Pregnancy Tips

In honor of my sixth (most likely last) pregnancy, I've decided to list some of my favorite pregnancy tips.  I'm no expert, and everybody has different things that work for them, but these are mine:

*If you don't like reading about vomit, or other embarrassing issues that are common during pregnancy, you'll probably want to skip this post.*

1.  Eat cold cereal 2-5 times per day.  It always sounds relatively appetizing (which is unusual when I'm pregnant), it's quick and easy to prepare, there's LOTS of varieties, and it doesn't SMELL!  I can't gaurantee that it will keep you from throwing up (Grape Nuts are no longer an acceptable choice for this reason), but it's not as hideous on the way out as some things I've eaten (see #4). This tip does NOT work for everyone.  (I'm talking to you Jess.) 

2. Take deep breaths whenever you feel nauseous (which, for me, is pretty frequently).  Don't let your husband's copycat teasing deter you.

3.  Don't sneeze, cough, puke, or laugh too hard unless your legs are TIGHTLY crossed.  It might be embarrassing to stop in the middle of Walmart and cross your legs before a sneeze, but it's DEFINITELY better than the alternative.

4.  Say NO to orange juice.  It's never fun to puke, but it's a WHOLE nother world of nasty to throw up OJ.  Trust me.  I'm always sick until 17 weeks, so I usually don't worry about it after that.  Unfortunately, I made the mistake of having tuna fish sandwiches and orange juice for dinner the night that I delivered Savanna.  I have been known to throw up when I'm in labor... Yeah, DISGUSTING!

5. Blast cold air in your face whenever possible. Yes, even if it's winter and your husband is freezing. 

 6. Take your prenatals with food.  I'm talkin' - eat - take them - then eat some more.  None of this "take them before bed" like my doctor with Carter suggested.  Usually by bedtime, I  hadn't eaten in hours and ended up laying in bed miserably nauseous evey night PRAYING that I'd fall asleep before my vitamins came back to haunt me (actually worse than OJ if you can believe it). 

7.  Eat when you're nauseous.  It seems so unnatural after living your whole life avoiding food while you have the stomach flu, but it REALLY does help...sometimes. 

8. Eat RIGHT when you wake up. Don't shower, brush your teeth, etc., until after you eat something. It also helps me to keep the bathroom door open while I shower. Too much steam = not enough fresh air = vomit-fest.

9. Don't be afraid to cook your crockpot dinner on the porch. Your neighbors might think you're weird, but it's better than closing yourself up in your room with a towel shoved in the door crack to block out the smell ALL DAY LONG.

10.  Lays Stax containers are THE BEST emergency puke catchers ever. You just toss your cookies, pop on the lid, and throw it in the trash. Everything stays contained (including the smell) and there's nothing to clean out later. I retired my old puke bowl years ago, and now just keep Stax containers in my car, by my bed, couch, etc. 

11. Set out a community snack and drink so that when your kids say they're hungry 400 times per day, you can just direct them to the kitchen table and avoid actually having to think about food.

I would love it if these tips actually help someone, but as I said, everyone's different.  My main purpose in writing this post is to help remember what I went through to bring all these babies into the world.  It's DEFINITELY been worth it, but having a little reminder for me, my husband, and my occassionally ungrateful offspring isn't too bad of an idea, right?  ;)