280 DAYS OF LIFE GROWING INSIDE ME

9 months. 40 weeks. 280 days. 6720 hours. 

Just typing this I realise how long 9 months even is but at the same I remember the day I took that positive pregnancy test like it was yesterday. How have the past 9 months flown by so quickly?

We are into our 40th week this week so medically speaking I am "overdue." But this baby doesn't know days or weeks or months and she knows when she's ready to grace us with her presence so i'm calm and trusting Allah, my body and baby. 

To be honest, I never thought we'd make it to 40 weeks. My mum didn't ever make it to 40 weeks with 4 children and for some reason I thought my pregnancies would be similar to hers...well, turns out i'm nothing like my mum. 

How am I feeling right now? Nothing like I thought I would be feeling at 9 months pregnant in the middle of a Queensland summer. I expected to be over being pregnant. To be extremely heavy and swollen and hot and just dying to have this baby out. I feel the complete opposite. It's this bittersweet feeling. I have really enjoyed being pregnant, sure it's hard but what else should we expect when our body is busy growing an entire human being? There are lots and sometimes constant aches and pains, heartburn, restless legs, waking up to pee what feels like every 10 minutes, not sleeping properly, back pain and a very long list of other things but all this is part of being pregnant. Part of growing and bringing a new life into this world and there is no use to complain about it.

I chose to embrace it instead. To enjoy it. To enjoy these short 9 months of having my baby all to myself. Of getting to feel her grow and my body expand to accommodate her. To feel her first fluttery movements to now feeling her kick me in the ribs and do some crazy moves that really make me wonder what in the world she is doing in there. To have her respond to my touch, my voice, my movements. To be physically, emotionally and mentally connected to her. There really is nothing more beautiful than to experience pregnancy. There's nothing that makes you feel more like a woman. That makes you feel strong, powerful and beautiful. 

So...I was in the middle of writing this post when I went into labour (I didn't know it was labour but more on that will be in my birth story post) and I decided to head to bed not knowing the next time I will get a chance to come back to this post will be now, when our daughter has been earth side for almost a month! I think the moral of this post really is that time just flies right by us.

To be honest, being pregnant feels like it was a life time ago and I can't recall all that I was feeling in those last weeks and days. What I do know, is that despite the challenges that presented themselves during my pregnancy, I loved every second of it and I already miss being pregnant. I've conveniently forgotten the first trimester and the weeks I couldn't get out of bed but even when I do think back, I would do it all over again for this sweet bundle of joy that we now have in our arms. 

If you're currently pregnant I encourage you to enjoy every single minute of it. It's a short 9 months that will be over before you know it and during those 9 months your body is doing the most incredible thing. It is literally growing another human. All we have to do is sit back and (try and) relax (and nourish our body with good food, fresh air and exercise). 

Love, 
Naeema