Are you waiting for the arrival of your little one? Don't lose hope! Read this mom's inspiring story of getting pregnant after 12 years of trying.
What can you read in this article?
- Living her best life while waiting
- Her reaction to being pregnant after 12 years of trying
- The switch from having an active lifestyle to slowing it down for the baby
Hello Mommas! I'm Gera. I'm a mom, a strong runner, seasoned cyclist, and full-time employee. How do I manage my time with all of those, you ask?
I work Monday through Friday in a graveyard shift. In addition to that, I have my training every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon. It doesn't stop there. I wake up early at 3 o'clock in the morning every Sunday for my long slow distance (LSD), sometimes cross-training with cycling.
The only day that I can rest is every Saturday. No more Saturday night outs because I need to wake up early for my LSD, I am a determined athlete.
I joined both local and international races before. And I make sure to finish my work tasks for any upcoming race. My life simply revolves on three things - working, training, and races.
I am blessed to have a partner in life who is very supportive of my passion - running. We have been enjoying each other's company for 13 years. We both believe that if it's time for us to have a baby, it will happen at the right time. God has a plan for us and we waited patiently.
Then in August of 2020, an unexpected surprise arrived.
The unexpected surprise
August 6 - it started like anyordinary day. But when I woke up around 4 o'clock for my afternoon run, I was in pain. My stomach hurt so much that I was rushed to the hospital. They ran some laboratory tests and I was asked to give details of my last menstrual cycle.
I thought it was my gastritis acting up again. Yes, again! Almost every year, I was hospitalized because of my gastritis. An x-ray, blood work, urine test, and endoscopy procedure were done.
To my surprise, the doctor came and told me, "Congrats, you're pregnant".
I could not hear anything that the doctor told me after that. I was so confused and shocked! Then I answered, "What was that again, doc? She looked at my eyes with a big smile and said, "Congrats, you're having a baby!
I heard it loud and clear, but no words came out of my mouth, I was speechless! I didn't know how to react to the unexpected news. After 12 years of waiting, I'm finally pregnant!
That was the happiest news I heard last year. Out of all the news on the internet, radio, and TV, this one was by far the best, most exciting news for me, my partner, and the rest of the family.
I told my partner about what happened and he initially thought it was a prank. I told him it wasn't and that he's going to be a dad. He still didn't believe it until I had my ultrasound checkup the next day.
I was nervous and anxious while waiting for my turn for the ultrasound. And I couldn't believe it until I heard my baby's heartbeat for the very first time and saw him on the monitor. After that I cried. It's true, I have a baby in my tummy!
From having an active lifestyle to being on bed rest
Pregnancy is one of the most pleasant, exciting, and at the same time most critical periods in a woman's life. Being pregnant in the time of coronavirus presents a new set of challenges to us, especially for first-time parents.
The anxiety and stress from the rising Covid-19 cases crept up from time to time and we couldn't help but worry about our pregnancy.
Mine was not an easy one, I was advised by my OB-GYN to be on bed rest during my first trimester. And I can only go outside for my prenatal checkups. I was blessed to have an employer that offered a work-from-home setup.
It was a struggle on my part as an active person. From constantly being outdoors by running and cycling, I couldn't do exercises like walking, jogging, running, and spinning at home. The only exercises that were allowed by the OB-GYN were swimming and yoga.
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Because of the major change in my routine and the threat of corona virus while I was pregnant, I developed anxiety disorder. And to protect my health and that of the baby's, we decided to go home and stay in the province for good.
But the struggles kept coming. At 36 weeks, I had preterm labor because of stress and travel. When I went to my new OB-GYN for a checkup, she advised me again to be on full bed rest. I can only get up from bed if I will use the comfort room. That was frustrating and really scary.
We prayed to God and talked to the little one in my tummy to wait until he is full-term. We told him that we know that he's excited to see us, and so are we, but we can wait.
Going back to the habit, slowly but surely
April of 2021, I gave birth to my son, whose smile was as bright as the sun. After waiting for 12 years, I am officially a mother. To be honest, being a mom made me feel so tired, yet so happy.
After 6 weeks of giving birth, I slowly went back to my routine. I run or bike at least three times a week. It doesn't mean that when we have a baby, we cannot find time to exercise. We can - in fact, I consider this my ME time.
We must take care of ourselves by eating healthy food, having a balanced diet, getting enough rest and exercise. This is our way of loving our family. When we are healthy, the more that we can give our family our best.
First-time mommas like me, don't lose hope. You can have your figure back in time. You just need to love and believe in yourself.
Who would've though that I could still get pregnant after 12 years of trying? Right now, I am very contented and happy with my small family. Indeed, things happen when you least expect it.
