The not so pretty side of pregnancy

The little flutters and kicks from a growing baby inside a pregnant woman's tummy are always a source of great joy! The start of my pregnancy was full of excitement, until the discomforts began. If you have ever been expectant, you will most likely identify with some of the common pregnancy niggles listed below.

Nausea

Most moms and moms-to-be will remember the horrible feeling of wanting to throw up all the time. In my case, nausea would be there all day long, regardless of what I ate! Thankfully, a friend who went through the same experience let me in on a little secret – nausea is worse when one is hungry! I followed her advice and made sure I always had a healthy snack nearby. Ginger biscuits, lemons, cucumbers and mints helped loads.

Dizziness

There is an annoying pregnancy-related dizziness that strikes when least expected. How did I find out about it? When I fell flat on my behind smack in the middle of town! I got up, dusted myself off and made my way to a place where I could sit, then frantically called my gynecologist. She calmly put my mind at rest, saying dizziness was common, especially in the first trimester. I learnt to get through the dizzy spells by resting often, drinking lots of water (not easy with nausea) and keeping sugar levels high with sweet snacks (healthy and unhealthy)

Forgetfulness

I am convinced that my baby took away some of my brain cells, both during and after the pregnancy. I could not remember anything! Case in point – one day I hit the highway and could not remember where I was going. On another occasion, I could not remember where I had parked my car! I even tried to withdraw money from an ATM using a Tuskys card!  I had to learn to carry a notebook everywhere I went, something I still do to date.

Fatigue and sleepiness

Have you ever found a pregnant woman fast asleep at her desk, or in a matatu? Blame the hormones! The rising progesterone in an expectant woman's body makes her feel tired all the time. I love sleeping, by the way, but honestly, pregnancy sleep is too much – almost uncontrollable. I would sleep at work, sleep again when I got home, wake up to have dinner, and then go back to bed. On the other hand, maybe my body was preparing itself for the sleepless nights that would follow baby's arrival.

Mood swings

The pregnant woman's moods change faster than the weather – ranging from jovial to weepy, and fearful to angry. Once more, blame the hormones! With each pregnancy, I was very moody, but I learnt to handle it by keeping to myself on the bad days. Listening to my favourite music and resting enough really helped to balance my moods. After my second pregnancy, I understood why people seeking services in public offices always avoid the pregnant woman!

Despite the obvious discomforts of pregnancy, the joy of having a baby remains incomparable to any other experience.