Three Unusual Things That Were a Life Saver to Me This Pregnancy

My first twin pregnancy was apparently easy; although I didn’t realize it then. I think it takes time to give us perspective on things past. During my first pregnancy, I worked from home. I could nap whenever I wanted; eat when I wanted; shop when I wanted, etc. I didn’t have any other children. I had the house to myself. My biggest feat of the day was cooking dinner for my husband and I. Towards the end of said pregnancy I was put on bedrest, which is no fun by the way. That made things tricky in a house with a staircase. My dilemma became whether to start the day with a shower and tooth brush or not.

Fast forward a couple of years and here I am, pregnant with twins again, and life is different to say the least. I am now responsible for 3 lives (plus 2 dogs) all day long. Oh wait, make that 5 lives including the 2 humans in my womb who make demands on me already! Because of the physical requirements of my life now, this pregnancy has just been harder on me. Not to mention the fact that these new twins (in utero) are already 2 pounds heavier than my previous twins were at birth! So this time around I have been on the lookout for small ways to make my life and this pregnancy easier.

On a good day, our house looks like a toy store that has exploded. I call my kids the Twin Tornadoes because they rip through the house, from room to room, taking out and down everything they can reach. Our home is strewn with the devastation of toys forgotten, sippy cups tossed that have been abandoned, and laundry baskets that have been plundered for treasure. Needless to say, there are billions of things to be picked up. (On that note, why do we have so much crap?) Until a few months ago, I was able to stoop and bend all day to pick up the debris, but once these womb-mates started getting big, so did I and it became difficult, painful, and contraction inducing to bend and stoop. Thankfully, I am married to a genius. He suggested I use this strange little tool we received as a gift from my mother many a Christmas ago, called The Gopher.

Here is a photo because the name doesn't help you envision it

Now to be honest, when we opened this silly thing up we both thought it was such a joke. It sat in our hall closet for 5 years, in the box, and we would laugh at it every time we saw it. Because, I mean, who needs a “reaching tool?” After those 5 years we bought a house and that tool has become invaluable to us. During my pregnancy I am using it to pick up after my kids. Too bad it isn’t strong enough to actually pick them up! You can even use this thing in the car for long trips. When your child throws or drops something and then throws a fit because they want it back, the passenger can reach these normally hard to reach items with The Gopher!

The next lifesaver item is really a no-brainer: a shower chair. You know, the type you would buy for the elderly or disabled so that they can sit down while in the shower. I originally bought the chair 4 years ago because our new house has a stand-alone shower. How in the world do you safely shave your legs in a stand-alone shower? The shower chair gave me a place to put my foot, thus saving my life a few times. During pregnancy, as many of you know, shaving your legs is often referred to as yoga because it is a workout to get to our shins! However, thanks to the shower chair I can sit down and brace a foot against the wall, effectively shaving most of my leg. You’re welcome husband and doctors who have to touch them.

Lastly, a bar stool. Unfortunately, I didn’t get this last item until about a month ago although I would have benefited from it my entire pregnancy. I don’t know about you, but an extra 50-60 pounds on your frame can really cause a lot of pain. When I stand I get painful shin splints and my feet, back, and belly hurt. This causes a real problem when you are trying to prepare meals up to 5 times a day. Thus, the stool. With a high top barstool I can sit at the stove while turning foods that require much supervision and I can sit at my kitchen island for food prep instead of standing on a cold, hard tile floor for hours.   

These days I am all about avoiding pain and exhaustion! If you have any other tips or tools that just make life easier, please let me know about them! After all, why work harder when you can work smarter?

Remember to slow down and enjoy the fruits of your labor and love on a daily basis and you will start to see life as a Mama on the Bright Side.