Pagan pregnancy: First things first.

I've been thinking a lot recently about how being a Pagan is already affecting my decisions about my pregnancy.  I was going to put it all into one post and then I realised that such a post would be nine miles long and in fact the whole pregnancy could pass while I was writing it.  Added to this, my energies are somewhat diverted from my normal writing habits and the baby could be three years old before I finish the post.  So instead I have decided to break in up a little bit.  This may mean several longish posts but not the monster that was forming in my mind.

Being Pagan and Pregnant isn't all that different from the norm really.  To me its about making my decisions the way I have always made them but pregnancy presents some entirely new scenarios to think about.  For instance before we get onto parenting styles and feeding choices, which are some pretty big decisions in themselves, there are decisions about the birth.  But even before that I have decisions to make about the kind of pregnancy I want to have.  This may sound strange but the first and most basic decision I made was about what would my attitude to being pregnant and all its challenges actually be?

Let me explain.  The way I see it, everything you do is a choice.  You can choose to be positive or negative about something.  You can choose to be passive or to be active about something.  This also applies to pregnancy in my book.  The morning sickness (what a misnomer!); the aches and pains; the hormones; the constipation; and all the other delights can be seen negatively - I am suffering through this pregnancy - or positively - these are signs that baby is doing its stuff.  I will be honest here and say that while I aim for the latter, I have slid occasionally into the former.  You can also be passive about these challenges.

Let's take morning sickness as an example, I have been told I am lucky because I only got nausea and wasn't actually sick.  I took a deep breath and smiled, rather than launch into a rant about how feeling sick every time you move isn't lucky at all.  However, I also knew that my nausea days were minimal thanks to a little bit of active thought and preparation.  As soon as the nausea started in, I made sure I had a small bite to eat before getting up which really helped. Nothing rolls quite so well as an empty stomach.  Then thanks my interest in herbalism which came from my Paganism, I knew that peppermint and ginger help settle stomachs.  I bought some ginger biscuits for keeping at home and some peppermints for when I was out and about.  I'm not saying my nausea was magically cured but as soon as that feeling came I nibbled away.  I listened to my body and gave it a helping hand.  The result being minimal nausea and a lot happier me!

What I'm saying is, being Pagan in my attitude to being pregnant is about choosing my attitude and being in tune with my changing body.  If my body needs rest, I try and rest.  If my body is asking for potatoes by the bucket load, I give it potatoes... and eat plenty of fruit to counteract the results.  I choose to walk my path through life and this particular part of the journey is just the same.  I choose to remain positive and to be active in working with my body and its needs rather than fighting against it.  I choose to have a happy Pagan pregnancy.