Forgetful

During an interview with Pregnant at a local radio station’s offices Beatrice had to be called by the presenter twice – She had played the wrong song for a feature. She is the producer of a popular afternoon radio programme.

She shared her fears with Sandra Mulluka and Emma Odaba.

That is the second time I have played the wrong song in the same feature! This has never happened to me before. I am totally confused! Usually, I am a very keen and particular person and this forgetfulness just baffles me. I am only six and a half months pregnant and already this forgetful. How will I be when I am due?

I have a ‘forgetful syndrome’. I produce a show, which comes on air from 2:00pm to 7:00pm. I had to research on the two songs that were number one. I would do the prep and then forget to play the songs. I remember one time the presenter was on air and the songs were not there so he came to the reception to call me because I had played the wrong songs.

Recently, I forgot where I had put my phone and my colleagues had to call my number so that I could tell where the phone was. Sometimes, I would go to the office and start talking to someone only to suddenly forget what exactly I wanted to tell the person. I had to save my boyfriend’s number in my phone lest I also forget it too! I had always wanted to have a baby at a young age so that I could finish getting babies early. My boyfriend and I planned this pregnancy. I stopped using contraceptives in February last year and conceived in October.

At first, I imagined that I would conceive immediately but when a few months went by, I started thinking I had a problem. I wanted my doctor to confirm to me if all was well. Afterwards, I had an ultrasound and Pap smear examinations because I used to have my periods for even eight days instead of the normal four to five days. During the ultrasound scan, they found some cysts but I was told that should not worry me. The Pap smear revealed that I was fine.

I went for the examinations because I had stayed for long without conceiving. I wanted to be sure that I did not have fibroids or anything that might hinder me from getting a child. I wanted to be sure that I was healthy. My worry was as a result of stories I had heard of women who could not give birth. I was worried that I might be one of them.

My periods usually come in time so the first time they failed to come (it was a Friday) my boyfriend suspected that I was pregnant. He told me to wait until Monday before drawing conclusions, but I could not wait.

On Sunday evening, I went to a clinic in town for a pregnancy test. I was told it was still early. I remember I had plaited cornrows and the doctor said she thought I was 18 years old. When the results came out and she asked my age, I told her I was 24 and that I had planned to get pregnant. She said she had thought that if she told me I was pregnant, I would start crying, but got shocked when I showed excitement. I never believed it would ever happen to me. When I told my boyfriend, he was equally thrilled by the news.

The hardest part, though, was telling my parents, especially my dad. I had planned that my boyfriend and I would tell him, but later I decided that since he was my dad, it would be better if I did it alone. I went home for two weeks and I still could not get the guts to tell him.

Mum on the-other hand, was happy when I broke the news to her, she was relieved. She had thought, because of the cyst, I would never get pregnant. I asked mum to tell dad because I did not have enough courage to tell him.

Contrary to my expectations, my father has been very supportive. He has supported me emotionally, financially and spiritually. He has been calling me just to ask how I am doing. Dad really cares about me; I think it is because I am the first born. We are a family of four.

The pregnancy has changed me a lot. I have become a very jovial, strong and confident person. I used to think that if I got pregnant, I would not manage to walk in the streets with a big belly but I came to get used to the whole idea. It never bothered me that my stomach was big. The pregnancy made me love people; especially the men in our office.

I never craved anything and my eating habits were just normal. I am carrying a girl; though the father wanted a baby boy. To me the sex of the first baby does not matter since I would love to have two children-a boy and a girl. I began attending my antenatal clinics in March; that was five months after I found out I was pregnant. I had four ultrasound scans. The first one was at nine weeks when I had pain all over my tummy, and the doctor thought probably the cyst was in a bad position. The doctor confirmed that indeed the cyst was the one giving me problems and it would go on until 12 weeks into the pregnancy.

I was in so much pain that I thought I was going to have a miscarriage. I was scared. I was given some painkillers and told to take only when in pain; I would skip taking the drugs because I know medicines are not good when one is pregnant. I had my second ultrasound scan when I began clinics. The third one was done when I wanted to check the baby sex and the last one was when the baby’s heart beat was low. This scan revealed that I was having contractions and that was the reason the baby’s heartbeat could not be monitored properly.

I ate stones, though that is not a craving but a bad habit I had even before I got pregnant. I think it develops due to lack of calcium. There was a week I craved Delmonte juice, passion juice to be precise. I also like a lot of pepper. I would order food to be brought in the office and ask for a lot of Kachumbari.

My colleagues in the office hid pepper from me, saying that my baby will be born with birth marks if I consumed it. I love my work and I plan to go back when the baby is two and a half months. I think I will breastfeed my baby for one year. At the moment, I am just waiting for the baby. My EDD is tomorrow 30th June and I am not worried but if the baby will not have come by Monday, I intend to go back to work. My doctor told me the baby can come two weeks before or after two weeks so there is no cause for alarm. My next appointment is on Tuesday 3rd July.

This pregnancy has made me so forgetful, it is scary. I forget even the most important things. I can’t believe it!

END: PG 9 /18-20