Preparing for Pregnancy:
If it's not your first rodeo, then you know those first few months of pregnancy (or the whole time for some) can be brutal. I've learned over the years of being pregnant that there are a few things I can do to be prepared when the time comes. Some of them may seem so simple, but will SAVE you!
Most women (though not all) will have about 2 weeks between finding out they are pregnant and when they start feeling really ill. Take advantage of that time and get things in order. Talk to your spouse about your expectations and be clear about what he can do to be the most helpful.
Schedule: Lighten your schedule and prepare back-up plans. Think about plan A though plan Z and make sure that you are mentally prepared to make changes in your life and be ok with it.
Food: Set up amazon pantry or whatever delivery service you use and get it all ready so that the important things that your family uses on the daily will come to your door whether you leave the house or not. Chances are, you won’t want to go anywhere and if you do, it certainly won't be grocery shopping.
Meal Planning: MAKE FREEZER MEALS Stock your freezer with things that you can throw into the instant pot, crock pot, air fryer or whatever you use most. You will not be loving the kitchen for a few reasons, so maximize your time now so that you can minimize your time later.
Cleaning: Get all of your cleaning energy out. You will not want to clean anything whilst nauseous and puking, I promise! Also, do yourself a favor and hire a cleaning service to come in once or twice a month and deep clean so that you don't have to. If you don’t want to hire someone, then make a schedule that you know is doable and work on cleaning one thing per day. Don’t overwhelm yourself, it’s not worth it! Your mental health will thank you.
Stock up: Get all the snacks and toiletries that you may need or want ahead of time. Hydration drinks like body armor or Vita COCO and bland snacks that are high in protein like cheese. Also, stock up on easy things for your kids that they can get out or make on their own.
Schedule all check-ups: Dental cleanings, well checks (if possible), veterinary visits etc. This will buy you about 6 months at least of not needing to worry about it.
Holidays: Think ahead and buy ahead. I find it’s easiest to create a spreadsheet with different tabs to keep myself organized. I also use rubbermaid tubs to put things in to keep them separate.
And lastly, remember that you are not alone. During my last pregnancy which was by far the hardest, I told myself multiple times a day that millions of women have been through it and survived, and I will too!
Best of everything to you,
XOXO
Rachel
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