The other day my husband asks me, " Now that you've gone through pregnancy, what advice would you give your friends and fist time mummies?"
Enjoy the Pregnancy
My answer is simple, take the time to actually enjoy the pregnancy. This is something i caught onto in the latter part of the pregnancy. But it believe it is also normal, because i had to go through all the crazy stuff at the beginning in order to finally be at peace about the pregnancy.
Expect the unexpected
For me, as you may have read in my previous post, the preganncy was completely unexpected, the first few months was therfore filled with so much worry. you have to understand i had just arrived in the country, the previous month before discovering i was pregnant is when i actually got my social security card. As you, may or may not know, without the card its pretty hard to do anything in America. I had no job and so questions such as how i'll take care of the baby with one salary was at the back of my head.
One day at a time
Ultimately as things progressed I had to remind myself that I had to lean on God, for ultimately He knows best, and His timing is always the best. I also just took things one day at a time. And as soon as I began doing this and taking stock of where i was i realised how blessed I was.
Side note: My story
As mentioned earlier i did not have a social security card. I joined my husband after moving to the US from Sydney, therefore there was still alot of things i needed to sort out, such as getting my ss. I finally got it, about 3 months before I knew I was pregnant. This information is important because i need a SS in order to sign up for my husbands benefits. So my SS arrived just in time for enrollment. Had I not gotten it by then, i would have missed on the enrollment of benefits date and would not have been covered for health insurance. At this stage i took the time to just tell God, thank you, because He was in control of the situation.
Until then, I couldn't even go to the doctors to have my first doctors visit. As you may or may not know things are different for foreigners, the general information that is out there pertains to free medical services or subsidised services is for citizens. Many people are not aware of thr rights of foreigners, therefore as far as i knew, all I could do was go to the Emergency room if i really required treatment or pay out of pocket. Luckily for us, i was enrolled under my husbands health insurance.
The next few months were pretty much what is considered normal in the pregnancy world, I had bad morning sickness was tired most of the time, but i loved it. I loved talking to my baby, I loved feeling her kick, i honestly loved the oooh and aahhs and congratulatory messages i received from total strangers. It was a nice phase.
Take everything in stride, it could be worse.....
I was informed that i had a huge fibroid inside me. Until this point, i had no clue i even had fibroids. I was freaked out about that would mean for my daughter and researched a lot about it. The doctors kept a close eye on it. In month 6, it degenerated, this caused a lot of pain for me, i endured a whole night of the pain, my husband was working all night and so went in the next morning, where the hospital kept me in for close observation. I was informed that my baby was okay and that i should take pain killers, ibruprofen, only medication allowed before the 24 week mark. Thankfully the pain subsided and honestly the rest of the pregnancy was quite simply wonderful. I enjoyed getting bigger and wobbly and really took it all in stried.
Finally read enough books
If you get the chance read all you can about pregnancy and the first year of motherhood once your baby is born. I didn't read the books on first year, until i gave birth and of course you know by then it is too late, you are simplyinaundated with motherhood. But as my Mum kept telling me, not too much, sometimes too much information just scares you from the whole process...i tend to agree with her.
Good friends or online community
They willn help you along the way with any information you want to know about and any concerns, its always nice to share with people who are going through the same thing as you.
Family is very important.....far away
There were times i wished my family was closer and not living in another continent, but it helped that my mother would call me a lot offer her advice and just check on my health and well being. I have some family in the States although not in the same State, they also would call and check in on me. They even threw me a baby shower.
Most important: remember that You are Blessed
For that be thankful, its a blessing what you are going through and while there may be many things or times when you are tempted to complain, just remember how blessed you are.
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