A Hot Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Pregnancy Diaries)

Of all the weird pregnancy symptoms I’ve had, heating up like an oven is definitely one of the most bizarre ones. I would be perfectly fine one moment, and then suddenly I get all hot and bothered and desperately need to stick my nose in front of a fan or duck under the shower.

There are certain times in the day when it’s worse than usual. After a meal, for example, my internal thermostat definitely cranks up, which means that I now have a standing fan placed right next to my dining chair. Even a little bit of activity could get me heated up. The most calm-paced walks in an evening breeze also end up with me cooling off under the shower.

My husband, poor him, bears the brunt of these hot flushes. For one, the AC in our room is now permanently set on minimum temperature. He has resigned himself to crouching under a humongous quilt, while I kick and thrash about. And yet there are times, after he’s turned off the lights, that I suspiciously enquire if he has increased the temperature, because of how hot I am still feeling! Thank God for the darkness, or his withering looks would surely wilt me!

But God bless his patience. He has begun to identify signs of my heat gushes. The moment he suspects that I’m about to start my fretting and panting, he turns on the nearest fan or air conditioner, positions me next to it and then pats himself on the back while I revel in pleasure.

Fashion and flair have gone out of the window as a result. The other day, we accompanied a couple of other Indian families to a resort for the weekend. As day turned to evening, ladies emerged from their rooms in hip dresses, styled out for the gathering. Me? Oh I had carried a dress all right, but I couldn’t care less. I was, instead, comfortably fitted in the baggiest T-shirt I could find, fanning myself energetically with the only thing I could get my hands on- a menu card!

So what’s causing this heat surge within me, I wonder? Am I really turning into an oven with a little bun baking inside me? A Google search tells me that the usual miscreant is to blame. Yes, it’s the hormones! Apparently fluctuating hormones result in heat flushes. Another reason I learnt, is the fact that blood levels in my body are up by about 50% at the moment. All that extra blood pumping through me is also what is heating me up.

Till when will this last? There’s no knowing. For some women, it’s just an early pregnancy symptom. For others, it could last right through till delivery and may be afterwards. Guess, there’s no escaping it. For now, I’m getting by, with strategically placed fans in all the usual places where I spend the day. In fact, I’m sitting inches away from one at this very moment! 

Phew! Who knew making a baby was going to be such hard, sweaty work!