Halloween, a day of wicked fun, candy, costumes and parties...unless your pregnant like me. I'm home sick from work feeling nauseous laying on the floor(that needs a major vacuuming) trying to type so I do not feel like a complete waste of space. That feeling of worthlessness is truly the most debilitating symptom of this pregnancy. Having to feel like death and watch chores pile up is in itself enough to drive me over the edge. I'm not a clean freak by any means, I have learned when weighing chores into the big scheme of life, they don't weigh much. I can handle a lazy day now and again; where my husband I do something we want to do or choose to do nothing. The dishes in the sink can get done tomorrow, the laundry will eventually find its way to the washer/dryer, maybe it will even get folded, the dog hair will still be on the rug later- we can vacuum then. A few days of this I can handle, but it's been piling up for nearly 8 weeks! From the beginning I have been feeling bad- the first day I thought I was pregnant by back was killing me and I was wiped! The cramping and back pain continued for the first several weeks- causing me oh just a wee bit of anxiety I was constantly googling 4 weeks pregnant with back pain? 5 weeks with back pain? (I had no idea I was really only 2 or 3 weeks) There were tons of posts making me feel better saying it was normal, thank goodness! Most people around me had never had these symptoms, making me worry, then sending me to google to confirm I was ok. (as a side note cooking bacon while sick is a very dumb idea- bleck) Then after the pain came the sickness- then begins the feelings of worthlessness. Of course I feel that way- I work all day taking deep breaths between calls (I work at a call center, no I'm not a telemarketer) trying not to be sick, or laying my head down when the room starts spinning, then come home and crash; looking at the carpet that needs to be vacuumed, seeing the dust layer on the furniture or smelling the blankets that smell like our fur baby. My husband tries- he does, but it is a lot for 1 person to handle. He has made or picked up dinner this whole time and kept that laundry clean, along with unloading and reloading the dishwasher. I have to give him some credit! The gross reality is that bathrooms have not been cleaned- floors haven't been cleaned in weeks and we ( I mean he) finally got the sheets washed last night- including the blanket and comforter! What was I doing? Well I'm happy to report I managed to cook some noodles for a pasta salad, rolled mini sausages in bacon for a work potluck( that I missed ) and carved a pumpkin ( for work that I also missed)- granted it took me hours because for every 10 movements I made I'd have to lay down.
You can imagine how work is gong for me too, trying to talk to people in between bouts of nausea, having to pee or worse every hour- then comes the anxiety of taking too long on breaks, then on the days that I simply can not drag myself to work comes the anxiety of losing my job from missing too many days! As a woman we are supposed to be able to be pregnant, do everything we did before and be happy about it; well kiss my pregnant ass! Some pregnant ladies can do it and really have no problem with it, but those of us that draw the short straw and feel sick; it is simply not that easy. It's hard to do anything while feeling like hurling any minute and trust me I hate it! If I could wake up tomorrow feeling good I would love to get all the things that need to get done- work overtime to make up hours? Sure I can do that! Not call in for 30 days? I'd love not to be sick.
I have a whole new level of respect for all pregnant women, especially those that manage to find a way to push past the sickness overcoming the feelings of worthlessness...then again these women kind of make me look bad...I'm sick and no amount of crackers, ginger tea or nexium is fixing it- so maybe it is time for corporate America to re-think how we treat pregnancy- want us to repopulate- grow healthy babies? Then get off our backs when we are late because we spent the morning throwing up, or we call in because any/all movement makes us ill or the mere mention of food sends us running to the bathroom. We may choose to be pregnant, but we never choose to be sick or tired nor do we ask our hormones to set us in a whirlwind of mood swings. For nine months you can tolerate us, we have to tolerate you the rest of the time.
I have a whole new level of respect for all pregnant women, especially those that manage to find a way to push past the sickness overcoming the feelings of worthlessness...then again these women kind of make me look bad...I'm sick and no amount of crackers, ginger tea or nexium is fixing it- so maybe it is time for corporate America to re-think how we treat pregnancy- want us to repopulate- grow healthy babies? Then get off our backs when we are late because we spent the morning throwing up, or we call in because any/all movement makes us ill or the mere mention of food sends us running to the bathroom. We may choose to be pregnant, but we never choose to be sick or tired nor do we ask our hormones to set us in a whirlwind of mood swings. For nine months you can tolerate us, we have to tolerate you the rest of the time.
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