THE BOWL

I remember the day I visited my uncle's lovely Singaporean wife in the republic and found her, one fine morning, bending over the toilet bowl. Grandma was quick to explain that she was 2 months pregnant with her first child.
"Gee, I hope I wouldn't be like that when it's my turn, bending over a toilet bowl,"I said to myself. I was fifteen.
Now, 23 years later, I found myself staring at the toilet bowl every day for the past 3 weeks. Me and my big mouth.
Alhamdulillah, we had taken the initiative to renovate the toilets in the house before moving in. Therefore I spend minutes looking at the smooth still white and clean toilet bowls each day. I think I'd vomit more if I were to look down at the 'urghhhh' sight of the old seats.

Being pregnant has changed my lifestyle overnight.
Anything that is not URGENT can wait another day while I recuperate from another wave of nausea. Alhamdulillah husband has been very supportive and understanding.
And gosh, this is a very disciplined child I'm carrying. While awake, I've to eat something every 3 hours or else it's another rush to squat in front of the bowl. Small portions of food but frequent. I'm grateful that I'm still able to eat well, being told of horror stories about those who had survived only on fruits, those who couldn't enter the kitchen at all, and those who had to stay in hospitals due to excessive vomiting.
And yes, the stories they'd tell. Once people know that I'm pregnant, I was suddenly privy to family histories and how so-and-so survived their 9 months. It's amazing!

It's Allah's will that I'm pregnant at this time of the year, in a new home and new environment. I'm learning new things and seeing things from a new perspective. I've learnt to be more careful in my daily undertakings. I'm more talkative because I meet more people nowadays - at the shops, the clinics, the markets. I'm learning to handle stress better, insyaAllah. I find that simply listening to Quranic recitals helps to calm the soul and reduce the nausea. I'm also grateful for the little things people do for me that helps me to reduce unnecessary walking and lifting.

And I still hate staring at the toilet bowl. They call it morning sickness but for me, it's anytime of the day, worsening after asar prayer. My neighbours must be wondering where I go after I return home from school, for I'm seldom seen outdoor nowadays. Worse of all, I have to hurry through my prayers daily to avoid rushing for the bowl in the middle of solat. I pray that the situation will ease soon, when I reach the 2nd trimester.
And I dare not complain to my mother for she'd probably say," Now you know how much I suffered to have you!"
hahahaaaa...