Saturday, February 7, 2009

Things I took for granted before I was pregnant...

Being able to brush my teeth without gagging....
Unfortunately, since I have been pregnant, every time I brush my teeth, after about 30 seconds, I gag and have to spit out whatever is in my mouth. Sometimes I have ventured back in to try and get the back teeth that I wasn't able to get the first time, but most of those times I was unsuccessful and a few times I have even caused myself to throw up. YUCK!!

Being able to use my Spinbrush...
In my opinion, the best part about brushing your teeth is having that "clean teeth" feeling when you are done.  I have found over the years, that the only way for me to really get that feeling is to use one of those battery-operated spinbrushes.  I love the way it cleans my teeth! Unfortunately (along with the gagging mentioned above), I have also had bleeding gums a lot since I found out I was pregnant. It was suggested that I use a "soft" toothbrush to lessen the harshness on my gums. Reluctantly, I switched toothbrushes, but I am still having a lot of bleeding so who knows if it really making a difference!

Sleeping through the night without using the bathroom...
Any woman who has ever been pregnant knows about this one!  Not a night goes by that I don't have to get up at least once - usually around 3 or 4 am - to pee.  It is so frustrating when you are in a deep sleep and your bladder wakes you up.  The worst part is actually having to get myself out of bed, walk carefully to the bathroom, sit down, go, wipe, flush, wash my hands, and get back to the bed - all in a dark room - without falling or stubbing my toe on the bed (which I have done numerous times!) And, I do realize that I have a long way to go (20 more weeks) before this gets better (and then I will be getting up in the middle of the night for completely other reasons!)  

Sleeping on my stomach...
I have always been a stomach sleeper!  These days, of course, I have to be a side sleeper.  All I have to say is...it's just not the same!!! :-(

Not having heartburn after almost any meal...
I had a few bouts of heartburn before I was pregnant, but NOTHING like this!! Nowadays, no matter what I eat (breakfast, lunch or dinner), I get that awful burning sensation in my chest. Of course, sometimes it is better than others. But, the strange thing is that it often occurs hours after I have eaten. Weird!! Tums are now my best friend and I keep them close by no matter where I go!

Having regular bowel movements....
I have always been a pretty "regular" person with not a lot of problems in that area.  These days, I sometimes go days without going and then it all hits at once, sometimes not at very convenient times! 

Being able to fit in my clothes...
I can't honestly say that I have ever loved shopping for clothes.  Being a plus-sized woman most of my life has not always afforded me the opportunity or ability to find something that is going to look as nice on me as it does on the mannequin at the store or the model on-line.  But, at least I could say that the clothes that I do own mostly fit and I am happy with them.  No longer is this true.  At this point, I only have 3 pairs of pants that fit and many of my sweaters and shirts are becoming a bit snug.  Conversely, the maternity clothes that I have purchased - specifically the shirts - are all still too big.  What's a girl to do?! 

Drinking coffee and loving it....
Before I was pregnant, I LOVED my morning coffee.  It was almost always the first thing I got from the staff lounge as soon as I got into work every day.  I was also a big fan of Starbucks, not necessarily their coffee, but their Caramel Macchiatos or Frappacinos. These days, I can't stand the stuff most of the time. In my first trimester, the smell of it would make me nauseous. Now, it often gives me heartburn if I try to drink it and I get a headache if the smell is overwhelming strong (like at Starbucks or when Keith makes it at home).

I realize that none of these things are going to get better anytime soon, and most are going to get worse over the next 20 weeks.  I am just happy to be half-way through and glad that everything is going well with the baby.  I am very much looking forward to the next half of this journey even though it means more sleepless nights, more heartburn, more clothes not fitting and more strange pregnancy symptoms.  I am so blessed to be carrying this baby and thank God every day for this wonderful opportunity that he has given me!!

1 comment:

The Sinks said...

Oh, the joys of being pregnant! And they just continue to add up the further along you are! Enjoy it, though, because in some strange, weird way, you will kinda sorta miss *some* of the things that are so annoying now! Looking forward to hearing about what you're having!