Being pregnant can be a challenge. Being pregnant during the holiday season can take everything you've got.
Don't let the fear of looking like a wimp cloud your judgment. It's not just your imagination that you feel like you're buckling under a great weight.
You are light-headed because you haven't eaten since you started the shopping marathon. Your blood sugar is now transmitting an SOS for some fuel.
It's not laziness generating those wistful thoughts about a nap. Lay down before you fall down.
Face it, you're responsible for another little life and that little one has a voracious appetite for your energy. It's taking up more room in a fairly limited space, and your spine and ribs are feeling it.
Teeny kicks and elbow jabs are making your clothing jump and reminding you -- in case you could have forgotten -- that you are not alone.
The days of getting the vapors and reclining on the fainting couch are long past and while you should expect some courtesy from those non-pregnant around you, smart planning should help you get things done. That smart planning should also help you determine what needs doing and what should be tanked this year.
Try to refrain from marathons, and go more for shorter sprints in the shopping department. Or better yet, shoot for the leisurely strolling pace.
Slower? Yeah. More likely to be able to last? Oh, yeah.
Do not skip meals. Seriously. I mean it.
If you have times of day where you get droopy and wilted, toss in some healthy snacks. Healthy for one woman might be grapes, for another, some granola. Another woman might need a hamburger without the bun.
My passion was barbecued chicken wings. The point is, eat something. Often.
If you've always prided yourself on doing your own baking of holiday treats, this is a good time to re-consider that position. Pride yourself this year on finding the best bakery goodies. Or skip it and let someone else get the glory.
Think about ordering gifts online or through mail-order catalogues. If a friend or family member is willing to be your personal shopper, seriously consider this.
Save the dregs of energy that baby is leaving you for more pleasant things.
You'll do okay as long as you keep in mind that the greatest gift you'll be giving is that surprise package you're sheltering within yourself right now.
Visit Jody's website and blog at http://www.ncubator.ca and http://ncubator.ca/blogger