Pregnancy has opened a whole new world to me, and many transitions are beginning to take shape right in front of my eyes. For example, this past week I got to feel those first pangs of worry and dread that all moms have felt at least once (more like once a week) in their lives. Some kind of sickness came over me, and I was scared to death. I was in all kinds of pain; plus, I had those pesky nausea symptoms that come along with any stomach virus.
I had to have an emergency sonogram and IV at the local hospital’s emergency room because the doctors were a little concerned. The baby was fine, but I had a horrible case of gastroenteritis…a.k.a. a stomach bug. It took almost a week to get over, too. Let’s just say that my newly weakened immune system is a war zone! I’m taking my prenatal vitamins, eating lots of fruit and fortified cereals, and drinking fortified orange juice and milk by the cup, but I still to got sick. I might as well as just cover myself in hand sanitizer and call it a day.
The next big transition challenging my sanity is that I’m growing out of my clothes. I’m not crazy; I know that my belly is going to continue to grow. It’s just…how soon is this going to happen? Most newly expectant moms can’t wait to show off the first signs of life growing inside of them, but I, on the other hand, am a little terrified of this transition. It’s not really what you might think. I’m not entirely afraid of the extra weight that is inevitably going to show up at my monthly prenatal appointments. I’m afraid of not having anything to wear!
Lately, I have been browsing some maternity clothing websites just to check them out. I’ve come to one conclusion: Maternity clothing is expensive. Since I’m a teacher, I have to dress up pretty much every day of the week, so I’m really going to have to improvise and find ways to have a variety of things to wear and to stay thrifty all at the same time. This is going to prove to be difficult…I just know it. Here in about a month, I won’t be able to zip any zippers or button any button holes. I’ve read about some tricks to handle these situations, but what then? What will I do when I have to splurge and actually go shopping? Why spend so much on clothes you won’t end up wearing for long? Call it frustrated or just plain confused.
Finally, the biggest transition of all is not really feeling like myself. Even though I have felt more energetic and less nauseous since I got sick last week, I still feel “off” a lot. Not feeling like myself is pretty exhausting. If it’s not being able to eat the normal foods I love, it’s not being able to stay as active as I used to be. And if it’s not growing out of my clothes, it’s dealing with my new susceptibility to every sickness floating around the school. Will I ever feel normal again?
As of today, I am now in my tenth week of pregnancy, and even though life has already changed a great deal, and although things will continue to change, I know one thing. It is getting better, and I’m beginning to learn to deal. My sweet bundle of joy was created for a reason, and I can’t wait to see his or her purpose unfold right in front of me each and every day for as long as live. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven.” It’s so incredible to know that God already knows what important role my little one is going to play on this earth. With that, any transition is worth the change!
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