Mama Saw the Doctor and the Doctor Said...

No more monkeys jumping on the bed!  Sorry, its my toddlers new favorite song.  On to the real advice...

When I went to the doc's office for my appointment, I had a list of things I wanted to discuss.  At the top of the list were allergies, insomnia, and constipation.  He reiterated what the nurse had told me on the phone, that I should take Claritin every day for my allergies.  "But be sure to take it in the morning, otherwise you will be up all night."  Oh...my....god....  Talk about a slap to the forehead!  I just sat there for a good minute with my jaw on the floor.  "You've been taking it in the afternoon haven't you?"  I just nodded my head.  He chuckled, yes chuckled, and then kindly said "don't do that anymore."  You would think I would have figured out that taking the NON-DROWSY allergy medicine in the afternoon was giving me insomnia.  But apparently I was having a blonde moment week.

So, I composed myself and quickly crossed allergies and insomnia off the list.  On to constipation.  I am to continue to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, and if it gets really bad I am to take a Colace to help move things along.  The key is to take something that softens everything and makes it easier to go.  Not something that forces you to go.  He also recommended eating an Activia once a day.  Another slap to the forehead.  This guy is brilliant!  Activia is awesome, filled with probiotics, and it tastes pretty good too.  So far its working like a charm.  I crossed constipation off the list.

I then moved on to the meat cravings and morning sickness that lasts all day.  When I brought up the meat cravings the first words out of his mouth was that it does not necessarily indicate that the baby will be a boy.  I guess he gets asked that a lot.  I wasn't so much concerned about that as I was that maybe I was having a protein deficiency, but if that was the case then I was confused about the aversion to eggs.  He asked if I was feeling naseous during the day.  Yep, all day.  He said eat all the meat I want to, but eat smaller portions.  If I have to have a burger, split it with my husband and eat only half of it.  For steak, same thing.  Do this and avoid all sweets and the cravings for meat should die down and the morning sickness should go away.  Let me tell you, it worked like a charm!  After following this advice for a week I'm finally craving salads and veggies again.  The only time I feel ill is if I eat too much.

I love this doctor!  He's soooooo much better than my last one.  I left the office feeling that all my questions had been answered and looking forward to the next appointment instead of insanely stressed out and dejected.  Did I mention I love this doctor?  So glad I switched.

Allergies, Constipation, and Morning Sickness, Oh My!

I am so sorry for the delay between posts.  This pregnancy is kicking my butt! 

When I wake up in the morning I struggle to get out of my nice comfy bed, but usually my bladder won't let me lay there for long.  I'm so tired all the time!  My toddler is hating it, but I try to keep her occupied with flash cards, books, music, and a little bit of floor time.  She's getting better at walking, but still prefers crawling to get around.

On top of all that, my allergies are going insane!  Just to give you an idea, I went through four boxes of tissues in two days.  My face was swollen, my sinuses were throbbing, and I kept blowing my nose anyway trying to prevent any of it from draining down into my chest.  Those of you with allergies know once that happens it opens up a whole new level of yuckiness.  I was so miserable that I called my doctor's office and asked if there was anything I could do.  They recommended I go back on my Claritin.  I argued, saying I thought you weren't supposed to take anything in your first trimester.  To this they said all the sneezing and blowing my nose and not breathing properly were denying both me and the baby the oxygen we required oh so much and that it would be better to go back on the medication I was used to (and is also on the approved list for pregnant women) than to continue fighting it on my own and possibly harm the baby.  Good enough for me.  After a week my symptoms finally started dying down.  The upside to this is my toddler now imitates blowing her nose whenever I do.  Its hilarious!

When it comes to food, this time around is completely different.  My last pregnancy, I couldn't stand the smell or sight of meat.  It would immediately turn my stomach.  This time, however, I can't get enough of it!  I thought maybe it was just my body screaming for me to eat protein, but whenever I try to eat eggs (excellent source of protein) I get sick to my stomach.  So much so that whenever I smell them I feel ill.  Oh goody.  Peanut butter is okay, but it just doesn't do it for me the way a burger or sausage or meatloaf (uh oh, getting hungry) does.

I try to drink as much water as possible to help with the constipation, but so far no dice.  Its so uncomfortable!  I will be asking the doc what he recommends to help with this.  The obvious fruit and lots of water come to mind, but I'm so nervous about eating fresh fruit when I'm pregnant.  My last pregnancy I was in love with cantaloupe.  I ate it almost every day!  Then they had a big contamination scare and I was terrified to eat it anymore.  Food poisoning and pregnancy do not mix!!!

I have my first doc appointment on Wednesday.  Don't worry, I will share his words of advice for me with all of you.  Until then...

For the Hubbys - Hormonal Mood Swings and How to Deal With Them

Well Hubbys, I've got some good news for you, and some bad.  The good news is your wife is pregnant and you are going to have a new addition to your family.  The bad news, your wife is going through her own version of hell and might take some of it out on you.  Yep, you guessed it, hormonal mood swings.

Hormones are a fascinating thing.  They can make our boobs bigger (big plus for you guys), can make us more loving, but can also turn us into that chick from The Exorcist with projectile vomiting, head spinning, and fire shooting out of our eyes (only a slight exaggeration).  Now if you are one of the rare few that have a phenomenal wife who can handle hormone changes like a pro, count yourself lucky.  In fact, go buy a lottery ticket.  But if you aren't, then I am here to help you.

During my pregnancy, and for a few months after, my hormones and emotions were all over the place.  This was the hardest time for both me and my husband and put quite a strain on our marriage.  After LOTS of loooooooooong talks (and yelling, and crying, and more yelling and crying) we eventually worked it out.  But I want to share my wisdom with you and hopefully prevent you from making the same mistakes we did.

I have put together a short quiz to see how you will rate in dealing with the hormonal blow outs that may occur.  Choose the answer that best describes what you would do and keep track of them.  At the end, see how you did.  Will you be a champion at supporting your wife and have her bragging to all her friends about how wonderful you are?  Let's find out.

Mood Swing Scenario Quiz

1.  You're watching TV together and a commercial comes on for baby lotion.  You look over at your wife and notice she's crying.  Do you:
A. Start laughing hysterically.
B. Sit there uncomfortably in silence, unsure of what to do.
C. Hand her a box of tissues and say "I can't wait either.  You are going to be a fantastic mother."

2.  You're talking together when all of a sudden your wife gets quiet.  You ask her what's wrong and she says she thinks she's having a hormonal moment because she took offense to something you said but doesn't think you meant anything by it.  Do you:
A. Immediately start arguing with her for being upset when you didn't do anything wrong.
B. Just sit there uncomfortably in silence.
C. Calmly reassure her that you weren't trying to offend her and ask if there is anything you can do to help.

3.  You walk into the bedroom to find your wife sitting on the bed crying, holding her wedding rings in her hand.  You ask her what's wrong and she says her rings don't fit anymore and she feels like a fat cow.  Do you:
A. Start laughing hysterically and tell her she's being stupid, it's just water weight from the pregnancy.
B. Sit next to her and say nothing.
C. Kneel on the floor in front of her and tell her she is as beautiful as the day you got married, and suggest putting the rings on a necklace so she can still wear them.

4.  You're eating breakfast when your wife suddenly goes running for the bathroom to throw up.  Do you:
A. Slam your fork down and say thanks for ruining my appetite!
B. Sit there frozen, trying to block out the sound of her vomiting.
C. Go running after her to help hold her hair back.

5.  Your wife just got done cleaning the kitchen and asks you to take out the garbage.  You are watching TV and say sure thing, but decide to wait until a commercial comes on.  Twenty minutes later, you hear the lid to the garbage can slam to the floor and realize you had forgotten all about it.  You listen as she tears the bag from the can and goes storming outside, slamming the door on her way out.  When she comes back in do you:
A. Immediately start arguing with her, saying you were going to do it after the show was over.
B. Just sit there, unsure of what to do.
C. Go to her and apologize for forgetting about the trash.  Tell her the kitchen looks great and ask if there is anything you can do to help her.

Results

If your answers were mostly A's, you failed miserably.  If you don't learn some patience and grow a thicker skin then it is going to be a VERY long nine months (or more) for you.  Try to be more supportive of your wife and keep in mind that this is a hard time for her and she's relying on you to help her through it.

If your answers were mostly B's, you need a kick in the butt.  While doing nothing may seem like a good idea, it can often backfire on you.  Instead of trying to ignore the situation, try to comfort your wife in any way you can.  Ask her if there is anything you can do to help her as often as you can.  This may help avoid some of these scenarios in the future.

If your answers were mostly C's, congratulations!  You are the husband that wives love to brag about to their family and friends.  Keep up the good work!

No matter what your results were, just remember, this is temporary (though it may seem like it will never end).  You don't want to say or do anything that may cause irreparable harm to your marriage.  This is supposed to be a happy time, for both of you.  Enjoy it!  Soon you will have a new baby that will change your lives forever.  Don't waste these few months you have left by arguing all the time.  If you go the extra mile to make your wife happy trust me, she will appreciate it immensely!

I hope you have found this helpful.  Good luck!