Learning What Hormones Do

I married the most wonderful woman in all the world! And that's a fact. But to be a wonderful husband, I learned today that it's going to take a lot more effort than I've been giving lately. She has her normal emotions of excitement from a friend's letter and fatigue from work. But she also has some crazy chemical and non chemical things going on lately. Chemically, she's got a lot of hCG (queasiness and fatigue) and estrogen (sensitive skin and increased blood flow).

The emotional hormonal changes are partially due to the chemical changes and partially due to all the ideas and emotions surrounding such a life-changing event. Constant bathroom trips and 6 extra snack times (while nothing sounds very good at all) are just part of the changes that effect Christine. External factors are really weighing on her right now. The idea of another person in our family, the absence of her dad being there when he/she is born, and the anxiety of getting through the first trimester are just some of the things that are effecting her emotions that have nothing to do with her body.

LIFE HAPPENS EVEN WHEN YOU ARE PREGNANT. SO..... I've learned that telling her she is emotional because she's pregnant or that she is seeming to be a little moody because she is pregnant isn't true 100% of the time. It might be the fact that I'm working a lot or that a friend is really struggling with something deep. A better response for me is to ask her how she is doing. "Christine, how are you doing? Do you feel okay? How is your nausea? What have you been thinking about lately?"

These questions are so critical for communication and connecting with the love of your life. Christine is my first love, and when this baby grows up and moves out of the house in 20 years, I'm going to need to still be connected to Christine. I have to keep remembering that it matters how Christine feels too, not just that it matters to take care of the baby inside her.

Today marks the end of week 5 and all seems well with both the baby and MY BABY.