Scantastic
From the moment those two lines appeared on the test and confirmed that I was pregnant, my life became a blur of sickness, hormones, excitement, trepidation and countless trips to the hospital. Here I am nine months later excitedly waiting for what will no doubt be the most painful day of my life!
Pregnancy has certainly opened up new experiences. My stomach has been poked, prodded, examined, kissed and caressed by random strangers I bump into on the street; as I’ve got bigger, I’ve walked into doors, got stuck in gaps I thought would be big enough to squeeze through and been caught in many positions which look far more compromising than they actually are.
It’s been one long learning curve which is just about to get really interesting!
My first 12 week scan was certainly a moment to remember – there it was, this tiny little baby inside me with its very own heartbeat. Tears were shed from both me and my husband and suddenly it became very real. The baby looked more like a peanut with a large head than an actual baby, but it was our peanut and we loved it already.
Before we knew it, it was time for our 20 week scan. There I was lying down waiting for this state-of-the-art 3D super scan that I’d heard so much about. I’d finally be able to get a proper look at our baby and maybe even an idea of what he/she looked like. Our little nut would have grown significantly and I couldn’t wait to see it in all its glory…
Unfortunately however, all I got was a big blob of nothingness; I had absolutely no idea what I was looking at! I nodded, smiled, ‘ummed’ and ‘ahhed’ in all the right places but in reality, all I had going through my head was what a bad mother I was. I couldn’t even pick out my own baby’s head from its backside. I glanced sideways at my husband for a bit of reassurance that actually these scans aren’t all they’re cracked up to be but all I saw was a big grin and a look of pure wonder in his eyes.
Turning back to the scan, I squinted, frowned and tried to make o
ut something that resembled a baby but it was not to be. I felt like I was back at school with those magic eye 3D pictures that ‘apparently’ jumped out at you. I never managed to see one of those – this was obviously to be the same. Every scan since has been 5 minutes of pure confusion. Despite the doctor’s best efforts, I’ve given up trying to work them out and just lie there smiling at a screen of random shapes.
These shapes are about to present themselves in the form of a ‘real’ baby and the next phase of our life is just about to begin. As well as all the hopes and dreams we obviously have for our unborn baby, I’m also hoping that he/she doesn’t take after its mother with time keeping as I’d quite like to be well delivered and up and ready for the coming Chiang Mai Cricket Sixes!
[Ed. Citylife congratulate Rachel and Chas on the birth of Ella May]
Chicky Net
Are you a woman interested in meeting other women living in or planning extended stays in Chiang Mai? The recently re-launched chickynet.com features forums, groups, and event organisation to bring together expatriate women in Thai cities. Make use of the site’s popular social networking services to meet friends with similar interests, browse user-posted classifieds, or ask for advice on life in your city. Whether you are interested in movies, sports, or just a meet-and-greet, there is a chickynet community to make you feel at home in your city.