Pregnancy was a real adventure for me. I did not have many preconceived notions as to what pregnancy would really be like. Sure, I knew that morning sickness was a definite possibility. I expected my belly to expand to the size of a watermelon. Bear was on alert for crazy 4 am food cravings. And of course I knew at some point I would feel some serious kicks.
However, pregnancy was NOTHING like I expected. For the first four months, I was miserable. There were few moments that I did not have the feeling I was about to toss my cookies everywhere. After vomiting on some poor professional man's shoes on the metro (and vomiting numerous times on our street in attempts to get food) I started carrying airsick bags with me everywhere. My coworkers started a nice collection for me from different airlines. After thorough testing, I can definitively say that Air France / KLM.bags are the sturdiest and have least chance of causing an accidental vomit spill.
While I had food cravings- I wanted avocadoes in any form at all times, there was the two month obsession with babybel cheese which later turned to an Iberican cheese obsession- the first tri was filled more with foods I wanted to avoid. Part of this had to do with a strong metallic taste that I had in my mouth. In January and a good portion of February, the only form of dead animal I could consume was processed chicken from McDonalds. I vomited just from smelling certain foods. Later on in the second trimester, I had to cut out all simple starches. Eating just a little bite of baguette would give me a hot flash and bring back the constant nauseated feeling from the first tri. So, no pasta, no bread, no yummy French patisserie. Great. Especially when one lives in the land of bread and cheese.
And of course I managed to develop lots of fun complications. Luckily they all affected me and not my little Godzilla. :-) One of the most entertaining complications was a sort of weather related narcolepsy. Any time the clouds came in, I would literally be knocked out for the count. There were quite a few times when I would fall asleep at the kitchen tabke or desk while working. And then there was the cholestasis (pregnancy related liver failure- it makes you extremely itchy and you feel like death- only cure is giving birth). Towards the end of the pregnancy, I spent almost all my time in bed. But I would do it all again and more for my little Godzilla! It was all worth it when Dr McGinnis placed a smiling Raphael on my chest after delivery!
However, pregnancy was NOTHING like I expected. For the first four months, I was miserable. There were few moments that I did not have the feeling I was about to toss my cookies everywhere. After vomiting on some poor professional man's shoes on the metro (and vomiting numerous times on our street in attempts to get food) I started carrying airsick bags with me everywhere. My coworkers started a nice collection for me from different airlines. After thorough testing, I can definitively say that Air France / KLM.bags are the sturdiest and have least chance of causing an accidental vomit spill.
While I had food cravings- I wanted avocadoes in any form at all times, there was the two month obsession with babybel cheese which later turned to an Iberican cheese obsession- the first tri was filled more with foods I wanted to avoid. Part of this had to do with a strong metallic taste that I had in my mouth. In January and a good portion of February, the only form of dead animal I could consume was processed chicken from McDonalds. I vomited just from smelling certain foods. Later on in the second trimester, I had to cut out all simple starches. Eating just a little bite of baguette would give me a hot flash and bring back the constant nauseated feeling from the first tri. So, no pasta, no bread, no yummy French patisserie. Great. Especially when one lives in the land of bread and cheese.
And of course I managed to develop lots of fun complications. Luckily they all affected me and not my little Godzilla. :-) One of the most entertaining complications was a sort of weather related narcolepsy. Any time the clouds came in, I would literally be knocked out for the count. There were quite a few times when I would fall asleep at the kitchen tabke or desk while working. And then there was the cholestasis (pregnancy related liver failure- it makes you extremely itchy and you feel like death- only cure is giving birth). Towards the end of the pregnancy, I spent almost all my time in bed. But I would do it all again and more for my little Godzilla! It was all worth it when Dr McGinnis placed a smiling Raphael on my chest after delivery!
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| My last photo pregnant, taken by the lovely Natasha Wroth |
