When you are pregnant, you may feel as if it is an outer body experience that you never thought possible. There are so many things that happen no one ever told you about or prepared you for, with a number of myths quickly being debunked. No, morning sickness doesn’t just happen in the mornings. No, pickles don’t fall into the cravings category. The list could grow exponentially if you were to write it all down. Aside from all the interesting perks or troubling quirks, pregnancy is a miracle in and of itself. It doesn’t matter how you started your journey—whether it was totally planned or a very unexpected surprise, pregnancy is a time that only lasts once for each baby. Each pregnancy is unique to each growing baby, and something that helps Mommy-to-be bond with their little one before they see each other face-to-face 10 (yes, because it’s not really 9) months later.
And so it begins…
Once you find out that you are pregnant you start to feel a wave of emotions that you have never felt before or let alone imagined. A woman who never worried might find herself fretting over the tiniest, simplest decisions. The sweetest lady might transform into a spitfire with a sharp tongue that isn’t afraid to voice her opinions. Pregnancy can morph any woman into a version of them that they are not always the most proud of, and sometimes they simply don’t have control over when their roller coaster of emotions takes hold.
Each trimester of pregnancy has its ups and downs, and factors that make them each different from the other. The beginning can sometimes be the hardest, when you feel as if you’ve developed a case of narcolepsy and the sleep patterns of an overweight house cat. If your boss catches you accidentally napping at your desk during the workday, you wouldn’t be the first. Although some women and their excited family members are super eager to shout their pregnancy from the rooftops, it’s important to practice precaution when sharing as the first 12 weeks of pregnancy are undoubtedly the riskiest—with the chances of miscarriage being significantly higher. In between the times of running to the porcelain throne when you can manage to stay awake, the thought of eating can often prove a difficult task. If you were like me, I lost a few pounds during those first few months, as my stomach was not a fan of anything that wasn’t bland.
Finally relief…
Once the ‘scary period’ is over, and the doctor has cleared your pregnancy as viable and healthy, you can begin to feel like pregnancy has finally sunk in. The best part about it is that often times you can stay awake and manage to eat again. Many expectant mothers start sharing their happy news with extended family and friends, coworkers, and even that boss that thought maybe you’d been out partying late at night. If you didn’t even have the energy to cook, let alone workout, you’ll feel a burst of your ‘normal’ self return and you can resume most of your regular activities in moderation. If you were big into high-impact sports you might want to tone it down a bit, even if it’s not what you’re used to. Working out during pregnancy is perfectly safe, but it’s important to keep in mind that growing baby inside you who might not benefit from box jumps or high intensity intervals. Plus, with that bump growing steadily by the day, you may not be able to get at those old fitness routines like you used to. Be mindful of the bump, and let it take the lead.
The wait is (almost) over…
The wait is finally coming to a close and the homestretch has arrived: the third (and last!) trimester. For many first time Moms, this wait is the hardest part of it all. They want to be done with being pregnant and see their baby like, yesterday. For Moms of multiple children, they may feel a sense of guilt as if they won’t be able to give themselves fully to their current children. I know I felt both of these, for both pregnancies. The best advice I ever heard, which I didn’t understand until later, was from my late mother, “Your heart just finds a way to get bigger, and to love even more.” And it’s very true. Don’t feel guilty for your present child/children, they got to have you when they were little all by themselves. The baby is coming into the picture, and luckily, will already have siblings who will love them from the time before they were born. Going from having no children to becoming a parent is certainly the most trying, and once you already have one, adding another or even a few isn’t really as hard. Sometimes the last trimester can be the hardest on the body, and your patience. When the wait is finally over and that bundle of joy is here, looking at you face-to-face with eyes that know you are the special woman who was sacrificing their all to make a better life for them, they will love you more than anything you could have ever thought imaginable. Go ahead and give yourself a huge pat on the back. You’re in the Mom Club now, and you earned it!
Share This Blog
About This Blogger
