by Brandy Baudrand

Whoever came up with the term “morning sickness” has obviously never been pregnant. I imagine it was some doctor (male, I’d bet) who was trying to come up with a neat, dainty little name for the full blown puke fest that is early pregnancy. I think a more appropriate name would be “All Day, Feel Like I’m Going to Die Sickness” or “Kill Me Now Sickness”. Those sound more appropriate to me.

And don’t get me started on the exhaustion that is almost debilitating. It’s been hard to stay up later than about 8 at night, and in my free time I can usually be found lying in the grass with a book or curled up on the couch watching bad reality TV. Not too much physical activity going on in my life besides chasing my two year old, Jonah.

This isn’t an attempt at pregnancy prevention, though you might want to show it to your daughter just to reinforce what you’ve already told her. I’m actually really excited that Ryan and I are expecting bambino number 2, and I know that pregnancy only gets easier from here on (seriously, the huge belly and inability to see your feet is nothing in comparison). Having two kiddies will be a challenge, but I’m ready for it.

Kayaking and Pregnancy

The exhaustion and sickness has certainly affected my kayaking. I’ve been a few times since I found out the big news, but I’m usually too tired after work to do much. I’m also a lot more hesitant about going out by myself, so that means I always need a buddy to go with. That makes things a bit more challenging. The times I have been out were still as much fun, although I can tell that my balance is way off. That’s another symptom commonly experienced in early pregnancy.

So, for those of you who have been anxiously waiting to hear how the ladies’ kayaking skills are improving this summer (are there any of you?), just know that I am not going to reach my goal of being a solid class III-IV boater this season. The Nantahala River will be my home for the summer. I will have a brand new, beautiful little person in my life come February however, and I couldn’t ask for anything more. Besides, there’s always next summer.

For more on paddling and pregnancy, check out maria Noakes’ article, Kayaking Through Pregnancy