Pregnancy woes and how I stay positive through it all...
Who said being pregnant is all fun?
Now, don't get me wrong.
I am humbled by the fact that I am carrying and nurturing a life inside my body. It's certainly a very miraculous experience. The kicks, rolls, punches & squirms that your baby makes will always bring about a sweet smile. You will even find yourself daydreaming every now & then about how he/she might look like. Add the fact that you would be imagining yourself the future activities that you will be doing with them...
That is priceless!
However.... what others are not aware of is that being pregnant is also very challenging.
The changes that your body undergoes can be pretty perplexing for most women. Count me on that "most women". Let me give you an idea of what a pregnant woman undergoes...
1. Aches and Pains
I have never felt so lethargic & powerless in my life! I just feel so heavy. My joints just feel loose, that carrying my usual bag feels like I am carrying a 10 pound barbell. I can hear my joints creak as I slung my bag on my shoulders.
My back aches, my tummy as well, same goes with my neck. I haven't had any sensation on the tips of my fingers due to water retention. My knees and feet... they bear the brunt of my weight gain. In order words, I feel like I am experiencing all types of physical aches and pains as my body accommodates the growing life in me. Though I definitely understand that it's not easy for just one body to accommodate two beings inside one... there would be a lot of adjusting that is happening.
On the other hand, these aches and pains makes you realize how amazing the human body is. The round ligament pain is there to ever remind you of the growing life inside you. That feeling of your bladder being full almost every single minute as your pregnancy progresses is a constant reminder that baby is gaining weight enough to put pressure on it. That tiny jellybean from months ago is big enough now for you to feel him! The backache means that your body's posture is changing. It might not be the best feeling, but when you think about how most pregnant woman would have that curvy silhouette, then just take lots of photos... Have you seen those weekly baby bump photos? I think that this is the only time when you can track your progress and not be bothered by the changes that you see because everything happening in you is part of pregnancy.
Unfortunately for me, I wasn't able to take those weekly photos. hehehe
But it's not too late to start,right? After all, I'm just in my 27th week...
2. Mood Swings
In addition, the hormones make the pain worse. A pregnant women is susceptible to mood swings... and believe me when I tell you that is no joke! If you think women are already difficult to deal with during PMS, how much more for a pregnant women where hormones are being pumped into their blood for the whole nine months?!
There were times when even I get angry because I am angry for no reasons at all. I feel like I can't make a sound decision because emotions get in the way. I cry for little things... I cry just seeing baby clothes & puppies!
But at the same time, all these emotions flooding within you makes you appreciate everything and anything. You wholeheartedly smile when you feel your little one squirm. You become thankful with everything that you have, especially the people around you. These emotions, I believe, are necessary as an introduction to motherhood. I'm sure that there would be lots of emotions that we will feel as we all watch our children grow. Just think of this as a 9-months training period. hehehe
3. Pregnancy insomia
I miss having a full night of sleep.
The time when you NEED SLEEP THE MOST is also the time when you CANNOT SLEEP THE MOST. The irony of it all, huh?
Tossing and turning...
Tossing and turning...
Tossing and turning...
But then, as your tummy gets bigger, you just can't toss and turn that easily because it's difficult to just simply turn. You can turn though, which much groans and grunts. If you can easily turn within the fraction of a second when you weren't pregnant... add at least 5 more seconds when you are pregnant. And as you turn, you will feel all the muscles protesting... I kid you not!
And of course... peeing.
To all the first time mamas reading this, prepare yourself, sweetheart. You will be going to the toilet every now & then. You might as well make sure that you have a full stack of toilet papers on hand.
Nevertheless, the quite time is the time when you can commune with your bundle of joy. Luckily for me, I think that when I'm asleep is also when he is sleeping (or so I would like to think. hahaha) When I wake up, 10 minutes after, he would start to squirm little by little. Stretching a bit to let mommy know that he is there to keep me company. I think he likes to play a game with me that I want to call as "kick-a-boo" hahaha. He would kick, then I would touch that part, waiting for another kick on that spot. But my little one wouldn't move... then when I remove my hand, he would kick on another spot. So, naturally, I would touch it... However, my naughty little boy would keep quite again. This goes on for quite sometime until I would be able to guess where he would kick the next.
That was a fun time!
Although, I think my body would want to have more sleep... but I don't mind playing with him. I can somehow imagine that I will have my hands full when he is already here.
4. Stress
This is definitely not something that you can avoid. I believe that even when you are in the most ideal situation, you will suffer from it. A few of them would be these....
You stress about how your life would change because the baby.
You stress about how you are going to take care of your little one.
You stress about how you can be a good mother.
You stress about how you are going to raise your kid.
You stress about the physical changes that you are dealing with.
You stress about the food that you eat
You stress about peeing the whole damn time.
You stress about your clothes.
You stress about finances.
You stress about giving birth.
You stress about the people around you.
You stress about stress!!!
Crazy,right?!
Mommas, please feel free to add to the list. I know you know what I am talking about.
Now, this is the most difficult to deal with. Being stressed when you not pregnant is hard enough... how much more when you add the previous 3? Then it could be an impending recipe for a disaster. We all deal with stress differently. Personally, I think just taking the time to stop and count your blessings would be the best way to deal with it.
Take a few seconds to breathe deeply... calm your mind and just try to feel the movements that your little bun is making. We all deserve a break.... especially you, momma! You are not the only one in your body now. Learn to take things easy...
What makes it bearable is to have people who truly care & wanted the best for you. Be prepared because you will be hearing endless advice. Personally, I love them. I like listening to mother adventures. I believe that the best way to prepare for an unknown journey is to have references. And it's a good thing that women love to share their own experiences. I'm very thankful because I have loads of people who supports me. I can't imagine being in an environment full of toxic people.
Pregnant women can be difficult to be with but they are also the most loving people as well. It's the time when the maternal instinct is kicking in.
Coupled with all these changes & difficulties that you experience, you get to mature. This is the time when you suddenly realized that life is about to change. You can never go back to how you were before. You have to be responsible for your little one. You have to make sure that you will be able to provide for him/her/them.
As I journey into the road to motherhood, I am looking forward to the ups and downs. I'm pretty sure that me and my little one will have lots of memories. If everything that I am feeling is a part of being pregnant, then I welcome it. Though, I can't help but complain sometimes. hahaha
Hey! It's not easy to walk like a frog standing on two legs. lol!
But through it all...
It is all worth it
:-)
Now, don't get me wrong.
I am humbled by the fact that I am carrying and nurturing a life inside my body. It's certainly a very miraculous experience. The kicks, rolls, punches & squirms that your baby makes will always bring about a sweet smile. You will even find yourself daydreaming every now & then about how he/she might look like. Add the fact that you would be imagining yourself the future activities that you will be doing with them...
That is priceless!
However.... what others are not aware of is that being pregnant is also very challenging.
The changes that your body undergoes can be pretty perplexing for most women. Count me on that "most women". Let me give you an idea of what a pregnant woman undergoes...
1. Aches and Pains
I have never felt so lethargic & powerless in my life! I just feel so heavy. My joints just feel loose, that carrying my usual bag feels like I am carrying a 10 pound barbell. I can hear my joints creak as I slung my bag on my shoulders.
My back aches, my tummy as well, same goes with my neck. I haven't had any sensation on the tips of my fingers due to water retention. My knees and feet... they bear the brunt of my weight gain. In order words, I feel like I am experiencing all types of physical aches and pains as my body accommodates the growing life in me. Though I definitely understand that it's not easy for just one body to accommodate two beings inside one... there would be a lot of adjusting that is happening.
On the other hand, these aches and pains makes you realize how amazing the human body is. The round ligament pain is there to ever remind you of the growing life inside you. That feeling of your bladder being full almost every single minute as your pregnancy progresses is a constant reminder that baby is gaining weight enough to put pressure on it. That tiny jellybean from months ago is big enough now for you to feel him! The backache means that your body's posture is changing. It might not be the best feeling, but when you think about how most pregnant woman would have that curvy silhouette, then just take lots of photos... Have you seen those weekly baby bump photos? I think that this is the only time when you can track your progress and not be bothered by the changes that you see because everything happening in you is part of pregnancy.
Unfortunately for me, I wasn't able to take those weekly photos. hehehe
But it's not too late to start,right? After all, I'm just in my 27th week...
2. Mood Swings
In addition, the hormones make the pain worse. A pregnant women is susceptible to mood swings... and believe me when I tell you that is no joke! If you think women are already difficult to deal with during PMS, how much more for a pregnant women where hormones are being pumped into their blood for the whole nine months?!
There were times when even I get angry because I am angry for no reasons at all. I feel like I can't make a sound decision because emotions get in the way. I cry for little things... I cry just seeing baby clothes & puppies!
But at the same time, all these emotions flooding within you makes you appreciate everything and anything. You wholeheartedly smile when you feel your little one squirm. You become thankful with everything that you have, especially the people around you. These emotions, I believe, are necessary as an introduction to motherhood. I'm sure that there would be lots of emotions that we will feel as we all watch our children grow. Just think of this as a 9-months training period. hehehe
3. Pregnancy insomia
I miss having a full night of sleep.
The time when you NEED SLEEP THE MOST is also the time when you CANNOT SLEEP THE MOST. The irony of it all, huh?
Tossing and turning...
Tossing and turning...
Tossing and turning...
But then, as your tummy gets bigger, you just can't toss and turn that easily because it's difficult to just simply turn. You can turn though, which much groans and grunts. If you can easily turn within the fraction of a second when you weren't pregnant... add at least 5 more seconds when you are pregnant. And as you turn, you will feel all the muscles protesting... I kid you not!
And of course... peeing.
To all the first time mamas reading this, prepare yourself, sweetheart. You will be going to the toilet every now & then. You might as well make sure that you have a full stack of toilet papers on hand.
Nevertheless, the quite time is the time when you can commune with your bundle of joy. Luckily for me, I think that when I'm asleep is also when he is sleeping (or so I would like to think. hahaha) When I wake up, 10 minutes after, he would start to squirm little by little. Stretching a bit to let mommy know that he is there to keep me company. I think he likes to play a game with me that I want to call as "kick-a-boo" hahaha. He would kick, then I would touch that part, waiting for another kick on that spot. But my little one wouldn't move... then when I remove my hand, he would kick on another spot. So, naturally, I would touch it... However, my naughty little boy would keep quite again. This goes on for quite sometime until I would be able to guess where he would kick the next.
That was a fun time!
Although, I think my body would want to have more sleep... but I don't mind playing with him. I can somehow imagine that I will have my hands full when he is already here.
4. Stress
This is definitely not something that you can avoid. I believe that even when you are in the most ideal situation, you will suffer from it. A few of them would be these....
You stress about how your life would change because the baby.
You stress about how you are going to take care of your little one.
You stress about how you can be a good mother.
You stress about how you are going to raise your kid.
You stress about the physical changes that you are dealing with.
You stress about the food that you eat
You stress about peeing the whole damn time.
You stress about your clothes.
You stress about finances.
You stress about giving birth.
You stress about the people around you.
You stress about stress!!!
Crazy,right?!
Mommas, please feel free to add to the list. I know you know what I am talking about.
Now, this is the most difficult to deal with. Being stressed when you not pregnant is hard enough... how much more when you add the previous 3? Then it could be an impending recipe for a disaster. We all deal with stress differently. Personally, I think just taking the time to stop and count your blessings would be the best way to deal with it.
Take a few seconds to breathe deeply... calm your mind and just try to feel the movements that your little bun is making. We all deserve a break.... especially you, momma! You are not the only one in your body now. Learn to take things easy...
What makes it bearable is to have people who truly care & wanted the best for you. Be prepared because you will be hearing endless advice. Personally, I love them. I like listening to mother adventures. I believe that the best way to prepare for an unknown journey is to have references. And it's a good thing that women love to share their own experiences. I'm very thankful because I have loads of people who supports me. I can't imagine being in an environment full of toxic people.
Pregnant women can be difficult to be with but they are also the most loving people as well. It's the time when the maternal instinct is kicking in.
Coupled with all these changes & difficulties that you experience, you get to mature. This is the time when you suddenly realized that life is about to change. You can never go back to how you were before. You have to be responsible for your little one. You have to make sure that you will be able to provide for him/her/them.
As I journey into the road to motherhood, I am looking forward to the ups and downs. I'm pretty sure that me and my little one will have lots of memories. If everything that I am feeling is a part of being pregnant, then I welcome it. Though, I can't help but complain sometimes. hahaha
Hey! It's not easy to walk like a frog standing on two legs. lol!
But through it all...
It is all worth it
:-)
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