'I pee in the undergrowth. I enjoy being an animal': Amy Liptrot on her wild, pregnant summer

The writer recalls the lonely early days of her pregnancy, where the natural world became the place she could let it all outWhat I most remember of the summer of my pregnancy is lying in bed watching the swallows. I was nauseous, suffering weeks of morning sickness, with lethargic afternoons napping while the summer happened outside. But there were swallows nesting in the eaves above my bedroom window, and I watched them circle the treetops, then approach the house at high speed, at the last moment slowing and shooting into the tiny opening. They were making their nest and laying their eggs. We were both gestating.Smells began to be unpleasant. I was aware of car fumes and ripe bins. Coffee tasted dirty, bananas made me gag. The supermarket was an onslaught of detergent and plastic and artificial fragrances. The only smell I found pleasant was that of the woods after rain: the fresh, earthy petrichor scent of rain on dry soil and grass. Continue reading...