Well. That was unpleasant.
For those keeping track at home, I’m now a hair over 13 weeks pregnant, and feeling decidedly more human. I’m still quite pathetic in the energy department, sleeping anywhere between 10-12 hours/night and have some pretty awful food aversions. But it’s definitely been a slow, steady climb back up to feeling more like a real human than the victim of some awful parasite. To be fair, I am still feeling like I got the short end of the stick playing host to a parasite – I just happen to think the parasite maybe isn’t totally awful.
The first trimester has at least been full of interesting observations:
If you are currently really into food and cooking and alcoholic drinks, and may become pregnant in the not-so-distant future, might I suggest you find an additional hobby or two to sustain you while in the “puking your guts out, lost the will to live” phase? I’ve felt like I have been drifting, rudderless, through the past couple months, without my usual pleasurable distraction to turn to when I can’t take it anymore. If nothing else, at least have a good book or two on standby.
Maternity & Kid stuff has some INCREDIBLY stupid names. There are tons of beautiful, well-designed and very useful products. But they have stupid names like “petunia picklebottom” and “bugaboo” and “preggie pops.” Here’s a hint for manufacturers: If it embarrasses me to speak the brand name of a product, I am unlikely to buy it. (Except those damn preggie pops – anti-nausea candies that are effing lifesavers – and it DESTROYED MY PRIDE when I had to utter the name out loud while looking for them at the store.)
People are really interested in touching my gas bubble. The fetus is just 3″ long, and my uterus has barely risen out of my pelvis. But I’m SUPER bloated. So, rub the gas-baby at your own risk people. Soon I’m going to stop holding in the farts it stimulates.
The hormones are interesting. I will cry at just about anything. Bad news, good news, those damn SPCA commercials, the fact that Neil put too much Kale in my spaghetti sauce and it’s now just not red enough. Thing that does not inspire wild fluctuations in emotion? Seeing other people’s children. Definitely excited about my own. Pretty ambivalent toward yours (though if yours is screaming, my shortened temper makes ambivalence step aside for hating your child with the heat of 1000 fiery suns). Of course, I still like the kids of my friends & family – but I have not been magically transported into the land of being a “kid person.”
When I said I slept 10-12 hours/night, what I really meant was I spend those hours in bed. The last really good night of sleep I had was July 6th, 2010. One of those amazing, incredible nights where I hit the pillow, crashed out instantly, and woke up feeling so refreshed I thought I must’ve overslept my alarm. Except, nope! I woke up 5 minutes before it was set to go off! Now I wake up twice nightly. Once at 2am to pee. Once at 4am, just for the extra “haha fuck YOU” from my body. It’s a treat, really.
But! Considering I’m actually able to function now, I’m really a whole lot happier than I was. And none too soon! We’ve got trips to Chicago and Vegas planned, and my oldest little brother’s wedding in the middle of those. I’m just trying not to think about the heebie-jeebies and hives I’m likely to get when I have to wander into a maternity store to find clothes, so I can actually leave the house in something other than Neil’s sweatpants.
Glad you are feeling better. I completely feel your pain – just be happy it doesn’t seem to be lasting FIVE months. Ugh. Probably the only reason I don’t look forward to getting pregnant again.
I could spout every cliche in the book about being a mother but for now I will just say that everything “they” say is true – it really is the best job in the world.
Oh, and relish your sleep now because as soon as the baby comes, it will disappear. And people will tell you to sleep when the baby sleeps but that is way easier said than done. Just try to get as much rest as you can.
Good luck!!
Ah pregnancy, happy to say it is way in the distant past for me. I was a young Mum and now mine are all but grown up and I’m just in my mid 40’s. Trust me though, if you’re not into other peoples kids now you will never be (spoken from experience.) I don’t mind them if they behave but holy mother if they are running around a store or restaurant and screaming while the indulgent mother just smiles.. ahhhh.
I wasn’t one of those earth mothers who enjoyed the experience of pregnancy either but I did (and do) love my rugrats.
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SO glad to hear you are feeling better! I’ll get those maternity clothes ready for you, and that prenatal yoga dvd too. I found that Thyme Maternity was way better than Motherhood.
For strollers, I love my BOB, but we didn’t use it right away. Jackson hated it and instead would fall asleep instantly in a carrier. The Ergo is my single most used baby item. I would buy a second one just because I love it so much. Don’t buy a Baby Bjorn!! Nicole has the Bugaboo stroller and it seems like it was great at first with the bassinet and all, but there is another stroller that she maybe likes more now… Nicole, what’s the brand??
We started out with a bassinet and then moved to a crib, but I’d just start with a crib next time. Hm, what else… I don’t use a diaper bag. I have a little fabric bag that I bought at a baby store on Arbutus around 10th or 11th that holds 3-4 diapers, a folding change pad and disposable wipes and I just throw that into whatever bag or purse I’m using.
When your belly starts getting bigger and sleeping gets more and more uncomfortable I highly recommend the Snoogle. I waited, thinking I was fine with my assortment of pillow props, and then when I tried the Snoogle I kicked myself for not using it earlier. I’d still use it now if it didn’t take up so much space in the bed. It was so comfortable!!
Soma Studio has some great massage therapists that do prenatal massage. I really liked Beatrice (I think that’s her name… it started with a B). Lying on the table with all the supports so you can lie on your belly is heaven. Chiro really helped too when things were sore and out of place.
Kind of a ramble, but I hope some of it helps!! The 2nd trimester is the best, enjoy it š I felt the first little flutters around 16-18 weeks. So amazing! And soon you’ll actually start to look pregnant, not just bloated. Hehe.
I also had hideous morning sickness and started to feel better at around the same time in my pregnancy (~13 weeks). After getting off to a rough start, I actually really enjoyed the second two trimesters (though I didn’t love the 9 days after my due date when I was still pregnant!).
I pretty much lived off miso soup and yam tempura rolls during my first trimester. Are you having any weird cravings like that?
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Oh, also, I bought most of my maternity clothes at Value Village. The few times I wandered into maternity stores I was absolutely appalled at the prices, quality, and style of what was available. I felt much better paying $5 for a Thyme maternity skirt at Value Village than $50 for the same crappy skirt in the original store.
Karen´s last blog post ..Four weeks!
I totally second the Snoogle recommendation – it was a life-saver!
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Yay! You’ve climbed out of the pit of first-trimester disgustingness! I remember physically feeling the clouds around me lift. It’s much better from here on in (well, until you’re about to pop, but that’s a whole other type of misery.
Here’s my scoop on stuff: Yes, I have a Bugaboo (which is actually named after a mountain range, not a goofy kid word, so perhaps more acceptable). NOTE: I have the Frog. I bought it when it was about 30% less than it is in stores now, and I got it for 20% off, so I didn’t drop a grand on a stroller. And, for what it’s worth, I wouldn’t spend that much on this stroller. It is great, and there are features on it that, until very recently, were unique to it (easy transfer from bassinet to carseat and back, reversible handle positions etc.). But, this new stroller, the Baby Jogger city select (http://www.babyjogger.com/city_select_lp.aspx) is apparently the bees knees. With all of the accessories (including the 2nd seat to make it a double – something I’m sure you have no interest in right now), it comes out to a pretty whopping price too, but it seems to have combined the awesome stuff from Jen’s Bob and the awesome features of the Bugaboo into one. I’d get that. Or, at least, buy a used Bugaboo (you can probably get some good accessories thrown in that way).
I second that the Ergo is BY FAR my most used baby product. Quite frankly, if you don’t get one, you’re just causing yourself grief. I love it, and I would pay 5x what they sell for because it’s that worth it. Don’t be fooled by alternatives like the Bjorn. You’ll only end up buying an Ergo later.
Anyway, I think the best advice I could give is to always check for used stuff on Craigslist. People get a lot of baby gifts, so there are often things still in packages (I got a breast pump, still sealed, for 40% less than retail), and even if they are used, it was probably for like 6 weeks… those little creatures grow quickly and phases of liking and hating certain things last days (except the Ergo, of course!).
As for sleep, my advice is to try not to care now. If you do, you’ll be a resentful bitch by the time your baby is 6 months old and it’s been well over a year since you had a full night of sleep. Adele just started sleeping through the night last week. She’s 11 months. I had insane insomnia while I was pregnant (averaged 4 hrs a night of sleep in 45 minute intervals for the last 5-6 months – not a joke). I went 18 months without a good night of sleep, and my only coping mechanism was just to try not to think about it. If I got up and dwelled on how bad the night had been, I’d be resentful and frustrated and really mean to Michael. Just try to accept it. And use a snoogle. And don’t be afraid to take some gravol if it gets really bad. I avoided it as much as possible, but sometimes (particularly when I was working), it just had to happen.
Thanks everyone š
I’ll concede the Bugaboo name (mountain-namers are apparently also a bit nutty!), but add “snoogle” to the list of “silly names!”
While the names remain dumb, baby and maternity products in general continue to improve each year, it seems. Maternity clothes, strollers, baby carriers, etc. were not nearly as nice a decade ago when we were using them.
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