Infrequent musings of a meandering mind

Many of the aspects I've touched on below have been covered before, but since my posts can be rather long and require a certain degree of time and effort to read, I've decided to make an easy "how to" guide. So when faced with situations like the ones described below, you'll be better equipped to respond in a manner which hopefully won't make a hormone-loaded woman want to choke the life out of you or slap you silly.  Regarding sleep Wrong: Enjoy your sleep while you can, you'll be missing it when baby arrives Right: I hope you're sleeping well and getting enough rest Regarding body shape (and change) All in front Wrong: Are you sure it's not twins? Right: You're looking so good. That bump is gorgeous! All in the back Wrong: Is baby the reason for all that junk in your trunk? Right: You're looking so good. I hope that baby is growing well. All over Wrong: Wow, you're really spreading everywhere! Right: You're...

As is said by so many, the second trimester can be such a relief after getting over the first trimester hump. Although as things progress you might find more problems relating to your blossoming bump...  You're so big - are you sure it's just one in there? At times you can never be sure if remarks like this are well intended or just plain rude. While it might simply be an innocent enough comment, said to acknowledge the visible progress in your baby baking or to convey interest in your wellbeing and pregnancy, sometimes it might just feel like someone is either directly or indirectly telling you that you're getting fat. A woman's appearance is so often subjected to scrutiny, by others as well as (very often) harsh self-criticism, that highlighting what could easily be a sensitive issue is not welcome. In fact, when dealing with a pregnant woman the subject of appearance is even more controversial because she's probably already feeling like she resembles a whale (...

From the moment you find out you're pregnant, possibly even during the "we're thinking about having a baby" stage, the decision to bring new life into this world is fraught with a list of dos and don'ts that will make you feel like you're the child instead of the one having a child. If such a list actually physically existed, you might find that you spend a good portion of your pregnancy reading it – it's seemingly endless! From the comments made by family members to random strangers, the innumerable websites dedicated to the miraculous process and the endless articles and blog posts written by experts, laymen, idiots and people with specific agendas, you may find that just when you thought you couldn't be more overwhelmed, you will be! At least, this has been my experience... and the only way that I've managed to cope is by separating the nonsense and negativity from the information that is more likely or actually factual.  So you want to have a...

Although many women (and couples) tend to wait until the first trimester has ended before announcing news of their impending arrival, there are also those (like me) who choose to let others know a little bit sooner. To have joy, one should share it and even though the stats show that the first trimester is the riskiest in terms of pregnancy loss, the excitement and elation of finding out that you're expecting can be too overwhelming to keep to yourself. Or too overwhelming for even your family members to keep the news under wraps! But although letting others know might bring about renewed exuberance and happiness, it can also leave you with a slightly sickened feeling in the pit of your stomach – "what if something happens?". It's the risk you take... When you let other people know about your budding baby, it's natural for them to ask questions or pass comment (assuming that they are, in fact, interested in your condition ). Unfortunately sometimes these questio...

One late night/early morning experience of debilitating pain, one very stressed out husband, a cumulative four and a half hours of waiting for medical attention and feedback, three doctors, two nurses, three injected drugs, two blood tests and one trip for a X-ray cut short by the presence of two lines on a pregnancy test. It started during the night, a nausea-inducing, vision-blurring abdominal pain. I didn't bother to check what the time was, I got out of bed and let my dogs outside for their "midnight" ablutions and found myself needing to seek the refuge of the couch while waiting for them. Lying down seemed to help so I called them back in and went straight back to bed, not even bothering to reset the burglar alarm. As I tried to fall asleep, I wondered if I should wake Nik up and ask him to take me to casualty at Greenacres Hospital, but decided that if rest eased the pain I would simply go back to sleep and hope it had subsided by the time I wanted to go to gym. ...

Reading news of the utterances of South Africa's president often leaves me cringing. I generally become aware of his verbal spews via online news websites and social media, as opposed to actually watching news or parliamentary broadcasts because actually listening to him speak his usual drivel is often more painful (and a longer process) than reading about it after the fact. From responsibility ducking regarding Nkandla to blaming Jan van Riebeeck for many and more of South Africa's ills and suggesting that warm water from a shower head will help to protect one from contracting HIV, there is very little that this man says that I think is actually worth the breath used to express it.  So aside from dodging more Nkandla-related questioning yesterday, Zuma has, once again, pissed off a huge number of South Africans by stating that teenaged mothers should be removed from their babies and sent "far away" to complete their schooling. If you haven't heard about it, you...

The giant Pillsbury Dough Boy, referring to the Statue of Liberty as a "harbour chick", seeing Rick Moranis possessed by a demon and the simply classic Slimer... I'm know I'm not alone in having fond memories of the Ghostbusters movies. And now that there's a remake that seems to actually be happening, the internet is abuzz with opinion. I've been thinking about who would be good to cast in a remake of these classic 80s movies for a while. Maybe I've just been jaded by Hollywood enough to know that a remake was inevitable since the capacity for original thought seems to be greatly diminished. Either way, I can't say that I was expecting an all female cast. Why? Because a remake would imply that the story is being retold with new actors taking the reigns from the original quartet. That being said, when I saw the news my reaction was one of equal parts cynicism and curiosity. Cynicism because I find revamps, particularly those which involve "rei...