Pregnancy, that beautiful time in a woman’s life when we experience our bodies doing some amazing things; we are growing life inside of us! For those of us who have had babies, we know that ‘’magical’’ isn’t the best descriptor; we crave for a variety of foods and become we pretty weird with it.
A woman’s body goes through some incredible changes in a very short span of time. Stretch marks are no fun, but it’s really the internal changes that are the weirdest. We swing from mood to mood like Tarzan on a vine and many women experience crippling nausea for at least the first three months if not longer. We get tired, achy and start to waddle. Perhaps the strangest phenomenon of all is the food cravings and aversions. Throughout it all, our poor husbands have to take care of us and satisfy our cravings.
My own experience
When I was pregnant with my son, early on I had wanted hydrating foods. Thankfully it was June so my husband constantly had to bring home watermelon and cucumbers on his way home from work. They were the only foods that would calm my nausea (no morning sickness, thank God). About two months in, for two weeks, I could only eat macaroni and cheese. The cravings changed constantly and would shift from wanting cinnamon everything one day to chocolate milk the next; the third trimester it was pot roast in a big way.
Fortunately, I wasn’t one of those women who wanted the strange food combinations (like cream cheese and pickles or hot sauce on vanilla ice cream) or pica (the strong craving for non-edibles like ice, chalk, or dirt) and my husband would make sure I got what I wanted because sometimes the nausea would be so bad that whatever I was craving would be the only thing I would eat that day.
So, what can husbands do? How can they deal with their pregnant wives?
The best thing for a husband to do when their wife is pregnant and having a craving or aversion is to find a way to be accommodating.
I liken pregnant women to wild animals; keep them fed and satiated and no harm will come to you.
Here how to deal with your pregnant wife:
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Be flexible
The best course of action is to be flexible. You will get that call on your way home from work for a McDonald’s milkshake or get woken up in the middle of the night to run to Walmart for some fruit salad and Marshmallow Fluff. Take the whole thing in stride because things change in a blink. Chances are you’ll develop some sympathy symptoms – including food cravings of your own (my husband wanted Sour Patch Kids pretty much the whole pregnancy).
Perhaps the more difficult symptom to deal with is food aversions. I can’t recall having any myself (which probably explains why I gained 40lbs.), but many women do – especially in the first trimester. Husbands, be patient here because chances are any cooking of meat/fish/onions/cruciferous veggies/fry oil/eggs will send your wife sprinting towards the bathroom. It can make going out hard. A close friend developed an aversion to Buffalo Wild Wings, so it was no more hockey games there for awhile.
Pregnancy creates a supernatural sense of smell. The odor of a diesel engine half a mile ahead of you in the car can make her stomach turn. The worst thing is, we don’t know we have an aversion to something until we come in contact with it.
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Be patient and understanding
Dealing with your pregnant wife involves being patient, flexible, and giving. Remember that it is all worth it, and after the chaos of having a new baby settles down, you and your wife can have a good laugh at her penchant for bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers.
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Constantly tell her she’s beautiful and that you love her
Men, know that your wife is undergoing some serious body transformations during her pregnancy. Add to it, all the morning sickness, nausea and cravings. Being pregnant is not easy for her and she needs all your support and love. Reassure her that you think she’s beautiful and that you love her a lot. Repeat these affirmations to her as much as you can so she knows you care.
