W4D5

Spent the last few days in Cincinnati for Bob’s wedding.

My “symptoms” are either not as strong, or I’m just more used to them. For example, the terribleness of the nausea seems directly correlated to how much food is in my stomach. So I always make sure to have one or two meals on me. Leftover boxes have been my friend. I eat every few hours to stay “topped off”.

I’m also mindful to drink all the frickin’ time. Being at all day drinking events has paid off wonderfully for this! I always have water, Gatorade (my fave!!!), or soda (“uh, yea, I’m having rum and Coke!”) in hand.

Mornings have definitely been the hardest. I see why they call it “morning sickness”! It feels like my stomach has halved and my metabolism has doubled; going eight whole hours without food is rough. Ditto for hydrating. Sometimes I wake up in the night to have a drink or small snack. And before going to bed, even though I’m zombie-tired by about 8 pm, I make sure I have a full bottle of water in my room and know exactly where my next meal is.

Thinking in the morning does not work well. Plan your day to absolutely minimize the amount of effort required to dissipate the morning nausea.

Night owls and coffee drinkers are probably used to this kind of strategizing. I’m one of those perky morning people everyone hates, so not being able to just do everything I need to do that morning has been an adjustment.

I do wanna talk about this word “symptoms” that everyone always associates with pregnancy. Symptoms makes it sound like you’re sick or have something wrong with you.

Do I look sick to you? I’m growing a damn PERSON inside me! I’m basically a superhuman right now.

I’m going to call them signs instead. Because that’s basically what they are: signs my body is sending me to pay attention and take super good care of myself.

“Yo, you’re pregnant! Drop that sandwich from three days ago, it smells awful and might make you sick. And get enough rest, will ya? How ’bout you just go to bed earlier. You need to drink more water, too. Have you ever really drunk enough water?”

Hey body, I hear you. I’m sleeping more, I’m not letting myself get hungry, I’m drinking twice the water I normally do.

“Cool, guess I don’t need to be screaming these signs so loudly at you anymore. Keep it up!”

KK 15jul18