Ambien Time

Okay so I have been promising the Ambien post for weeks now and there is probably no way the hype will live up, but none the less here we go. Quick side note, AJ edited this post so some details where probably removed.

Okay so for those of you not familiar with the drug Ambien here is a little introduction. Ambien is used as a sleep aid, a very effective sleep aid. Those who have used it can attest to its effectiveness. It is completely safe to use while pregnant, AJ asked every one of our doctors multiple times before she would take it so we are sure. I think Ambien effects every person differently, but I cannot believe any will have the same stories as my wife.

Let me start with the first thing that happens once the Ambien kicks in. Talking. Lots and lots of talking. She could be mad at me all night, won't speak to me at all, but give her the Ambien and you cannot shut her up. She wants to talk about everything, what color should we paint the nursery, where should we go on vacation, what should we buy so and so for Christmas and my all time favorite what kind of car should we get the kids. Yep the kids that are in her belly, what kind of car should we buy them 16 years from now. The best part of all this talking, she remembers NONE of it the next day. The first few times I humored her and tried to carry on a conversation, not an easy task mind you. Imagine if at the time you are ready for bed your significant other wants to talk a million miles a minute about nothing too important, not fun. After I realized she won't remember anything we talk about anyway I just tell her to be quiet, she usually gets mad at me or upset, but she doesn't remember it the next day anyway so no worries.

The next phase is the "I should have fallen asleep by now but I was too busy talking so I am still awake" phase. This phase is usually the most fun to watch as it is always a surprise. One of the first nights in the hospital she reached this phase and had to use the restroom. She got out of bed and stumbled one side to the other, scared me half to death. She looked like your drunk college roommate after one too many. I think she has gotten use to the effect and what it takes to walk because I haven't seen her stumble like this since. The best part of this phase is the look in her eye. Its always that little kid "I didn't do it" look. She will get lost in the bathroom, I found her there once doing her crossword puzzles, forgetting to get up and go back to bed, and she looked at me and did not realize she has been there for 10 minutes, classic. When I went it to get her she just said "What?" as if she had no idea what I was coming in there for.

In this phase AJ will usually get very emotional. This is when she decides she wants me to try and "cuddle" with her in her bed. If it were just her and I getting in the bed it might work, but when we have to share with the belly its very difficult. Made more difficult by the fact she has an air mattress that inflates and deflates when pressure is put in one area. This usually has me rolling up against the side bars of the bed. On occasion when I decline to join her in the bed she comes up with a plan to join me in mine. Now mine isn't so much a bed as it is a couch that folds out to a bed. And not like the kind you have at home that has a mattress hiding underneath, no sir, basically the back folds down and you sleep on the cushions and the back of the couch. Not the worst bed in the world but far from comfortable. One night in the Ambien time she comes back from the bathroom and starts trying to hit me with her belly. Yes she was using it as a weapon, fortunately for me I was sitting a little low for the belly but she could still get me with her legs. Before I knew what hit me she was laying down on my couchbed with me. I should also mention the couchbed slants forward so you pretty much have to fight from rolling off the thing all night. So now its me, Ambien AJ and the belly all being held onto the couchbed by me. This was not a good position for any of us. I had to drag her, almost carry her, back to her own bed. Once there she slipped quietly to sleep, forgetting all of what just happened. She has tried to join me on multiple occasions, I try to cut her off before laying down because it is just too hard to get her back to bed.

I've tried to take advantage of the Ambien from time to time, but really its not in my best interest to follow through. Even if I get a yes, it usually won't hold up once she wakes up so hasn't really paid off yet. We have started to time the Ambien to include the 1 - 2 hours she will be talking and bed jumping so that we both get to sleep at a decent hour. It's funny knowing each night I have 1 hour of wife wrangling to do before I can call it a day.

All in all the Ambien is needed for her to sleep so all the side effects are worth it. She is so uncomfortable all day she deserves a few uninterrupted hours of sleep. I know someday I will miss the silliness that is Ambien time, plus its a few hours a night I can say or do whatever I want and not pay the price for it the next day. Now if I can just figure out how to get that last part all day long......