What to Expect when you are NOT Expecting…

You can expect to wander the baby book isles and take sneaky photos with your camera for your blog so you can write this post that has been stewing in your head for a while. Or not. That could just be me. You see I wandered into this whole TTC thing with no idea what to expect. I didn’t even know I was entering until is was ages later. There must be books out there. There are definitely blogs and forums. And this is my little guide. My thoughts on what to expect when you find yourself not expecting. 
Before we struggled to conceive after losing our baby we had no idea to expect to be made wait. The first time we got pregnant it was fast. Only a cycle or two passed and we were there. And then, we weren’t. 
So first, expect the unexpected. Both good and bad news. Expect life to happen. Ups and downs. Good days and day you wanna kick that cute dog next door {not that I ever would}. Know that really you have no idea or control or say in THIS matter. it is sooo out of your hands, to some degree. 
Expect to be sad and happy at the same time. Excited and devastated. Others announcing pregnancies and having babies will be just as exciting and as happy a time as it always was. And now, for me it always has a side order of, when will it be my turn. I WANT that. Give it to me now. Now, now, now. Which brings me to, expect to get impatient. With yourself, your body your partner, your doctor… whoever. 
Expect to find yourself in situations where people expect you to react a certain way. They will shoot you sideways glances, worried looks and sometimes, and these are the worst, pitying looks. I have found that mouthing ‘What? What’s the matter?’ while giving them a confused look helps. In fact it stops it in its tracks and is a little bit funny at the same time. Mean. But funny. 
Expect to watch your body and bodily fluids with frenzied fascination. Expect to get very familiar with yourself. Your cycles. You will feel every twinge and twitch. And sometimes, expect your body to lie or at very least trick you because you are trying too hard to play doctor. Mostly, I think, because you are looking to hard.
One of the hardest weeks for me in the whole process {other than the miscarriage, obviously} was when I had pregnancy symptoms. Big time. I couldn’t even touch my boobs. My sense of smell was mad. And then, I WAS LATE. I choked up with excitement. I pictured surprising Hubby with a positive test. And after four negative tests over two weeks, I finally accepted that I wasn’t pregnant. 
Expect to want to talk about it all the time and expect other people not to want too. I find even the best of my people just want to pep me up. Say things along the lines of you’ll be next, soon it will be your time… I love them for this but really, how many next times can there be. Expect to be optimistic but not at the same time. 
Expect to write long rambling posts if you have a blog or get a blog if you don’t.   

9 responses to “What to Expect when you are NOT Expecting…”

  1. Just wanted to let you know I'm here, I'm reading and I am so hoping this happens for you x

  2. Expect to slowly lose hope over time. I wish someone would have told me that 11 years ago. That as each year passes and each miscarriage happens, that hope WILL fade. It's normal, it's sad yes but honestly it's to be expected and it's PERFECTLY FINE for it to happen.Because honestly, if someone has the same amount of hope of having a child after 11 years ttc as they did when they first started – well I just don't think that's normal.I'm keeping everything crossed that this happens for you!xxx

  3. Right there with you hun, right there with you *hug*

  4. I know how you feel, I don't have anything to say that will make you feel better. I wish I did. Just letting you know that someone else hears you and is sending positive thoughts your way :)

  5. Yes, I want to talk about it too. You mean my body isn't the only chronic liar? And then let's take every ounce of romance out of child-bearing by throwing a bunch of hormones in your body to make you A. weigh more, and B. psycho, and then having to wait for four hours to pee in order to take an ovulation test. Who wants to think that much about elimination of body fluids? And if you forget, you have to wait ANOTHER 4 hours…and then you spend way too much on pregnancy tests because you are too impatient to wait until your start date to see if the procedure took… and I won't even go into the procedures and how violating they can be. Yes, I will NEVER casually say to a childless couple, "So, have you considered X procedure?" Because I cannot ignorantly do so without thinking of how much hardship goes along with it. Scheduled conception is not a walk in the park. But I am at 11 years childless, and I never lose hope. I think that we may shift perspectives, but no need to lose hope. I guess it has to do with some of the beliefs I have around parenthood. Ask if you want me to share sometime.

  6. Hang in there. That's all I can say. I've been there too. Hang in there.

  7. Gutsy Melissa, who else shares like you???When Aaron was dying I called my Mum to tell her and have her come to the hospital, she told me "cross your fingers, he'll be okay" so it's been ten years since I last crossed my fingers… I'm crossing them now for you.xxx

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  9. I know what you mean. I've never been so elated by constipation ever in my life. Begging my body to be nauseous can't be normal but here I am urging it on, promising even that if my head starts rotating and spewing filth forward a'la exorcist I will not complain so long as it means there's a little somebody in there causing it.It's hard to trust a body that can't deliver what it was simply designed by nature to do.It makes me think mine must have been constructed at IKEA cos I seem to be missing a vital part and my instructions are written in gibberish.Thanks for letting me know mine isn't the only one x

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