Thursday, July 12, 2007

Supermom's strategies for the sick

Disclaimer: This post is about vomiting...

I've realized over the course of the past three weeks that I have inadvertently developed strategies for dealing with pregnancy sickness; how to nip the nausea in the bud, how to make it wear off a little faster. Granted, my strategies don't always work, but at least they make me feel like I have some sort of control over my body.
  1. The most obvious strategy I've recognized myself doing is that in the kitchen, I inhale deeply before opening the refrigerator, pantry, or garbage can, so that I have a prolonged exhale while said door is open. This way, I don't actually have to smell the fridge or pantry (even though they don't really smell that bad...to a pregnant woman, it's poison). Although, I must admit that there are times when even the thought of what the fridge smells like is enough to make me sick, even though my nose is closed.
  2. Diaper changing. I tried using the same inhale/exhale strategy with stinky diapers, and it just took too long. I tried holding my breath or covering my face with my shirt, but then I just threw up in my shirt. So I've resorted to changing in the backyard if its cool enough, otherwise I open windows and sit under the swamp cooler to get the smell to quickly dissipate. So far this seems to be working.
  3. Wait it out. Babyproof the room as well as possible, closing the bathroom door upstairs if Leah decides to venture up to her bedroom, and arming myself with the phone, the remote, and a bottle of tums, I lay inverted on the couch wimpering and restlessly drooping. (Just as long as no one rings the doorbell...)
  4. I drink a big glass of water with breakfast. That way if it bounces back up, its not as gross.
  5. Choice of breakfast foods: M&M's never seem to come back up.
  6. Be sick. Get it over with and then promptly eat crackers and sprite and see if it stays down.

*Sigh* None of my techniques are actually fail proof. If only experience yielded improved performance.

Monday, July 02, 2007

Dental Dilemma

Chris visited the dentist and was told he had a mouth full of cavities. He was told to floss regularly and to come back for fillings. When he got home I asked him if he had gotten a free sample of dental floss. No. A free toothbrush? No. Now, you may think I should choose my battles better, but I really feel strongly that a goodie bag of a free "dentist recommended" toothbrush, a sample of toothpaste, and a small sample of floss should be a given when you visit the dentist.

When Chris returned a few weeks later for the fillings, I was very interested to see if he would bring home more than a receipt. I went with him so I could drive him home since he would most likely feel crummy. As I signed the credit card slip for several hundred dollars worth of fillings (and just our copay portion), I jokingly asked if it came with a free toothbrush. It didn't! Again, we came home without a handout! I'm shocked! I'm astonished! I'm unimpressed! I'm betrayed by the system.

Chris is baffled that I am willing to terminate our relationship with said dentist and find another based on the simple absence of a free toothbrush and dental floss sample. But seriously, they may save $4 per patient by not having a goodie bag, but that $4 savings for them causes me to not do business there again. And actually, I'm willing to venture that dental offices receive free product samples from toothbrush and toothpaste companies for the sole purpose of giving them away to patients to get their products in the mouths of Americans.

I think I'm justified in being outraged. Wouldn't you?