The thought of being pregnant again in the future brings back memories of the time when I was carrying Aurélie. Disclaimer: I’m not currently pregnant.
There’re quite a few things I miss about it, though there were definitely things I didn’t enjoy. Since I’d like to end this post on a sweet note, let’s start with the annoying things about pregnancy.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT BEING PREGNANT
Oh I can count all the ways! I had to stop eating my favourite sashimi, half boiled eggs, cured iberico and saucisson right from the get go. The extreme exhaustion in the first trimester was no fun because it prevented me from staying awake in the day. Honestly, if I could have slept all day and night, I would have.
Around the middle of my pregnancy, I developed round ligament pain on my left side that would not go away at all. It hurt with every step that I took on my left leg and remained a dull ache when I was seated or laying down. When my tummy started getting much bigger, it was difficult even to turn a single time in bed. Towards the end of the 9 months, I even needed help getting out of bed. I also couldn’t bend over to wear my own shoes or socks, and had to sit on the toilet bowl after every shower to wear my shorts/pants/underwear.
Water retention got me really bad. My feet looked like elephant stumps, I could no longer fit in my shoes (even those that were 2 sizes larger than my usual size) and it hurt to walk because of all the swelling. Pilates helped more than walking because I got to be in varying positions. I had to lay in bed with my feet propped up on the wall a lot. Needless to say, it prevented me from going out more than normal.
My clothes wouldn’t fit me anymore. Having to spend money to buy clothes that I’d be wearing only for a few months felt like such a waste to me. I also needed to buy other maternity-related things, like a stretch mark cream. You can check out all my pregnancy essential items in this blog post. I also share the best maternity bras I found in this video. Now that I think about it, maybe I should share my tips on shopping for maternity wear.
Friends would say I had a very chill pregnancy, and I’d agree. I didn’t have morning sickness, though there was this one time where I got really close to puking. My baby was a kicker, and there were times when I had to just pause whatever I was doing because of the sharp pain in my bladder, or I felt like I was going to take a pee instantly. Thankfully, there were no complications in the pregnancy either.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT BEING PREGNANT
There are quite a few things I miss about being pregnant. Seeing my baby’s heart beating through the screen during our first scan was pretty exciting. Seeing her grow over the subsequent scans was even better. When her fingers moved, we squealed. Sometimes, her facial expressions were so funny, we had to have a laugh.
I don’t remember the first time I felt her kick, but I do miss feeling “something” alive inside of me. I miss being able to see her kicking from outside, and the genuine surprise on Xav’s face when he felt her move away.
The whole thing about having a moving, kicking, living thing in my tummy is so amazing. Also, I got to have my personal snack table for Netflix sessions.
The care and concern that people around me gave me was also very heart warming. Strangers on public transport looked out for me. I remember once, when several passengers scolded two men who pushed past me while rushing to take seats in a crowded train (the men came from behind and hadn’t noticed I was heavily pregnant). In another incident, a man standing beside me in the train asked a young teenager to give his seat up to me while I was contemplating whether to ask for the seat myself.
A big thing that changed with my pregnancy was the fact that I felt so much more assured of myself. I was very confident and upbeat. I didn’t experience any form of depression. On the contrary, life seemed brighter, happier and more enjoyable overall.
I also became even more conscious of what I was eating. I’d order lots of healthy grain bowls to ensure I was having a well-balanced diet. I even started eating a lot more fruits and health supplements. Xav made me sous-vide steak so I didn’t have to refrain from my favourite medium-rare.
Being pregnant is such a blessing. Even with its downsides, I feel very lucky to have had the experience of going through it. This year will be the first time I celebrate Mother’s Day as a mother, so my question is: What should I get for myself to commemorate that?