My pregnancy abhors goat meat

‘No feeling surpasses the anticipation to be a mother; Elizabeth Muyia spoke to our staff writer about her exciting expectant moments.

I wanted to surprise my husband if I ever realised that I was pregnant. So I did my pregnancy test at a chemist, on my own. It turned out negative. The next evening, my husband brought home a test kit and asked me to check if I was pregnant. I already knew the answer so I had to reveal that I had tested the previous day, with negative results. He insisted that I test again since there would be no harm. I left for the bathroom since I obviously knew that the result would be negative. It was not until he came banging on the bathroom door that I sensed a positive result. I was two weeks pregnant.

Spreading the good tidings
I called my mother, my sisters and brothers to inform them of my pregnancy. The next day my younger sister brought clothes for the forthcoming baby! My mother got to know of it and had to admonish her. According to tradition, clothes should not be bought for a mother-to-be or the forthcoming baby before delivery because it is believed a mishap can happen.

Nausea till now!
Though my pregnancy has been without health complications, I have experienced nausea to date. The consolation is that I do not throw up as was the case in my first trimester. I just have a salty feel in my mouth and I chew gum to reduce it. At first, I was hesitant to tell my gynaecologist of the persistence nausea. He, however, advised that if I had an extreme pregnancy symptom, it would be best if I sought medical intervention. I told him about it and he prescribed some drugs which helped bring the queasiness down.

Motherly feeling
My maternal instincts have increased two fold. Being the first girl in my family, and being brought up by our father. I had to be a ‘mother’ to my siblings. But now I have a greater responsibility, seeing that I will indeed be mother to my own child. I am keen on my diet, especially food recommended by my gynaecologist. I take nutritious food which I would never have thought of before, for my baby’s sake.

My delightful moments
My husband dotes on me. Now that I cannot bend, he washes my feet every evening. He also washes the clothes as the helpers we sought were not cleaning them to our satisfaction. He does all these tasks voluntarily and leaves me to do the duties that do not require bending.

Cravings

I got an immense craving for smoked fish. I went to my local market and got fresh fish which was not what I was really looking for. This made me ask my mother to be sending the smoked fish from Western province via road transport every week. She faithfully delivered it until recently when I learnt that the same was being sold in Nairobi’s Gikomba market. Unfortunately, I dislike what I used to love most— goat meat, which I partook of before everyday. One evening my hubby came home with some, found me asleep and went on to prepare it. When he woke me up to eat, the smell that hit me was so repulsive that it made me throw up. That was the last time mutton was ever bought in our house.

Delivery
My EDD is on 20th July. I was born on 30th July, but I would not really want to share the day with my baby. I do not want to overshadow her special day. My birth partner will be my husband. At first, he had suggested a home delivery, with him assisting since he is a clinical officer. He later dismissed the idea when we thought of possible unseen complications that may arise.

Baby’s sex
I went for a scan and the doctor started commenting on how ‘he’ was active, referring to my baby. I think it was unintentional because when I asked whether it was a boy, he got surprised. Nevertheless, I am okay with whichever sex and I have made all the necessary preparations. There is no feeling in the world that surpasses the anticipation to be a mother.

END: PG24/20-21