Parenting Guide

An open letter to the Expecting Mothers

 

Dear Mama-to-be,

You are just a few weeks away from being gifted with something precious. We understand the discomfort you are feeling, but it is all a part of an amazing experience called Motherhood. All these months of discomfort would vanish on the first sight of your baby, the moment you hold him in your arms! When the moment arrives you will tell yourself: everything was worth the effort! No one would better understand the saying “there is light at the end of the tunnel” more than an expecting mother. Each day in your life comes with a new set of challenges. Some challenges can weigh you down and drain you. It is no wonder that you feel like crying out loud out of frustration. But, when everything seems so bleak to you, just tell yourself: like any other challenging phase of your life, this will pass by too!

Motherhood is not a bed of roses, it is rather a bed filled with thorns. But you are an expecting mother, and you have the strength to go through this ordeal. Feeling down during pregnancy is not an exceptional case that is happening only to you. It is a normal body reaction to all those hormonal changes constantly happening within your body. And these hormonal changes are controlling your brain’s neurotransmitters. As a result, you are bound to have mood swings, quick exhaustion, morning sickness, unnatural food cravings and other associated complications. You would be doing things that you have never done before. The impact of hormonal changes can differ from one mother to the next, but you are bound to experience some of the symptoms. So, as a well-wisher, we would like to help you ride this topsy-turvy road with a bit of guidance about the changes you can expect and how to cope with them.

#1. Mood Swings:

Do you feel on top of the world one moment and start sobbing the next? Do you wonder how a calm and confident woman like you could start weeping for no reason at all? There is nothing to be embarrassed about. It is all a result of the hormonal changes. Your life has undergone a massive change. You are heavier than ever before. You have to rest for most of the day. You are having issues with mobility, so the tasks that you would perform without any help at all have now become very difficult. There are many tensions, internally ongoing inside your brain, and that too is impacting your emotions. But, there are times when the dark cloud of despair is pierced by a bright ray of light when you think about the new life developing inside you. And all of a sudden, albeit for a very short time, you feel on top of the world. You cannot control such mood swings, as hormonal changes are good for your baby. What you can do is try to stay happy and do things (lying down) that you love. If you like reading, have an array of books from the genre of your choice. If you like movies, have fun running through your most liked movies. Call over some friends or relatives and have a hearty chat with them. Most importantly, do things that you like.

#2. Morning Sickness:

Does waking up in the morning look like the most difficult task in the world? You are just being affected with morning sickness. The drowsy feel along with aches can make it very painful. As it is normal with any other sickness, your body is in its worst state soon after you wake up. You have to spend some hours each morning trying to feel like a normal person. Morning sickness is a result of hormonal changes (which you cannot control) and weakness (which can be taken care of). So, you have to build up your body strength by staying on the right diet. We know, eating is a challenging task too, but you have to somehow consume the right amount of food. Mothers staying on a strict dietary regime face fewer issues with morning sickness than others.

#3. Exhaustion:

It is not easy to provide nourishment to a new life within your body. It is also not easy to carry around another life inside. Both these facets have a wearing down effect on you. As a result, you are always low on energy. We understand that you feel frustrated at not being able to lead the busy lifestyle you had prior to pregnancy, but this is a normal course of action that you need to see through. You need to take a lot of rest and shun the worries about home chores or professional commitments. These are the days when you need to pamper yourself. Taking naps at intermittent intervals is a good way to boost up your energy. It is also the time when you need someone to assist you with other tasks that were a part of your pre-pregnancy life. You should not feel frustrated due to the low energy levels, as you will regain the strength a few months after the baby’s birth.

#4. Strong Food Cravings:

You might be having a food craving for something that you dislike or something that you never really had before. This is normal for expecting mothers like you. There is no sound explanation as to why expecting mothers have such strong food cravings. The only logical explanation could be: to meet the nutrient levels in the body. During the days of pregnancy, you would have cravings for pickles, ice creams, and chocolates. As long as what you are having is healthy and meeting the nutrient levels of the body, there is nothing to be perturbed about. You can have all the chocolates and pickles you want while staying on an otherwise healthy diet. You will find that such unnatural food cravings will vanish after the baby’s birth.

#5. Baby Blues:

Do you constantly think about the wellbeing of your child developing inside the womb? Do you stay too tensed due to your pregnancy complications? Well, these are not the ideal ways to cope with pregnancy. By staying tensed you are harming the baby, rather than doing any good. Then there are other mothers, who have self-doubts. They doubt their decision of getting pregnant at this stage of life. Well, you are bound to undergo this experience now or later, so what is the point of building up doubts in your mind? Staying relaxed and indulging in things you like is the best way to overcome baby blues. While we understand the tug-of-war ongoing inside your brain, trust us when we tell you: it will all pass through and you will get your normal life back very soon.

There is a new life on the other side of your present discomforts. We request you to just think about the brighter side of life. We would also like to wish you best of luck for the upcoming delivery. May you be blessed with a healthy baby that fills your life with happiness and joy.

From,

Team ChuChu TV

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