My Worst Enemy: The Toothbrush

Before I could even think about traveling to the Dominican Republic for my birthday, I had one goal:

Survive going into the office three times a week.

And what’s one of the first things we all do in the morning—besides pee our entire life away?

(Seriously, pregnancy turns your bladder into a complete joke.)

Well… you brush your teeth, of course.

For the past 2–3 years, my oral hygiene routine has been locked in:

• Floss first

• Then brush

• Tongue scraper

• Mouthwash to seal the deal

It’s clockwork.

It’s what wakes me up every morning.

The little ritual that grounds me and helps Talaya start the day with success.

(Side note: Yes, I’ve been brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash my whole life. The tongue scraper? That was a recent adulting upgrade. You never know these days—disclaimers are necessary when basic hygiene is somehow up for debate.)

But here’s the thing no one warns you about when you’re pregnant:

Sometimes, your own toothbrush becomes your worst enemy.

There was a point during my pregnancy when even thinking about brushing my teeth made me want to vomit.

Right there.

In bed.

Mouth closed. Toothbrush untouched.

Just the sight of it sitting in the holder, smirking its evil little bristle-smile, waiting to ruin my entire already-dreadful morning.

Stupid Toothbrush

No one talks about that part. Everyone knows about morning sickness, but no one tells you how something as ordinary and essential as brushing your teeth can suddenly feel like a life-or-death battle.

It was frustrating—especially on mornings when I was already dreading leaving the comfort of my bed just to get out the door.

Working while pregnant should be criminal.

Honestly, I still can’t believe how long women have been doing both. There really should be a law. Especially with all the think pieces and societal whining about how millennials are “waiting too long” to have children.

(That’s a whole other blog post for another day. We were raised on a game that no longer applies to real life. At this rate, it feels like we’re expected to wait until we’re 45–50 just to afford to have kids.)

Anyway, back to my toothbrush battles.

Some mornings, I had to take breaks between steps.

Other days, I’d brush while sitting down, breathing through my mouth, with literal tears in my eyes like I was training for the Olympics.

Because motherhood starts before birth.

And sometimes, it starts with something as small and soul-crushing as learning to fight through nausea just to feel like yourself again.

What was something from your daily routine that changed during your pregnancy journey?