Over the last two weeks I've increasingly had trouble sleeping. While I totally get that my bladder is "getting smaller" by virtue of the additional pressure that is being put on it by my growing baby, when I do get up in the middle of the night to go (2 or 3am that is) it's frustrating when I can't fall back asleep. My eyes are closed wide shut but I can't seem to get my mind to shut off nor can I find a comfortable sleeping position. Sleeping on my back is uncomfortable now (and according to my OB-GYN and all of the pregnancy books I'm reading) it is also not good for me or baby - apparently the baby weight pushes on the vena cava and can be fatal to the mother. Sleeping on the right or left side seems more comfortable, at least for now, with the left side supposedly more beneficial for the baby as it is more supportive to the placenta in delivering more nutrients along. Despite these small annoyances I wonder if it's my body's way of preparing me for what's to come...
As we all know there are certainly some restrictions to what you can and cannot eat while you are pregnant. While these are fairly normal foods that I wouldn't normally crave, I've mentally began tallying up these foods:
Runny eggs - I have to cook them all the way through for fear of listeria! I love me a runny egg or two.
Italian cold cut sandwiches (rather, deli meats) - The deli meat can be fatal for mom and baby as it too may carry listeria. The rule of thumb is that you can eat it if it's steaming hot, but for some reason a hot Italian sandwich isn't appealing especially since I really only love it cold. Picky, I know. But I'm pregnant, so I expect extreme pickiness!
Tuna fish - I love tuna melts and tuna sandwiches. But I fear eating any kind of tuna (and I'm always religiously checking on any fish or seafood I might eat) because of the potential high mercury content.
Medium rare steaks - These days eating a nice cut of rib-eye is no fun. Who wants to eat well done steak?? So wrong! So I've been avoiding my favorite cuts of beef until I can enjoy them the way they should be enjoyed.
Sushi - This speaks for itself...though having a california roll, a tempura roll or an unagi roll is fine and should hit the spot. But none of my favorite salmon sashimi, negihama roll, spicy tuna or uni. Sad face.)
Coffee and Tea - while you're allowed up to a cup a day, caffeine is a major contributor to miscarriages. As much as I love coffee and tea...I'm not risking it. And how about decaf you say? Decaf STILL has some caffeine in it! If the craving is particularly strong, I might have a few sips of a decaf, but that's it.
Peanuts and Peanut Butter - my OB specifically said no peanuts - because it is conducive to causing allergies in babies. Boo hoo.
Hot dogs - yes, believe it or not, hot dogs. I can't resist the savory, beefy snap of a delicious hot dog smothered in ketchup and dab of mustard on a soft hot dog bun. But alas, as much as we all try to ignore the harsh reality of it all, hot dogs have all kinds of bad stuff in it, and to top it off if it's not cooked appropriately listeria can run rampant. Not risking it at this point as much as I crave them.
And who could forget a nice glass of red or white wine!
While the list is much longer, these are the latest that I've missed the most, but is not worth risking my baby's health. And I am crossing my fingers that my sleep patterns get a bit better. As my husband says - only less than 4 months to go!
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