Tricks of the Trade to Get through the Day

Pregnant or not we all face those days of sheer exhaustion where we just don't think we will make it through the day. And it's barely 8:30am. Under normal circumstances we can chug back several venti starbucks like a frat boy doing keg stands during Greek Week and carry on with our day. Pregnancy however, prevents us (or should) from caffiene loading and creates an even great exhaustion problem.

Imagine if you will a worm hold in space centered over your abdomen sucking your energy away from you in a swirling vortex. There is no Starbucks at the edge of the Universe. Real life is not a Douglas Adams novel despite feeling like a depressed robot on auto pilot!


So as a courtesy to you I have put together my list of things I have adapted to, to make it through a day.

1) Water-there is no caffiene but keeping your body hydrated helps keep it running more efficiently and helps with the sandy dry eye feeling.

2) Walking (especially outside)-when my head keeps jerking towards my desk like its magnetized, its time to take a 10 minute walk to get some fresh air and circulate the blood. If you have to do this twice an hour so be it.

3) Decaff coffee or Hot tea-the warmth and flavor almost tricks the brain into thinking you are fueling up on your caffinated beverage of choice. It gives you a temporary psychological boost.

4)Food-I've never been a snacker. I was doing good to eat 3 meals a day. As your pregnancy progresses your eating habits change with it. Frankly, there isn't room to eat large meals and you don't want the heartburn that comes with it. so you start eating little bits every few hours. This keeps your energy level more even as well. I keep a LOT of fresh fruit around me now. I'm not sure you will find my desk without an apple and water bottle hanging out together.

5) Power Naps- a necessary evil. yes, they are never long enough and you may still feeel groggy but sometimes catching 10-20 minutes of shut eye in your car at lunch is a necessity for your mental stability (so you don't stab a co-worker with a letter opener because they just want shut up during a meeting).

6) Protein- It's burned slower so gives you a more consistent energy level than carbs. Carbs are like an energy drink-they pin your eyelids to your forehead immediately but unlike Joan Rivers cheek bones, they almost as quickly sag to your chin a short time later.

Finally: Caffiene. I know its the forbidden fruit of pregnancy but you can safely have small quantities of it. And Really? I would rather hype my kid up in utero every now and again than risk a car wreck because I fell asleep at the wheel.

Common sense is the key and all of these tips are spread through pregnancy books but as its a daily grind for my insomniac self, I thought it worth its own post.

Picture Credit.