Pregnancy Must Haves… the 2nd Time

When I was pregnant with Gerrit, I read a lot of “pregnancy must have” lists for recommendations to make the rough parts a little more bearable. I even came up with my own list when I was pregnant the first time. And not that my list from last time didn’t have good ideas, my list this time around looks a little different…

1. Netflix/cable/DVDs 
   When you have another kid to take care of while you’re pregnant, you sometimes just need a break. Maybe you want to try to take a catnap? Find a show on Netflix for your kid to watch, and sneak back into bed. Pretty sure you’re about to puke? Find a show on Netflix, turn up the volume, and hope your kid gives you a few minutes of privacy to deal with morning sickness. I know, I know… you shouldn’t use TV as a babysitter. But sometimes you do what ya gotta do.
2. Hiding place 
   Most pregnant people I know need to snack throughout the day. And if you’re nauseated by a lot of foods, you do not want to share the foods that you can keep down. So if you’re a SAHM, you better find a good hiding place. The pantry is perfect, since that’s probably where your snacks live. Your bedroom closet is good too (just leave some Girl Scout cookies on the shelf behind some sweaters). If you don’t want to share your snacks with your minion(s), find a good hiding place.
3. Special treats 
   You felt like crap all day. Your kid was defiant, whiny, and clingy from breakfast til bath time. You finally got said kid to bed. Now wouldn’t a glass of wine be nice to unwind? Not when you’re pregnant. So you better find another treat to help take the edge off! For me it’s ice cream or frozen yogurt. I will not share it. It’s my “I survived the day” reward. No touchy.
4. Caffeine
   I remember when I was pregnant with Gerrit and ended up not being able to stomach the smell or taste of coffee in the first trimester. And since you’re not supposed to consume much caffeine in pregnancy anyway, I just gave up my morning coffee. I still went through a phase of not really wanting any coffee this time around, but as soon as I could handle it again, I started drinking a cup a day to wake up in the morning. I also usually have a Dr Pepper in the afternoon for a pick-me-up too.
5. Lists & Plans
   I feel like having another kid to take care of 24/7 seriously sucks up my memory. I have a notebook and pen on the end table in the living room 100% of the time to write down anything I need to do or just things I don’t want to forget. I have grocery lists, lists of people I need to get in touch with, baby lists, lists of things to do with a hyper 3 year old… so many lists. And going along with that last thing, I feel like I’m always looking for indoor activities to do with Gerrit. I refuse to take him outside right now because he has tried to take off more than once, and I can’t/don’t want to chase him down at my size. Thankfully there are a lot more options for indoor play here in Little Rock than there were in Del Rio. I keep up with events on base for kids his age as well as things happening in the community. If we ever are having One of Those Days, I have a plan to get us out of the house for awhile.
6. Alone Time
   This one probably depends on the person, but I NEED my alone time. I don’t really get any during the day since Gerrit doesn’t nap anymore, so I totally take advantage of any time I get when Andrew is home. He’s pretty good about taking G outside when he’s home, and he keeps him fairly occupied while I’m making dinner. I also insist on at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted time to do whatever I want after we’re done with the bedtime routine. Usually I’m mindlessly scrolling Facebook during that time, but that’s exactly what I need: something mindless with no one touching me and no one talking to me. It keeps me sane.

Pregnancy after that first time is definitely different! As much as I hate all the aches and pains that have come with this pregnancy, it’s been more fun in some ways too: I love hearing Gerrit talk so sweetly to the baby, and I’m much more prepared feeling this time vs being terrified. We’re looking forward to meeting this baby next month!