I had every intention on writing about a different
topic—more relationship geared, however I went through something recently that
I felt I should share.
Like most of my life’s experiences, I find that this one
could help someone else in the world. And so to it, I’ve decided to dedicate
this month’s article.
I was at Sesame Place this past weekend with my husband and
son. We were standing in the line for the Merry-Go-Round and instantly I
started to feel light-headed. I leaned up against the bar, hoping that the
feeling would go away but it didn’t. Instead, it got worse.
I told my husband that I didn’t feel well. I told him I felt
like I was going to pass out. He said he would go get me some water as soon as
the guy operating the ride came back to unlock the gate and let him out. At
that moment my vision became extremely blurry. I told my husband not to leave
me to get the water. I needed him there. Then the next thing I knew, I passed
out in my husband’s arms.
I was taken to the First Aid area of the amusement park. The
medics took my blood pressure and my pulse and gave me several cups of
Gatorade. Once I came to and was able to answer their questions, they explained
that because I am pregnant and hadn’t had much fluids that day, combined with
the fact that I was standing out in the hot sun, I was dehydrated, causing me
to pass out. They further explained that the bag of popcorn I had eaten when I
first got to the park didn’t help due to the salt intake. Basically, I was
dried out.
It was definitely a learning experience for me. I had never
passed out before, and even though I was told to drink plenty of water during
hot days, I never knew just how serious the lack of water could be. I know now. I’ve been drinking water
constantly since the incident even when I’m not thirsty. I was also told to
slow down. I’m working too hard. That too was something I never took too
seriously. I mean, I’ve been told I need to give my body a rest plenty of times
in the past but now, especially because I’m pregnant, I see that it is very
necessary to do just that.
So, as I continue through the summer, my duties will be to
drink more water and stay hydrated, ease up on working, get a full eight hours
of sleep each night, and take some time during the day to just rest. And I say
this to say, to all you working mothers and mothers-to-be, be careful. Just
because you don’t feel overworked, tired, or dried out doesn’t mean you aren’t.
It’s just a matter of time before your mind catches up to your body and shows
you just how overworked, tired, or dried out you really are.
Although my baby and I are fine, the idea of having passed
out is scary. I think of all the what ifs—what if my husband wasn’t there, what
if I was in the pool, what if I had fell to the ground and hit my head, etc.,
etc., etc. And I realize that all of the possible consequences could have
easily been avoided had I paid more attention to people’s advice to drink
plenty of fluids and rest up.
I am thankful that the outcome wasn’t worse, and that I
learned a valuable lesson without suffering loss. And I feel obligated to share
this experience with you in hopes that you or someone you know will take this
as a learning experience as well. Do what you have to do, ladies, to get all
the hydration and rest your body needs this summer, especially and most
importantly if you are expecting.
I know… if you’re anything like me, you may feel like you
can do it all, conquer the world without breaking a sweat and be just fine. But
at the end of the day, even Super Women are
susceptible to sickness and weakness. So take some of the time and energy
that you put into being a super woman into being a real woman.
Take care of yourself just as well as you take care of your
business. And only then can you enjoy your summer!
Miasha is the author
of Don’t Make Him Dinner, Make Him Rich! How to Be the Superwoman of Today,
coming soon. She is also author of fiction bestsellers Diary of a Mistress,
Mommy’s Angel, Sistah for Sale, and Never Enough all available in bookstores
and online nationwide. For more information or to hear Miasha address your
comments, go to her website www.miasha.com
and click on Miasha TV-Real Talk.