Tapes

Hana popped in her headphones as she started getting ready to fix dinner. She figured it was as good a time as any to get started listening to the tapes her therapist had given her to help deal with her “maternal issues”, as it was delicately put in conversation.

When Hana and her husband Jack had gotten married, they’d both sort of laughed at the idea of children. Now, though, a few years into their union, Jack was getting antsy, starting to try and convince her that it was a good idea. It had gotten so bad that they’d starting seeing a counselor, who in turn had recommended this tape for Hana to listen to.

It wasn’t that she was entirely against children, she thought. It was just now didn’t seem like a particularly good time. Nevertheless, she’d agreed to at least give a listen.

The beginning was a soft medley of electronic hums, very pleasant, and before she knew it Hana had completely forgotten she was listening to anything at all.

Motherhood is a gift.

Hana had nothing against being a housewife. She honestly and truly enjoyed staying at home while Jack provided for the two of them. Sure, she occasionally wished her life had a little more going on during the day, but she kept busy, going out with the other housewives in the neighborhood, doing a little freelance secretarial work on the side for friends-of-friends when they needed a little extra spending money…

Being pregnant is fulfilling.

It wasn’t that she didn’t respect Jack’s desire to have children. She knew that listening to your partner was important, and that people change. But pregnancy and childrearing seemed so… old-fashioned. And Hana prided herself on her modernity. She kept up-to-date with all sorts of technology, and only once in a little while found herself scrolling slowly through a mommy blog and sighing…

A child doesn’t have to slow you down.

It wasn’t like being pregnant was all that much of a hinderance in modern society; after all, breastfeeding and pumping in public were pretty well tolerated these days, and there wasn’t any stigma around having a nanny or putting your child in daycare. If she and Jack had a kid, she wouldn’t lose her independence, per se…

It makes you feel sexy to think about yourself pregnant.

Although Hana hated to admit it, she sort of liked the look of pregnant women when she saw them on the street. She wasn’t a lesbian or anything, but that full-term look – the wide-hipped waddle, the taut belly, the obviously-full breasts, all crammed into clothes just a little too small? Well, no wonder Jack had gotten the impression she’d changed her mind about having kids. She ogled mothers-to-be at the mall often enough.

Having a child with her husband is one of the most intimate actions a wife can undertake.

And why shouldn’t they have kids? They were committed to each other, that was obvious, and deeply in love still, even three years after their wedding day. Having a child would simply be an extension of their passionate life together.

As Hana continued to prep dinner, the tone of the music shifted as the track changed.

You and your husband have been trying for a child for months.

Hana had been so excited when she’d gone off the pill. Finally, after three years of marriage, she was going to get pregnant, and they were going to have a child. Their lovemaking since then had been passionate and constant, the two of them feeling as horny and sexy as they had when they’d first met in college.

Last week, your test came back positive.

Hana brushed her hand against her soft middle again, still delighted that at long last, it had happened – she was pregnant. Not showing at all yet, of course, but she knew, and that made her feel indescribably joyous. Soon, she’d be expanding just like all the other mothers in the neighborhood…

Just three months along and your twins are already showing, nice and big.

The prep work done, Hana stepped out of the kitchen to sit down on the couch and take a quick breather. She patted her belly gently. It stuck out like a puffy dome, her tummy swollen as if she’s just inhaled a six-course meal. Her twins were in there, she knew, growing up big and strong for mommy and daddy.

Four months in and triplets take a lot of energy.

Her belly was really beginning to grow now; Hana had outpaced her normal clothes and was deep into her maternity wardrobe already. It wasn’t just her middle, though, that was throwing its weight around – her constant binging on snacks meant that her hips were quite a bit juicier than before, and her breasts had gone from modest B-cups to nice and full Ds. No milk yet, but they were tender and sore nonetheless.

Gushing milk at five months just turned you on even more.

Hana squeezed her full breast experimentally, testing if she needed to pump again before Jack came home. Her F-cups were nearly always leaking a little, but she had to milk herself every few hours to keep her pads from getting completely overwhelmed. When Jack was around he was happy to try and keep her drained all by himself, but her production was so much that even he was getting a little overwhelmed.

And your sex drive obviously took no prisoners.

Hana’s pregnancy was everything she’d ever dreamed about – huge, happy, and horny. Her six-month belly was a big as some other women’s full-term, and she still had plenty of room to grow. Jack loved it too, luckily. They were having more sex now than they did when they were trying to knock her up; constant, surprisingly athletic sex, with ingeniously-modified positions to try and really showcase her huge belly and bloated breasts.

Yes, seven months with triplets is a magical time for a woman.

She got back to her feet with some strain, for while she loved her huge body, it wasn’t the most mobile. But how could she have ever believed that she didn’t want this? Pregnancy was amazing, and Hana could barely even imagine what it’d be like once her three little miracles were born. They’d opted not to ask the sex of the children, but Hana secretly hoped for three girls she could raise and pamper. Boys would be nice too, she supposed, but she was really hoping for girls.

And you can’t wait to get pregnant again.

The tape stopped there, and switched over to one of Hana’s other ripped albums. She blinked and shook her head. What was she doing? She needed to get dinner in the oven if it was going to be done before Jack got home.

She waddled back into the kitchen and opened the oven, sticking the dough she’d made earlier into its pre-heated depths. Hana chuckled as she made the bun-in-the-oven pun in her head. Well, once these little ones were out of her, she’d have to see about getting Jack to stick another batch in her oven, wouldn’t she?