Originally published on 1/15/07: (I am deleting some old posts that lost pictures to make room for more content. When I get to a page that has been popular, I am reposting them.)
I am in no way minimizing the effects HG has on a woman's health, but I would go through it all again to have each of my children.
Years ago, I had a lady tell me she thinks I am plain crazy for putting myself through a pregnancy with the HG I have. She told me her second and third children would not have been born if she had been that sick during her first pregnancy. "I'd have had it (her womb) cut out and thrown away!"
I tried explaining to her that for me, a child to hold and love for a lifetime is worth this "little bit" of suffering.
I have many friends who are unable to have children. Some are women who haven't found a mate yet. Others are infertile. Most of them desperately want children of their own. Many of them tell me they'd willingly go through my worst pregnancy just to have a child. These childless friends, who have never even been pregnant, have been my greatest source of encouragement and inspiration during the very worst of the HG. The smallest encouragement from them can keep me going the entire pregnancy. They understand the blessing of a child.
Nothing I shared got through to this woman, so I gave up and we both went back to watching the t.v. in the waiting area. A story came on about a tragic fire in our area. A screaming, agonized mother was shown being held back by big firemen. Witnesses reported hearing this mother's children screaming in pain as they burned to death.
The lady beside me said "I'd have fought those men off and gotten to my children."
While I agreed with her, I looked at her and said "Even knowing you might die?"
She looked at me like I was crazy and said "Yes, those are my babies."
I pointed to my big belly, smiled and said "And this is MY baby. Running into a burning building risking permanent scars or death makes my HG look like a walk in the park, doesn't it?" She got it. Suddenly, I didn't look "so crazy" to her. :-)
