Don't Try It

Anyone who knows me well, or at the least reads my Blog on even a semi-regular basis, knows that my wife (aka The Feared Redhead) suffers from a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum. Essentially, for a pregnant woman with hyperemesis gravidarum, "Morning Sickness" occurs all the time, throughout most or all of the pregnancy. TFR is 2 1/2 months from her due date, and she's still experiencing Nausea, indigestion, and acid reflux on a daily basis. because of this discomfort, it is difficult for her to do much around the house.

Now, even undfer normal circumstances, we're not exactly the Cleavers whn it comes to the division of household labor. I dso most of the cooking and almostg all of the dishes, help with laundry and general housecleaning, am responsible for cleaning the bathrooms, as well as the extractor of trash. But druing the pregnancy, the domestic workload has been almost entirely mine.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the pregnancy is harder on me than her. She's the one whose body is playing host to a very fast-growing multicelled organism. She can't sleep well at night, she's sick daily, she's uncomfortable, nothing to speak of what labor will be like.

Nor am I complaining about being pregnant in general -- I signed on for this, I accept my responsibility gladly. Besides, the reward will be worth it.

But here's my point: Neither of us, especially not her, have been able to enjoy the "calm before the storm" that the latter stages of pregnancy are supposed to be. I'm exhausred, she's exhausted and miserable. No "Honeymoon Trimester" for us. On the other hand, once the baby is born, while it may be true that the amount of work to be done will increase, so will the number of adults available and able to do the work.

So the next time some well-meaning but smug individual tells me to enjoy the pregnancy, because it's the last rest I'll get, I shall laugh hysterically in their face. Or punch them in it. Or both, depending on my mood.