After my doom and gloom entry last week I’m not sure I’m the most qualified person to write on this subject but I do love a challenge! I think the most positive thing I can say about being pregnant and having a baby (or two, or three…) is that you will be surprised at how resilient you become. You just learn to cope with situations that previously seemed difficult or insurmountable. Everything becomes a challenge and you work out a strategy and deal with whatever arises. Usually this process occurs subconsciously and it is only when you look back that you realise how far you’ve come.
I’ll illustrate what I’m trying to say with an example. I’m going back to work soon and the girls will be going to nursery a couple of days a week. They will be attending the nursery where I work, which is twelve miles from our house. There are many reasons for this, which aren’t relevant to this journal entry so I won’t explore them here. The journey to work on public transport involves a bus ride and two tube journeys. Originally, I wanted to take R and G to work using this method but have since seen sense and realise that this is virtually impossible. The most sensible thing would be to drive.
Now, I passed my driving test (second time, as all the best people do!) when I was 17, didn’t drive until 2002, had some refresher lessons, drove occasionally until 2003 and haven’t driven since. In the intervening period, I developed something of a fear of driving. We live in London and the thought of dealing with the traffic terrified me. Until last June we hadn’t owned a car and when we bought one I justified not driving it by being pregnant.
Anyway, cut to a month ago and you’ll find me, dh and the girls in our car in the car park in Greenwich park, me sitting at the wheel for the first time in five years. Apart from a little trouble releasing the handbrake (caused by dh wrenching it up far too high) and a little general nervousness, I managed to drive around for a bit without wiping anyone out or crashing the car. I even managed to ignore the two little hecklers in the back seat. Since, I have driven around the local area (on actual roads with white van men and everything) and a couple of weeks ago actually drove to work. Ok, so I did it during the middle of the day, when the roads are much quieter but I did it! Now I just have to drive there AND back during a busier period and I’ll have cracked it.
Dh has expressed his surprise at the ease with which I have got back into driving again. My answer to him (and my answer to any question of my ability) was: ‘I was pregnant with and gave birth to twins. If I can do that, I can do anything’.
It’s true. You’ll amaze yourself with what you achieve when you have a baby and you really can cope with anything now.
Is that positive enough?!