Morning Sickness: Not Just For Mornings!!

That was definitely the color of my smoothie.

Call it a misnomer, but morning sickness is not just for mornings. It's also for afternoons, evening, middle of the nights...

I have been lucky so far in that I've only had mild nausea, but over the weekend, after I returned from a long business trip, I could barely drag myself out of bed Saturday morning. When I did drag myself out of bed to run an errand, I sat in the car feeling completely sick. I got a smoothie on the way home thinking it would be good if I could suck down a little fruit, but before I was halfway done, I found myself running to the bathroom (my husband ran in completely the opposite direciton).

Backwards smoothie does not taste good.

Since then, I've been in the confounding position of being starving all the time but also nauseous to the point where very little sounds appealing.

Do I dare cook dinner tonight? Stay tuned...

What are some tips you've heard for fighting off morning sickness and nausea? What sorts of foods did you eat that actually stayed down?

Measurements: Week 4

Weight: 122.2 lbs

Chest: 32"

Waist: 27.5"

Hips: 37"

Nausea has kept almost all food away from my mouth all weekend! Dread.

There's a What in My Where?

I think, for the most part, when a woman finds out she's pregnant--regardless of whether she's thrilled, shocked, scared, or unhappy--it's difficult to really comprehend that there is a baby growing in her belly. For me, I don't look any different and I don't feel much different either. Even though the pregnancy is at the forefront of my mind, it's still easy to forget what's happening. to me. Still, the other day I was standing in the bathroom getting ready for bed. I put my hand on my stomach and felt, for a brief second, a genuine connection to the orange pip in my uterus that will grow into a mighty oak who will support me in my dotage. Now I would like to recite a poem about how a woman's womb is like a watering can nourishing God's precious flowers...just let me get my kazoo.

Telling Him

Behind the bathroom door...

There was an article in this month’s Fit Pregnancy about how certain moms-to-be told their spouses/partners/baby daddies and I was surprised that these M2B even had stories to share. I understand if the F2B is out of town, but if he’s just at work or playing golf or at the DMV—why aren’t you taking the test together? An informal poll on BabyCenter.com says 33% of M2Bs took the test without their partner present. There can’t be that many men out of town!

I think it sets a bad precedent to take the test alone and then “announce” it to the F2B later: this baby is my responsibility before it is yours. Yes, I get it: the woman carries the child while the man stares at her nonplussed for nine months, but I believe parenting is an equally shared venture. I’m not going to be the only one who gets up in the middle of the night (this will, no doubt, be a great blow to my husband). I’m not going to be the only one who changes a diaper (my father-in-law changed a total of 1 diaper between two kids). I’m not going to be the only one to wring my hands if there’s bleeding. I’m not going to be the only one at the doctor’s appointments (dads like to swoop in for the sonograms, but he can be there for the pelvic exams too). No relationship is ever completely equitable and parenting is no exception, but the only way I see this family working is if my husband is as involved in this child’s prenatal life as I am.

So how did I “tell” Snowman? I told him I was going to the store for a pregnancy test. I showed him the test when I got home and said, “I’m taking this now.” We both stared at the bathroom counter as the blue line appeared.

He said: Is that positive? The line is very faint.

I said: My period is a week late. That never happens. I think we're having a baby.

He said: Are you sure?

I said: I can take the other test in a few days to reconfirm.

We stared at each other for a minute.

I said: Umm...let’s go walk the dog.

So, what's your story? Did you "announce" your positive test results to your partner or did you do it together?

Eat This: Whole Wheat Naan with Eggplant Hummus

One of my favorite quick lunches even before I was pregnant, this only takes two minutes to make, is super tasty and pretty satisfying. Not to mention, the naan is full of fiber, the tomatoes are full of lycopene (whatever the hell that is) and the hummus is high in iron, folate--we all need our folate!--protein and fiber.

Directions:
Toast one piece of whole wheat naan (I really like Trader Joe's naan because it is very chewy). Spread liberally with favorite hummus (going with Trader Joe's again). Add sliced tomato. Now here's the most important part of the whole meal: salt and pepper your tomatoes! I repeat: salt and pepper your tomatoes! Throw on some fresh cilantro (or whatever herb you prefer) and maybe a little sprinkle of parmesan.

Enjoy!

Measurements: Week 3

Weight: 122.4 lbs

Chest: 31.5"

Waist: 28"

Hips: 36.5"

Well they don't look half an inch bigger!

All Aboard the Hormone Express! Next Stop: Crying at Work

Everyone has heard about how the surging hormones of a pregnant woman cause her moods to swing faster than a married couple at a key party. Happy one minute, crying on the kitchen floor the next; cuddling with the hubby on the couch, then suddenly wondering what it would feel like to smash his head in with a hammer.

While I do expect to have my ups and downs, I’m not really an emotional person. In fact, I pride myself on being able to rationally assess almost any situation. I might shed a tear or two over some particularly poignant movie moment or an especially sad story in the paper, but I don’t expect to find myself sobbing in the grocery store because they’re all out of Simply Orange (please, it is the only orange juice).

And yet…

The first time I had an inkling that I might be pregnant I was playing with our beloved dog, Astro. I looked at that handsome puppy face of his and said, “How are you cuter than normal?” Then I turned to Snowman and said, “He is cuter than normal, isn’t he? How is that possible? He is like 33% cuter than yesterday.”

Was this my maternal instinct kicking in? Possibly. And since that day, I have to say, Astro is consistently cuter than normal.

And then…

Today while writing an email to a colleague about how frustrated I am at work I might have cried a little bit. At my desk. Even though no one saw, I’m still embarrassed as I generally do not believe crying at work will ever result in anything good. The worst part is that I can’t even blame it on the baby because I haven’t told anyone at work yet that I’m pregnant. Looking forward to my reputation as the unhinged lady in cube 3.

Still if that’s the worst my hormones can do, I can’t really complain, can I? (NB: Do not tell a pregnant woman she cannot complain or she will rip your heart out.)