PMS

We all have it. Some of us worse than others. I would categorize myself in the middle of the two; it's not terrible but neither is it non-existent. I hate PMS. Hate it. One of the things I love most about being pregnant, other than bringing a new little one into our world, is the escape I have from PMS. Since I am not a very hormonal pregnant woman, pregnancy winds up being a break for me.

I have learned a few things over the years; and because I am not a doctor please take this information only as coming from a woman who has to suffer through PMS, just like you.

What I have learned is, first off know that it's coming. Mark it on your calender and let your husband know. That way when you chomp his head off over screwing the milk cap on too tight, he'll understand why. Not that this has ever happened.
Truly, when your husband is in the know, he's much more likely to let most (if not all) of your outburst and testiness roll off his back. Because he knows that it's not really you. It's those evil little hormones, baby.

Second, reduce the stress. Don't plan a trip across the country when you have PMS. Just don't. It won't be pretty.
Be kind and allow yourself plenty of breathing room. For those 10 days, give or take a few, go easy. I know that this is not always the simplest thing, especially when you have small children, medium sized children, or big children. Those, not all the way grown up, humans can create a whirlwind of stress in your life. Focus on reducing the areas of stress that you have control over.

Third, cut back on your sugar intake. Sugar, mainly in the refined form, can give you those big highs and then the big lows. And when you are dealing with PMS all of those highs and lows are exaggerated. And really, those kind of roller coaster rides are no fun for anyone. I know I certianly don't like to feel out of control in that way. So, lay off the sugar as much as you can. See if you can tell a difference.

Fourth, and this is the biggest one for me, take some pills, baby. I found out, through research, that taking St. John's Wort could be a major help for me in this area. I knew I didn't want to take the kind I could find at Walgreen's or Walmart. For me it's about quality and what I am putting into my body. Besides, I wanted it to actually work; taking a pill that had been sitting on a shelf for six months just didn't appeal to me. What I did was talk to a chiropractor who, after a thorough over the phone appointment, suggested I take MediHerb's St. John's Wort combined with Chaste Tree. The cost is approximately 12 dollars for the St. John's Wort and about the same for the Chaste Tree. A bottle of each will last me two months. Not too bad, right?
If I am good and remember to take my pills faithfully, starting right before my PMS starts, it's like night and day. I am almost the normal me. Sure, I have my occasional outburst and I stomp my foot a bit more than normal (terribly mature and one of my more stellar qualities) but I am so much closer to the real Andrea. Not the PMS infested one that my kids and husband look at and wonder who this replacement woman is. And if I am feeling a bit more needy, I just take an extra dose of St. John's Wort. What a huge help that little pill can be to me.

Isn't this a fun subject to talk about? I don't think so either but we all deal with it. I thought that perhaps an open discussion might bring help and relieve some of the struggle. If you have any good words of wisdom feel free to leave them in the comments! I'll be monitoring them closely.

By the way... my laptop died. Or at least my battery, I think. I am tied to the desktop until we figure out wha the problem is and how to fix it.