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| Photo by Flickr user Flequi |
On August 12, my first child, my son, Aidan Robert, is scheduled to leave his mother's womb and enter into the world.
It's a due date, not an exact science. In all likelihood, he won't come on that exact day, but it will be somewhere in that neighborhood.
It's exciting...and terrifying...and exciting.
The pregnancy process has been highly educational. My wife has probably been the most studious pregnant woman of all time.
If she's not reading one of her books about pregnancy, she's reading an article about breast-feeding. It's great, and I'm glad she's retaining it all, because my brain is seemingly incapable of absorbing all the complicated information.
I've tried. Swear to goodness, I have. It's just that once I start getting a few paragraphs into a blog post about what kind of fruit my baby currently resembles, I just kinda...space out.
But I did manage to hang on to a few choice morsels of information along the ride.
After the jump, I'm gonna give you my list of the top five things I've managed to learn about pregnancy. But before I do, can I ask a favor?
There are several things you can do for me today that will only take a few seconds, but would mean a lot to me.
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Commercial over. Here are the top five things I've learned about pregnancy:
There are several things you can do for me today that will only take a few seconds, but would mean a lot to me.
If you enjoy TheIsleOfMan.Net, here are a few ways you can show your appreciation, however moderate it may be:
1) Subscribe via email. You can do that by clicking HERE, or by simply entering your email address in the box in the upper portion of the right sidebar. It's easy to do, you'll get my e-book for free, and I promise not to spam you.
2) "Like" TheIsleOfMan.Net's Facebook page, HERE.
3) Follow me on Twitter HERE.
4) Re-tweet my posts. Start with today's. It takes literally two seconds, but it means a lot to me. you don't even have to be imaginative. I did the work for you. At the bottom of each post is a button with the Twitter icon on it. Click it. Send the tweet. It's almost too easy. (Also, if you'd like to share the posts on Facebook or Re-pin on Pinterest, that would be equally spectacular!)
I write because I enjoy it, and because I hope that people who read my posts will enjoy it too. I don't ask for anything in return, other than that you tell other people about this site, if you really do enjoy it.
Commercial over. Here are the top five things I've learned about pregnancy:
That's right. Not kidding. Not even a little bit.
Apparently, there is a disorder called: "Pica," wherein a pregnant woman will have an overwhelming desire to eat "non-nutritive substances," such as: dirt, stones and even FECES.
You couldn't make up something like that if you tried. And if you tried to make up something like that, you'd have to have some serious issues.
2 - Pregnancy Food Cravings Are No Joke
I know this isn't exactly revolutionary information, but you don't realize how true it is until you see your significant other undergo the changes, themselves.
Let me give you an example.
Before she became pregnant, my wife hardly ever ate ketchup. She didn't hate it, but it just was no big thing to her. She had no problem eating an entire order of french fries with no ketchup -- or any condiments at all, for that matter.
Nowadays, Kim can go through some ketchup. She loves it. She also currently loves mustard in a way that doesn't even make sense.
It's something you hear about, but there's just no comparing the rumors to the real thing.
3 - Kitty Litter Can Kill Pregnant Women and Their Baby
Toxoplasmosis is a parasite that can be picked up by way of a cat's litter and, specifically, their poop. This parasite can be lethal to a pregnant woman and can cause serious birth defects to the unborn child.
This means "Dear Husband," A.K.A.: Me, has had the the privilege of being the sole cleaner of cat pee, poo and soiled cat sand since December of last year.
I'm not complaining. It is what it is.
4 - Once the Baby Starts Moving...He Never Stops
I don't honestly remember exactly when my unborn son started kicking and moving around.
What I do know is that he hasn't really chilled out since.
At first, it was just casual movement. Now, he pretty much does cartwheels inside my wife's abdomen. There are times when I look at her stomach and it appears as though an alien is going to come bursting out at any moment.
I just feel bad for Kim. I can't imagine what it must be like to try and sleep with a tiny human being inside of you who is working on their karate dance moves.
5 - Umbilical Cords Vibrate
The umbilical cord, which is responsible for transporting all the sustenance that an unborn baby needs, also vibrates.
Babies enjoy the pulsating sensation. It's reassuring and comforting.
Last week, we took a tour of the maternity ward of the hospital where the birth will take place. The nurse who gave the tour walked us through the process and explained a lot of things that we will need to know.
One of the things she suggested was that we decide if we wanted to "cut the cord" while it was still pulsating, or if we wanted to wait until it had finished performing its function.
That blew my mind, and if it's the first time you're hearing it, you probably are feeling the same way right about now.
Are you an experienced parent? What are some things you'd add to the list?
I know this isn't exactly revolutionary information, but you don't realize how true it is until you see your significant other undergo the changes, themselves.
Let me give you an example.
Before she became pregnant, my wife hardly ever ate ketchup. She didn't hate it, but it just was no big thing to her. She had no problem eating an entire order of french fries with no ketchup -- or any condiments at all, for that matter.
Nowadays, Kim can go through some ketchup. She loves it. She also currently loves mustard in a way that doesn't even make sense.
It's something you hear about, but there's just no comparing the rumors to the real thing.
3 - Kitty Litter Can Kill Pregnant Women and Their Baby
Toxoplasmosis is a parasite that can be picked up by way of a cat's litter and, specifically, their poop. This parasite can be lethal to a pregnant woman and can cause serious birth defects to the unborn child.
This means "Dear Husband," A.K.A.: Me, has had the the privilege of being the sole cleaner of cat pee, poo and soiled cat sand since December of last year.
I'm not complaining. It is what it is.
4 - Once the Baby Starts Moving...He Never Stops
I don't honestly remember exactly when my unborn son started kicking and moving around.
What I do know is that he hasn't really chilled out since.
At first, it was just casual movement. Now, he pretty much does cartwheels inside my wife's abdomen. There are times when I look at her stomach and it appears as though an alien is going to come bursting out at any moment.
I just feel bad for Kim. I can't imagine what it must be like to try and sleep with a tiny human being inside of you who is working on their karate dance moves.
5 - Umbilical Cords Vibrate
The umbilical cord, which is responsible for transporting all the sustenance that an unborn baby needs, also vibrates.
Babies enjoy the pulsating sensation. It's reassuring and comforting.
Last week, we took a tour of the maternity ward of the hospital where the birth will take place. The nurse who gave the tour walked us through the process and explained a lot of things that we will need to know.
One of the things she suggested was that we decide if we wanted to "cut the cord" while it was still pulsating, or if we wanted to wait until it had finished performing its function.
That blew my mind, and if it's the first time you're hearing it, you probably are feeling the same way right about now.
Are you an experienced parent? What are some things you'd add to the list?
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