In the first 3-4 months of my second pregnancy all my symptoms were the same as with my first pregnancy-horrible morning sickness, acne along my jawline and cheekbones, and extreme fatigue. Once my belly started to show-this happened a lot faster the second time around-it appeared to everyone that knew me, that I was carrying the same way as I did with my first pregnancy, further convincing people that I was having another boy.
Imagine how shocked my husband and I were to learn at our five month ultrasound that we would in fact be having a baby girl this time around-ROLL OUT THE PINK. From the outside I looked the same as I did with my first pregnancy, was carrying the same way as with my first pregnancy, but it was what was going on inside me this time around that was so different.
Maybe it is because I am under a lot of stress (work, health issues with family members, husband who is growing a business and working insane hours etc.) as of late, but in the last couple of months I have noticed a real shift in my pregnancy and a a change in myself-one that I do not necessarily like. I have been extremely emotional and hormonal all the time. I get easily annoyed by things that never used to bother me and I have a real sense of dread sometimes about not getting everything done before the baby's arrival.
It is obvious that this pregnancy is different than my first one and it is clear that I need to deal with these issues in a different way than I have been so that I do not make myself overly stressed out before our little girl gets here. I cannot take feeling this way any longer so I am going to try to make some changes to feel better on the inside so that I am as healthy inside as I am on the outside.
I am making it my goal this week to get back on track with things and to get away from this feeling of malaise that has set in. Sometimes breaking the cycle and getting out of a rut can be one of the hardest things to do, but also one of the most liberating things too.
What is my plan? It's pretty simple and still in the "construction phase," but here it is: 1) Get more sleep, which translates as: get into bed no later than 10pm each night. Waiting until I fall asleep on the sofa and then migrating to my bedroom is doing horrible things to my sleep cycle. More rest should help with my fatigue and irritability. 2) Hire a babysitter to help me out 10 hours a week or so. I need to get a lot of work done before I have the baby and I have gotten to the point where it is time to call in reinforcements and ask for help. I must remember to reassure myself that I am NOT a total loser for needing a little help with my toddler from time- to- time. Balancing work life and home life can be hard and it is even harder to try and do by yourself, so why make myself crazy in the process? 3) Make myself a priority. I have been neglecting my own needs for too long. I need to get more rest and slow down. If the dishes sit in the sink overnight every once in a while, I need to accept the fact that the world will NOT end and that the household police will not fail me on the kitchen inspection portion of the "test."
If any of you out there are currently pregnant and feeling a little overwhelmed or out of sorts, I encourage you to search for some answers. Figure out where your problem(s) lie and try to think of at least one or two small steps that you can take to alleviate them. I did it and I feel better already even though I just started implementing my 3-step plan. Sometimes, just talking about what you need to change with your partner or writing it down and reading it to yourself can be helpful as well. Remember, if you are not taking care of yourself, it is hard to care for your spouse and your family.
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