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Sam = Key to low stress

Yesterday, I was singing the praises of pregnancy to a female relative. Her parents would probably prefer that she got married first. And in retrospect, I should have stressed that component of the formula as well.

We come from a family of people with high levels of stress. And we are no different. Whatever is going on in our lives, we stress about it. Whatever went on in our lives, we stress about it. Whatever could possibly happen in our lives, we stress about it. Whatever is happening in the lives of others, we stress about it.... You get the idea.

I realized yesterday that pregnancy has set me free from much of that stress. Cerebrally, I know that there are things I could be doing in my life and things I could concern myself with. But somehow, I tune much of that out. Instead, I'm focused on sleeping, eating, zoning out, growing a baby. Sam and I worried that I would be a stressed pregnant woman, but this is the least stressed I've been in years. I feel almost like I've returned to high school, when I wasn't phased by having to do a month of homework in one night - before the stress gene kicked in at 18.

But, I wouldn't be able to carry on in this low-stress state without Sam. He's done an amazing job of picking up the slack I've left in my wake. He makes dinner, cleans up after dinner, makes both of my breakfasts (the cold cereal I eat while still in bed and the hot oatmeal I eat once I get to work), brings lunch home for me when I've called in sick to work.... Are you sensing a theme here? Many feedings are required in this whole baby-growing thing. There's also much sleeping involved, also encouraged by Sam.

I used to approach each weekend with a to-do list, worried about how many things I could accomplish. I now nap and read and watch TV and nap some more. With a number of feedings interspersed. Sam is happy with this new development, as it allows him to relax more on the weekends too, without my pulling him into my to-do list. The trade-off is that he is more stressed in general, having taken on many of the responsibilities I once carried. And will probably carry again. But, for now, I carry on in a state of bliss. As does my husband, just in a different way.

So, relative of mine, revision of yesterday's advice:
Find yourself a nice man who is happy to contribute to baby-growing (beyond the initial investment), and then enjoy the stresslessness of pregnancy.

Posted by Shokufeh at April 1, 2005 02:57 PM