Forgetful pregnancy moments

I read about why women become forgetful (and clumsy) during pregnancy in the absolutely amazing bestseller What to Expect When You are Expecting a few months ago, but for the life of me, I can’t remember why forgetfulness in pregnancy happens.

I know that something happens to your brain cells, probably something about hormones and the needs of the growing babies. All of the books and articles I’ve been reading insist that a pregnant woman’s brain cells do come back eventually (although people I’ve spoken to say otherwise). Forgetfulness during pregnancy, according to all the research, is completely normal.

In the meanwhile, my forgetfulness and truly dunce moments have been entertaining many, especially my husband Lior. So I thought I’d share a few of these funny moments with you in this week’s blog. Oh and by the way, I have been thinking about writing this topic for a week, but couldn’t remember any of the stories. Lior graciously reminded me of them this morning.

One of his favorites: The celery story.

We were preparing to go for a long car ride (don’t remember to where), and I was preparing to pack a lunch. I had a whole long lengthy discussion with Lior about what to pack. For whatever reason, the decision of what to pack to eat was really stressing me out that morning. He suggested cutting up some veggies like carrots and celery and adding a few cherry tomatoes, etc. Put them in a Ziploc bag making it handy for the ride.

I pulled out the celery, washed and cleaned them. I pulled out a cutting board and knife. And I started chopping them like crazy – like a celery psycho killer – as though I was preparing a salad. Wait not just a salad, but a super duper chopped salad.

I was in my own la la land. I may have even been humming a tune in my head. Lior looks at me, after discussing in detail moments before about how I would cut the celery for snacking, and he started laughing hysterically. I looked down at the cutting board, and let out an “Oh….”

I wound up having salad, and it tasted great.

Another one of his favorite pregnancy brain dead moments: The baby registry list and the car ride with my in-laws.

We went to create a baby registry a few weekends ago with my in-laws who were visiting. I had been reading all the books about what to buy and what not to buy. What’s a waste of money, what the best brands are, what you totally need and can’t live without, and so on. I have been attached to the latest editions of Baby Bargains and Consumer Reports and making lists.

I made the list of all lists. No other list could possibly rise above this list. I had everything on it. What we are registering for, and what we are buying ourselves. The types, brands, how many of each, fabric types, what to watch out for, what’s safe and what isn’t. You name it, it’s on this list.

We went to the store and registered for a whole slew of things. But there was still more to do. Please note: It takes HOURS to register for two babies. HOURS…DAYS…WEEKS….

And so I wrote what we still had to do on the list.

We packed ourselves up into the car to head home after a very, very long day. We were all exhausted. My father-in-law even took a nap at the store. I had the registry package and folder the store gave us in hand, receipts for the cribs we had ordered, a few shopping bags, and my purse. And as we sat down in the car, I decided to look at what was left on the list.

But I couldn’t find it!

I looked in my purse and in all the bags I had beside my feet. I looked in the folder the store gave us. But I could not find that darned list.

“Stop the car! Stop the car! We need to go back to the store!” I freaked out to Lior.

My in-laws started freaking out too, “What happened? What’s wrong?”

Bedlam had hit the car. “I can’t find my list! I can’t find my list! Let me check the trunk. Maybe it's there with the other things.” (We had done quite a bit of shopping that day.) I was freaking out by the thought of having to re-create that list from scratch. Days of research, all of that time spent, and all gone in an instant.

“We have to go back to the store,” I bellowed.

No one was in the mood for that. Lior was like, “Calm down….” He pulled the car into the nearest parking area. I got out of the car to check the trunk for my precious list.

“Ophir, I found it….” I heard Lior holler from the driver’s seat.

“You found it?” I headed back toward the car, “Where was it?” I hadn't even opened the trunk yet!

“You were sitting on it,” Lior was laughing.

Less entertaining forgetful pregnancy moments:

I forgot to pack bread in my lunch bag one day for work. I have also forgotten to take home my lunch bag. And I’ve also forgotten my Tupperware and dishes on the counter at work. To which I said to Lior, “Where has all our Tupperware disappeared to?” I looked at the shelves at work and lo and behold, there they were!

I forgot to bolus for insulin one morning. My sugar went so high! Woosh! Thankfully I wear a pump, and was able to correct it, which took that entire morning to fix. I kicked myself all morning for that one.

The countless times that I’ve dropped things, bumped into things….I’m sure there are many more moments that I simply can’t remember and Lior wasn’t there…

Pregnancy forgetfulness can be funny, and it can also be exasperating. I have been keeping lists for the really important stuff. And thankfully, I’m doing that, or I might get into some trouble.

But all in all, it’s par for the course of pregnancy, and they make for fun stories. And quite frankly, it’s helping me realize just how little some things really are in life, how mundane, and how easy it can be to let go when you don’t let small thoughts invade your mind. How worked up I can get over a list that won’t even be important in five months from now or Tupperware that can be replaced or found.

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Because they’re usually gone in an instant, especially when you don’t remember them.