"How Has Your Pregnancy Been?"

People have been asking me how my pregnancy has been, and I really downplay it when I answer. They ask me how I'm feeling, and I say fine, but you know that is just the quick and pleasant answer. Who wants to listen to your list of ailments?

Well for those of you who really want to know how it has been...here goes:

My first, second, and beginning of the third trimester was literally miserable. I thought, "how the heck do pregnant people get anything done? How do they work? How do they clean? How do they move?". Why? Because I was noxious all day every day for that whole amount of time, and when my gag reflex was set off it didn't stop for an hour or more. I love how they show in the movies the cute little pregnant woman who wakes up in the morning, grabs her stomach, pukes and then it is all over. Who named morning sickness? Seriously? Because it does not go away after you relieve yourself once. It doesn't go away; it is there all day. I was even waking up from a deep sleep and running to the bathroom at night. The thought of food, the smell of food or other things, they would set me off. If I wasn't craving something I couldn't eat, because everything would send me running to the bathroom. I lost a lot of weight. They even had to put me on nausea pills for cancer patients so that I could manage to get a meal into the day. How did I finally get it to stop? I went to acupuncture, and after 2 visits my nausea started to subside and go away. I am truly a fan of acupuncture, and I even hope to use it during labor. The other thing that was miserable about the first 7 months of pregnancy was the lack of the ability to move without feeling excruciating pain. No fun, I would be so dehydrated because of my nausea that it would literally reveal itself physically. I could barely move.

Now that I'm in my third trimester and in my ninth month, let me tell you how I'm feeling. :D

Well, the nausea is gone, but my appetite is still being curbed by the most painful and strong heartburn I've ever had in my life; water can give me heartburn. I'm so afraid of it becoming stronger that I've really limited myself to certain foods. I've been eating a lot more dairy than normal; I've cut out any fast food, meat, some carbs (esp. pizza, etc), and even some vegetables (like broccoli) and fruit. I've also developed pregnancy carpal tunnel; my wrists feel broken most days. I took for granted brushing my hair and my teeth, dressing myself without wincing, turning a doorknob, buckling my seatbelt, locking a door, waving my hand, holding myself up with my hand in bed, etc. Those all seem so small and simple, but now they are excruciatingly painful. Another thing I’ve been dealing with is sensitivity in my teeth. My teeth get set off by something, I don’t know, a cold breeze, air, food, water, whatever, but when they get set off I am in pain all day. I try sensitive toothpaste, oral numbing gel, and my last resort is children’s Tylenol (the only medication I’m really aloud to take during my pregnancy). The good news is that this isn’t a daily problem, it happens 2 to 3 times a week; I just wish I could say that for my carpal tunnel and my heartburn.

The last three things that are appropriate to tell you about are the difficulty in breathing, the difficulty in sleeping/laying, and once again the difficulty in moving. When I was young I always said I was going to be one of those women who work out every day while they were pregnant. Well, it has been easier said than done. The problem has been my inability to move without pain, it makes it very difficult to stay motivated. It is very difficult to walk or even to sit down and then try to get back up again (that kills my knees); I think it is because all my joints are swollen making me painfully aware of every movement. Laying down is funny because I can’t lay on my back or I have to constantly pee, I can’t lay on my tummy because there is a basketball there, and I can’t lay on either side for too long before my hips begin to burn with pain. I have made a nest of pillows in my bed that surround me so that I can find a lasting comfortable position; which lasts for an hour or two if I’m lucky. Breathing; I took that for granted too. I have been gasping for air because my lungs are being compressed by the weight of the baby. So if I lean or recline back or lay wrong or even sit wrong, I begin to gasp for air. I’ve learned that putting my arms up in the air help open up the airway a little so that I can actually catch my breath.

What hasn’t been miserable about pregnancy? Feeling baby move and kick. Every time he moves, I suddenly forget about all the pain and suffering I’ve gone through. I begin to picture my future with him and Chris and none of the things I have mentioned matter anymore. They will soon be gone and I will soon have a new life in my hands. I can’t wait.

Things that have been making my pregnancy a little easier have been acupuncture, swimming, yoga, belly dancing, and the support from my loved ones. Thanks for all the support and love being sent my way.