Trusting the compass

Recently, I experienced a four-hour flight aboard a beautiful and inspiring plane, ‘Mama Africa’. I encountered what they called turbulence and was obviously scared stiff. I did not understand that turbulence was simply a group of fierce clouds defending its territory. In that same flight, I encountered a complete contrast: A literally breathtaking view. For a long moment there, the cares of the earth below were temporarily replaced by the awe inspiring view from above. I was captivated by the vast beauty.

‘Welcome to Pregnant Voyage. This is Mama Airways. The seatbelt sign is on. Please get seated and fasten your belts in preparation for take off. We depart in five minutes. We shall be flying at about 6,696 hours. It shall be a nine month flight, with breaks every three months. Our Prenatal Crew shall take you through the instructions at every stage. They shall wait on you with a smile, literally at your beck and call. In case of emergency, our capable flying team shall steer you to an earlier landing as necessary. We cannot guarantee a gentle touchdown but we promise to keep you posted through out the flight; adequately prepare you for landing where our Delivery Crew will take over with a smile, and the Immigration Crew with open arms.’

Pilots are guided by a small tool whose importance cannot be over emphasised: The compass. They keep their focus on it and rely on it for direction. Each time we fly, we trust the pilots; therefore we too trust the compass. Mama, you must work towards trusting the compass throughout this flight. Since nine months is a long time, our ever creative Crew has organised some FUN activities along the way.

First Trimester (0 to 12 weeks)
We will experience a lot of turbulence, aka nausea. We are establishing a lot of groundwork for baby(s)’s development. Kindly allow Nurse Ruth to monitor the patterns, just in case. Any sight of heavy bleeding, please press the buzzer and Nurse Ruth will come to the rescue. Runway Formation will be our long awaited first stop. We learn new vocabulary; for instance, ‘kick’ has a different meaning. So does spotting and labour. Aboard Mama Airways, unwanted is not a vocabulary! Rather words like gift, blessing and bundle of joy are used, just to name a few. These are the ‘rules’ by which we live aboard Mama Airways: A reminder of who you are no matter what you feel or think as you board A reminder of who you are no matter what you feel or think as you board this flight.

• Mama is stronger than she thinks she is
• Mama knows more than she thinks she does
• Mama is braver than she imagines

A reminder of what mama must do:

• Mama must eat a balanced diet for baby(s) sake and hers
• Mama must exercise and have sufficient rest
• Mama must always think positively, no matter what

Second Trimester (13 to 25 weeks)
Onward, onward, so we take off again. The skies are more pleasant and stable this time round. This round will be a reprieve of sorts. Mamas are concerned about two things though; gums that bleed after brushing and weight gain and stretch marks all over the place. Nurse Willie reassures them that the bleeding gums are caused by the increased blood supply and the stretch marks.

Well, baby is growing.
‘This is the time to relax and look pretty, literally. The funky Nurse Willie, has a surprise-a beauty pageant! Mamas shall parade those growing tummies behind those lovely outfits. Mamas are loving the idea more each day. Runway Development is the best: There are as many awards as there are Mamas.

Third Trimester (26 to 40 weeks)
As we enter the last leg of this voyage, we prepare for Runway Maturity. Nurse Connie, Mama and doctor are now awaiting baby to  attain maturity and finally begin the delivery process. Throughout the third trimester, Mama and Prenatal Crew will keep vigil for any diseases and complications unique to Pregnancy Voyage.

Needless to say, you are oozing with love for baby and can hardly wait to deliver baby into the beautiful world of MamaLove – right mama? Prenatal Crew is preparing mama for landing. ‘Know what there is to know,’ insists Nurse Ruth with that constant reassuring smile.

Fourth Trimester and ready for Final Landing at Airport Delivery. Runway 9 months here we come
‘In the spirit of trusting the compass, you shall listen to and co-operate with Nurse Rita, chief of the Delivery Crew,’ adds Nurse Willie.

‘Try your best at least. You may not have set foot in the Delivery Room before Labour Day, but you shall put your best foot forward  – remembering Mama Value No.3’ sings Nurse Connie.

‘Mama’s braver than she imagines,’ the Mamas chorused, smiling. Evidently, the smiling syndrome is highly infectious aboard Mama Airways. Pregnant Voyage is certainly a memorable experience, especially for the cheery Mamas. The Prenatal Crew, nurses Ruth, Connie and Willie (RuCoWi) definitely made it better. ‘The seat belt sign is on. Get seated and fasten your seatbelt. We are now approaching Airport Delivery. In five minutes, we touch down at Delivery Runway.’ Nurse Rita and her Crew are smiling, dressed for the part and ready for action. Slightly beyond is the Immigration Crew, paperwork in hand as usual, certifying documents and issuing Visas aka Birth Certificates to new arrivals. On seeing them, they suddenly break into that rare smile and say, ‘Welcome to Life Voyage’.

END: PG 26 /26-27