Our Little Nicholas

What’s The Matter

You know how expensive maternity clothes are. What makes you more reluctant to buy them is the fact that you won’t be pregnant for the rest of your life. But well, you just bought yourself a new maternity dress anyways, since you can wear nothing anymore (yeah, like me, you look like a whale, hehehe!) and you need to attend a dinner sponsored by the company. Well, that dinner just ruined your budget and yes, your night. You spilled chili sauce all over your new dress and to make matters worse, your closest friend laughed at you thinking you look comical and in your disconcerted state you dropped your purse in a huge puddle. Frustrated and close to tears, you though, “this is just too much to deal with”.

What You Should Do

True, each one of these incidents is aggravating and way beyond frustrating; however, you’re going to stand a much better chance of fixing everything if you embark upon them one at a time. It’s easier said than done, true, but it’s the most sensible thing to do at the moment. You should pick one problem — the one that’s bringing you the most anxiety – or you may opt for the first one you think of — and concentrate on it for a few minutes until you’ve think of a solution. You can go on solving the problem then and then move on to the next one.

Why It Works Magic

Deciding which dilemma to focus on is a restrained yet clever way to remind yourself that you are in control, and that you can manage everything. This trick should help you get through that overwhelming feeling of helplessness – which actually kept you from thinking straight in the first place.

Yeah, I guess I’m a real stressed up Mom-to-be with all the things that I’ve been thinking around lately that makes me look plain ugly and even feel harassed.

This is my first pregnancy (and maybe my last) and I was very surprised that it isn’t as easy as I thought it would be. I never thought I should be strong enough to endure the onslaught of ‘suitable’ and ‘well-meaning’
advice about how to do this and how to do that or what to do about this and what not to do about that. I didn’t think I would have a problem dealing with remarks from strangers about my size (yeah, I’m too big I guess, comments make me feel like a hippo all the time), my eating habits (that I eat too much and is everytime they see me, yeah right!), and even down to my labor decisions! I know I am a somewhat self-assured woman but I remember so many times when I have been reduced to tears by some stranger’s comment about how I look in my pregnancy and that maybe I may have to resort to a Caesarian Section.

Yes, again, I admit, I am a stressed up single Mom-to-be. And I don’t think I’m alone in this.

I know there are other Moms-to-be who feel like everyday is just full of hassles and dramas. Like maybe there are many expecting Moms who were up all night because they can’t come up with a proper position to sleep (Little Nicholas do this to me at times), then they wake up with a case of major laziness and headache and then they find out they’re about to be late to work (hmmm… sounds familiar). Then it’s Wednesday after all and they can’t afford to miss this day of the week to report to work. Arghhh! So they’ll have to move their big bellies and get to work in a hurry, ruining the day and maybe the whole week for starters.

There’s no doubt about it Mommies, we are stressed. But what do we mean by that really?

Stress is how our body reacts to surprises and disappointments in our life. I am sure a baby is never a disappointment, my Little Nicholas is the greatest surprise and the most precious gift from God. I’m certain all expecting Moms feel that way towards their little babies as well. But stress will always be there no matter what. Why? Because it is a chemical reaction that happens in our body; it can make us feel exhausted, even worn-out or frazzled, and edgy. That’s definitely not a cool way to carry our babies in our bodies, right?

Have you ever been so worried abut your pregnancy you can’t think straight? Or have you been so mad about something that you snapped at anyone who came near you?

Anger, frustration, sadness, fatigue, insomnia, lack of or too much appetite, and all other mixed emotions - these are all related to STRESS.

While we can’t control other people’s sly and cruel remarks, or even stop the baby from our bellies from moving so wild it hurts. The good news is that we can control how we react to what’s going on around us and even find ways to diffuse our stress.

From aromatherapy to self-acupressure to fun and engaging psychological tricks, there are so many ways to a quick and easy stress-relieving activities. What I am trying to say here is that, I am starting a new category in my Little Nicholas’ site for expecting Moms to understand what’s really happening in our minds and bodies and the fun solutions to do away with stress. I know I’m not an expert on this. But I do promise to give it my best shot and even do some research. After all, this is a way for me to relax as well and relieve myself from stress. I would welcome any suggestion and comment though.

So stay there, relax, and I’ll start posting these tips first thing tomorrow. Promise!