Habida Moloney – my million dollar album

I caught up with this diva in a well-known coffee spot where we engaged in a warm and pleasant banter. ‘My passion has always been singing since my primary school days. In high school, my friends and I formed a theater group where we would sing and act,’ she reminisces. With time, her fervour for music saw her complete a degree in musical theatre. Our conversation then slowly drifted to the new musical chords being struck within her.

‘In November last year I started having joint pain, shivers, fever and I thought I had malaria. Around that time, I was also due for my regular check up by my gynecologist. So I went to the hospital to find out what was making me sick. When the test results came, the doctor confirmed that contrary to my fears, I was pregnant,’ she says.

‘I have had a difficult pregnancy. My doctor put me on bed rest for the first three months. This was largely because I was spotting and thus the bed rest to prevent miscarriage. This was very challenging, as I was used to being active—which my profession calls for. This of course meant that I could not do any more shows. However, I broke the rules a bit —thanks to my passion, and did two shows anyway!’

In her second trimester, Habida battled with acidity which forced her to take very strong antacids-something that is considered dangerous to pregnancy. Thankfully, it didn’t harm the baby.’ She also hated food as she couldn’t keep it down because of throwing up constantly. ‘I lost about 9kgs. Then I caught amoeba. The worst bit came when I took drugs to cure it. I worried that the drug could harm my baby. This was tough. I don’t even know how I made it. I think women are amazing!’

Apart from the constant fatigue caused by carrying around her little one, everything is much easier in her third trimester. ‘Now I eat much more than I used to because my nausea has subsided. I have also managed to replace the weight I lost previously.’

Has it changed her? ‘I have found myself bonding a lot with the television, since my activities were toned down by the doctor’s bed rest recommendation, fatigue and my prior illness. So now, if you don’t find me at the studio recording songs for my new album, you are very likely to find me at home.

‘I also panic easily over little issues. Something like traffic gets me ticked off!’ She therefore spends a lot of her time in doors to at least reduce the current irritants.

Odd moments? ‘Recording my music has seen my producers more empathetic as I take too many bathroom breaks!’ she says.
‘I am carrying a low pregnancy since my baby is positioned closer to my pelvis.’ She explains that her baby is perpetually sitting on her bladder making the many bathroom visits inevitable. ‘Then, my little one is big and is always moving. Due to her positioning in my uterus, these movements sometimes get painful. So the few times she is not moving about, I feel like she is giving me a break.’

A word from your fans? ‘Many of my fans are thrilled for me. I’m receiving all kinds of encouraging comments on Facebook.’ What is expectancy telling you? ‘Women are super! The whole process of carrying a child from beginning to term is incredible. It’s also amazing how the mother always has a protective instinct for their young.
All through, I have been very careful of what I eat, the places I go and the activities I do—all to make sure my dear one is unharmed.’

She adds that she has been talking to mothers, many of whom tell her that giving birth is only the beginning. That a new mum should brace herself for a stressful ride and sleepless nights. ‘But above all, I have realized that it’s not about me anymore. It’s about Michaela. We have decided to give her that name because it is the female version of Michael—my dad’s name.’

I miss…
Sleeping on my stomach like I used to before the pregnancy. Now I just sleep on either side, switching sides till morning.

Shivers?

‘Giving birth. Despite this, I would rather go for a normal delivery with an epidural’. Habida says C-section is likely to be it, now that her soon-to-download ‘million dollar album’ is quite big.

Then the person we have all been waiting to hear about. ‘My partner, Daniel, has been very supportive and extremely understanding. My pregnancy has been difficult and I can’t imagine going through it without him’.

END: PG32/24-26