Mon 26 Jan 2009
Awkward in Public
Posted by Erin under Daily Life
[8] Comments
Public settings where I have loudly thrown up or retched in the past few months, startling strangers:
1. Doctor’s office #1
2. Acupuncturist’s
3. Target
4. Church
5. Hospital waiting room
6. Doctor’s office #2
7. Chipotle parking lot
For all of these, I have actually made it to a bathroom stall to do the deed, for which I am grateful. Also grateful that none of these have happened yet at school. Pregnancy is full of lessons in humility, especially since I don’t look pregnant yet. To the Phoenix public, I’m just a random, high-volume retcher. I don’t know if a tendency to severe morning sickness is heritable, but my mom experienced such extreme nausea with me, for so many months, that she once apologized for her abundance of negative thoughts while I was in the womb.
The most embarrassing one was the acupuncturist, who specializes in high-risk pregnancy. I went to him once a week back in november and december, and there were always two or three other women there at the same time. After I came out of the bathroom he kindly patted my hand and told me not to worry– he had personally reassured all the other patients that nothing horrible was happening to me; it was just morning sickness. “They were encouraged,” he added. I guess the soothing music he plays in each room wasn’t sufficient to drown me out.
I hate to celebrate in the midst of your emesis, but this is the best news I’ve heard in a very long time. I’m going to hit ‘submit’, then do a happy dance (a quite rare occurrence for me).
Shut up! I’ve been on the edge of my seat. Wanting to ask, but not wanting to ask. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that you feel so miserable.
I can’t wait to hear more.
I can TOTALLY relate. It struck me as odd that the worst part of pregnancy for me was the beginning, with nausea and exhaustion (someone once described it as being so tired that you can barely make the bed, and then have to lie down on it right away) when nobody knew (“or cared!” thought I in my miserable pregnant mind), and then at the end when I was visibly pregnant, everyone was super-solicitous, but I actually felt much better than at the beginning.
My happiness to read a new blog post could hardly have been improved upon except for the good news it shared.
Stavs– Thanks for the congrats! I thought I had included you in an earlier email, but I guess the addresses were out of date?
Tara– one of my pregnancy books says quite bluntly, “Don’t expect much sympathy for your morning sickness.” I love what you can find out in books!
I know that I leapt for joy when I heard that you were expecting, I forgot that morning sickness came with it,but oh the joy that came when the baby arrived.
The phrase “random, high-volume retcher” gave me several random, high-volume chuckles, here in my office at work.
So great to see a new post! And one of such hilarity (I do sympathize).
Yessssss! Dottie’s back!
Ooooops. So you’re saying, loud retching wasn’t a comforting noise? HA!
I’m also attempting to suppress commentary on the beauty of the reverse advertising inherent in hurling in a restaurant’s parking lot. Har!