The Amplified ‘Honey-Do’ List
When a woman enters the last trimester of her pregnancy, there are a few things she simply can not do anymore. And no, I am not talking about walking without waddling because that is a given. What I am referring to is more along the lines of safety hazards for your spouse to avoid at all costs. Being the superhero father-to be that you are, you can be sure that working off of this ‘honey-do’ list will keep your spouse and baby out of harms way.
#1 Painting the Baby’s Room
Painting the baby’s room can be a hard situation to keep the mama-to-be away from because everything in her hormonal body is shouting “nest”. However, I can not stress enough about the harmful toxins that can be found in paint as well as the complications that could arise from a not properly ventilated room. Bottom line: I don’t care how many times she changes her mid on what color she wants the room.. do not tell her to paint it herself.
#2 Lifting Heavy Objects
When I was pregnant, my doctor’s advice was to go ahead ad lift anything you lifted before you were pregnant as long as you don’t have to strain to do so. The reason, however, I placed this one on the ‘honey-do’ list is because a lot of times when getting ready for a baby, furniture, boxes, etc get moved around quite often. In simpler terms, Do not let your spouse try to pick up the other end of the couch during this time. Instead invite a buddy over to help you. Because although being pregnant does not mean she is a damsel in distress, it does mean that sprains and aches are more likely to occur.
#3 Taking Care of Your Pets
Few people know about this important item on the ‘honey-do’ list but the repercussions for letting your pregnant spouse take care of certain pets can be dangerous. If you have lizards, iguanas, turtles, or snakes as pets; a pregnant woman should avoid cleaning out their habitats because the salmonella virus can be transfered through their feces. Additionally, pregnant women should not clean out cat litter boxes because they may contract toxoplasmosis, which causes birth defects.
#4 Cleaning, Cooking, etc.
OK you got me… this last one isn’t a safety hazard… but it would be nice to help out here and there and not let her do all of the cleaning and cooking during the last trimester. Around this time, your spouse will become increasingly tired but at the same time will quickly kick into the “nesting” period. This means everything must be done…perfectly..right now! So don’t let her exhaust herself by doing it all by herself.
