Two red lines on a test pack. Two small lines that can
provide the ultimate happiness for most married couples. Two red lines that can
change one’s life.
They say, pregnancy is a voyage that can be comprehended
only by those who have passaged through it, as are most of life’s enigmatic
experiences. We also hear how extremely poignant a pregnancy journey is, filled
with anguish, elatedness and feelings felt only by those expectant mothers. All
my life, I wondered what would it feel like to be pregnant? To carry a
responsibility so huge, its life depended upon you for its well-being, to have
the ability to provide a whole new life for something that initially started
out as a mere cell.
February 4th, 2016 was a special date. We got up
at 7am to get a laboratory test pack. A couple of hours later, we held in our
hands a report with a one-worded proclamation; positive. We were officially
becoming parents.
As a voracious reader, I got my hands on so many books, some
being best-sellers and some being lesser known gems. As helpful as they have
been, I can safely say, nothing describes experiences better than actually
undergoing the same. Nevertheless, I decided to blog this one up, to document a
challenging, difficult, wonderful, memorable journey towards achieving a
healthy human being in my arms.
Week 2 – 4: The
month went by rather quickly, or for the sake of better choice of words, very
well. As amusing as this was worrying for me, I didn’t feel pregnant. My body felt
as fit as a fiddle, had zests of energy all day, yet to experience morning
sickness and puking, no cramps and my skin was at its best. Best attempt was
made to eat well and nourish myself to the best of my abilities so I made more
effort to eat more fruit, nuts and eat smaller meals at regular intervals. At
this stage was when I learnt that some bodies are better equipped for handling
pregnancy, due to its lifestyle of sleeping well, balanced eating, de-stress
and regular exercise. For all of these, credit goes to the husband for keeping
me healthy. As shallow as this seems, I missed wearing heels! They have been
known to risk posture if worn during pregnancy so those who are smart enough
know better than keeping them on. At this stage, I was completing the last
phase of my Master’s degree thesis, which by estimates, would be completed by
the time I hit my second trimester. I was determined to remain stress-free
throughout completing both my thesis and pregnancy.
Week 4 - 8: My first official check-up informed me that I was 4 weeks
along and my ob/gyn suggested a USG. 6 millimeters in size, she could say it
was 4 weeks old. This was when I learned that women who do not experience
nausea are simply lucky and that I should pray it continues this way. Apparently,
the doctor said some women who lead generally healthier lifestyles handle
pregnancy better (less cravings, less sickness, less cramping) and for this,
credit goes to my hubby for ensuring that I workout regularly, sleep well,
de-stress and eat healthy as much as I can <3 o:p="">
I still don’t feel
pregnant. Nausea feelings come and go but I haven’t been puking, haven’t
experienced exhaustion. The only lifestyle change was that I got sleepy a lot. I
sleep early and deeply until my alarm rings by 8 am. That, and also, I peed A
LOT but that is probably because I doubled my water intake. Was I hormonal?
Yes, little things irked me more than usual but lucky was I that my hubby was
patient enough :P The following weeks were pretty much smooth sailing, thank goodness.
If I had an advice at this point, it would be to stick to what your normal diet
entails. I had a rough experience because of kiwi. Kiwis aren’t usually part of
my diet, simply because I’m not its biggest fan. But once in a while I’d have a
piece or two and that would be it. I read somewhere that the fruit is high in
Vitamin C and it’d be beneficial. Turned out, I developed an allergic reaction.
My tongue swale up, I lost my voice and developed nasal congestion. It was
around 10pm and I knew I wasn’t allowed commercial medicines, so the only thing
I could do was drink milk to stimulate vomit, gargle with salt water and steam
up with some vapor. All turned out fine. Eventually, I stuck to my
pre-pregnancy favorites; apples, bananas, oranges, basically what the
metabolism is familiar with.
Weeks 8-16: Research
says miscarriages are more prone to happen in the first trimester which meant
by week 8, I had another month to be extra conscious about myself. It was both
bitter and sweet to start experiencing pregnancy symptoms you often read and
watch about. I developed some mood swings (hello, road rage!), very little nausea,
heatstroke – like someone kept blowing hot air towards me and nervousness. By
week 13 though, my ob/gyn officially declared good fetal health after a test
called the TOXO test, to determine the kind of viruses you may inflict upon the
fetus. By week 14, I started what I’d say was a difficult experience; maternity
shopping. For most people, this is the exciting part but not so much for me,
simply because, I had no idea where to begin. My body hasn’t changed at all,
apart from a little belly, which made maternity clothes hang loose on me. But
regular clothes didn’t fit my bump anymore. My suggestions for maternity
clothes shopping would be not to splurge all at once; keep purchasing 2-3 items
per shopping trip and when you grow some more, you have an idea of the size you
need. By week 16, I realized I didn’t need too much after all; my body parts
remained the same size apart from the bump which made me purchase size S of
most maternity clothes. That’s probably the only time in my life where I could
use an S size! HA! It could probably be attributed to the fact that starting
week 13, I was confident enough to start exercising. I did some Yoga, some
Pilates, some weight-lifting and even though I skipped the cardio, I found that
I was gaining just enough weight.
Weeks 16-24: A pregnancy isn’t complete unless you spend some time with
your parents at their place, which was why this was the time I picked to spend
a month in Jakarta at my parents’ home. Clearly, I was positively overwhelmed
by the attention. It felt more like a vacation than anything else and I had a
good chance to speak to my cousins who are now mothers. Suggestion: speak to
people who have had children as they know first-hand of the pregnancy
experience. But, since every body is different, don’t compare your body vitals,
growth, physical changes etc. As long as your doctor says you’re healthy,
you’re fine. You don’t have to puke daily to make sure you’re pregnant. Neither
do you have to of a certain size to ensure your baby is growing well. I know
some people who looked positively un-pregnant until they’re soon to pop, and
they’re blessed with healthy babies. By week 21, I felt my first kick. I tell
you, its an experience never have I felt before. Suddenly, everything felt
real.
Weeks 24-38: I was
told to expect back aches, cramped legs, regular kicking, heartburns and some
laziness. And, yes, spot on. My back aches weren’t severe at all luckily, they
felt more like post-workout muscle sore, which I am used to. I experienced
regular Charley Horse symptoms, which is the total cramping of the calves in
the middle of the night, solvable by placing both legs on the floor to regulate
bloody flow. I could no longer sleep with nightgowns, I needed full length
pajamas and socks, occasionally, to keep myself warm. These are where your
husband comes in; massages are so handy! :D The kicking becomes more prominent
and by this time, the husband can feel them too. He’d place his head on the
belly only to be kicked right in the face (starting real early, huh kiddo?) and
would often be amazed to see my belly vibrating on its own. All in all, I was
grateful I was still independent; I went up and down the stairs regularly, I
graduated my MBA program on time, I drove everywhere I went, I still ran the
gym run by my husband and I and was able to manage my energy level, with the
occasional afternoon nap.
Weeks 38 – 41: Nervous.
Agitated. Wondering when was this baby going to show up, as the doctor said he
was going to pop up “anytime now”. Although my physical symptoms were still the
same as the similar weeks, my mental condition was an entirely different story.
I was a nervous wreck and every kick got me wondering whether it was time. When it finally happened, it was an
experience. A hell of an experience. But
to sum up, I’d say it was smooth sailing. I’ve had the most supportive people
around me. My family encouraged me beautifully throughout and never let
paranoia get to me, which I believe is the most important thing. I was
independent throughout the 9 months apart from needing a backrub once a while.
At the of the day,
childbirth is beautiful, whether or not you are pregnant with your husband, as
a single mother, a surrogate, or whether you choose to delivery normally or by
means of a c-section. What matters is, you have been trusted enough to nurture
a baby for 9 months and you did!
Do I want a second
child? That’s a fabulous question, which we shall revisit in the next 2-3
years. Meanwhile, I am going to make the most of my baby Siddharth Vishal
Dasani and the time I have with him being so tiny, before he grows up to leave
me wondering about the lost years. Being at home all day every day never felt
so precious <3 o:p="">
