Pregnancy hardships, its all worth it.

The birth of a child is always met with joy by all involved. We celebrate it and congratulate the mother, even start suggesting baby names based on personal algorithms and preferences. No one remembers most of what happened before. The swollen feet and ankles, the many episodes of throwing up, having to pee a lot, weird cravings and not being able to stand relatively OK heat. What the mother went through and the he risks she was predisposed to in order to have her bundle of joy.

I recently started my rotation in Obstetrics and Gynecology and it has been a whirlwind ride. Day after day i learn new disorders and diseases that affect pregnant and by extension may affect their unborn children. The pregnancy predisposes them to many ailments. And for those with other chronic ailments, it makes it difficult to control these ailments. A diabetic mother for instance suffers to control diabetes in pregnancy and the resultant hyperglycemia is easily transmitted to the child causing fetal hyperglycemia, eventually leading to a big baby, macrosomia if you like. Fetal hyperglycemia can complicate pregnancy in various ways ranging from congenital anomalies to intrauterine fetal death. The mother herself is predisposed to ketoacidosis and a host of infections which are more frequent and severe. A higher rate of cesarean sessions also comes with its attendant complications coupled with those from anesthesia. All this endangering of one life for the birth of another.
Then you add to it the pain of labour and wonder, is it all worth it?

Then immediately the baby is out and confirmed to be ok, the relief, the joy and immense gratitude to God starts pouring in. Its over. The baby cries as if to say its sad to leave its very comfortable environment of the womb. After which it most likely suckles at its mothers breasts. Looking at its mother, the joy in her eyes, the gentle sucking f her baby and just how beautiful it all is, makes you know-not think-KNOW, that its all worth it.