When sleep eludes you and your body hurts to bit and pieces you know you are done with the big belly you are carrying around. 36 weeks is the exact definition of a full term labor meaning starting 36th week if the baby decides to pop out then it is perfectly fine with no need of an incubator. That in one way is very relieving to hear because the very thought of having a preemie always freaked me out.
Having said that doctors always count on 38th week to greet the baby with a big happy smile. Well who is to decide a baby's fate? As my friends say,"She will come when the time is right!" I very well know that but then there are days like today when even sitting feels like a task. The continuous throbbing in my head and puffy eyes have pretty much rendered me lethargic. Walking, sitting, standing, dreaming everything seems like an effort. Every time my stomach growls I wish I had someone serving me with whatever is that I desired for.
The list is endless but there are also things one gets prepared for through these painful experiences. To begin with aches and pains prepare body for the much anticipated vaginal birth. Sleepless nights are like a peek into a mother's future. And desire to cry are of course just the hormones. Hunger increases since the baby grows rapidly. So what is that I do to cope with all these problems?
To begin with I pester my spouse for massages and in fact have a very good chiropractor who manages my back. Thanks to her my pregnancy has so far been bearable if not pleasant. Then there are afternoon power naps that help rejuvenate. At night I pile up huge stack of pillows to rest my back on and sleep in a reclined position. It is not very comfortable but atleast it does not tire my shoulders and back. For hunger with Gestational Diabetes I eat once in every two hours. I do measure my portions and at times just binge without thinking twice. There is a better solution to loose all the aches and pains and that is to fill water in a jaccuzi or bath tub and sit inside it. This does two things; one it pulls the body weight off you and two it calms your mind. Initially I was a bit hesitant and lazy but as time passed I appreciated being in water. In my stage accessing pool is a little too risky considering the size of my belly otherwise pools are an excellent option.
Homeopathic ointments go a long way as far as healing backs are concerned and most importantly if there are days when you feel like not getting up from bed then just do not get up. I have had my husband frown up on me once or twice for not giving him breakfast but I could not care less because it is me who ultimately has to get through the day and not him. Expecting consideration from others just because you are pregnant is a big mistake. I do not blame others since its only now at this stage that I can emphatize with any other pregnant woman.
Then there is this urge to weep. What I do to soothe myself is lock myself in the bedroom and weep. Once done I feel so light and happy that I forget the reason I wept for. It is said that expectant mothers tend to isolate oneself towards the end of their pregnancy which atleast in my case is true. I no longer leave my bedroom and am all the time reading or thinking. It helps me bond with my baby and understand why I loose temper for no good reason.
Nature has its own strange way of dealing with things and trying to defy it will only make things worse. In the past nine months I have had best and worst of times but right now all I want to do is meet my baby. Of late I dream of holding my baby in my arms and wondering how she would look like or there are times when I dream of feeding her and playing with her. The best part is that the dreams are so very vivid that I can still see them with my eyes open.
Ultimately for all the aches and pains, kicks and jabs, epidurals and breathing excercises all I pray and hope is that when it is over it actually it begins a new series of happiness, kicks, tantrums, laughter, cries, tears, hugs and mainly love. Lots of it!
Having said that doctors always count on 38th week to greet the baby with a big happy smile. Well who is to decide a baby's fate? As my friends say,"She will come when the time is right!" I very well know that but then there are days like today when even sitting feels like a task. The continuous throbbing in my head and puffy eyes have pretty much rendered me lethargic. Walking, sitting, standing, dreaming everything seems like an effort. Every time my stomach growls I wish I had someone serving me with whatever is that I desired for.
The list is endless but there are also things one gets prepared for through these painful experiences. To begin with aches and pains prepare body for the much anticipated vaginal birth. Sleepless nights are like a peek into a mother's future. And desire to cry are of course just the hormones. Hunger increases since the baby grows rapidly. So what is that I do to cope with all these problems?
To begin with I pester my spouse for massages and in fact have a very good chiropractor who manages my back. Thanks to her my pregnancy has so far been bearable if not pleasant. Then there are afternoon power naps that help rejuvenate. At night I pile up huge stack of pillows to rest my back on and sleep in a reclined position. It is not very comfortable but atleast it does not tire my shoulders and back. For hunger with Gestational Diabetes I eat once in every two hours. I do measure my portions and at times just binge without thinking twice. There is a better solution to loose all the aches and pains and that is to fill water in a jaccuzi or bath tub and sit inside it. This does two things; one it pulls the body weight off you and two it calms your mind. Initially I was a bit hesitant and lazy but as time passed I appreciated being in water. In my stage accessing pool is a little too risky considering the size of my belly otherwise pools are an excellent option.
Homeopathic ointments go a long way as far as healing backs are concerned and most importantly if there are days when you feel like not getting up from bed then just do not get up. I have had my husband frown up on me once or twice for not giving him breakfast but I could not care less because it is me who ultimately has to get through the day and not him. Expecting consideration from others just because you are pregnant is a big mistake. I do not blame others since its only now at this stage that I can emphatize with any other pregnant woman.
Then there is this urge to weep. What I do to soothe myself is lock myself in the bedroom and weep. Once done I feel so light and happy that I forget the reason I wept for. It is said that expectant mothers tend to isolate oneself towards the end of their pregnancy which atleast in my case is true. I no longer leave my bedroom and am all the time reading or thinking. It helps me bond with my baby and understand why I loose temper for no good reason.
Nature has its own strange way of dealing with things and trying to defy it will only make things worse. In the past nine months I have had best and worst of times but right now all I want to do is meet my baby. Of late I dream of holding my baby in my arms and wondering how she would look like or there are times when I dream of feeding her and playing with her. The best part is that the dreams are so very vivid that I can still see them with my eyes open.
Ultimately for all the aches and pains, kicks and jabs, epidurals and breathing excercises all I pray and hope is that when it is over it actually it begins a new series of happiness, kicks, tantrums, laughter, cries, tears, hugs and mainly love. Lots of it!
No comments:
Post a Comment