She reached for the saline spray on the nightstand for the third time that night. Drip, wait, sniff. Nothing.
The baby kicked, hard, right against her diaphragm. She wheezed-laughed, then coughed, then laughed again. In the mirror, her reflection looked back—round face, flushed cheeks, hair a wild nest. She didn’t recognize herself. But beneath her palm, the tight, warm curve of her belly felt like home. stuffiness during pregnancy
Tonight, she gave up on sleep. She shuffled to the bathroom, turned on the hot shower, and sat on the closed toilet lid, letting the steam unfurl around her like a slow dance. She closed her eyes and breathed—really breathed—for the first time in weeks. The steam loosened something in her chest, and she felt the baby turn, a slow roll beneath her ribs. She reached for the saline spray on the
Here’s a short draft based on the prompt "stuffiness during pregnancy": The Ninth-Month Cold That Wasn’t a Cold The baby kicked, hard, right against her diaphragm