Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The Next Bump in the Road

Yesterday I encountered my latest pregnancy challenge: the dreaded morning sickness.  I woke up nauseated and it got worse as the day went on.  The nausea itself wasn't that bad, but I had no appetite, which caused a massive blood-sugar crash that lasted the whole day.  It was like having the flu: I was shaking, dizzy, freezing cold, weak, and my muscles ached.  But no matter how bad it was, I couldn't get myself to eat more than a few bites of food.  Food was revolting.  I didn't actually vomit, but it was pretty close.

It's so strange.  I had a couple of moments of mild nausea in the past two weeks, but nothing serious.  In all of my six previous pregnancies, I've never suffered more than those mild, rare moments of sickness.  Yesterday, though, it hit me like a ton of bricks.  What changed?

I did try some ginger tea which helps a lot with the nausea, but it doesn't help me want to eat, which is the real problem (I've actually lost a pound in the past month).  Also, this tea has a couple of other herbs in it which are on the "forbidden during pregnancy" list.  I'm drinking a cup right now, but I can't drink it all day long.  There are other products with ginger, but my nurse-friend says you really need higher amounts of ginger than you're going to get in most crackers and things.  So I'll probably check out Trader Joe's where they seem to have super-strong ginger products, or even make my own tea from fresh ginger.  But I'm not sure how I'm going to find the energy to get to the market at all, let alone cook anything.  And that's another problem.  I think there might be a few palatable foods out there, but I can't imagine going to the market feeling like I did yesterday.  I'm sure I'd pass out.

Today, I have managed to eat a bit more.  I also slept until 11am and then took a quick nap after lunch, which I think helped a lot.  Maybe the tea also helped, or maybe I'm just having a better day.  But I'm not cold, which was the worst part about yesterday.  I'd have these episodes where the coldness would start out from my core and just spread throughout my body, ending up in my toes, fingers, and nose. And when it got there it wouldn't leave.  I kept running my hands under hot water (I was too weak to take a shower) and when I was home, I got under a blanket with a heating pad on my feet.  When I went to bed last night, it took a full hour with the heating pad for me to stop feeling cold.

Today is supposed to be my last day of estrogen and progesterone (8 weeks pregnant today - woohoo!), and stopping the hormones might help.  However, since I've been so uptight about miscarriage, my RE suggested that I keep going with them, not because it would lower any risk, but because if I did lose the pregnancy, at least I wouldn't blame it on stopping the hormones, and therefore, on myself.  Then my OB said I should keep taking them until eleven weeks.  I think his information is just a bit out of date.  But still, I was going to keep going with the hormones until I ran out, which will probably be in a week or two.  Now, I don't know.  Maybe I should stop them sooner.  I guess I'll give it a few more days and see how it goes.

6 comments:

  1. Sara is eight weeks tomorrow, also her first OBGYN visit. I am so excited about the visit...I can hardly stand it.

    This past week was her worst week yet, when it came to her nausea. Same thing with the hunger. Just the sight or god forbid the smell, and it was all over. Seems to be tapering off...or at least, taking a momentary reprieve.

    Well, I got to get back to my first expectant father project...dry walling the garage...got to create some additional storage space!

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  2. Michael, I love to hear your excitement! The ultrasound will be your first real contact with the baby. I think it really means a lot to the fathers.

    When I went in for the emergency ultrasound on Monday (after we found out that everything was ok), they wanted to take a urine sample. I asked what for, and the nurse told me, "You know, all the standard prenatal tests." I just about fainted with happiness! Oh my god - a normal prenatal exam for the first time in over four years! I've always LOVED going in for prenatal exams. The whole process really can be and should be a joy. Make sure Sara gets a pregnancy journal and takes pictures of her belly and all that. I've re-read mine a couple of times since Sam was born and it brought back such happy memories. In fact, you've inspired me to get over to amazon and buy one for this pregnancy.

    Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed for twins for you, even though I still think Sara doesn't know what she's wishing for. :)

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  3. Thanks for reminding me about the pregnancy journal. I tried to get Sara to buy one about 3 weeks ago, but she wasn't quite ready...still in shock from the initial pregnancy test. Tomorrow after the doctors visit, I'll take her over to the bookstore.

    It is so funny, even though she has never talked or written you, and I have only meet you in person once, she tells me that she feels so bonded to you...what with you and her being at the same points in your pregnancies, you having twins (her ultimate pregnancy fantasy), and the torture you have had to endure the past few years (her ultimate fear for the past decade).

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  4. I had terrible morning sickness with my pregnancy. I didn't find ginger to be very helpful, but pepperment was a lifesaver. I would just go to CVS and buy bags of those round white and red mints like the ones you get in some restaurants after dinner, and make sure I had them with me at all times, especially in the car.

    I hope this stage is over quickly!

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  5. Have you tried crystallized or sugared ginger from Trader Joe's? It always soothes nausea for me.

    Also, I wonder if those acupuncture bracelets, the ones used for motion sickness, would help with pregnancy nausea. They are very effective with other types of nausea, so you might want to give those a shot.

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  6. I was going to suggest crystallized ginger as well. It is quite tasty candy even if you are not suffering from nausea. Also, I hear raspberry tea is good for pregnant women in general, and should help nausea specifically at least a little bit. Peppermint tea is also good, and is supposed to help specifically with nausea.

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