I’m so excited, y’all; we are almost getting there. This is the month that made me realize pregnancy is so long; it felt like the calendar was so slow. My baby’s movement increased, and sleep became a big deal. If I get four or five hours of sleep, that is a testimony. I would roll all night and watch my husband sleep soundly; I was always jealous, like how can you sleep so soundly in a few minutes, and I’m struggling to get some sleep.
I was getting tired already and just wanted the pregnancy journey to end. It was harder because I wasn’t getting writing gigs, and I couldn’t apply for a full-time job because I was pregnant. I felt so useless for days, I would complain to my husband every day, and he would assure me that I would get the big break. I am not used to doing nothing, so waking up in the morning and having just one gig felt like I was sinking. I remember talking to my friend Dami aka my Elizabeth, and she said to me, “Onome, motherhood is a purpose on its own; why not enjoy this phase and allow God to lead you”. Those words stayed with me, and I decided to start journaling.
I wrote letters to my baby each day and fam; it was soothing.
How did I forget to tell you about my church conference (SMH)? Wafbec was the highlight of month 6 (Wafbec is the acronym for West African believers convention. The Covenant Christian centre organized it. It was usually a 7-day programme with morning, afternoon and evening sessions.) Wafbec 2022 was such a spiritual awakening that gave me an assurance that God has not forgotten me.
How come nobody ever told me about feeling so hot? It’s like my body generated heat. I had to be in front of the fan every minute. It was not funny. I hated that I was sweating a lot, so I was itching my body every minute. There was nothing fun about that.
Another crazy symptom that showed up in month 6 was haemorrhoids. I had this before getting pregnant, but it doubled in size and became painful during pregnancy. There was a time I couldn’t use the restroom for about four days, I had the urge to, but I just couldn’t. I prayed and hoped for a miracle, but nothing happened. It was so painful each time I tried, so I reported it to my gynaecologist. He told me he couldn’t give me stool softeners because they could cause a contraction, so he had to do a rectal examination, which was about 20 minutes of pain. By the time he was done, I felt like using the restroom, and it all came out. Phew! The relief and joy, never have I been happier to use the restroom.
Pregnancy is an unfamiliar journey that takes a lot of resilience and strength; it’s also beautiful to know that a whole human being is growing in you. If you are pregnant, take it easy on yourself and don’t forget to ask for help when you need it.
Let’s meet tomorrow as I tell you all about Month 7. Thank you for being here.