As a foetus, I was already quite resilient, resistant to trauma and challenges.
When my mother was four months pregnant with me, she had an accident. She wasn’t aware she was carrying me inside her because there were no symptoms and her period wasn’t that regular even before she got pregnant.
So, being the active woman that she is, Mama decided to race a Toyota while on her bike (yes, my mother the speed racer). When the car made a sudden turn, she had no choice but to crash onto the kerb to avoid major damage. Although she only had minor injuries, she still went to see the doctor to find out if she was okay.
To her surprise, the doctor informed her that she was, in fact, with child — me holding on for dear life inside her uterus. Fear set in her, thinking of the many things that I could have broken while inside (she didn’t know then that harelip is hereditary so that was one of the fears).
She took every single precaution and followed every single rule given by the doctor to compensate for the accident. When I came out perfectly fine, it was a huge relief.
It just goes to show how resilient the human body is. It pays not to give too much attention to movies and soapies where women suddenly miscarry because of a little nudge. There are sensitive pregnancies, but not everyone is like that.
Still, it pays to be careful. I realised last week while manically looking for scallops and mussels (because I wouldn’t eat anything else for dinner) that I should be careful with my steps. Gone are the days of speed walking and semi running because now I can damage, not just myself, but what’s inside me as well.
