Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be pregnant?
Well, I can’t speak from experience, but I do happen to know quite a few women who can shed some light on being pregnant—and often do.
From what I’ve experienced at Maggie’s Place, I could answer that it’s looking forward to ultrasounds, deciding between the monkey-themed onesie and the dinosaur-themed onesie and waking up to kicks in the middle of the night. Also having “morning” sickness all day long, wearing yoga pants wherever you go, walking on swollen feet and getting funny cravings like breakfast cereal with hot dogs. But most people could think of these things themselves without trying too hard. The moms I live with show me their unique joys and struggles of pregnancy and motherhood every day. So again, you ask, what’s it like to be pregnant?
“It’s like there’s another person growing inside of you.” (There’s certainly something to be said for taking things literally.)
“Being pregnant is this crazy, beautiful, wonderful thing. It’s awesome! A woman’s body is awesome. I love being pregnant. You have this special bond with your baby; you get to know things about him—I know he wakes up at ten in the morning, and he jams out to Mary J. Blige. I don’t like her, but he does so I listen to her sometimes. ”
“Before I was pregnant, I didn’t drop things or forget things. Now I’ll forget what I’m saying in the middle of a sentence. I’ll just forget the next word. Yesterday I put my phone in the fridge.”
“You’re tired all the time. And you need to take lots of fiber.” (Said while carrying around a super-size bottle of Benefiber.)
“I’m ready to be done. She’s ready. She’s tired of being in there.” (This mom went into labor the next day, which happened to be “Work Saturday”.)
And my personal favorite?
“I don’t know. I just love being a mommy.”
Being pregnant is so much more than morning sickness, swelling and cravings. It’s about holding the miracle of life within you and experiencing all it has to offer.
-By Lucy Miller, MissionCorps Member at The Michael House
