Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful experiences, but it can also test your body and mind in ways you never imagined. You get to have cravings you don’t even understand (some people don’t even have cravings at all) and constant fatigue, every woman’s journey is different. As a first time mom, I had my fair share of ups and downs some days were manageable, while others had me questioning how I would survive another week. In this post, I’ll share honestly how I coped with pregnancy, what helped me get through tough moments, and the cravings that made my baby bump days unforgettable.
Coping with Pregnancy Stress and Antenatal Visits
One thing that kept me going was reminding myself that at the end of it all, I would finally hold my little one. That thought alone gave me strength. Still, antenatal care wasn’t easy, especially in the ninth month when I had to go every week.
The first trimester felt like I was constantly sick. I didn’t even feel pregnant, just weak whenever I did house chores or stood for too long. I rarely had headaches or back pain, but malaria made me extra weak. Thankfully, I had a nurse friend who guided me before I officially started antenatal around the fifth month. She prescribed the standard malaria medication for pregnant women and recommended Pregnacare supplements, which helped me feel better
Listening to My Body
Pregnancy taught me to pay close attention to my body. In the beginning, I couldn’t stand bathing with cold water. Even when the weather was hot, I still preferred hot baths. Funny enough, that changed later—I started bathing with cold water multiple times a day just to cool down.
To ease ligament pains, I alternated between sitting, standing, and lying down at home. At work, I took short walks to stretch, but the journey home after a long day always made the pain flare up. Many evenings, I was barely able to walk once I got in.
My Pregnancy Cravings
Ah, cravings! They came in strong. I suddenly became obsessed with salt. Normally, I cook with very little salt, but during pregnancy I couldn’t stop craving salty snacks. My guilty pleasure? Pringles—especially the spicy flavor.
Another big one was limes and sour oranges. Growing up, I always heard people say lime wasn’t good for the womb (I suspect they meant lime mixed with potash), but that didn’t stop me. I was drinking lime and orange juice like my life depended on it. Sometimes, I’d cut a lime, sprinkle it with salt, and suck on it before squeezing the juice into my mouth.
And then there was zobo. Not the sweet kind—just plain zobo leaves steeped in hot water like herbal tea. My mouth tasted so off during the first trimester, and sour drinks were the only thing that helped.
When my pregnancy started showing, though, buying fruits became a whole drama. Fruit sellers refused to sell me lime, pineapple, and oranges because of pregnancy myths. Ironically, before my bump started showing, I once ate an entire pineapple in one sitting! At that point, my husband had to step in as the official pineapple buyer.
Advice to Moms
Looking back, I realize pregnancy is a mix of struggles, surprises, and I didn’t like it one bit, I even wrote about it here. However what kept me sane was listening to my body, finding little ways to manage discomfort, and embracing cravings without guilt (well, most of the time). Every pregnancy is unique—what works for one mom may not work for another, and that’s perfectly fine.
If you’re pregnant and reading this, give yourself grace. Take the supplements, rest when you need to, enjoy your cravings in moderation, and block out unnecessary opinions especially from ancient of days that talk about what doesn’t concern them. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you and your baby are healthy. And trust me, once you hold your little one, every sacrifice feels worth it.
