends, I made sure my feet were up and as relaxed as possible!
2. Nap before: This tip works even if you’re not pregnant. Planning on dancing all night? Get a few zzz’s before heading out to make sure you’re not yawning on the dance floor. Growing a baby is hard work so extra sleep is always appreciated!
3. Pick a non-alcoholic drink: Just because you can’t drink alcohol, doesn’t mean you can’t have a nice fancy drink! My favourite? Virgin mojitos! If they’re made well, you can barely tell that there’s no alcohol. If your friends take a round of cranberry/vodka shots, just skip the vodka and playfully take a plain old cranberry juice shot instead! Cheers!
4. Wear comfortable shoes: Once again, this doesn’t just go for pregnant women but definitely wear comfortable shoes! At first I was going to wear some comfy flats but I actually have these light-weight leather slingback wedges that I bought in Italy many years ago that were comfy all night! Although my feet were still slightly swollen, the flexible sling-back accommodated any inflation in my foot size. That being said, I did have an emergency pair of flip flops in my car, just in case!
5. Have a good group of friends to protect the bump: This was probably the funniest thing about the whole evening for me. We went dancing with about 6 of our friends and without even asking them to, they automatically took on the role of bump security. Walking through the club, I was surrounded by my friends who protected me from misplaced elbows and overly-excited dancing bodies. I didn’t have to worry about accidentally being knocked around!
6. People don’t usually notice: Surprisingly, not many people actually noticed I was pregnant. And if they did, they didn’t care. At first we wondered if the doorman would even allow me into the club (perhaps they would have liability concerns?), but I wore a loose coat with a big billowy scarf and nobody even noticed! Once the night got started, I was even surprised that a few people offered me drinks/shots! I politely let them in on my little ‘secret’ and they were genuinely surprised, as if they hadn’t even noticed. I definitely think that wearing a black dress in an already dimly lit club helped, but hey, it still made me feel great knowing people weren’t only gazing at the massive bump.
7. Avoid the haters, do what you want: I must admit I googled “clubbing when pregnant” a few times before actually going out. And I was surprised to read so many mom-bashing comments about how inappropriate it is to go dancing while pregnant. Although everyone is entitled to their opinion, I strongly disagreed. Of course, I met with a my doctor a few days before and got the OK that this was a totally fine and healthy activity. She actually encouraged it! She said that “dancing the baby out” was a great way to get things moving and that any physical activity, such as dancing, would only help.
8. Don’t force yourself: If reading this article made you cringe at the thought of getting dolled up while pregnant, don’t do it. There is nothing that says you need to be that super energetic pregnant lady. There is absolutely nothing wrong with staying at home in fluffy socks and relaxing while growing your little angel. What’s good for one pregnant lady isn’t always what is right for another! Be your own person and choose to do what feels right for you!
So, am I happy I did it? Hell yes. Do I plan on going out every weekend until I pop? Definitely not. For the most part, my remaining Friday nights will be spent with my feet up (hello Shrek ankles) relaxing with the hubs. That being said, I can’t wait to tell my son/daughter all of my crazy pregnancy adventures one day!