Sick and Books to Read.

Egad.

I’m sick.

Nauseated.

Dizzy.

It isn’t even the normal morning sickness crap. It is like an extended morning sickness that comes in waves and makes me feel like everything within my rib cage has been squished and braided. 

Bouts of feeling the urge to vomit followed by heat waves. At least in all of this, I haven’t suffered from constipation in the past few days. It truly is a wonderful thing to not have to go through that. Ya’ll should consider yourselves lucky. 

It would seem that every time I lay down in bed for the night, my body rejects the fact that I indeed need sleep and it will soon be a precious commodity.

My little one must be stretching her legs upwards towards my stomach and lungs, causing all that discomfort and nausea.

Last night, I went to bed feeling really icky. I just laid there facing Sam, looked in his eyes, and started tearing up. I just wish there were something I could do to relieve some of the discomfort. 

I woke up this morning with Sam around 5:45 feeling sick. I felt dizzy, nauseated, heartburn-y, and just generally icky. 

After walking around the house for a bit and helping Sam get off to work, I laid down on the couch. I figured a new position and sleeping area might help. 

I was able to sleep for a couple of hours, thankfully, and it did help to sleep on the sofa. Maybe because it was softer? Or maybe it was just all the pillows under/around me. 

I’ve been off and on all morning with feeling sick. This is not helpful at all, considering I just received my next t-shirt quilt project in the mail from Mom. I opened the box and found the t-shirts, the checkered Nascar fabric, and this:

 

Yay for homemade salsa/relish. Mom said she made it like Harry and David’s relish…I am excited to try it when I’m feeling better. Sam will gobble it up in no time, for sure.

I figured instead of laying on the couch feeling icky, curling up with Tom Hanks, I’d keep my mind occupied on cutting up the quilt squares.

I made it 3/4 through all the t-shirts before I had to stop and take a break.

 

 

I grabbed a Greek yogurt from my stash.

 

I gave Pax some lovin’.

 

 

Doesn’t she look enthused?

 

So here I am. Writing about how sick I feel.

Methinks it’s time for a nap. Better yet, I could re-read my Hypnobabies book.

Speaking of books, here’s a list of books I’ve read during the pregnancy and my general opinion:

 

HypnoBirthing: Seemed a little hokey when I read it the first time, but has good relaxation techniques. I plan on re-reading it to absorb more information.

Birthing From Within: I couldn’t handle this book. It didn’t seem to offer any new or helpful information for me. I can’t say I read a full chapter. I skimmed through it.

Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth: Hugely helpful. I highly recommend it. Good information and statistics. 

Pushed: Heavy on research/studies/statistics, but so very informative. A hefty read about the healthcare system, stories of new moms, and more. 

What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Wasn’t for me. I’m sure it contains really helpful information, but the tone of the book was a bit condescending and I found my own research on the net or other books to be more helpful.

The Baby Book: Contains relevant information, will be a go-to book as little one ages.

Nine Months and a Day: An easy read loaded with really good information and checklists of things to do and questions to ask.

You: Having a baby: No. Just…no. The illustrations scared me. Although the book contained a lot of really super great information, I couldn’t make it through it. 

Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy: Humorous and honest, though it didn’t support a lot of natural birth methods or treatments. It was a lot of “Girl…this is gonna hurt. Deal with it. Other women have in the past.”

I’ve also read a few breastfeeding books which were helpful, but I will refer to those as the need arises.

I am sure I’m forgetting a book or two, but that’s the bulk. I do a lot of research online and through my pregnancy forums. I also ask loved ones around me for advice, to answer questions, and offer words of wisdom to prepare myself for this huge event.

In addition to reading and researching on the net, I’ve watched a few documentaries including Business of Being Born (1 and 2, both on netflix), Guerrilla Midwife, and Pregnant in America. Business of Being Born (1 and 2) were both extremely helpful for support of a natural birth. I have watched them multiple times throughout my pregnancy. Guerrilla Midwife was okay, not something I’d watch again. Pregnant in America is highly opinionated and a little on the paranoid/conspiracy theory end of the spectrum when it comes to American Healthcare, but very interesting to watch nonetheless.

My advice after all of this? Do research. Read. Watch. Ask. Don’t be afraid. Get the answers you need to give you confidence to get through pregnancy, childbirth, and raising children.