I am expecting my 3rd child during a Global Pandemic.

Photo credit @peridotimagery

We are expecting our third child in the midst of a global pandemic... I am Nakia Paris, and we are expecting our third child in the midst of a global pandemic. About four months into my pregnancy I started hearing about the coronavirus.  At first I did not feel any sense of urgency or danger.  I continued my day the way I normally would.  Me or my husband would take our now 6 year old son to the bus, drop our 3 year old daughter to our aunt’s house, we would both go to work, pick the kids up, take care of our household, and get ready for the next day.  That was our daily routine.  Suddenly the coronavirus was being discussed more regularly in the United States and the dangers surrounding the virus were being televised and broadcasted everywhere.  I started realizing that although we didn’t have much information about the virus at that time, it was going to have an impact on our way of life.  It seemed like everything was happening so quickly. One day I was carrying out my daily routine, and the next day I was told to work from home indefinitely because someone in my office tested positive for the coronavirus.  I began thinking about the unknown and what could potentially happen.  I would tune into the news for hours to learn more about what was occurring.  The reports of how many people were losing their lives daily was devastating.   Our way of life shifted so suddenly.  As I was having a discussion with another expectant mom, she informed me that our husbands or any other family members may not be allowed in the delivery rooms when the babies are born.  That we would have to be dropped off to the hospital and picked up once it was time to go home.  I became fearful and worried because my pregnancy is high risk and with everything going on I became hesitant about visiting the doctor as often as I would like since there may be other people in the office that unknowingly have the virus. I quickly shifted my thoughts and began to focus on the promises of God.  No weapon formed against His people shall prosper.  I began to talk to God about what was going on in the world and I immediately felt a peace.  Man thinks he is in control, but ultimately God is in control.   People have different ways of dealing with what can be stressful events.  I find it therapeutic to cling on to my relationship with God and to exercise wisdom.  Some people complain about staying home, but there can be such a blessing in it.  It’s almost like God was forcing everyone to be still.  I am spending more time during the day with my family and not constantly distracted by the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  This is a time to focus on family, close friendships, and spirituality.  If these are the circumstances we are in anyway, we must seek out the blessings in the circumstances and not succumb to fear.  Tough times often involve a test of faith. My thoughts are often with the people that are on the front line, working in the food industry, healthcare facilities, and many other essential jobs, or people that have taken a severe financial hit during these times. I understand that their experiences with the current state of our world comes with way more feelings of uncertainty and trauma.  It is important that people who do have the ability to stay home and still manage their financial responsibilities have compassion for others that may be having a completely different experience.  The spectrum of experiences during this time is broad and I’m always mindful of that.  Exercising a heart of gratitude in the midst of the storm and focusing on God’s promises has helped me get through and focus on what’s important.

You can follow Nakia at @justice_is_served__ on Instagram.