On Taking it Easy

New York, 2012

When you're pregnant (usually when you are feeling just great and really positive and hopeful), women who've been-there-done-that seem to relish a lot of time telling you that the last month or so of pregnancy is really, really tough. Then they say something like "You should take it easy!" or "Don't try to do too much."

Indeed, I can confirm that somewhere around 34 weeks, it's gotten considerably more difficult. I am starting to feel like a cartoon pregnant lady and very, very round. Plus, we've been in the eye of the moving, home-buying storm during a major New York heatwave.

The crux of it is that normal tasks, like making dinner, or doing the dishes, or walking to and from the grocery store seem kind of daunting. Mentally I feel okay, and physically I really don't have it that bad as far as third trimester symptoms go. But I'm lucky if I'm getting 4 hours of sleep a night and have been feeling almost jet lagged this past week. Plus, I feel kind of...ratty and grumpy.

Anyway, last night a friend brought us dinner and helped us move some boxes for an hour. It was a godsend. How to explain? Even picking a takeout place to order from can seem insurmountable at the moment. And I imagine when you have a newborn, you feel much the same.

Moral of the story is, if you know a heavily pregnant lady (or someone with a brand new baby), the gift of a simple meal or some cleaning help is priceless. It can be hard to ask or even articulate what you need, so when someone just does it, you feel immensely grateful.