Motherhood- A lifetime experience!

Motherhood starts with a missed period and what used to be a slim body literally acquires gigantic proportions as weeks pass into months,each month adding to the weight and discomfort ! Ooh, the nausea that sweeps over the mother to be,is nothing compared to the nausea that every human being goes through one time or the other due to some illness.It comes in waves, each wave bringing forth a spurt of vomit (yuck!). Foods that were once one's favourite make one want to throw up at their very sight or their aroma. I remember developing an aversion to khichadi(my all time favourite) during my pregnancy which after several years down the line still continues to revolt me.The lucky ones recover from their morning sickness after three months and start hogging as if there was no tomorrow ! The not so lucky ones trudge along carrying their sickness full term like they carry the baby within.More discomfor follows as the body starts bloating with baby developing into a full human being-the nights pass with frequent visits to the loo and attempts to catch up on sleep which is a formidable task as the bloated body is not able to sleep in one position .Everytime one wants to turn sides one has to sit up(it is drilled into one's head by the gynaec every time during checkup)and then change side . Next start those movements within the stomach-baby darling is bored of floating quietly in the amniotic fluid , and wants to make its presence felt, so it starts to kick (never mind that poor mama is trying to sleep ! ) During one of my checkups, I was told that my baby was playing football inside my stomach !Simutaneously come the hunger pangs (even for those who are carrying their morning sickness full term) and do they come at all kinds of odd hours !Suddenly one develops a craving for eating ice cream, or cucumbers,apples,why even ash (surprised?but then the expectant mother is not normal human being during pregnancy)in the middle of the night.Trying telling her that ash is not something that is edible and she'll either burst into tears or throw a pan at you(or whatever is within her reach!).Mood also swings frequently ,what with hormones going crazy with all the changes taking place within the body. Having to cope with all that is happening within her, no wonder the expectant mother looks perpetually tired and is irritable ,One fine day( or it could very well be night) a sweeping pain envelops the body and the entire family rushes to the hospital only to be told by the doctor that it is a false alarm and that there is still time to go before the big day ! By now every member of the family is in a state of nerves every time the expectant mother experiences a bout of pain-they don't know whether it is a false alarm or the actual alarm bell ringing . Finally one day the young mother- to -be experiences other symptoms along with pain and this time the family bundles her into the waiting car (along with a suitcase full of things for both mum and baby) and rush her to the hospital and the look on the doc's face confirms their doubts-yes the Big Day has finally arrived. The expectant mother is rushed into the labour room and subsequently the delivery room and after what seems like eternity there is a loud wail of an infant and the nurse appears with the bundle of joy in her arms and worry and tension fade and smiles appear on the faces of all ,especially the proud father as he is congratulated ! In the delivery room the new mother comes back to consciousness after a couple of hours and all the discomfort of the past nine months is forgotten in a minute and relief and happiness envelope her as her new daughter is handed over to her . For the mother it is a moment of happiness, and love as she realizes that this bundle of joy has been worth all the discomfort that she underwent during the past few months.Indeed motherhood is a strange thing but a wonderful experience!