Prior to being pregnant with my first baby, I remembered hearing about this thing called “pregnancy brain” as a real condition causing memory loss and clumsiness. To me, it seemed absurd. I dismissed my pregnant friends inability to remember our lunch dates, or their newfound habit of never returning calls in a timely manner from sleep-deprivation. This momnesia ailment that produced verbal and physical deficits they talked so much about was something I was certain I would never succumb to. After all, I was always an astute, quick-thinking woman. I could never be that forgetful and clutsy.
Boy was I wrong. Very wrong.
During my first pregnancy, I had a series of uncharacteristic mishaps thanks to this thing called “pregnancy brain.” While curling my hair at four months pregnant, I grabbed my curling iron… on the hot iron part. Then, instead of dropping it like a normal person, I grabbed it with my other hand (yes, again on the hot iron part) producing second-degree burns on both hands. At seven months pregnant, I was attempting to give our handyman a can of varnish when I fumbled and spilled it all over myself and our newly remodeled kitchen. I was on my hands and knees for hours scrubbing the Kona-colored varnish from the crevices of our lightly-colored tiles, as well as from the cabinets and stainless steel appliances. (Essentially, I took a bath in varnish – a product they tell pregnant women to stay far away from- as I was covered in it from head to toe.)
I asked several of my mommy friends how quickly after pregnancy their brains returned to normal. Almost all of them said they didn’t resume normal functioning until they were finished breastfeeding. Great, I thought. My goal was to breastfeed for a year so I made the assumption I wouldn’t be back to normal again until October of 2014. I think back to that and just laugh. Not only did I end up breastfeeding for 15 months, but I found out I was pregnant with our second baby when my son AJ was ten-months old. My quest for my brain to return to normalcy would have to wait.
Even though this pregnancy has been a breeze compared to my first considering I’ve had zero morning sickness (hallelujah!), my bout with “pregnancy brain” has not been much better. For starters, the reason I decided to take a pregnancy test in the first place was due to the seeming return of this dreaded brain dysfunction. Over a three day period, I fell – actually tumbled/cartwheeled/crashed – down the stairs with my nine-month old (AJ) in my arms. (Don’t worry. My tumbles were a result of protecting AJ who escaped the incident unscathed. I, on the other hand, walked away with some black and blue bruises and a very sore bum.) The following day, I left my husband, Alfonso’s, car unlocked and it was broken into. The day after that, which happened to be Alfonso’s very first day of rehearsals for Dancing With The Stars, I somehow managed to send his bowl of cooked oatmeal flying across the room while attempting to merely set it on the table. The bowl shattered into hundreds of pieces with cooked oatmeal splattered everywhere. I simply looked at the mess, looked at the clock, and then at my husband. I apologized and literally ran out the door with AJ to his MyGym class (for which we were already late), leaving the disaster for my husband to clean up. He made the comment to me later in the day, “What is your deal lately? It’s as if you’re pregnant or something.” Basically, when I’m pregnant, my brain function is so bad that I need a team of bodyguards around me at all times to protect myself, my family, and everyone around me.
I have been journaling the past couple of years specifically about my pregnancies and of my adventures being a mommy. Journaling, along with regular chats with my fabulous fellow mommy friends, have been very therapeutic – especially in dealing with pregnancy brain, mommy brain, and both simultaneously. I recently felt inclined to convert my journaling into a blog in hopes of creating an open line of communication with other moms to learn from and potentially help or inspire new moms-to-be. I will be sharing my journey of being a wife, mother, stepmother, and a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) living in Los Angeles. I will share my trials and tribulations as I try to balance it all with an 18-month old son, a very pregnant belly (I will join the ‘two under two’ club in a week or two), a 12-year old stepdaughter, a husband in show business, and an often crazy and hectic travel schedule.
I look forward to sharing my ‘Mommyhood Tales’ and experiences with you. Any and all suggestions, advice or feedback are always welcome!
~Angela
Despite being fully aware that there are no proven non-medical ways to help induce labor, I’ve begun trying the myriad of strange and wacky natural induction methods in hopes of giving this baby of mine a little nudge. (Note: I’m 39 weeks pregnant and received the green light from my OB.) With my firstborn, I ate spicy food as my sole attempt to induce labor – and it seemed to work! This time around, I’ve already tried several of the popular techniques ranging from having a pressure points massage, eating loads of pineapple and papaya, drinking red raspberry leaf tea, taking primrose oil pills, walking more than usual, ordering lots of spicy foods, snacking on dates, and bouncing on my exercise ball (on which my son AJ loves to join me). I’m beyond ready to meet this little angel – and incredibly ready to be able to sleep on my belly again! If only they made mattresses with a large belly hole for pregnant women!