The 1st Step

It’s a journey which began with the news that I was pregnant.  While I was hoping for it, there was a frisson of apprehension which ran down my spine.  What next? What would I need to do now to ensure that the baby developed well? What to eat? What to avoid? How much to sleep? To exercise or not and how much? And thus began the saga of questions which is so much a part of becoming a parent.

Nothing really prepares you for the months to follow. The nervous anticipation of the first visit to the doctor. The poignancy of the first ultrasound. The dread of the endless blood test reports. And of course all the horror stories of childbirth and delivery. Somewhere down the line I realised that the more I read and talked to people the more apprehensive I got. Everyone had something different to say; little snippets of wisdom which became a gigantic mass of nerves within me. Should I opt for a C-sec or a natural birth? Would I be able to withstand the pain? Should I take an epidural? These are questions which plague every expectant mother and there’s no “correct” answer. My advice? Take it as it comes. No amount of mental or physical preparation will make your experience any different from what it’s meant to be so just go with the flow.

If someone asks me what’s the most important lesson I have learnt ever since I realised I was pregnant, I would say it’s not to judge anyone. We are all too quick to pass judgement on other people’s lives. Being an active person by nature, I was exercising, driving and working till the day I went into labour. Do I feel everyone should follow suit? No. This is one experience which is extremely individualistic in nature and thus different for everyone. Listen to your body and mind and take the call which suits you; not which you think is the right thing to do vis-a-vis people around you.

My baby’s two months old today and it’s been an exciting, though, tiring roller-coaster so far. It’s only now that I feel I can catch my breath and start putting down my thoughts and experiences. Like everything else in life, having a baby has its ups and downs. I have learnt to savour the ups and ride out the downs. The best mantra to chant whilst trying to calm a screaming baby is “this too shall pass!!”