5 things to make pregnancy and ranching more enjoyable.
Lets set the scene. You are a ranch wife; you cook, clean, manage budgets, manage people, manage the schedule, make appointments and keep records. You are the foreman, the partner, the R&D dept. the in house nurse and an endless list of other things. To top it all off...you're pregnant. Yay. Planned or unplanned, baby is coming. You do what any other woman does, prepare yourself the best you can.
The above description is similar to my position currently. While my husband and I share the work load on pretty much everything, there is still a lot to do and be as a ranch wife. Being 8 months pregnant during calving season has been pretty okay, but pregnancy comes with it's challenges. Feeling like I can't do things now, that I could previously, has felt slightly debilitating at times. Carrying a tiny human in your uterus 24/7 forces you to avoid things like being chased by mean heifers, tagging calves of cows that might plow you, and really do anything half sketchy, which used to be normal. Not that you really want to be dealing with that regularly anyway, but sometimes it comes with the job. Don't get me wrong, any ranch wife who has been pregnant has done her fair share of things she wouldn't tell the midwife or doctor. Me too, and for the most part we all seem to do okay in the end. However, the transition from doing whatever you set your pretty little mind to do, to now forcedly slowing down, can be pretty difficult. At least in my experience, it has been a challenge. I have found a few things that have helped me make the transition a little easier. Some of these are just common sense, but as a stubborn female, you tell yourself "I can do more". To this I say, yes, we all think we can do more until we realize we are sleep deprived, depressed and hangry all the time, making our husbands wonder what to do with themselves, us and the impressive amount of hormones that we have going on. So just bear with me, as I share some things I am learning through being pregnant and ranching. Hopefully it will help you feel like you aren't as alone.
Rest
Okay, the first common sense one. I didn't allow myself to nap regularly until the third trimester. That my friends, was interesting for everyone. While feeling productive while your pregnant is very important, sleep is even more important. I understand and totally respect the drive to be productive. However, growing a baby takes a lot of energy from you, which leaves you with less energy for other things. So, while mentally, you feel that you are being tough by not napping, you're really just leaving yourself unable to do other things well, which is even more unproductive. Vicious cycle, I know, yet so simply solved. My husband says my extra hour of sleep will make or break my day, and he is 100 percent correct. So please don't follow my bad example of not resting, sleep is really important. It is funny that I even went through this because anyone and everyone will tell you rest while being pregnant is important, but hey, we all do irrational things sometimes.
Invest in some overalls
Overalls are so underrated. Do yourself a huge favor, and get yourself some overalls for your ranching pregnancy journey, or just any pregnancy journey. They might not always feel very flattering but who cares, your husband still thinks you look sexy. Overalls have saved me from spending copious amounts on maternity jeans that I really didn't want to pay anyway. Since the majority of my work at home doesn't need to be overly stylish, I slap those puppies on over my leggings and bam, I am comfortable, warm and can actually move. Your local thrift store probably has something similar that you can get to work in without breaking the bank. I will add, if you are looking for a really comfy pair or maternity jeans, I bought a pair of used wrangler maternity jeans for riding and they are really nice if you are still riding horses, or as the weather warms up and overalls feel too heavy.
An Empty Mucho Mango Jug
I am partially being silly, but what I mean is any large water jug. While Stanleys are definitely all the rage right now (except I heard they found lead in them or something), I have really fallen in love with my Mucho Mango jug. That jug lasts me all day and it carries plenty of water. I take it in the pickup, the side by side, the barn, the shop, and I never have to worry about wrecking it because I know where I can get another one. Shout out to whoever makes the lids for those jugs, they are the real deal. But in all reality, any hefty water jug can really help day to day activities, as far as hydration goes. I was never very good at staying hydrated previous to being pregnant but having that jug of water to just take wherever on the ranch has helped my consumption a lot. I would strongly recommend finding something you will actually take with you, that can last you a large part of the day. This way it isn't stressful when you are a too far from the house, or mid project and either cant or don't want to go back all the time for water.
Snacks
Take snacks with you as much as is reasonable. Speaking from experience, as a pregnant lady, I eat all the time, and I will eat just about anything. I have had times where just out of the blue I am ferociously hungry and put down four pieces of toast in four minutes (not recommending that for a healthy snack). I wouldn't recommend doing toast like that all the time, but if you make some healthy snacks that you can take along through the day to munch on, you will be very happy. You will find yourself less hangry, with more energy, you will feel overall better and you might even have less heartburn which is a positive thing I have experienced. Some of my favorites to take have been apples, muffins, and any yummy homemade protein bar/snack thing. My sweet neighbor makes some really yummy peanut butter chocolate ones and indulges my husband and I on occasion (we are so spoiled). They are relatively easy to take along and save you a lot of trouble. I will link to a muffin recipe that I have used before that is mouth watering good.
Buttermilk Muffins
Keep SMART Lists
I absolutely love lists, to the point where It is probably an issue of mine. Lists are a way that I can track progress for various projects, and look back to reflect what I have done. In the business world, SMART is used as an acronym for describing business goals effectively, but I believe the ideas can be applied to your lists while you are pregnant or just anytime. When used correctly, it especially helps , if you are feeling unproductive and miserable.
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Attainable
R - Relevant
T - Time bound
For specific, just make sure whatever is on your list is specifically labeled, not generalized. For measurable, make sure the task is something that when done, is completely done. For example, "wash jeans", very simple. Attainable means that you need to be reasonable about what is on your list. Make sure you aren't putting things on your list that realistically you can't do. If you know you can't do something, and put it on a list anyway, it's just more miserable when you don't get the task done. Relevance refers to the item on your list being important, necessary, and a priority. Finally, time bound. I would implement time bound in your lists by making your list for either a day, or a specific week if you are wanting to include larger projects.
When you make a list that follows a SMART format, you can be encouraged to focus more on what you did get done, vs. what you didn't. This is helpful because in ranching, and in life, the actual list of things to do is never ending. Be encouraged, baby steps are still steps towards bigger goals, and todays actions shape tomorrows outcomes.
In conclusion, pregnancy is a good thing. Just because you are pregnant doesn't mean you are incapable and doesn't mean you are fragile. It's a short time in the grand scheme of life that brings about great rewards for you and your spouse. The awesome thing about being a ranch wife is that you have the extra love and support from your' husband, who is probably just grateful that pregnancy and birth is not something he has to experience on the same level as you. The husbands definitely get enough of their own pregnancy experience. Lean into that love and support and enjoy the ride because it's happening with you're willing or unwilling participation.
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