She described herself as a “first time new age Internet savvy Mommy-To-Be”, who relied on apps to help her navigate her way through her pregnancy. Her first trimester was a breeze, with no morning sickness or mood swings. She wrote:

The pros were endless and hardly any cons. For an insomniac I would sleep like a baby and what a feeling it was. My skin had a spectacular new shine no facial ever gave me, hair fall? What hair fall ?? And the boobies!! Take it from someone who not blessed in that department: “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner.”

She also wrote about how that affected her sex life:

The husband has never been happier, and sex drive was in top gear. Never felt sexier about myself than now and Life in the sack was one helluva ride! (pun intended) I was like, hell yeah this is going to be easy, I’m so going to nail it!

The honeymoon period, so to speak, continued in her second trimester. This was also the time she took a vacation with her husband and won Instagram. 

She ignored the constant, and largely unnecessary, barrage of advice pregnant women get from everyone:

I had no qualms about doing what I wanted nor did I try to resist my cravings based on the so much advice given to pregnant women. I went swimming in the ocean in my brand new slightly larger sized bikinis, took ample of preggo vacation pictures, I also went on island snorkeling day trips (was the only pregnant lady on the boat and loved the attention). As long as my body and my doc let me do it I didn’t deprive myself of anything. Being active was my motto.

Friends and family would tell me to slow down and calm down, I know they speak out of concern, but believe me the secret to this is just to listen to your body. If your body says hey I need to chill now, relax, and take a nap. If it’s up and about, go for a walk or swim or do some yoga, as your heart pleases, after all, you are just pregnant not physically challenged.

However, her third trimester came with a few changes. She wrote:

Cravings: Still chocolates, but also anything sweet. I mean anything with a hint of sugar would do.

But now things have changed and of course, they would, what was I expecting. Well hellooooooh, there’s a lil human I’m growing inside of me and its getting bigger!! My Victoria’s Secret and M&S size 6’s turned to size 12’s, Brazilian bikini style transformed into midis for full coverage. As much as I hated it, MTB needed more room down there, and nothing felt comfier than good ole granny undies!

My perky full twins started to get way heavier than I would like and were heading south. Despite all the cocoa butter and bio-oils, the first signs of silvery white streaks began to appear. Life in the sack and the incredible sex drive was now in reverse gear. A good nights sleep was impossible as lying on my back would trigger an acid reflux and only about 35 pillows propped up under me would make me comfortable but then the frequent bathroom visits would keep me up.

The doc warned me as this trimester is considered the sudden growth spurt one. Everything grew, literally: appetite, weight, breasts, belly, hands n feet you name it, and it grew.

She also dealt with the insecurity that comes with becoming a mother and being responsible for another human being:

Aches and pains, carpal tunnel all happened, my lovely pregnancy glow was dimming and sometimes depression would sink in.

Am I ever going to be myself again? Will my body never bounce back? Is my life going to change so drastically? Would I have to make new friends and my social life will end? Will I ever be able to wear a bikini and go to the beach??

However, she chose to look at the bright side of things (a new baby!), and discussed her birth plan:

I’m powering through my last few days with whatever little strength I’ve got left. Excited about the change, I’ve worked on turning my negatives into positives. Before I knew it, my engines were roaring again like Khalessi’s dragons perched on her lovely shoulders (yes, I watched a lot of GoT during this time.) I may not be the Mother of Dragons, but I’m surely going to give birth like a rock star. I’ve decided to have a Home Water Birth without any epidurals or drugs.

I’ve always envisioned myself having a birth plan that’s holistic. The gracious transfer of my baby from his tender womb-home to warm water in the birthing pool seems right, I think. Slowly introducing my child to learn to take his first breath, the skin to skin connection with his life-giver; opening his eyes to see all the people who can’t wait to welcome him. I want to bring this child into the world as organically as I can. I want him to be surrounded by love and blessings.

Towards the end, she addressed her baby, and made the sweetest promise:

Know this: I already love you so much! You make me complete.

All the best, Shveta. You’re a rockstar!

H/T: Pyjama People