As briefly mentioned in the last couple postings the first eighteen weeks of my pregnancy is a continual blur of nausea and vomiting. Yes I was on the medication called Diclectin which is supposed to help eliminate or reduce these symptoms. Perhaps it did start to help me, however I still puked two to four times everyday and the constant nausea left me fatigued and drained of any positive energy.
The reason that I mention this unfortunate experience yet again isn't because I'm hung up on it. I mention it merely to show that pregnancy has a way of springing the unexpected on various women and that this is not only normal (however unfortunate) but even relatable. For instance even the future queen of England, the Duchess Kate Middleton, ended up in Emergency due to severe nausea and dehydration. Even royalty experience reality; their life style may be different, but they're still human and their bodies react just as ours do. In response to my last posting I had a friend contact me to share that she too had a really hard pregnancy - she was sick for seven months! And since my own experience I have heard many such stories bearing a similar resemblance. These stories are all told out of empathy and also encouragement that once the baby arrives it really is worth all the pain. I believe them or I don't think any of these brave women who have shared their experiences with me would have gone on to have another one, two, and even three more.
The interesting thing to me is that I didn't hear these stories, except my sisters' stories, until after I had gone through it myself. Perhaps I wasn't listening, but I personally suspect that I just couldn't grasp the full extent of their pain and discomfort because like I said last post it's next to impossible to really understand unless you've actually lived the experience yourself. The other option is that stories like these aren't talked about. When the general public hears that a woman is pregnant it seems they expect her to be super happy and enthusiastic. Unless they're really close friends it's assumed that they don't really want to hear the gross details and often times the pregnant woman's woes are only heard as complaints and whining. Stop the pity party please. So, instead of talking honestly pregnant women force a smile and merely say, "Thank you." At least I did. I was hesitant to really share the full extent of what I was going through because I didn't want to scare my friends who have yet to be pregnant. At the same time I felt it was important to be as honest as possible with how I was doing because I felt that every woman has the right to hear the truth.
The good news is that not all women experience being sick to the same degree, some don't get sick at all! At ten weeks pregnant I despised these women and I if memory serves me correctly Luke had to practically restrain me from getting up and exploding at the TV screen while watching the movie What to Expect When You're Expecting I was so mad at the one lady who just breezed through pregnancy and labour - totally unfair. I've calmed down, I no longer detest these women, but I do think they're incredibly lucky.
The reason I write this post is that I hope it reaches other women who feel as alone as I originally did. I hope that hearing they are not alone is a comfort and that they avoid the depression I went through. I realize now that my story is far more relatable than ever imagined and going through the experience gives a completely new and genuine sense of empathy. Perhaps it will be a comfort to current and future pregnant women to know that not only are they not alone in their pain, but even Kate Middleton has been affected by pregnancy.
Please continue on to read my next post Part 2: A Relatable Experience which is a story I wrote for expecting first time mothers and women who have been pregnant before. This story, while the names and slight details have been changed with some details added, is based on my first trimester and truly resembles my thoughts, feelings, and experiences. After this future posts will no longer reflect on my eighteen weeks of nausea as I wish to move ahead and focus on the present - which I am still thoroughly enjoying!
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