First of all, congratulations girl! What an exciting chapter!
For me, it was October 2021. We found out we were expecting, I was excited, surprised, but most of all, filled with awe struck gratitude.
My husband and I have been married four years this year and last month we became a family of four! Having our twins makes my heart so full that I haven’t found the right words to fully express it.
And while this newborn stage is something we’re still buzzing through, I thought to take a few minutes to share some tips that helped me during my pregnancy journey in the hopes that it could help you.
#1 Siiiiiissssssss, drink, drank, stay drinking that water!
No, seriously, 2021 changed a lot of different things for me. With all that covid brought in 2020 and when it became Fiji’s reality in 2021, staying hydrated is probably one of the best things that we can do in this here year of the Lord.
And no, I’m not saying to drink only water and nothing else, but if h2o is not your regular choice of drink throughout the day, add it. Don’t overthink it, just start. One glass, one bottle, one refill of just water, don’t drink bu or Powerade (which are still good too) and say that’s basically the same thing, just drink water. Add those lemon slices or mint to get your flavour life but just drink water.
#2 Exercise and/or strrrreeeetch
I cannot stress this enough! Especially that stretching girrrrlll, it helps! Being pregnant for 9 months takes you and your body through a lot of physical changes (obviously haha) and making sure you can help minimise or prevent any unnecessary pain is something you should be thinking about at every trimester.
Matter of fact, it should be something you’re doing before/after getting pregnant just to be healthy too. But seriously, stretching does wonders, especially when it comes time for that labor and delivery, saints, your body is made for pregnancy and delivering entire human beings through and if you can workout and/or stretch to help your body do what it is purposed to do then go ahead and get it!
#3 Mentally prepare and stay grateful
A head and heart space of gratitude is crazy powerful. Unlike the movies and tv shows I watched, I didn’t have the Hollywood or common pregnancy experience with the morning sickness, the cravings or any of that. I genuinely enjoyed my first pregnancy journey and a lot of that had to do with where I was mentally and spiritually on a daily basis.
During my pregnancy, I loved researching and heading over to Dr. Google for every little thing but as any sound person can tell you, not everything you come across online is actually helpful. Most things might actually make you more anxious for the nine month journey and have you questioning what your actual doctors and medical professionals might be telling you based on your unique circumstances. So to counter this rapid response to new information. I would take 5-10 minutes a day to journal 10 things I was grateful for. Whether that journalling took place with pen and paper or just on my phone, it helped settle my mind & my heart long enough for me to reset and be present.
#4 Ask questions
Yo! I don’t know what it is but for some reason we don’t really appreciate the value of asking questions in our Fijian world. But I have to tell you, ask your questions queen! You’re embarking on a journey that many women have taken before you and many will take after you.
You are NOT alone.
Your concern is valid. Your circumstances do not negate anything. You are not expected to automatically know everything the minute you find out you’re pregnant. Doctors want to help you. Nurses care for your wellbeing and that of your future child/children. Midwives understand how you might be feeling. Your husband/partner/boyfriend is not psychic. Friends want to help you. Colleagues/employer can support you. The only person that will suffer from not asking is you sis, so go ahead and ask.
#5 Have fun and enjoy it
That’s probably a given but somewhere between the excitement of finding out I was pregnant and then actually giving birth, I found myself always anticipating what to do, how to prepare, what we needed to buy, how much all of this stuff is out here, what is essential and what isn’t and the reality is some of those things are actually important so give it some due diligence but sis, you got nine whole months (most of the time), enjoy the journey!
Whether it’s your first like ours or it’s your fifth, take a moment to realise that you are incubating new life, literally, God already knew your baby/babies before they were formed in your womb so take a moment girl, you’re going to be amazing!
Ultimately, every experience is different so take what’s useful and let go of what may not apply. Through it all, remember that you are protected and you are purposed.
The Maroroi Journal 
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