The Do’s and Don’ts of Taking Care of The Number 3

· Do take prenatal vitamins
· Don’t take illegal drugs or legal ones for that matter unless it’s on the “preapproved” list, including caffeine

· Do drink lots of water (see next one)
· Don’t be far away from a bathroom (I actually had to get up in the middle of the night last night already)

· Do exercise on a regular basis
· Don’t ride horses (is this for the mom, the baby, or because it’s considered a dangerous sport?)

· Do eat vitamin rich foods
· Don’t eat raw meat, deli meat, hot dogs, fish, fish, or fish, raw eggs, soft cheeses, unpasteurized milk, or unwashed vegetables

· Do have Tums or Rolaids nearby for frequent heartburn
· Do get enough sleep


Seriously?! With all of these things that are considered toxic or somewhat harmful how is that so many children were born healthy prior to the 21st century and still managed to survive. And I’m sure that this list isn’t even all inclusive. Is the American population overzealous in their caution; and in turn, causing more children to become sick because the children’s immune systems haven’t had to fight anything? I do wonder how life would be if I were pregnant in the 19th century – ate vegetables out of the ground, drank unpasteurized milk, and probably ate meats that were full of germs.


Now, I’m not advocating for women to abandon healthy eating habits or medical care; however, I’m wondering how common the bacteria listeria is actually found on deli meat? The American Pregnancy Association states that this bacteria can cause a miscarriage; while I’m not doubting this information, I’m really skeptical at the lack of empirical evidence surrounding this issue. If deli meat has been cooked (which since it’s not raw, it’s safe to assume that it has been) how is there bacteria still on it? Did someone leave it out on the counter too long and it got warm?!

Now considering that all three of my children will be born in the 21st century – exposed to all sorts of toxins, chemicals, and medicines – including vaccines; it is amazing that neither of my born children have any health problems. In fact, they are two of the most healthy children I’ve ever met. But in all seriousness, where does one draw the line as a pregnant adult, a mom, a sister, or friend? If the toxins, chemicals, germs, and bacteria that I’ve been exposed to are going to kill me; I’d think I would have had some signs of poisoning already.

I only bring all of this up because I had a migraine for the majority of yesterday and much into the evening making me rather cranky and quite easily frustrated. So, I figured, instead of losing a night’s sleep, I’ll take ½ my dosage of generic Excedrin migraine and see if that does the trick. Sure enough, by the time I woke up to go to the bathroom at 5:15 this morning, my headache was gone! So, if I’ve injured my baby in anyway, at least I’ll know the first thing that I did wrong to contribute to his or her maldevelopment.

Oh man!

I've had a lot of stress in my life over the last few months. I've bought a house, estranged myself from my in-laws, somehow managed to make it through this quarter of my Master's program, and have been working on my relationship with Mark. I was finally getting used to life in the new house and trying to figure out where everything was going to fit when I realized that I hadn't been visited by my monthly friend. So, by the random chance that I might be pregnant, I decided to dig out my pregnancy tests left over from when I had Ethan.

YIKES! The first one that I took on Sunday night was positive. But the test was expired, so it had to be wrong, right? I took another one on Monday... still positive. Ok. This is becoming a possibility and a problem, what in the world am I going to do?! So, I called my mom (practically sobbing) and told her that I had a really big problem. She asked what was wrong, and I told her that I thought I might be pregnant. Let's just say that my her's and my dad's responses weren't any more encouraging. And number three on Wednesday turned positive before I had a chance to even set it on the bathroom counter!

The strange thing was, though, that I didn't have any symptoms... none. I wasn't tired, or sick, various body parts felt completely normal. I kept thinking and comparing the facts of my two previous pregnancies with Moriah and Ethan; and remembering how completely miserable I was. Ugh. After seriously considering my three different options - adoption, abortion, and keeping the baby; I made an appointment to confirm that the three expired HPT that I used must have been wrong. So, I made an appointment to see a doc on Thursday afternoon for a "real" pregnancy test.

Sure enough, number three is on the way; with an unapproximate date of delivery around November 6th.

After ruminating on this predicament for the last week, God has blessed me with a better understanding of how some women feel so stuck that their only option is abortion; yet, he has also changed my heart and helped me come to grips with the fact that I'm going to be a mom to three kiddos, which is kind of exiciting! At least Ethan will be 2 and Moriah will be almost 5 by the time Number 3 arrives.