Or at least I used to. This last few weeks? I keep thinking: "My poor family!" over and over again.
Last night Paul came home to see an empty stove top. I stood, holding three cans he couldn't see, and finally said: "Are Spaghetti O's okay?" And he looked... relieved. Because I'm pretty sure he'd been waiting for me to bag him to go out and get something off some fast food dollar menu somewhere, while I hid in the living room and tried not to breath in the smell.
Pregnancy hormones. They've destroyed my ability to cook well for over a month now.
I've been trying harder and harder, but my sense of taste is totally off. I prepared a big dinner two days ago and when Paul came in the kitchen I announced that it was a disaster. "I'm sorry! It tastes..." I lamented, "like chicken..." Paul looked at the stove, saw that it was chicken, and may have wondered to himself how much longer this insanity would last. "I can't get it to not taste like chicken."
See, the thing is, right now I hate chicken. And beef. Especially ground beef. I hate pork (even my beloved bacon!). I'd throw in lamb, but I'm allergic to lamb, so that's always on the list. And while I haven't tried it since pregnant, I'm pretty sure there's a good chance I'd hate turkey too. It's like I'm back in my vegetarian days, in a house full of carnivores (Sadie cheers for steak).
The night of the chicken incident, Paul jokingly said: "Let me taste it first and tell you if you get to say sorry." He tasted it and informed me that it was good and that I did not. Sadie confirmed the assessment and I picked around the chicken and ate rice.
I'm ready for the second trimester. I can almost see it in the future, filled with lovely foods, a mere two weeks away. I love food in the second trimester, I tell myself. At least I always have in the past.
Yesterday I was excited. I weighed myself and had gained 1 lb. Finally, I thought. I'm ready for the pregnancy weight gain to begin (maybe because I'm hoping it goes hand in hand with wanting to eat again. This morning that pound was gone (that's not fair! I ate those spagehetti o's!). I'm grateful I haven't gain 20 lbs in the first trimester this time (like I basically did with Mae Bae), but I'm also ready to cook and enjoy food again (although I am starting out 15 lbs ahead of where I started with the Bae, so I guess I'm just breaking even).
I really hope this is a first trimester thing this time around. I don't know how you ladies who have trouble eating all three trimesters do it. Either way I need to suck it up and start cooking. There's only so much frozen pizza my family can take!
I understand how you feel Cam! The first trimester was horrible for me too. My family lived off of cold cereal and eggs for the longest time. I felt terrible for both them and myself because of the pregnancy. I love to cook too. I love trying out new things. Now at 32 weeks that love of cooking is starting to fade again and I'm having a hard time just standing in the kitchen and trying to figure out what to make. I'm sure you are better at coming up with things than I am, but try to throw in vegetarian dishes. I've surprised my family with some of those dishes. The most easiest thing is black bean burritos/tacos. I make them soft taco style so my kids can decide what they want in them. But if they really want meat, just set aside food for yourself sans the meat and then cook the rest for them. This will pass (hopefully), hang in there!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about cooking when you feel like that. I was nauseated for nearly the whole 9 months. My husband is a farmer, so that meant 2 big meals every day -ugh. I actually lost weight for the first few months.
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better soon!
With my daughter, I lived on turkey sandwiches on white bread - no cheese, no condiments, just turkey - and pineapple for 4months. The smell of anything else would make me so nauseous the only way to feel better was to sleep.
ReplyDeleteAt five months I started feeling a bit better, but I began the stereotype of craving ice cream.
I hope you feel better.
I lost 25 pounds with my 19 week miscarriage and almost 30 with my 33 week preemie. I was so sick I was in and out of the hospital, but I was so hungry I used to cry about it!
ReplyDeleteBecause my husband works at a restaurant, I asked him if he could eat there whenever possible. Whatever food he makes for himself is free, so I only had to put up with food on his random once-a-week day off. Other than that, he went in to work early to eat, ate before he came home, or had cereal.
I am terrified to ever be pregnant again, because I can't just starve my son! Oh, and the food thing went on for the entire pregnancy both times, so I didn't get a reprieve.
I hope the next two weeks go quickly for you and that you start feeling better soon!
I understand how you feel. Except pretty much all I wanted in my first trimester was protein- mainly beef. So I stopped cooking (except to make tacos from time to time) and my dear hubby grilled. A lot. He grilled burgers, chicken, burgers, and burgers. I think I cut up lettuce for salad.
ReplyDeleteThree cheers for the second trimester!