Hello everyone, I know this blog has just started, and I'm already doing a Courtney's Corner segment; however, this one I thought people would enjoy. Because I will be talking about a very special topic...
Today I am going to talk about my pregnancy and delivery. I'll do my best to keep this post from becoming overly lengthy. I could delve into great detail about everything, but I won't do that. I will break this post into two parts. The first part will focus on my pregnancy, while the second part, of course, will be about the delivery itself.Towards the end, I'll discuss what it's like to be a mother and share my experiences from the first month. So, let's get started...
Part One: Pregnancy
The best place to start is by discussing how I found out I was pregnant. So i want to start off by saying that I didn't discover I was pregnant until I was already a month into the pregnancy. I had spent most of December feeling sick. A lot of what I know now as morning sickness. However, at the time I thought i was just sick because I wasn't eating breakfast or really eating much at all. I honestly at first thought I had a stomach bug or something. Not once did pregnancy cross my mind until about December 20th when no matter what I was doing it wasnt going away. I began having breakfast, and I realized that the foods I typically enjoyed were no longer appetizing; they made me feel sick. On Christmas Day, as I was visiting my mom and sisters for the holiday, my boyfriend went to Walgreens to buy a pregnancy test. Now I know the test is best taken when you first urinate for the day, however, we couldn't wait any longer to figure this out. If it was negative we would have just taken the test again in the morning like it is recommended. That wasn't neccessary though because as soon as I looked at the test you could clearly see two lines. I started to think back on my last month and how my period was definitely weird. I know to much information but its relevant to the story. I didn't realize it then because i've had off flows before, but this was the one that was trying to tell me i was pregnant. A little back story information for me ...I never believed I could get pregnant. I had never become pregnant before, but I must admit that, considering my past, it likely should have happened on several occasions. That isn't something I am proud of just so we are clear. Because of tha t and the fact I was basically told it would be hard if not impossible for me to get pregnant because of matters I dont wish to discuss. Pregnancy never crossed my mind in that moment. Low and behold though I found out I was pregnant on Christmas Day.
Now, let's talk about my first trimester... my first trimester was definitely the hardest one for me. I suffered from severe morning sickness that was all day, everyday. I was vomiting to the point that i was causing my nose to bleed on multiple occasions which is something I have never experienced except for when I was pregnant. The morning sickness was definitely the worst part of the pregnancy. I was also trying to balance being pregnant, trying to find an obgyn, and balance a career I had just gotten in late November. To say the least, it was not an easy adjustment, but considering everything, I managed it quite well. Another thing I suffered from was motion sickness. I couldnt watch the car driving most of the time because it would make me feel really sick. I couldnt play video games because the characters moving made me sick. I could hardly do anything except lie in bed. The morning sickness also brought on a lot of issues with food. There was a lot of foods I couldnt eat while i was pregnant and there are a couple foods I still can't eat now. This Thanksgiving, there won't be any stuffing on my plate. At one point, I was so sick that my boyfriend tried to surprise me with a grilled cheese and pickles, unfortunately, he brought it up and the instant i smelled i got sick everywhere. Needless to say i felt like a horrible human being and he could not have got that food out of the room faster. The only other issue I could think of was that I was constantly tired.
Second trimester ... During this trimester, I learned that I had gestational diabetes, and that was certainly challenging. I started having to take insulin and check my blood sugar four times a day. Just so you're all aware, I absolutely hate needles, so that wasn't the least bit enjoyable for me. Anyway, the only other issue I can recall was the persistent fatigue. That was a problem I seemed to have gotten throughout the entire pregnancy. Needless to say, the second trimester was by far the easiest.
Third trimester ... this was an interesting time. During this trimester, I began to experience difficulty sleeping. I would wake up at least 2 to 5 times during the night. I experienced some significant Braxton Hicks contractions. My nose would randomly start to bleed. I was getting morning sickness again. Swollen ankles were a common occurrence on most days. Honestly, this may have been the most challenging trimester for me.
Part Two: The Delivery
Time to talk about my delivery. It all began on August 18th when I went in for my stress test appointment at around 9:30 am. As usual, they connected me to the monitor. Took my vitals and everything seemed rather normal. I was excited for this appointment because I knew the next day would be my baby shower. It was something I had been eagerly anticipating throughout my entire pregnancy. I was also aware that I had a lot of work to complete because I would be induced the following week.
Unfortunately, my luck doesn't work that way though. Around 10:30 that morning, the doctor came in and informed me that I would be induced that day. Needless to say the baby shower was canceled. Later, it was determined that I was in the early stages of pre-eclampsia, so I'm relieved that they discovered it when they did. Even if I wasn't exactly happy about it at that moment. So begun the long process of being induced. They used two different methods, and let me tell you, both of them were quite uncomfortable! The first one felt as if they inserted a tapeworm inside me. The next one was just medicine that caused me to cramp all night. My water broke at about 1:45 am on the 19th. Labor started and I got absolutely no sleep. Eventually they moved me into the delivery room. Gave me the amazing epidural and a catheter (that part sucked too) and at 10:03 pm, my daughter was born. Yay we did it!!
I will spare you all the nitty gritty details. All I will say is it wasn't the best feeling in the world and I'm glad I was able to push her out quickly cause epidural or not that hurt!! It was a long two days, but I couldn't be more thankful I did it. I never thought I would be able to have children, and now I have an amazing little girl. She is my absolute world.
I will admit getting used to a baby has been difficult. I'm truly discovering the paradox of being both strong and vulnerable simultaneously. Parenthood is unquestionably the most challenging experience I've ever had. One of the most surprising aspects was the severity of the postpartum depression and anxiety I faced. I was afraid I was going to experience it because of my previous mental issues. I never expected it to be so severe. I am so thankful for the support system around me. I honestly could not have done it without them. They saved me in more ways than one.
Anyway, now that I am done being all sentimental I believe that is where I am going to end this post. If you have any questions or anything else, feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading and I hope you shall subscribe to the blog. You can do so by following us on Instagram, Facebook, Discord, or by using your email and the form up above. Thank you again and until next time ...
Stay True Stay You Stay Stylish ♡♕
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