Being pregnant and expecting your bundle of joy is so exciting, but doing it alone can suck the fun out of it. It could be your choice to go at it alone or it could be your partner who decided that he couldn’t be there for you, or is unable to. Whichever the reason, doing it all alone for 9 whole months can seem very difficult, but it doesn’t have to be.
Here is a
cheat sheet on how to go at it alone while still enjoying your pregnancy journey.
Build a support system
Just because your partner or the father to your child is out of the picture, doesn’t mean that everyone else is. There are people who care for you and love you. Be it
family, friends or even that next door neighbor. They can prove to be all the support that you need to get through the 9 months. Emotional
support is important during pregnancy, especially for first time moms who have no experience whatsoever. It takes a village and when I was expectant, I had my whole village with me. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have enjoyed my pregnancy to the fullest.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
At times life and pregnancy most especially can be overwhelming. Now that you have built your tribe, don’t be afraid to ask them for help. Sometimes we women love to be strong and think that there is nothing we cannot do. That mindset is not bad but it can hurt us sometimes. It is okay to be fragile sometimes. Be a
flower and let someone take care of you. I remember my mother used to treat me like I was so fragile because I was expectant. She would call me an egg because in comparison, I was as fragile as it. Don’t do it alone, that is why your tribe is there.
Join a support group
These days, we have apps that help you track the growth of your baby. These same apps provide a space for pregnant women to join groups where they can all support each other through anything and everything. If you have a question, you are able to ask in the group and other women share some advice or their experience if they have been through the same. Baby Centre made my journey easier. I used the app to track my baby’s growth, know what to expect and it gave me a platform where I could get support from other women and provide support as well. The best part about this app is that even to date, it helps me monitor my 10-month old’s milestones, growth and gives me information on how to sleep train her as well as so much more. It is a life saver.
Get someone to take you to your appointments
Imagine going for your routine checkups and appointments by yourself. It can bring about lonely
feelings. Not having someone to share the good news from the appointment or even showing them those tiny ultrasound pics that no one but the doctor can interpret can be a little bit sad. From what I can remember, that joy one gets from seeing your baby’s form on the monitor is a joy worth to share with someone. So, tag someone along. Share the joy with someone, you never know how much it might actually come to mean to them.
Avoid stress
Stress can be a bad thing for you and your unborn baby. It could lead to a lot of complications and the only way to prevent that is to avoid anything or anyone that stresses you. Be as happy as you can and make sure that you do things that you enjoy doing a little bit more.
9 months is quite a long time, to be pregnant and alone. It can actually seem longer. Remember that you are never alone in this world. Even a stranger might just turn out to be the person you never knew you needed. Just take it easy and be careful because you and your unborn baby are important.
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