I’m really not going to lie – being pregnant hasn’t been easy-peasy for me.
Sure, I love my baby. Sure, I’m so happy that God blessed me with this little miracle.
But I’m literally tempted to throttle the next lady that tells me, “I totally enjoyed my pregnancy! Didn’t feel anything… only my tummy got a little bigger? And my skin was glowwwiing~” (Then proceeds to prance around like a shootable unicorn in a vast lavender field, singing fa-la-la-la-la) 🙄
Well, lucky them.
No, I don’t hate them. Just a tad envious of them, and would appreciate some sense of sensitivity that not everyone has a smooth pregnancy! 😫
My whole being has changed sooo much over these few months, it’s almost like I need to schedule a weekly catchup session just to review what’s new and how we can manage the more difficult ones.
Here are just some of the things that I’m going through right now.
Note: I don’t speak for every other woman; every single woman and every single pregnancy is very different.
#1 Dear, brain. Where you? 🧠
Omg, it’s happening right now! I swear I had something to say here, but it just vanished!!
As my pregnancy progresses, I can literally feel the opacity of my brain decreasing. However, I can remember some other details better – like which level we parked our car.
But I guess it could be a defense mechanism, because I really don’t want to walk around the carpark so much.
#2 I’m constantly a cocktail of emotions/sensations
Trust me, it’s not fun.
I can be feeling giddy and hungry at the same time…
Then there are days I’m extremely constipated and somehow decide to get super nauseous at the same glorious time. Basically one outlet is clogged and the other is overcompensating lah… 😒
#3 Sorry, I’m quieter/less polite
I’ve always been told I’m bubbly and friendly – but this was before my pregnancy.
However, thanks to a lot of my personal bandwidth being taken up with managing a mess of feelings all the freaking time… I’ve become quieter and less polite. Particularly around people I don’t fancy too much…
Usually I’m smiley/neutral, but there were times when I had virtual meetings when I was clearly unimpressed… and I caught myself being openly annoyed.
And, no. I’m not sorry in the slightest.
#4 People are behaving differently
Generally everyone becomes a lot more conscious and aware of you. Most of them are very kind! 🥰 For that, I’m really grateful.
Of course there are just disgustingly atrocious wankers that piss me off with their insensitivity, rudeness and inhumanity. However, I always remember to tell myself, “Well, not their fault I got myself knocked up. So, I cannot expect anyone to be kind – I can only hope. 😊”
When I go to restaurants, sometimes the waitresses would tell me not to order some dishes because they have ingredients that aren’t good for my baby.
When I chat with friends, some of them will literally kick me (very gently) when I spew vulgarities because they don’t want my baby to learn those words.
#5 I get happy when I get kicked
Not by anyone – only by my little baby Pichu. 👶🏻❤️
And only while he’s in my womb… Once he’s out, the boy better learns his manners.
At this point of my pregnancy, my baby boy has become sooooo much more active. He runs his own daily swimming Olympics inside – and everyday he’s trying to beat yesterday’s score.
You have no idea how uncomfortable it can make me feel… 😖 He also seems to be night owl, so he keeps me up all night with his swishing here and there. And because he’s always moving around, I’m visiting the washroom at a ridiculous frequency. 😵💫
However, despite all this and the pimples, dry skin, weight gain and more that I’m getting, I’m still incredibly grateful for Pichu. And I also know that there are many other women who have muuuuch more challenging pregnancies.
The very fact that I have the energy to even write right now is already a luxury not every woman has.
So, please, I implore you… the next time you see a pregnant woman, please be kind to her. You have no idea what sort of sh*t (literally) she is going through. I’m very blessed because I have a very loving & supportive husband, great family and friends, and a comfortable job.
But not everyone is so lucky. ☹️
Some are even more discomfort and are in perpetual pain. Some have health problems that threaten their own baby. Some have partners that choose to be absent. Some have so much financial anxiety, it just adds onto the challenges of being pregnant.
And there’s definitely so much more.
It can be as simple as holding the door open for her, giving her your seat on public transport, letting her go first in a washroom queue…
Again, kindness isn’t something that one can expect nor should you be obligated to give. However, I am hopeful that we can be kinder as a society in whatever capacity that is reasonable to us individually.
Okay, logging off for now!
XOXO, G.
Gera Shen 