Om’s Birth Story-Part 1: THE PREGNANCY

3^rd May 2014: I had conducted my 1^st pregnancy test at my then home, in Bangalore. Result was indistinct; it was a 30/70. Being aware of all the complications related to my pregnancy, I was pretty confident on the negative result.  The next test was planned post my Bday on 11^th May, but some uncanny symptoms my body was giving me. I always have a very strong sense of smell, but in that one week it had reached to the level of hyperosmia. I started getting tired very easily, tired to the point of panting like a dog! So, got my next test done on 09^th and yes! It was positive. At 4:00 am in morning, I did the test. That moment was like getting fresh air after being stuck in the lift for an hour. That moment was like seeing the sea from a ferris wheel.

I guess the bliss of giving birth to a child, is so very immense because the risks and pain surrounding those 9 months are equally elevated.

Husbands take time to grasp all major developments in his woman’s life. I had this notion that only my man is like that, but gradually I have come to realize that if some man is not like that, then he is the exceptional one! We were at the clinic for my first USG, and this man was behaving as if it was his 12^th visit with a pregnant lady. Though I was decided that I will not take him with me to the doctor’s cabin, I didn’t want create a scene out there. So, he went with me and the test started. The doctor was using a headphone. After a while he took off the headphone and increased the volume of the system from where a mystic sound was coming. It sounded like some printing machine in action. The doctor gave us a quizzical look and he got back some puzzled glares. For the first time since 04^th May 201, Annoy suddenly beamed up and exclaimed, “Neha, it’s a life within you” and I realized that the sound was not caused by any malfunction in the system, but it my baby’s heartbeat; our baby’s heartbeat.

Ugh! The Mood Swings: During that phase, there had been days when I used to abhor the presence of Annoy around me, again there were days when I used to be furious with him because I assumed him to be non-responsive to my overwhelming love for him. There also used to be days when he I used to love him more for every small act of his.

Thanks to movies, I had a myth that pregnancy would make me the queen of the world. But when nothing of that sort happened and I was treated as a postman, carrying a valuable parcel; tears knew no boundaries.

The days when I was supposed to be the happiest and optimistic, I spent them crying. Out of the very rare moments of happiness were the few when I could feel the little life moving within me (no not the kicks, because those used to send me on a fit).  Besides the baby, I also had a 10cm fibroid fitted in my tummy, so the moments of joy often used turn into panic attacks.

Then there was this role reversal of my taste buds. Never in the wildest of my dreams had I ever thought that I will ever love sweets and fishes and loathe mutton. But that I did! My fridge always had a good stock of “narkel-naru” if not any other sweet. No lunch passed by without fish. Chicken and mutton was stopped being cooked in my house as I couldn’t bear the smell. Actually, I should have taken the hunch then itself, when this little being had started playing his tricks with me even before moving out of my body.

That was the only time when I had ever gone to any restaurant and had only vegetarian food: such a doubtful memory it would seem to me myself, a few years from now.

The last dinner, 2 weeks prior to my delivery was at Global Grill Sigree. By then I could once again resist the smell of non-vegetarian food. However, such a waste of a buffet we did. I could hardly eat anything. Forget about eating, I had practically sent most of the staff on a trip with my presence. But, I must agree the staff was very cordial and helpful. I had no intention of disturbing the ambiance of nice restaurant but this was our version of the Babymoon about which I had read so much in babycenter.Though we did want to go on some weekend trip but I was too sure about my mood swings and we had landed up in 2some dinner. Our babymoon happened on 14^th December 2014, at Apollo Hospital (complete name). Bags packed, the 2some left only to return being a 3some.