Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Journey to motherhood

Before I was pregnant I had not realized how much my life was going to change. Having a baby was something all the women in the world did. It will not be such a big deal. Its natural. A women's body would have optimized the process with so many decades of evolution. I would know what to do. Also, I will know how to take care of the baby. I trust my 'Natural instincts'. 

Pregnancy was a roller coaster rider. With the pre-term labor and the 'tributaline' and tri-weekly (yup, not weekly or bi-weekly) visits to the ob-gy. That was just a prelude to my transformation. This was followed by sleepless night and back-breaking feeding sessions. My husband has already forgotten it all. I still wake up in the middle of the night to feel my belly. I am suppose to forget it all post- pregnancy ( its been 18 months since I had Arushi). But I have not, I have a clear and vivid memory of the contractions which would not stop; the kicks and tickles that made me giggle all the time; the new-born cry that makes you feel so helpless.

It still feels 'magical'. How could I produced a whole new human being? I did and I am proud of it. Will I go through it again? friends ask me and I must think about it again urges the family. I do not know that yet. Maybe or maybe not. But, this journey to becoming a mother had transformed me and humbled me. It has taught me 'patience' and 'giving' like I never knew I was capable of and the gratitude I feel towards my mother is beyond expression ( she says she is tired of hearing about it now but I am still overwhelmed by the thought of all she has done for me).

This is a tribute to all the mothers in the world. Like 'they' say, with every baby a mother is born.