Being a young mom, by choice

Why choose to start a family at a young age? Why get married at the age of 19? Why didn't we have cake? Why have a self-peeling banana as a computer mouse icon??

I'm sure these are just some of the questions my mom and dad asked themselves when my husband and I announced our engagement, I was only 19 when we got married, which you can read about in another post so I'm gonna spare you the long story....

We started trying to get pregnant right away, I wanted a baby so much and so did he. It wasn't so easy, it took us 11 months (plus 9 for pregnancy) and one miscarriage before we had our beautiful daughter in our arms. I was 20 years old when she was born, I know there are plenty of 16 year olds out there getting pregnant, but this was planned, this was our choice as a couple.

Honestly, looking back, I am happy it took us 11 months to get pregnant, the first year for us was rough, lots of arguments lots of tears, but also some great memories that we share. We got to travel around Egypt, which can be challenging with a baby. We really got to know each other. Many newly married couples here don't get that luxury, it's usually and engagement for a year and then a wedding, many announce their pregnancy just a month after the wedding, these people don't even really know each other.

So yea, I'm not complaining, even though trying and failing for 11 months was hard, the desire for a baby kept growing but it also became something so distant, like I would never be so blessed as to be able to experience the beauty (and horror) of pregnancy.

And it's funny, I always hated people telling me 'it will happen when you least think about it' or 'everything has its time', my sister would always tell me to not try so hard and don't think about it so much! Then, the month I least thought it would happen (during Ramadan, yes) it happened.

Pregnancy at age 19 was EASY! No vomiting, almost no nausea, I just got the 'glow'. And a very large belly! I was so happy, and my husband and I as a couple were so happy, it was like something had changed, like the stars all of a sudden aligned for us. No more arguments, no more tears (well at least for him, I was pregnant and hormonal), it felt like we became one again.

I had to have a c-section because my daughter didn't want to move. I was nervous. It happened at a private hospital, the nurse held my hand at all times, no one was allowed with me. After the surgery I stayed 5 hours, by that time I was up walking, had changed my clothes (with much help from my sister in law), then we went home. I stayed with my in laws for 15 days, which was nice, my mother in law took great care of me. I was happy I didn't have to stay at the hospital, it was much nicer at home, with my family.

Now at age 22 I'm at it again, adding baby number 2, call me crazy if you want, I'm happy, we as a family are happy and that's all that matters!