I said yesterday in my instagram post that Week 6 of the One Room Challenge was both as eventful as it was uneventful. I started out the week spending a nice Mother's Day with my mom and brother shopping. We found the cutest tasseled pillow to match her boho nursery color and the perfect little side table to fit in the tiny spot next to the chair at Homegoods. After working on sanding the dresser on Monday for a couple of hours, I became really sick. It wasn't until 2 days later and a trip to the hospital until they figured out what was wrong with me. Needless to say, not much will be getting done the rest of this week and until further notice....
About 3:30pm on Monday, I started to feel really tired and achy. I just thought it was me pushing myself to work too hard. I laid on the couch with Arya and started to have severe body aches and chills. I made it until 7:30 that evening before I called Brian to come home from work early since he was teaching at Taekwondo. We thought it was a regular virus, tested for COVID even, but it was negative. Then the stomach pains came that night and they were excruciating. The next day we went to the OBGYN to make sure everything was ok with Baby V. Sonogram showed all was good and Dr. said if symptoms worsened to let them know. During that night's sleep the pain was a little more bearable but the next day I spotted blood. The OB sent me straight to the hospital. Now I don't like being strung along in suspense either in case you're wondering what was the problem here, so truth be told it turned out to be Kidney Stones and boy oh boy does it hurt. If it is anything like childbirth, at least I have a preview.
When I got to the hospital, they hooked me up to a fetal monitor to do a NST or non- stress test on the baby and to measure contractions, if there were any. At 21 weeks, I prayed she wasn't ready to come. I went for sonograms and ultrasounds, they tested my blood, and urine and all I could do was wait. By nighttime, they figured out that it was indeed Kidney stones. The OB had been nervous about the spotting because I had a low-lying placenta. It turns out it was blood in my urine and not from the placenta. At least in the sono they saw the placenta had moved away from the cervix (which is great) and I finally felt at peace knowing Baby girl was safe and healthy and it was just me that needed to get better.
They hooked me up to IV fluids and wow, it makes you feel so much better. Turns out that Kidney stones are very common during pregnancy even if you never had them before, which I didn't. Plus, the fact that I have gestational diabetes makes dehydration happen more often. Unfortunately this was a perfect combination to lead me here. All they can do is tell you to do is rest and drink water until it passes. Sometimes it can take up to a month. It's been five days now and I still have pain, but not at all as bad as it was. The frustration of not being able to work is subsiding though, now I HAVE TO stop until further notice.
The dresser will get done eventually. Brian will finish sanding the drawers and install the clothes rod and we will bleach it together if I m feeling up to it. I realize how much more important health and wellness is now, especially when you're carrying a precious life inside of you. I've been so focused on myself and how I am feeling mentally, annoyed and aggravated that I had to stop seeing clients and slow down working, annoyed at testing my blood sugar and taking insulin, annoyed at not being able to work out or do anything strenuous. But none of it matters. Baby V and our health is all that matters.
I used to think different things about pregnant women before this journey of mine. I thought all the complaints and jokes about them were exaggerated. I thought that a 'glowing mama' was possible if you did all the right things...turns out that God and nature has a plan other than what you expected to happen. I wanted to be that woman who could work until she couldn't anymore, when her belly was too big to function at her job. But I'm learning to listen to the doctor because those women don't get an award for working until they pop...they just risk so many challenges and dangers for their baby...Why? because they think they have to? Because our healthcare system and maternity leave is a joke in this country? Because they feel that themselves and their spouse have to work and make all the money they can in order to live the life that they want or think they need?
There are so many reasons that I may never understand, but truth be told, it doesn't matter about anyone else's journey. It matters about my own. I am lucky to live simply on one income and be able to rest because I have to. Not because I want to. I am lucky that I have a support system that encourages me to rest and I would never take my frustration out on them just because I was frustrated about my journey. At first I was feeling angry inside to receive all of the 'you should do this...when I was pregnant blah blah and how are you feeling it should pass soon.' But I am thankful now to know that they care. Although Brian is taking all the worst of it....the only thing I can do is try my best, apologize and move on. I'm learning not to dwell.
Vienna won't care if her room looks perfect....this 8 week challenge has proved to be that; a challenge for myself, against myself and only myself. All that matters is that in 18 weeks, she will feel loved and taken care of by the two people that will love her most. Now let me go and drink some water...
xoxo-Jacqueline
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