Pregnant at 36,000 Feet

I was in Mexico City, just hours before heading to the airport to catch my flight to Tokyo. It was going to be a long trip, with an itinerary that didn’t make much sense—logistics failed me, as the saying goes… “the shoemaker’s son always goes barefoot.” I won’t go into the details that take away from the main point. What’s worth mentioning is that the plan was to stop in Tokyo for one night, then fly to Abu Dhabi for a few days of sightseeing, then on to Dubai for work, and finally wrap up the trip back in Tokyo.

While packing my suitcase—rushing, as always—I hit my foot against the wall so hard I fractured my pinky toe. And just like that, the trip began: with a foot brace on my right foot, a giant bag, and a positive pregnancy test.

I’m 36 years old. Ten years ago, getting pregnant wasn’t even on my radar—quite the opposite. I was full of energy, focused on my professional growth, and starting to feel the itch for independence, ready to rename myself self-godin.

Curiously, last October I decided to freeze my eggs. I needed to take the pressure of time off my back—my biological clock was messing with my sleep. It wasn’t an easy decision either; there’s still not enough awareness around the topic, and it’s not like we walk around thinking that women are born with 2 million eggs, by puberty, we’re down to about 300,000, and by 34?!? Do the math—of those “left,” only a few are actually viable. That’s when I realized I had to act.

If you’re thinking this pregnancy was a result of that procedure—surprise, it wasn’t! Some say it was my body, finally free from stress and cortisol. Others think maybe the procedure helped in some indirect way. I like to believe the universe sends you surprises when you need them most. I feel like this happened at the perfect time. A couple of my friends who became moms young tell me they wouldn’t have the patience now to start the whole process again. With age comes wisdom, yes, but also more responsibilities and routines—and work itself can be stressful enough. So now, where does one find the extra patience for a baby?

I’m incredibly excited about this next evolution: Ana Reloaded 4.0—on your mark, get set, go! What are we if not beings in constant evolution? I also don’t believe that motherhood is every woman’s destiny. I was genuinely happy traveling the world, doing what I love most, growing with and for my company. Now, I hope to keep doing the same—but with someone else by my side.

I once listened to a podcast where a woman spoke openly about her transition into motherhood and shared that, despite loving her daughter, she would’ve preferred not to become a mother. She said she received tons of criticism for saying it out loud and questioned why women are crucified for talking about this part of life as a possible mistake, when all humans make mistakes. It’s an interesting topic—not just controversial. In any case, I hope I don’t relate to her in the future.

Now, at 22 weeks pregnant, I’m feeling optimistic and hopeful that I’ll be able to find the balance to love and enjoy life in all its phases.

Here are a few photos from the trip. Part of the sacrifice was skipping the sushi, wine, and sake—trusting a pharmacy test and counting down the days until I could return to Mexico and visit the doctor to find out if all of this was a fantasy or reality.