5 things your pregnant wife wishes you knew about household chores

My husband is a wonderfully hardworing helpful guy. In most cases, he is the guy to go to when you want to "Git 'er done!"
But there are somethings that I think he misses, that don't hit his radar so to speak, which I think is pretty common.
So to help out all you fellas out there that might be in this same catagory,I've jotted down a few tips that will make you a hero in your pregnant wifes eyes. Read on.....
#1 thing your pregnant wife wishes you knew about household chores:
Don't wait until she asks.
If you notice that something isn't getting done that maybe she got around to more often before she got pregnant, there's no need to even ask if she needs help, or to wait for her to ask you. When she notices that it was done without her even having to think about it, the relief she will feel and the resulting good feelings toward you will be worth the extra time and effort it took to do whatever it is.Bingo! You're superman already!
#2 thing your pregnant wife wishes you knew about household chores:
All molehills are mountains, especially in the begining.
1st trimester exhaustion and nausea can make the simplest smallest chores horrendous or impossible. Taking out the trash, cleaning the toilet,picking up stinky stocks, cutting up raw chicken. All of these can trigger that super-mom-nose and launch a gastrointestinal attack she might not recover from the rest of the day. Keeping up on chores that have extra ick factor will make you her knight in shining armor. Some care providers advise womento avoid heavy lifting in the first months when baby is tiny and fragile, make sure she isn't taking on more then she can handle. This can include carrying heavy loads of laundry up and down stairs.The exhaustion pregnant women feel in the begining cannot be matched or compared to anything else, her body is rerouting every possible spark of energy towards growing that baby.Anything a pregnant women does should be considered bonus! or extra on top of the full time job of being pregnant, refrain from mentioning the lack of housework getting done, and instead suggest she take a nap.
#3 Thing your pregnant wife wishes you knew about household chores:
She can't bend over easily, and might not be able to see her feet.
As your wifes pregnant belly grows, it becomes quite the beautiful obstacle. Picking up shoes, picking up anything really requires grace, balance, and cleverness to acheive.Not to mention flexibility. Be careful not to leave behind anything that she will need to pick up from the floor.Not only are these things nearly impossible to pick up, but if she cant see her feet, she's not going to see things lying on the floor and might trip on them!
#4 Thing your pregnant wife wishes you knew about household chores:
Cleaning the bathroom is misson impossible.
We already mentioned that chores with ick factor can be a morning sickness trigger.That beautiful belly I mentioned also makes it nearly impossible to get around that toilet to clean the bottom edge or the walls around it.I can promise you that as a man you see the inside of the toilet and the wall behind it more often then she does. So if your standing there and notice it could use a scrub, get to it! You've just scored yourself more hero points in a simple trip to the john.You may not use as much TP as your wife and kids do, but make sure to keep it stocked. Imagine being a mom with a brand new baby, you have all of 15 seconds to run to the bathroom in betwen breaking up fights, doing lessons, cooking something, changing a diaper, nursing, quieting a crying baby. Imagine the simple relief of always having TP there when you need it, without having to think about it or ask (#1!) Small things like this can make or break a mama on a bad day.
I am imagining that if your wife is exhausted she doesnt shower as often as she used to, this is something that will be true when baby comes as well. When you take a shower, give it a wipedown before you get out. I cant reach the far side of our tub and the corners unless I crawl in and do a flat footed squat. ( and then HOW? do I get back out again?!) When you get out of the shower, wipe down the counters and mirrors while everything is still steamy. These things will take you all of 5 minutes added to your morning get ready routine and the way it will make your pregnant wife feel is priceless.
#5 thing your pregnant wife wishes you knew about household chores:
Unless shes Martha Stewart, kitchen chores are more like a scene from Little Shop of Horrors then Leave it to Beaver.
Smells and tastes that your wife may have enjoyed once upon a time may now be compared to sewage, trash or worse.Not only that but her appetite may have dissapeared completely. Feeding herself,your kids or you may test every fiber of her being. If you ever find yourself able to help with a meal here and there, she will kiss your feet ( or not, because your socks may be stinky, but you get the point)Help her to make sure your family is getting plenty of veggies and protein, using easy "cheater' meals may be okay once in a while, but rememeber pregnancy lasts nearly a year! You dont want to sacrifice nutrition for that long.
Bellying up to the sink to do dishes is also a feat that requires reaching and twisting in ways that are not exactly favorable, safe or comfortable. I literally have to do the dishes from the hip. With my belly turned completely sideways away from the sink. Its a hilarious shot I must admit but not something I feel like doing that often.So don't wait until she's wishing for go go gadet arms, just take her place at the sink. ( and dont stop when the baby comes, is even more impossible to do dishes while holding a baby....)
There you go gentlemen, you're on your way to becoming a hero to your wife,and all of these things are easy, fast and won't change the pace of your day hardly at all. But it will make a HUGE difference in her life! You're welcome!

Men--if you have something else you did for your wife while she was pregnant that you know she appreciated, please share in the comments with your fellow man. And women, please add to what I have here!