The Pregnancy Secret

As you all know (or don't- I have no idea who reads this...), I am pregnant for the second time. To be exact, I am 28 weeks and 6 days pregnant. The home stretch, as people keep calling it. This pregnancy has been much easier for me to deal with than the first one. Not because the symptoms were any different- they have actually been almost the same. But because I already knew what I was in for and what I could expect. Let's be honest, before we become pregnant we only have a very vague idea of what's in store for us. I have tried to figure out why that is. My answer: because women keep it a secret from each other!

When I found out I was pregnant with my daughter I was just elated! I was so extremely happy and felt like a raw egg that had to be protected from everything. Except the reality was that the world went about its business as usual. And at first, so did I. Until the symptoms of pregnancy started slowing me down. Each new bizarre symptom that showed up made me feel like my body was being invaded, as if some invisible force had taken over and was trying to make me miserable. There were days when I questioned whether becoming pregnant was such a good idea.

At the time, I would tell other mothers about the things my body was doing, expecting them to be shocked. To the contrary, most of the ladies had experienced the exact same things. And suddenly I realized: I wasn't some weird freak of nature, this was how pregnancy went for a lot of women! I was in awe of all these women who had gone through one or more pregnancies and had survived... However, I started questioning why, in my then 29 years on this earth, I had never heard any woman tell me e.g. that her nose kept bleeding while she was with child? How could this be? The true nature of pregnancy is kept a secret, it seems. I believe that this is not because women do not want to share their knowledge, I think it is equal parts forgetting what it was like and not trying to discourage anyone from having a baby. Because of course, it is worth it in the end and you get something as incredibly wonderful as this: (picture removed)

I just wish I had known what I was in for. Ladies, if you are thinking about having a baby, buy the book What to Expect When You're Expecting, and read through the symptoms listed for each of the nine months of pregnancy. You will be very surprised! However, keep in mind that every woman is different and while there is the minute possibility that you may experience ALL of the symptoms listed, it is very unlikely. And there is always that one woman who is just made for reproducing and has a wonderful pregnancy and gives birth without any pain within three hours...

Unfortunately, there are also some who just lie. Like my mother. She always told me that she experienced no morning sickness whatsoever. When I became pregnant and told her how miserable I felt, she said 'Oh yes, I had that, too. But I never threw up.' Hm... She also told me that giving birth wasn't at all bad and that she had done it within a few hours without pain medication. It wasn't as bad as going to the dentist, she said. After I had given birth, the story change dramatically. Suddenly she admitted having been on a Pitocin drip, having to have an episiotomy etc. Hm...

However, I survived the first pregnancy and delivered a beautiful baby girl. And now here I am, doing it again! Since I remember the last pregnancy very well, I can honestly say that I am not doing this again because I forgot what it was like. I am doing it again despite all the symptoms because it truly is the most wonderful thing you can do. I am making my own human being! And so, I look like this again:

But really, isn't seeing your feet overrated anyway?