Car Life at Seven Months Pregnant

Time flies—I’m already seven months pregnant, and my belly has grown quite large. Recently, I’ve really noticed how much my thought process has changed compared to before pregnancy. The human body is truly a fascinating thing.

I’ve always been the type to enjoy new challenges and adventures, but now, those feelings have mostly faded. It feels like all the male hormones inside me have completely vanished, replaced entirely by female hormones—like I’m nesting or something… lol.

During my first and second pregnancies, I worked hard right up until the very end, always maintaining an aggressive mindset. But now, with the kids home every day due to COVID-19 and limited chances to go out, I guess my feelings have shifted even more toward nesting.

So these days, it’s almost like I’ve become a different person. The desire to get better at driving or go on long drives in my beloved car has diminished compared to before. Instead, I just want to relax at home.

For someone like me who’s usually always on the move and wants to be doing something, this change is surprising… Truly, the changes a mother’s body goes through are amazing.

What I Now Look for in a Car

At the same time, what I expect from a car has changed. Before, I didn’t mind much if the ride quality wasn’t great. Of course, a comfortable ride is always better, but I tended to prefer firmer suspension and often thought, “The driving is so amazing that a little sacrifice in comfort is understandable.”

However, as my belly grew, I started to really notice the ride quality. The jolts and shakes on rough roads became very tough to endure. The vibrations hit my belly directly, making me tense up each time, so I found it increasingly uncomfortable to ride.

Also, lately I haven’t been taking long drives in the Porsche, just short trips around the neighborhood, so the comfort and smoothness at low speeds have become even more important to me.

In that context, I recently drove the Panamera again after a while and was reminded just how amazing it is. (Though I feel like I’m impressed every time I get in, lol)

The ride is smooth, the air conditioning kicks in quickly, sunlight through the windows isn’t too hot, and the interior is spacious. Since I usually drive a manual (BMW 320i), I have a habit of resting my left hand on the gear lever even in an automatic, but the Panamera’s gear lever fits my hand lightly and comfortably. (The 992’s lever is smaller, so I can’t do this there.)

Other Porsches have their quirks: GT3 drives great but the ride is rough, Boxster is fun but the heater takes forever to warm up, and air-cooled models get unbearably hot inside. While these are minor downsides given how fantastic they drive, (and I’m grateful for such luxury anyway…) the Panamera has none of these issues and is completely stress-free.

The cabin is spacious and comfortable, so the kids ride quietly without complaints. (That’s important, lol) In that sense, the Panamera is a wonderful car that’s comfortable for both driver and passengers. That’s why I always want to keep driving it, no matter how far or long.

While it’s comfortable for city driving, on the highway it glides smoothly like the Shinkansen Nozomi bullet train, and on mountain roads it handles nimbly as if its large size shrinks. The power and acceleration are more than enough.

Truly, the Panamera is amazing at balancing performance and comfort.

Though the Panamera is obviously large, these days I often see Cayennes and Mercedes SUVs navigating narrow roads, so once you get used to this size, regular roads and parking lots aren’t a big deal. (Though parking in Osaka city still requires some care.)

It’s almost been three years since I bought the Panamera. Considering our family’s lifestyle going forward, we decided to replace it before the next inspection because we don’t need such a big car, but the Panamera is so versatile that honestly, I’d love to keep driving it for another five or ten years.

Over more than four years (including the previous Panamera Edition we had), I’ve seen the Panamera from every angle, and the more I learn, the more I realize it’s an incredibly attractive car that can handle any situation.

The Road Ahead in Our Car Life

Depending on our circumstances, what we feel about driving and what we want from a car will keep changing. Honestly, when I started this pregnancy, I never imagined I’d feel this way, especially as someone who writes a car blog.

On the other hand, my car-obsessed husband probably won’t change at all… lol.

I’m sure in the future, our values will shift and things we never imagined will happen. And who knows—after giving birth, I might be itching to get out and drive all the time again (haha).

Going forward, I hope to embrace each change honestly, cherish my feelings at each moment, appreciate my current environment, and continue to enjoy our car life.