Pregnancy and work.

It was the end of January 2007 when I found out I was pregnant with Bubby. I had just been accepted into the Broadcast Journalism major and the new semester was beginning. The first few weeks of classes went well; I had a new zest for school, having finally begun my major. I was excited to go full-force into it, knowing graduation was only a few semesters away.

Then came the positive pee-stick:



Followed closely by ruthless vomit-fests.


Bubby was planned. The nausea that was so bad I could only attend class 30% of the time: not planned.

I knew it was coming. Every first-time mom who gets the positive reading on a pregnancy test knows it's inevitable, but we all hope it will somehow pass us by. You hear of varying degrees of nausea -- some say they only felt mildly car-sick for two months, others lament vomiting several times a day until they deliver. And then, there are the rare ones who say, "I never felt sick. I felt GREAT!"

And it takes every ounce of strength you can muster not to go ape on them.

I was one of those "middle-of-the-road" pregnant women with textbook nausea (I refuse to call it "morning sickness", since rarely is it ever limited solely to mornings). I threw up at least once a day, didn't do my hair or make-up for six weeks, and ate only saltines and Goldfish crackers. I got to know my bed and toilet very well. I'm sure my classmates wondered it I was homeless.

You know, there really isn't a problem with this bed- and toilet-ridden lifestyle if you're not working or going to school. Yeah, it still sucks, but it's do-able. You whine and cry about it for 6-10 weeks and then you forget all about it. But, let's face it; most pregnant women can't just lay around all day and mope. You're either in school, working, or taking care of a family. Life goes on, despite the fact you have a geyser of bile about to spew from your face at any moment.

At least at BYU, most professors have already dealt with their share of pregnancy woes and can offer some sympathy. There is no shortage of pregnant women in Mormon society. So when I had to run out of the classroom on occasion, swiping up the trash can on my way out, it wasn't a cause for alarm. Sleeping through class? No biggie.


I squeaked by with a C average that semester; once the sickies subsided, I was able to kick it into high gear and bring my sinking grades back to sea level (or maybe, "C" level, get it?). Despite the fact I only went to class once or twice a week on average, I managed to do as well as any other college slacker.

Time went on and my belly became gigantic. But I continued on into Spring/Summer semester. I carried my camera and tripod up and down "The Hill" (all you former Zoobies know what I'm referring to, that impossible mountain located at the south end of campus) each day, sometimes several times. I waddled proudly. I sang in the choir (even though I had to sit during the concert), finished my core classes and reported for the Daily News twice a week. I survived, and with an A average to boot.

Looking back, I have no idea how.

Now that I'm working, I can't imagine doing this while pregnant. Everyday life is hard enough without adding the rigors of the workplace to the mix. And your boss in the professional, non-BYU world isn't going to care if your lunch is about to become a Jackson Pollock on the floor. You're expected to work just as hard as any non-pregnant person in the office. And it's only fair.

So, how do you do it? Those of you who have lived to tell the tale, how'd you cope?