PREGNANCY

So much pressure from society and sometimes family to have a baby when you hit your 20's. News flash your 20's belong to YOU! Here's my journey. From the beginning, I was the girl who never wanted to have any children of my own (which everyone around me knew that).

Not sure what scared me the most but the thought of being someone's "mom" made me think it was not for me. I lived everyday worry free, free spirited, with no one to really worry about except myself. HAVE KIDS they say. Hence no one talk to you about all the changes you will experience throughout the pregnancy journey.

Then I turned 27! What exactly is supposed to happen when you turn 27? Not sure but something in me "CLICKED". A rush of emotions came over me and out of nowhere thoughts of what kind of mother I would be to my child. A child I didn't have. "Maybe this is a midlife crisis. It has to be." So I thought, until a few months went by and the thoughts became constant and the ideas of rasing a child of my own made me extremely happy.

BOOM! I FOUND OUT I WAS PREGNANT! As prepared as I thought I was for this blessing of being able to carry my own child, looking back I was more unprepared than ever. Here's why! The first 5 months I suffered ALL DAY SICKNESS (morning sickness that lasted all day everyday), I was losing weight instead of ganing. But then the weight gain started once the vomiting stopped. 43 lbs in 4 short months, toes stuck together like pigs in a blanket, severe heartburn, face, chest & neck acne, stretch-marks, swollen ankles, severe exhaustion & crying because your breasts are so swollen from milk production that you can't put your arms down. With all that was going on with my body, somehow I found the energy to workout until 36 weeks (my OB insist I stop).

Sometime during month 7 of my pregnancy I stopped walking in front the mirror because I would get emotional due to the fact I didn't recognize the woman in the mirror (everything about my appearance changed). Then one day my Grammy (my grandma) told me "women are the real Super Heros, we carry an entire person inside of us for 9 months. That alone my love makes you Superwoman." Game changer! I began embracing my belly, my acne, my swollen face, wabbly walk and began getting dressed up to go absolutely nowhere (laughs).

Pregnancy is not just about taking beautiful photos for social media or having beautiful gender reveal/ baby showers. There will be many days you don't feel like getting out of bed, days you don't want to go outside, days that you want to hide from the world, days that you feel fat and ugly. It's nothing like those movies. What keeps you going is having a great support system who will remind you how amazing you are while reassuring you everything will be totally worth it.

April 16th 2018; the day my pregnancy hit 39 weeks, I went to work as normal with what I thought was (sharp cramps 20-25 mins apart) at 7:00 am. Around 2:00 pm (an hr before my shift ends) the feeling of bones breaking in my pelvic area started happenning every 5-7 mins. That was my que to leave work and go to the hospital. The doctors checked me and said "wow you're 6 cm. Are you coming from home?" I was embarassed to say no so instead I lies and said "yes" lol.

My body was in labor for a total of 19 hours before a beautiful baby boy with a head full head of hair, long eye lashes, no eyebrows and a body covered with hair was born at approximately 9:20 pm, whom we named ODELL.

Before you think about having a baby ask yourself:

1. Am I in a good space mentally & emotionally?

2. If something was to happen to the other parent can I financially take care of this child?

3. Am I willing to put myself last so my child can be first?

4. Can I provide a life for my child that's better than I've had growning up?

So much has changed in 2 years (since having Odell), but having him was the best thing that could've happened and I would'nt trade MOTHERHOOD for anything in this world.