My pregnancy was a rollercoaster ride! Nausea was pretty constant. Not morning sickness. All day sickness, but thankfully, I managed to keep food down. My days started with me sitting up in bed, munching on dry crackers and ginger sweets to stop feeling green.
When I didn’t feel nauseous, there were the weird cravings. Salami dipped in custard? Sounds strange, right? I even had this bizarre urge to eat sand, which, believe it or not, had something to do with needing minerals or vitamins – or so I heard. My mom said I should try eat more spinach, but it didn’t really help, but I definitely jumped on the “eating for two” bandwagon. Cravings turned me into a crazy foodie!
Nobody warned me about the mood swings. My emotions ran wild, thanks to the hormones. I’d burst into tears at the drop of a hat, whether it was a touching TV ad or a kind word from a stranger. I’m talking sobbing, ugly crying! It was a whirlwind of feelings, unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. It was like I was starring in my own drama series. Don’t even get me started on the emotions when I heard my baby’s heartbeat for the first time or when I felt the funny little fluttering in my belly and realized it was her, moving around. As she grew bigger and bigger, I was quite freaked out when I could see her foot poking and I was convinced my bellybutton was going to pop!
Despite the challenges, I knew that this was part and parcel of the miraculous journey of pregnancy. Each day brought its own surprises and my body changed in ways I never thought possible, but it was all worth it in the end. The thought of holding my baby in my arms kept me going, even on the toughest days.
