Pregnancy changed my body in ways I never imagined – in some good and some not-so-good ways. One of the most difficult things for me to deal with were stretchies.
The first time I spotted them, they were two little lines, almost an inch long. I found them ugly but I was equally amused that they weren’t pink or brown like I had imagined, but shiny and light colored, almost silver. I tried to make peace with it and it definitely wasn’t easy. It makes me feel silly now but the struggle was real and tears were shed. I applied cocoa butter, coconut oil and drank lots of water but they continued to spread with an expanding belly.
One day, I thought about what I’m really getting in return. And that’s all it took. As always, writing helped me deal with it.
Silver streaks
bitter sweet
We sketch together
on my skin
Lines branch out
As your life unfolds
When you grow,
I do too
Little streaks
For your ears
Sparkling eyes
A million lashes
A new line for
Each bubble toe
A beating heart
And curvy spine.
Every mark
Is our secret
Of how we stretched
Of how we grew
*The picture was taken a few months ago and now we have a baby girl.
Jalaja Ramanunni 