Not for sissies!

Okay, I admit it. I really thought this whole pregnancy thing would be a breeze. I thought that I would be so excited to finally be pregnant after about 2 years of trying that every day would be a delight. I was arrogant (and foolish) enough to believe that I would be above the mind-numbing fatigue everyone else had because I was fit before I got pregnant. I would still do pilates through my first trimester, and then move on to prenatal yoga. Because I did not get morning sickness right away, I thought I was magically immune. Surely I would be able to eat everything I needed to in order to be healthy; I woulnd't be reduced to eating one thing everyday because it was the only thing I could tolerate. Boy was I wrong!
Before I was pregnant, I almost always stayed up until 1am. I work evenings, so I usually get home around 11:15pm. I only have to get up before 10am if I have an appointment of some sort. So, my pre-pregnancy routine was to come home from work, get ready for bed, and watch TV or read until around 1, and then sleep in until 10am or so. Now, I'm lucky if I can stay up until midnight, and I get up at least twice in the night (more about that later). On the nights I don't work, I can barely stay up until 11:30 to watch "The Daily Show." I still get up at around 10am. And I'm still tired all day. A book I read likened it to being on nighttime cold medication, and that's an accurate analogy. For much of the day, I feel like I've had a big dose of NyQuil (for more on how this makes you feel, read my sister's blog). And exercise? Are you kidding? Walking up a flight of stairs makes me winded. I've never felt so out-of shape in my life.
And then there's the nausea. The closest thing I can compare it to is when I would get motion sick if I read on the bus. Most of the time, it's not so bad that I have to stay in bed, but it makes me feel uneasy because, every so often, my stomach gives a lurch that makes me consider how far it is to the nearest bathroom. Of course the really bizarre thing is feeling nauseated and HUNGRY at the same time. This is not a "oh yeah, I could eat something" kind of hunger. It is the "if I don't eat something right now, someone will be hurt" kind. And there is absolutely no middle ground. I'm either not even remotely interested in food, or I'm ravenous. But because I'm also somewhat queasy, there is often only a couple of things at the time that are appealing. I thought my friend Sandy was silly because in the early months of her pregnancy, all she ate were cheese sandwiches. Now I understand the appeal, because grilled cheese sandwiches have become my saviour. And ginger ale.


Now, I know that I sound like a great big whiner, especially if you've never experienced the miracle of pregnancy. But lest you think this is one big rant, let me tell you about the greatest invention ever: anti-nausea bands.


These little wristbands have a plastic button on them that fits over the NEI-KUAN point on each wrist. This is an accupressure point that reduces nausea, and boy does it work. The first day I wore them, I had absolutely no nausea. I was even able to eat chocolate, which I have been unable to even contemplate before. Yesterday I thought they weren't working because I was still nauseated, but when I took them off, my queasiness went from "mild" to "severe". So, basically they aren't miracle workers. But they allow me to function, so as far as I'm concerned, they're money well spent.
So, I've been humbled by pregnancy, but I've found ways to survive. And I AM really excited and happy to be having a baby. Thanks for reading my whining, and if anyone has any advice or comments, feel free. I'm off to make a grilled cheese sandwich.