the week in review: to sleep or not to sleep

2009 December 12
tags: ,
by mama bea

This week has been a bit rough and very, very long for me. What was supposed to be a quick social event on Monday night turned into a hostage situation. I arrived hungry (BAD IDEA) and was trapped there without food. Now, even non-pregnant me does not do well in situations where I am hungry and there is no sign that food is coming my way—when that happens, I get cranky as hell until I eat. This was different; I kind of shut down and felt really, really awful, and for a long time I didn’t have the wherewithall to say to The Other (still working on different names here) or our friends that I had to get out of there immediately. Finally, I did, and we went to a restaurant, where I gobbled down a roll the second we sat down and felt much better. I ordered a huge plate of burger & fries and ate the whole thing. We didn’t eat until about 9, and I collapsed into bed the second we got home, only to boing awake in the middle of the night and be unable to get back to sleep.

A similar thing happened on Tuesday. I had to work late for a lecture, and after the lecture my coworkers and I had to go out to eat with the lecturer. Ate late; ate a lot; didn’t sleep well.

At work on both Tuesday and Wednesday, I was a wreck—totally fatigued, with increased nausea and general sense of ick. I’m starting to understand the connections and realize how important it is that I have food (and not just any food, but satisfying food) near me as much as possible, and that I not eat a lot for dinner, especially if it’s late. The lack of sleep that results means the next day is going to be a bad one.

Luckily sleep came to me on Wednesday and Thursday, and I was pretty functional and felt good both yesterday and the day before. Last night, insomnia visited again, and it was bad, and now I am at work and wiped and expecting that today will not be such a good one. Luckily The Other is coming to get me around lunch so I can try to take a nap.

I hate complaining, because I feel so lucky to be pregnant, even with the full-body takeover it has entailed. I love being pregnant. It’s just that right now it seems to be the one thing I am capable of doing.

On the positive side, yesterday I had lunch with a registrar from another museum in town, and found out that she is pregnant, after trying for a very long time and having a couple of miscarriages. I found out because she asked for her salad without feta, and then had to send it back after finding out that there was raw egg in the dressing. I asked her if she had news, and was so delighted to hear. It was hard to bite my tongue, but I held back. It’ll be super fun to tell her in a couple of weeks though. (I also found myself suggesting that we should invite the new registrar at what was once Hopefully New Museum out to lunch to welcome her into town. So we’re doing that next week. I have to say, I am so, SO glad that that didn’t work out. The stress and fatigue it would have entailed would have done a number on me, and I would not have been good for that job right now. My current low-stress job is about at the level I can handle.)

Last night, The Other and I went over to eat dinner with our friends with the two adorable Asian munchkins. They have been in Sweden for a couple of months for his work, and just got back a couple of weeks ago, so it had been ages since we saw them. The Other played with the toddler a lot, and it was so fun to watch. Very, very hard not to spill the beans. I am very much looking forward to telling people. If all continues to go well, I’ll be 12 weeks on the 27th, and I guess we will start telling people then. Hooray!

from → early days no whammy no whammy (1st trimester)

  • poppycat
    I'm glad your listening to your body and getting the hang of what it wants. It sure does punish if you don't get it right doesn't it? I remember that while I was pregnant, I didn't sleep for poop. I was so sleep deprived that I had an eye twitch for weeks at a time.

    I haven't been around the blogs a lot lately but I have been thinking of you so much :)
  • Sorry to hear it's been so rough physically. I hope that at the very least, it provides some reassurance that everything is going well with the Bao.
  • i can't find this clear of a pattern in my own illness and sleepiness, aside from the later i stay up, the worse i feel. but, i am glad that there is something you can do to help yourself feel better. i am finding that some of the hardest parts in all this pregnancy insanity are when i can't do anything to feel better. like, how many foods and supplements and teas and combinations have i tried and i am still sick? blerg.

    anyways, back to you. i am glad you are getting excited for the big reveal. i was so slow to do it- many still don't know- but it has been really fun to tell my close friends. everyone is always so excited for a baby. and most of our friends know how much we wanted it, so it makes them doubly happy about it.

    keep up the good eating and sleeping, mama. x, j.
  • mamadeux
    Full body takeover! I love that. That's so what it is. A good friend of mine, now 5 months along, struggled all thruout her 1st trimester to get the food situation down - when to eat, how much, and what, to avoid nausea and optimize sleep. It was like a science! Good luck and snack plenty. Also, can't believe that you're already so close to 12 weeks...wow.
  • libberal
    I have a strict rule (that I occasionally forget) never to eat Indian food after 8. Talk about sleepless. Yikes. Sounds like you've just got to find a balance that suits you and the wee one both as far as food and timing goes. I second Puffer on the quick snacks on hand. When I work long hours at the restaurant and can't get a bite to eat (the irony here is not missed,) I keep odwalla superfood, almonds, greek yogurt, or munchies like carrots and apples on hand. Chefy also makes sure to keep almonds and beef jerky in the car cuz she needs to eat every 3 hours or she turns into a crazed Chupacabra. And no one wants that. Good luck avoiding hostage-situation parties and snacking liberally. AND for keeping your secret for a bit longer. Cheers!
  • I totally relate to you on the relationship between food and sleep. I had those problems early on and still have them. Only now, it's because if I eat too late, I CAN'T lay down because of reflux. I always keep a ziploc of almonds in my bag, as well as an apple and some sort of energy/power bar plus a bottle of water. Always. That way I'm never without food or water.
    I have to start eating no later than 7pm, but you'll figure out what works for you.
    The job situation was a blessing in disguise. Everything happens for a reason!
    Good for you to bite your tongue. We didn't tell anyone either until 13 weeks--so I KNOW how hard it is!
    Have a great weekend!
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