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Mogollon Connection
Corrspondent
A couple of months ago I attended a neighborhood party with my family. When someone asked my three year old where her baby brother was she promptly lifted up my shirt and pointed to my ample belly.
“In there!” she beamed.
Meanwhile I beamed too … in a lovely shade of crimson. Heck, it was only a room packed with guests, many of whom I pass on the street regularly, getting a nice glimpse of my colorful undergarments. I quickly made a mental note to wear my Sunday best the next time I planned on encountering a crowd with my daughter, who is only too eager to please.
One thing for an expectant mother to expect is that embarrassment just comes with the territory. If you haven’t experienced weak bladder control yet, then you’re in for a daunting challenge. There are times when I feel like I’ve reverted back to that shy little girl in kindergarten who failed to be excused in time to use the restroom. The bladder has no fury like an unexpected sneeze. Alas, you begin to wonder if you’ll end up in diapers before your newborn.
Okay, not to worry ladies. There is something you can do to strengthen the muscles that are feeling the pressure from a growing uterus, pressing against the bladder. You may already be familiar with Kegel exercises, but if not, you will want to start your workout now. There are many books and websites that offer tips, but I highly recommend watching a prenatal Yoga video produced by GAIMA available at Bashas' in Payson.
But don’t just watch it. Use it! It offers soothing exercises to do during each trimester, and I guarantee you will feel the stretches in the area you need to during pregnancy and birth.
But beware! The humiliation doesn’t end after childbirth. In fact, you can expect it to last throughout all phases of caring for your child. You’ll know when you find your young daughter parading around the front yard in your best lingerie, which she has innocently mistaken for a princess dress, that there will never be a dull moment. Even daddies will experience this, as they will inevitably find themselves wandering through a store, asking the clerks where they might find a “potty.”
Even though pregnancy presents a wide array of strange and embarrassing situations, no expectant mother should ever feel that she is in it alone. It’s not only a matter of occasionally having to wring out your socks after a sneeze; there are also those uncontrollable hormones to deal with.
At times you feel like that spiraling silver ball in the pinball machine, unsure of where your emotions will bounce next. I know that one minute I’ll be sobbing after a Hallmark commercial, and the next feel like throwing my best china against the wall in a fit of rage. Remember, this too shall past.
Another thing you might experience is the occasional unexpected belch. Also, though it hasn’t happened to me, I’ve heard that some expecting women have been know to unexpectedly vomit in public. While the latter is certainly less likely to occur (especially after the first trimester), high levels of the pregnancy hormone progesterone help to explain why you might suddenly sound like a frat boy after tapping a keg.
One solution, offered by Boston obstetrician Laura Riley in an article on WebMD, is to pay close attention to your diet.
“Cutting out foods like beans or broccoli, as well as carbonated beverages including fizzy water or juice, can make a big difference. So can eating smaller, more frequent meals.”
The article, titled “Six embarassing pregnancy symptoms,” offers advice from another top obstetrician, Kathryn Macaulay, MD. Because most women experience nausea in their pregnancy, she offers the following suggestions.
First, you may want to change the time of day you take your prenatal vitamins. Also, you can try wearing an anti-seasickness band on your wrist. The bands won’t make it in the fashion magazines, but they can help by applying acupressure to the nerve related to nausea.
“It can help morning sickness and reduce the risk of sudden vomiting,” claims Macauley.
She also suggests sucking on ginger or lemon flavored hard candy or chipped ice, which can also reduce nausea.
If all else fails, you can simply blame your embarrassing moment on your “condition.” Most people are quite sympathetic to a pregnant woman. In any case, they’re bound to know it’s best not to mess with one!
(As a matter of clarification, please be aware that Mitzi also does wildlife rehab, hence the raccoons.)
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