We at KBIA have found strength in our community during the COVID-19 crisis. In our series “Where You’re At,” we’re calling our neighbors to see how they’re coping during the pandemic.
If you want to share your story, email KBIA at news@kbia.org.
Here’s my call with speech language pathologist and first time mother-to-be Megan Pelikan in Columbia:
How are you doing?
I am doing in a really great actually, which is totally at this time unusual to hear. And I kind of struggle with that question because it has been asked of me by coworkers and by families that I work with, who I know aren't in great situations. And it's difficult for me to to say "I'm doing well" because I think my situation gets me there. I have an awesome partner who is getting paid. I am still getting paid. My situation is good. Honestly, I don't I don't have any complaints.
When's your due date again?
July 2. You know, it almost works out a little bit for my situation because I'm coming up on my third trimester and I'm not feeling the greatest all the time. I'm tired. So it's nice having access to, to be able to lay down or use the restroom whenever I want. Because for my work it's traveling constantly and sometimes it's hard to find a restroom sometimes when you're moving from place to place every hour of the day.
Is there something that you really miss being stuck at home throughout this pandemic or some one person?
I miss all my people. I miss my friends in Colombia and my nieces who are four and five. And I miss squeezing them. It's tough because you know you're pregnant and you want to share your experience and really your body. You want to show off your belly. And so that kind of stinks that I'm not able to really flaunt my giant whale body...(laughter)
It is kind of part of the ritual of being pregnant. It's like, "this is me, look at look at what's happening."
Right. It's a visual thing, too. And my mom and I had planned to paint the baby room together and unfortunately, I don't think that's going to be able to happen. So things like that are a bummer.
What do you think life is going to look like for you and your home, when we're on the other side of this virus pandemic?
I think there will be a heightened sense of what I'm thankful for. And that'll be something that drives me in my parenthood, when my kid is old enough to understand what was happening at the time that I was pregnant. I'm already kind of thinking ahead to the future, like what kind of conversations am I going to have with them about this time. And that she's a good opportunity for a lesson. Don't take things for granted that are good in your life, and to be thankful for the very, very small things.
