What happens when mom gets sick? The potential for chaos is high as is the extra dose of guilt on top of the endless nasal drip. That’s where I am as I type this blog post. My nose is like the kitchen sink, a cough for added measure, and a full feeling of body aches. I’m sure that this is something that many can relate to, if not all of you. So what is a Mom to do?
Last time I checked, I don’t get "sick days" from my family duties. (It’s tough for me to take those for work!) The best part is, I can attribute this cold to my son, who was sick last week. I’m all for his learning to share, but this is taking it a little too far.
When do you get to the point where it is more important to "outsource" your mom duties and focus on getting better? I have a lucky situation where grandparents are plentiful and always happy to help out. But I feel guilty even asking. Over time, it’s something that I have to just "get over." While I know they are happy to help, I also know that I am not asking for an easy thing. And I feel selfish for wanting the time to get better.
So it is time to take stock: at what point do I need to ask for help? For everyone, there is a different answer to this question. For some, hospitalization is necessary before help is asked for. For others, the smallest sniffle is enough. I’m somewhere in the middle: normally, I can handle a cold. But for this one, I’m opting for help. On top of being sick, I’m also pregnant. I’m convinced that my body can only do one task at a time: build a baby OR heal itself.
The added joy is that my arsenal of over-the-counter medication is very small, as I can only take medications that are safe during pregnancy. (No NyQuil for me!) Somewhere in my foggy-brain state, it dawned on me: Hillary Clinton was onto something when she said, "It takes a Village to raise a child." I’m thankful that I can enlist my village and that they are willing to support me. Now I have to get back to my own healing, so that I can be there for my family. And if I look on the bright side, at least it's not the flu!
Julie,
I say ask for help ASAP especially when you're pregnant! You are so fortunate to have your family around. We don't, and one awful time when both my husband and I were sick with some kind of bug we came down with during the day, we stayed at work sleeping on couches in our respective offices (we did take sick leave) because we knew we'd get no rest if we went home with our kids! And we didn't want to get them sick too! I guess I should be happy that we have couches! Hope you feel beter soon!
Posted by: Stacy | Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 08:59 PM
You are lucky that it's not the flu. Have you thought about getting vaccinated?
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than 200,000 people are hospitalized each year from complications related to the flu. Around 36,000 per year die from flu related causes. The CDC recommends seasonal flu vaccinations as the best way to prevent the flu.
You can find out where to get vaccines right in your area from a really great site that I go to medtipster...just in case you've taken too many sick days and you don't want to get fired! ;P
Posted by: Nadia | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 04:36 PM