5 Months Pregnant In a Shark Tank

Hanging out in my new maternity tail in the tank.

Petting the dogsharks, Ned and Nibbles, who also had babies in there with me.

 One of the jobs I love to perform is swimming in aquariums. I've already posted about swimming in a mermaid aquarium that's freshwater with no animals while pregnant, and now I will share with you what it's like sharing another fish's home as a pregnant mermaid.

 Whenever I get into an aquarium, whether as large as the Georgia Aquarium's Voyager or small, I first ask the person in charge of the animals as many detailed questions as possible. I'm never afraid of looking dumb, and know better than to act as if I know everything. If you own a pet dog for example, I bet your dog has different likes/dislikes than mine. It is the same with fish. They do have personalities. Some love to swim close to people and like physical contact. Others may like to come close to get a look at you but do not like contact. Then there are those that it's best to keep your distance from and avoid certain movements. These are a few of the things that I like to know before I get in other animals' homes. Something that is true for every aquarium fish that I've encountered is that when people enter the tank, it usually means they're being fed. Getting in especially for the first time is precarious as you don't want to excite the fish to the point where they're nibbling at your fins (especially the larger sharks), and you don't want to get the smaller ones so excited that you accidentally hurt one. It's a balancing act that does get better with practice, and the best thing a mermaid can do is be mindful of the precious life around her.

  Ned and Nibbles were at first put off by my large presence in their home and I got in about 30 minutes early before the first show to help calm their nerves before I swam around and blew bubbles for the audience. Once submerged I remained very still in the water, and meditated on my feelings of respect and love for these animals. I can't vouch that there's any real science behind "putting out my feelings" around me, but I do think that sharks especially sense our feelings underwater and when we are calm, loving, and respectful, that they react to it in our favor. 

 Ned and Nibbles also had babies before I got in their home. As a pregnant mother myself, I could totally relate to their feelings of protection for their young from this huge fish that just entered their home. Once the sharks were calm and not whipping about my face I slowly and very delicately moved their babies to one side of the tank for their safety. My role as a mermaid is to teach about conservation, and what kind of mermaid would I be if I crushed baby sharks? When I held the babies I felt such a beautiful feeling, connecting the life within me to the new life within these pouches often referred to as "mermaid purses". Nibbles swam around, seemingly checking on her babies and then laid down next to me. Both sharks allowed me to pet them often and the shows went smoothly and beautifully.

 I'm so thankful that Mermaid Jessica came and joined me for these shows! She was a perfect mersister to have. I'm more of an underwater mermaid whereas she was highly interactive with the audiences climbing to the top of the tank and speaking with them at length. We were the perfect yin and yang balance! The initial goal was to be in the tank together, but because we did not want to injure the babies, we took turns rotating. The audience and aquarium staff immensely enjoyed our performance and we look forward to returning there in the future.

Mermaid Jessica playing "high five" games with the kids. 

 I look back on all that fun from just a week ago and I miss my two tank mates. I always get a bit attached to the animals that I share a space with. I especially get attached to sharks. There's a reef shark in the Voyager that I made friends with and still fondly think of. I can't believe not long ago I was deathly afraid of sharks (thank you Jaws), and that fear almost kept me from mermaiding in the oceans all together. I chose to become educated on them and have discovered through research, dialogue with shark conservationists, and in my own experience that they are not these heartless, mindless, man eating creatures. They have a spirit, and they feel pain and joy. Some are playful, and others are strictly business-just like some people I know. No matter how you feel about them personally, I do hope that maybe just by reading how I feel about them, that you would take the time to reconsider your life choices that impact them.

My First Day Training to Swim with a Pregnant Belly

At almost five months pregnant, it's time to get back to my training if I have any chance of keeping up with those whale sharks in Mexico. Thanks to my new partial silicone tail by the Mertailor, I am able to return to the pool with just the fluke for practice. At first getting back to my routine of daily swim training seemed daunting: getting my old gym bag packed, making sure my underwater MP3 player was charged, soaking my hair in cold water and conditioner, and putting on my now very revealing swimsuit. I kept looking around my home at the other more fun projects to do, and I gradually talked myself into going to the pool. That's when my performance training came into play--all that discipline to practice no matter how fatigued or hungry or disinterested I felt--it kicked in and I left my house for the pool.

Once I walked into the pool area I was hit with the stringent smell of the chlorine, and my body was shocked by the cold temperature of the water. I felt disheartened looking at my underwater timer, once used to help me work on my free diving breath hold, now just being set so I could meet 30 minutes of swim time. I used to swim for hours without a break and now I was just hoping to meet 30 minutes. It's like having to practice scales when you once played a whole sonata. A part of me just wanted to go home, eat fried green tomatoes and sleep, but I persevered.

It only took a few seconds once I was submerged, surrounded by my favorite music, to feel close to my old self. I swam from one end to the other in one breath as I used to, and felt the magic of belonging to the underwater world. I soon forgot my pregnant belly and was performing successive back flips and twists from my familiar routines. I lounged back 10 feet below and blew bubble rings like the content caterpillar from "Alice in Wonderland". As 30 minutes approached I felt tired and my baby started kicking. I could see my belly moving. It was time to leave.

I took my fin to the shower and as it was being rinsed I soaked my legs in the hot tub. Once I carried my gear to my car and got home, I was exhausted. It was such a chore to shower again and do a chlorine removal treatment, then a deep conditioning treatment on my hair, but I made it through my usual after-swim routine, ate a protein bar, then passed out.

I told myself to stay positive, this was my day #1, and training would get better for me.

You know they say you can be your own best friend or worst enemy. I'm so thankful that I choose to be the former, because I think encouraging myself and believing in my potential truly works.

I was right. My training did get easier.

Mermaid in a Tank...A Perfect Job for a Pregnant Momma in the Southern Heat

Outside of the tank in my new maternity tail by the Mertailor at 4 months pregnant

Giving my husband a kiss through the glass

Inspiring the next little mermaid....

I was delighted to be invited to be a part of PirateFest 2014 in Greenville, NC. Most of the time I work alone, so when I was able to work with my favorite mermaids from "The Real Mermaids" and "NC Merfolk" I was beyond thrilled! You would think that there would be a lot of competition between us, and I know that is so and in some circles it can be ruthless (maybe I will post about that sometime..boy do I have some stories!), but there is none of that in this group. We really support and help each other. I'm so blessed to have wonderful merfriends as these!

For the first time I performed in a tail I've never worn before. My friend and amazing tail maker, the Mertailor created my maternity tail. It is an innovative tail that can be taken apart in two pieces (perfect for when I'm huge and can't see my feet), and it is lined with neoprene. I could not wear my traditional silicone tail while pregnant, and even if I could, greasing myself up and going through the acrobatics to put it on just would not do in my condition. He added extra fabric to the seams so that as I got bigger I could let it out myself. The scales on it look as real as my silicone ones (they are silicone, just on top of neoprene), and putting on my tail in the tank was an easy task. I'm really glad that he suggested this for me. He's making me a custom painted one for my epic photo shoot at 7 months pregnant in July, but until then, this one will do perfectly for my work. On a side note, when I'm smaller again after my daughter is born, I can easily take it in and add it to my regular rotation of tails...or keep it as it is for baby #2....

The mermaids and I had fun rotating in and out of the tank. When we weren't swimming we were painting faces and taking pictures with our fans. Being in the tank felt like I was at home-I just love being underwater! People look hazy as they walk up to me, as if they're surrounded by glowing halos. I interacted with the children by playing with my light up crystals and blowing bubble hearts and kisses. I got really hot outside when working at the pirate show, so being in that water was a huge relief for me and baby. I overdid it and my merfriends were super compassionate as I rested in the tent. I am really grateful to them for taking such good care of me. I do look forward to returning the favor when one of them becomes a mermomma. Here's a video of me in the tank:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmEhnNpro0A

Getting fatigued is something that any pregnant woman has to prepare for. I used to work long hours with hardly any breaks, so getting tired for me is something very new. I am glad that I did get tired at this festival because it taught me that I need to have another mermaid work with me at long events just in case from now on. In talking with Mermaid Jessica I found out that she lives an hour away from my next gig in Charlotte, and after watching her performance and spending time with her I knew she would be the perfect mersister to join me in this gig. Isn't it wonderful when everything happens for a reason?

After the festival, we had a celebratory dinner thanks to our generous MerKing, Christomer Starfish, and a business meeting (this is a business after all :). I shared with everyone that as a new mother, I will be taking time away from the business part of mermaiding. I will still be mermaiding because it is a part of me, but I will not be traveling all over to do appearances and working as a mermaid. I will just be swimming for the fun of it. For every mother this choice is a hard one, and everyone is different, but for me, because this may be my only chance to be a mother, I want to be there with my daughter every second of it. I will do maybe a handful of appearances a year, and make a few custom sequined tails, but other than that, I will not be working. It's good to know that I have a strong group of mermaids and mermen to take care of my clients, and if you're reading this and thinking about hiring a professional mermaid, these are the best people to choose from! 

Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, but I wanted to cry when we left for the airport. It's just so hard to leave such beautiful, sweet, and amazing friends. At least my soul was rejuvenated :) My body was so tired I slept a lot of the flight back to Nashville. When we got home it all felt like a dream....

MerMommy in the Virgin Islands

Free diving over a shipwreck from WWII at 3 months pregnant

Exploring the coral reefs

Swimming in my wedding dress

You can see me swimming in it here: http://youtu.be/RXhz35qHT-E

The water of the VIs was amazing! Not only were there beautiful blends of aquas and sapphire blues, but just swimming in the water was rejuvenating to my body and spirit. Though my nausea was gone, I still had uncomfortable cramping and was tired and took a lot of naps. My merbaby was kicking so hard some days...I joked that it was like having Rick James kicking his muddy boots on Eddie Murphy's couch (from the Dave Chapelle sketch). Once I was in the ocean the cramping disappeared, the baby relaxed, and I felt like my old mermaid self again! I heeded my OB's advice to not dive too deep and hold my breath as long. The deepest I dove was within 15 feet and I kept my breath hold under a minute. I got to swim with sea life such as sting rays and sea turtles. I did not see any sharks or dolphins. I learned that dolphins are a gamble when you are pregnant as they can sense the pregnancy and have a negative reaction, so I was relieved to not swim with them. I love sharks but I don't feel comfortable swimming with them in my sequined tail so it was good that they were a no show too. 

You can see me swimming in my tail here: http://youtu.be/27tAmhvk8ow

I highly recommend mermaiding in the VIs. If you go, take a trip out with Wish Upon A Star boat charters. The captain is a true friend to merfolk and he charges a fraction of what other charters do and gives you more! I honestly don't know how he can afford this, but I immensely enjoyed spending the day on his boat and he had the best cinnamon rolls and other snacks this mermommy craved!

I look forward to going back to the VIs one day with my baby. The water was so amazing and the time I shared with my husband was truly magical. I know that I love what I do, but every time I mermaid in the ocean I get this feeling that I'm right where I'm supposed to be. It was truly a life affirming experience!

MerMommy in Puerto Rico...

Enjoying the legendary Rincon sunset!

Can you see my baby bump?

Puerto Rico was beautiful! I was amazed at how beautiful the coral was near Steps Beach. It reminded me of the western coast of Australia, but I liked it even more! I got to swim face to face with a sea turtle. The fish were very friendly, and as they came close, I made sure not to touch them so I would not remove any of their protective slime from their scales. But they were so unafraid of me, it was hard not to touch them as they wanted to touch me by swimming up so close-even swimming into my hands! The humpback whales were to be coming through the area but we did not see any. I was hoping to swim with them....maybe next time! The sun and saltwater was just what I needed to feel better. I was nauseated and throwing up until the day we arrived in San Juan. I was so thankful just to be able to move around and not be so sick every second of it! As I relaxed underwater and moved with the current, I felt like I could breathe again. It's a hard feeling to describe, but to other mermaids who are reading this, you totally get what I mean here. We also made new friends and I even met a store owner who would like to sell my artwork and mermaid tops and tails! I have so much going on but maybe one day you will be able to buy some of my products in Rincon...

Reactions to a MerMommy

Underwater with my trident while one month pregnant

Something I was not prepared for were the reactions of friends, acquaintances, and complete strangers to my pregnancy. Those who were the closest to me knew my struggles with my disease and my desires to be a mother. It was shocking to me that one of those friends could no longer be a friend of mine now that I had my miracle baby.  I guess to her I had everything now, and therefore, I was a reminder of what she didn't have, rather than her friend who was expecting a baby. It was very sad for me because we were extremely close, but these things can and do happen and I've moved on.

I've had acquaintances be overjoyed and extremely supportive, even making gifts for me and the baby. This outpouring of love from people that I knew, but weren't really close with felt wonderful, and helped me get through losing a friend.

There have been extreme polar opposite reactions from complete strangers. I've had people congratulate me and then I've been told by other pregnant women that I should have an abortion because of what I do. These women did not take into account that I have been married for five years, that we own our house and land (free and clear in a few months), that I am well educated with a Master's degree, have traveled the world, volunteer and give back to my community, and above all these things am a compassionate good-hearted woman who wants to be a mother. Because of my career, I can work only a few times a year and be at home with my baby, never having to put my child in a daycare. These women flaunt their ignorance of basic biology by saying "you're starving your baby of oxygen". Your baby does not take a breath every time you do. No pregnant woman should all of a sudden become a mermaid, but because I have been training in this for years regularly, my baby is safe. My OB and I went over healthy boundaries while mermaiding for my baby, and if what I do is ok with him, then really it's no one else's business to tell me any different.

I'm extremely grateful for the mermaid community. They have been the most enthused and supportive friends during this time. Their outpouring of love has given me strength and hope. I have been leaning on my mermaid friends a lot during this time, and they have not let me down. I love them so much! The MerKing himself is throwing us a baby shower at the next MerFest. This will be amazing!

The First Trimester

I'm one month pregnant in this photo

I had an easier time with the Lupron treatments, the surgery, and the endometriosis pain than I did with the constant nausea and vomiting that came with my first trimester. I had to quit all work. I could barely drive, let alone get to my destination. I tried to swim through it, but when I was throwing up at the side of the pool I knew I had to give in to the sickness and stop fighting. No one wants to be known as the pukey mermaid anyways lol! I am so grateful to my husband who took the best care of me during this time. Not for a moment did he make me feel bad for not working. He even hired help for me around the house during the day because I could not even maintain our home, it was a challenge to care for myself. I tried every natural remedy for the nausea, I was so desperate to get my life back! Nothing worked. My doctor put me on Zofran, which is an anti-nausea medication prescribed to chemo patients as well as pregnant women. For me, it took away the nausea but gave me strong lower stomach pains, so I stopped taking it because it did not help. Oddly, I did not lose weight during this time, but gained about 6 pounds. I guess I gained all of that because I normally swim so much, and then I went from highly athletic and active to being extremely tired, or was awake but unable to move much. The weather was especially cold and gloomy during that time, and I think maybe I would have felt better if the sun were out. I was looking forward to going to the Caribbean at the end of the trimester. Maybe mermaiding in the ocean was just what I needed! I looked forward to that trip every day. It felt like forever.....