I have been on this site for the last 40 weeks. Yep, full-term and still going, but, oh, how adventurous this bumpy road has been.
As the clichĆ© goes: ā Itās about the journey and not the destination.ā In this case that so doesnāt apply. When pregnant they both go hand in hand. Itās the good, bad and funny experiences that I discovered through these nine months and the euphoria of that incredible joy I feel as times comes close to me reaching that destination.
As a first time new age Internet savvy Mommy-To-Be, I downloaded all the preggo apps ITunes had to offer. I found What to Expect,Ā Sprout,Ā The Bump, andĀ OviaĀ to be helpful. I ordered preggo books likeĀ What to Expect When Youāre ExpectingĀ and anything byĀ Gina Ford, and I calculated my EDD (estimated a date of delivery). I wanted to be a step ahead of everything; know whatās going to happen before it does; understand how Iām going to feel; answer my questions before my gynecologist would. A smart-ass MTB, basically. š
Whenever I hit a wall or was confused, my mum was my best friend. And, trust me thereās no app or book beats a person who is truly a BFF4Life. They say your pregnancy mirrors your motherās. If she had stretch marks, you probably will too; if she had strange cravings, you might have the same ones; if she overshot her due date, you will too.
So, my advice is: when in doubt ask mom, that usually applies to most things in life but in this case itās bang on the money. She is the one person who will know what you are experiencing and will empathise with you when needed and encourage you when you are down. After all, her baby is having a baby.
T 1 minus none:
Table of Contents
My 1st trimester was a breeze!!
Morning Sickness: none
Mood Swings: none
Nausea: none
Cravings: none
Flatulence: none
Bloating: none
Stretch marks: none
Am I preggers or my body is fooling me??
The pros were endless and hardly any cons. For an insomniac I would sleep like a baby and what a feeling it was. My skin had a spectacular new shine no facial ever gave me, hair fall? What hair fall ?? And the boobies!! Take it from someone who not blessed in that department: āWinner Winner Chicken Dinner.ā
The husband has never been happier, and sex drive was in top gear. Never felt sexier about myself than now and Life in the sack was one helluva ride! (pun intended) I was like, hell yeah this is going to be easy, Iām so going to nail it!
T2: the return of the boobies!
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Island Troopers šš š“š #vacaytime #babymoon #babybump #islandtroopers #pregnantbelly #instapic#beach #thailand #kohlanta #sunkissed #tan #instalove #babyganoosh
A photo posted by ā¢āā„āā£ā ā¢āāā„ā (@shveshve) onĀ
My 2nd trimester can be summed up as āminor changes and the honeymoon continues!!
Morning Sickness: none
Nausea: none
Cravings: chocolates!!
Mood Swings: only when I didnāt get Chocolate
Flatulence: none
Bloating: just at the right places (ahem, ahem)
Stretch marks: none
My doctor said this is the Honeymoon phase of your pregnancy, and so Hermit and I planned ours! It was Babymoon time. Off to Thailand, we went.
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Baby shopping was the best part; those oh, so cute onesies and booties. I pampered myself with retail therapy and much-needed massage treatments. I loved visiting my favorite restaurants and stuffing my face with Thai deliciousness.
I had no qualms about doing what I wanted nor did I try to resist my cravings based on the so much advice given to pregnant women. I went swimming in the ocean in my brand new slightly larger sized bikinis, took ample of preggo vacation pictures, I also went on island snorkeling day trips (was the only pregnant lady on the boat and loved the attention). As long as my body and my doc let me do it I didnāt deprive myself of anything. Being active was my motto.
Friends and family would tell me to slow down and calm down, I know they speak out of concern, but believe me the secret to this is just to listen to your body. If your body says hey I need to chill now, relax, and take a nap. If itās up and about, go for a walk or swim or do some yoga, as your heart pleases, after all, you are just pregnant not physically challenged.
Post holiday I was welcomed with a killer baby shower thrown by my closest and dearest buddies. The pampering continued with gifts and merriment.
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A week later my family hosted a beautiful Godh Bharai with a traditional ceremony. Thereās an unimaginable joy surrounding pregnancy, and I reeled it all in.
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T 3 ā like the movie, there was some new villains!
All new cons!
Cravings: Still chocolates, but also anything sweet. I mean anything with a hint of sugar would do.
Mood Swings: Exhaustion, tired and bored.
Acidity: At its peak. I was like a cow and tasted everything I ate again like cud.
Bloating: Chubby hands and baby elephant feet.
Stretch marks: Hello, tiger stripes!!
Sleep: Welcome back, insomnia.
First signs of the unpleasant side of pregnancy began with my feet swelling.
And,Ā insomnia set back in. I was used to the sleep deprivation. But, no more cute shoes and relying only on my trusty pair of Havaianas was a bummer
All this while I was so proud of not buying a single maternity outfit and only wearing my fresh and stylish anti-fit clothes. My personal style always did reflect that genre of dressing: Boho chic and anti-fit. Brands likeĀ Doodalage,Ā Chola by Sohaya,Ā Whim,Ā Huemn were my closet staples and perfect for any MTB (for those who donāt know: thatās mommy to be.
But now things have changed and of course, they would, what was I expecting. Well hellooooooh, thereās a lil human Iām growing inside of me and its getting bigger!! My Victoriaās Secret and M&S size 6ās turned to size 12ās, Brazilian bikini style transformed into midis for full coverage. As much as I hated it, MTB needed more room down there, and nothing felt comfier than good ole granny undies!
My perky full twins started to get way heavier than I would like and were heading south. Despite all the cocoa butter and bio-oils, the first signs of silvery white streaks began to appear. Life in the sack and the incredible sex drive was now in reverse gear. A good nights sleep was impossible as lying on my back would trigger an acid reflux and only about 35 pillows propped up under me would make me comfortable but then the frequent bathroom visits would keep me up.
I knew that āwinter is coming ā and Iām no Khaleesi!!
The doc warned me as this trimester is considered the sudden growth spurt one. Everything grew, literally: appetite, weight, breasts, belly, hands n feet you name it, and it grew.
Aches and pains, carpal tunnel all happened, my lovely pregnancy glow was dimming and sometimes depression would sink in.
Am I ever going to be myself again? Will my body never bounce back? Is my life going to change so drastically? Would I have to make new friends and my social life will end? Will I ever be able to wear a bikini and go to the beach??
These worries sound silly now, but they are legit. Itās entirely reasonable to have them. I never considered myself to be a woman who all she wanted was to get married and have babies. I was never that type, in fact quite the opposite. I enjoy living on my own, doing what I want when I want. Iād rather have a house full of dogs than a nurse or babysit a baby. Thatās me!!
Post marriage, I knew the next step I wanted to take was to have a child, but I wasnāt in any hurry. My husband Hermit was very supportive. He knew this was a process that my body would have to go through on my own. I found his patience with my gradual pace towards mentally preparing myself very endearing.
Here I am, at this juncture in my life waitng the beginning of the end of these 40 weeks.
Iām powering through my last few days with whatever little strength Iāve got left. Excited about the change, Iāve worked on turning my negatives into positives. Before I knew it, my engines were roaring again like Khalessiās dragons perched on her lovely shoulders (yes, I watched a lot of GoT during this time.) I may not be the Mother of Dragons, but Iām surely going to give birth like a rock star. Iāve decided to have a Home Water Birth without any epidurals or drugs.
I pray that I donāt have to go through this delivery surrounded by masked doctors and nurses looking down at me lying on table legs propped high under a large fluorescent light, being poked with needles and pumped with painkillers attached to machines. If thereās an option given to you at that time to ease the pain and take that epidural. I know I might succumb to it and want it; I am only human after all. This is my first time giving birth. I donāt know how I would react, but I do know one thing, and that is we are as strong as we think we are, mind over body.
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Birthing is the most natural action in the world. A woman has to experience the emotion of birthing, and a Baby has to pass through the passage feeling what sheās going through to bring it safely into this world, only then a mother and a child are bornā¦together!!
Iāve always envisioned myself having a birth plan thatās holistic. The gracious transfer of my baby from his tender womb-home to warm water in the birthing pool seems right, I think. Slowly introducing my child to learn to take his first breath, the skin to skin connection with his life-giver; opening his eyes to see all the people who canāt wait to welcome him. I want to bring this child into the world as organically as I can. I want him to be surrounded by love and blessings.
I have done my study and research in regards to this form of birthing. I have had prenatal classes with my midwife; bought my birthing pool; arranged the necessary paraphernalia; set up an emergency backup plan (regardless of what I have envisioned for my baby, I want a Plan B.) Iāve nurtured my nesting stage by decorating the baby corner in my house by building the crib, pre-softening my babies new clothes and swaddles, putting up the fairy lights, etc.
So dear baby,
Now itās all on you. Your mamma is as ready as she can be!
I promise you this: no matter what, Iām going to be by your side just like always. Iāve been these last few months ā with every breath I take and every morsel I eat. I will continue caring for you and putting all your needs before mine.
I canāt wait to hear your first cry, to feel your soft skin against mine, smell your beautiful babyness. Sorry, you heard me complain about silly stretch marks, saggy boobies and no sleep. I promise to wear my Tiger stripes with pride. It means Iāve nourished your body, and thatās what matter. Iāll stay up with you all night long (and make sure Daddy does as well!).
Know this: I already love you so much! You make me complete.
The blog is republished from Web archive