A friend of mine, Joy Price, who is pregnant with her second child, wrote a great blog post about dealing with morning sickness. I wish that I had read this while I was pregnant with Eleanor! Joy graciously agreed to allow me to reprint her post here (you should check out her blog, as she has more ideas for how to minister to friends in the throes of morning sickness and other illness).
From Joy:
1.If you currently are not pregnant/not experiencing nausea symptoms, consider reading this post and helping out your friend(s) who are nauseated. Perhaps share this post in an encouraging email, pray for them in this trial, and act on these points to help them in their time of need (don’t just offer, go ahead and do it!).
2.Cry out to Jesus- “Consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces perserverance” says James in his first chapter. Allow this time of weariness to be a time of spiritual healing. Focus on encouraging verses (like Philippians 4) and train your mind to focus on having a thankful heart instead of complaining and becoming depressed. Be honest and vulnerable to Jesus at your low points and then ask Him for strength that He alone can give you to perform the next task (laundry, a shower, or even just sitting up in bed). Give yourself loads of grace- this is not a time to conform to high expectations. It is OK if your family lives off of hotdogs and frozen pizza for 8 weeks, it is just a season that is not indicative of your identity as a wife and a mother- find your identity in Christ and Him alone.
3.I often felt bad for allowing Augustine to watch so many movies, or have all day (just kidding, but kinda… not really) independent time. This was not the mother I wanted to be/nor had been in the past. And it is just a season that will pass, it is OK to set aside high expectations and live in grace. One friend encouraged me by saying, “You are giving your child the greatest blessing you could possibly give him: a playmate for life, a friend, a sibling”. Focus on the truth of scripture for who you are (a child of God, a daughter of the King) rather than finding your worth in how you look or in your accomplishments. Invite your child to read his favorite books with you in the bed. Invite them to eat saltines with you (though Augustine was notorious for eating all my snacks and leaving none for me!). Purchase children movies/shows that will encourage you spiritually as well as them. Invite them to play in the bathtub for a longer period of time (or allow them to take two baths a day) and sit beside the tub and relax in their laughter. Listen to scripture set to music with them (the SEEDS cds, or Dana Dirksen’s Catchecism Songs) as it will refresh your soul. Ask your friends for other creative ways to entertain them in ways that will not drain you. In your weariness, ask the Lord for help.
4.Consider hiring a nanny, someone to clean your house, or someone to make your meals (pizza hut delivery boys do count!). If this is not financially feasible, then allow yourself to be vulnerable before the body of Christ and ask for help. Be specific as to what you truly need and do not allow yourself to “beat around the bush” or be a “people-pleaser”. You could say something as simply as: “I am truly not feeling well due to the nausea symptoms of pregnancy, my family could use a meal if you are able to bless us in that way”. Humility is a good character trait, and it is good to realize that you do not have it altogether. The sooner we as Christians can realize our imperfections, we will become more attune to our need for a perfect Saviour- which is at the heart of the gospel.
5.Get outside. Even if it is just a walk to your mailbox, the fresh air will literally make you feel better than lying in the same fumes of your bed all day. Encourage your husband to keep you accountable in this regard. Often when I was at my lowest, Shaun graciously “forced” me outside. Though I didn’t feel like it at the time, it was always so much better to my physical state once I was out of the house. Plan to attend playgroups, or short trips to places to keep yourself accountable to getting outside. Do not burden yourself with activities, but do give yourself opportunities to get out of the “sick spots” of your home. This is another way to be vulnerable with your friends- tell them of your need to get out of the house, and then follow up on their invitations for outings. It is OK, if you have to excuse yourself to the bathroom for nausea, they will forgive you.
6.I personally found that this brief season is not the time to have guests over. Talk with your husband about what is best for the both of you, and perhaps suggest that for this time you will invite people to go out to a restaurant (McDonalds is ok if you are on a budget) or a park for a picnic. This way you will not have to focus on having a clean house or cooking when physically these tasks can be draining.
7.Communicate clearly and lovingly with your husband. It is easy to be short with your husband or play the victim role since he is not experiencing the same symptoms as you. However, he is taking on roles of husband, provider, daddy, mommy, grocery shopper, meal preparation duty, house cleaner, children entertainer, and possibly many other chores. Praise him for his acts of service to you in your time of need. When it is a good time for him, consider writing down what tasks would be helpful to you that he might be able to tackle. Remember to focus on your needs, not your desires as this can be an overwhelmingly exhaustive time for him too. Pray for him, that the Lord would be his fulfillment, as he completes these tasks. Give him grace in your speech and actions when he makes you breakfast but leaves the kitchen a mess. A man is much more apt to do more actions from your encouragement than from your criticism. Thank him for allowing you to be a mother, and assure him of your gratitude for the opportunity to have a child. Sometimes, it is harder for a man to cope without a solution to your problems than it would be for him to be nauseated himself. Men like to meet our needs, be sure to thank him for all his efforts to provide for you. It is OK to smile and laugh. Shaun and I spent many evenings watching youtube videos entitled “Just for laughs” (careful, some are not appropriate) a british spin-off of candid camera. It was good for our marriage to enjoy laughing together when I could not muster the energy to go on dates like we were accustomed to.
8.Find out what makes you comfortable and pursue it. For me personally, I enjoyed clean scented candles, fresh flowers (at least something looked alive in our house, eh?), a warm bubble bath (possibly every night), a hot drink, a massage from Shaun, classical music (Chopin, “For Relaxation” is a personal favorite). These pursuits often took my mind away from the nausea I was experiencing.
9.Drink Tea! Many teas are avaliable with digestive aid as apart of their description. I enjoyed peppermint, or lemon and ginger.
10.Consider talking to your doctor about taking medicine. It is usually best to take these types of pills right before bedtime as they tend to have a drowsy side effect. Sea Bands are helpful for some, but make sure you look up online the correct place to wear them or they will not work. Sometimes wearing one band instead of two works just as effectively. [a word of caution: the sea bands do not work for everyone]
11.Relish in comfort foods. I loved mashed potatoes and could stomach eating them more than other non-comfort foods. One website listed below suggests these other options: Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken brocolli rice casserole, Cream of wheat (made one bowl at a time in the microwave), Wild rice casserole, Banana cream pie, Homemade-warm-from-the-oven bread with butter, etc; Favorites from local restaurants: Cheddar cheese bagels with cream cheese, Cheese mix sandwiches at the sub shop, Dominos or Pizza Hut.
12.It has also been suggested that sour foods (lemonade, dill pickles, sour candies) and protein (meat, beans, peanut butter, cheese) are great for helping nausea relief.
13.Eat often and have snacks with you everywhere you go. It is also nice to keep snacks by the bedside table and eat when you get up to use the bathroom at night. It is easier for your stomach to handle the surge of hormones (at any given time they occur) with some food on your stomach than without. I discovered that eating breakfast in bed (sometimes even eating something before I sat up in bed) was particularly helpful for relief.
14.Call your mother and thank her for birthing you. It will bless her, and she can probably offer some compassion, encouragement, and a meal/babysitting if she lives close by.
15.Focus on others who might be experiencing similar long-winded symptoms but do not have the hope of it ending (or having a baby at the end). Cancer patients, elderly, hospitalized friends are also experiencing similar trials but many are concerned about whether or not they will literally survive, not which week of pregnancy their symptoms may subside. Pray for them when you are experiencing a low day. Write them a card. Visit them in the hospital or give them a call on the phone. It is always good for our souls to keep our eyes off ourselves.
16.Keep an eternal perspective. Praise the Lord that this is such a small amount of suffering in the grand scheme of eternity and praise Him for giving you the opportunity to birth a child (as there are so MANY women who would love to be given the opportunity to have a child but cannot due to infertility [this is another reason to put a stem to our complaining as we never know who is listening]). Look at cute baby clothes online or the infant pictures of your other children. Pray for the child in your womb as you feel low. Make a fun “to-do” list of things you want to do for or with your new child once you get back on your feet (nursery colors, double strollers, matching outfits for daddy and son, etc).
17.Take opportunities to sleep more often. When your other children go down for naptime- so does mommy! Often I discovered I was more nauseated when I was exhausted then when I had plenty of sleep.
18.Ask for prayer from your friends, small group, or sunday school class.
19.Take heart! If you need someone to pray for you, feel free to send me an email and I would be delighted! (see contact me section at the top of the page)
20.Finally, Here are a few blogs that might help you gain some more information on coping with nausea and much of the information I have listed above is indebted to the following website(s):
-http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2010/10/natural-morning-sickness-remedies.html
this blogpost is a helpful resource for natural remedies and the comments are also encouraging.
-http://faithfulhomemaking.blogspot.com/search/label/Morning-Noon-Night%20Sickness
this is really encouraging blogpost for the spiritual side of coping with nausea. The further you scroll down you will notice there is a whole series on morning sickness.
-http://www.drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/id101.html
I haven’t read this in depth, but basically, consider taking vitamin B (can get at a local pharmacy) and supplementing with ginger (like ginger ale or ginger tea)- to help aid nausea relief.
Hope this helps!
The original article can be found here.
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Leah F's first trimester tips
Posted by | Friday, December 10, 2010 at 8:39 PM
Meagan gave wonderful tips for the first trimester earlier in the week, and I cannot agree with her enough! Praise the Lord for how He uses difficult circumstances in our lives (like continual first trimester nausea) to bring us closer to Him, to draw us into new relationships, and to glorify Him.
I am currently 37 weeks pregnant, and though I was not anywhere as sick during my first trimester as Meg was, I still had obstacles to overcome (like CONTINUAL exhaustion). Below are some of my tips for those going through this wonderful stage in their pregnancy. Please feel free to add your advice in the comments!
*Drink your water early in the day. Staying hydrated keeps away many pregnancy 'ailments', but if you wait until later in the day to drink, you will spend your entire night in the bathroom. I tried to consume most of my water between mid-morning and late afternoon so that I could cut back on the bathroom visits (I still went regularly!)
*If at all possible, adjust your budget to have room for more groceries and eating out. Your appetite will change, what you want to eat will change, and you may even have times where you plan a meal and then realize you don't want to eat it! You can quickly drain your budget if you do not allow yourself some wiggle room during the sick times.
*In addition to napping when the kids nap, my kids play in their room by themselves for 30-45 minutes in the morning, and I could use that time to rest as well. If your child does not do that yet, start out small and slowly increase the time spent in the room alone. This will allow you to rest, shower, or accomplish a few household tasks.
*Exercise when you can, even when you are tired. This will help you increase your energy, and keep your body healthy for the 'long haul' of pregnancy.
*Know that your hormones will fluctuate, and some things will be really weird, but it will probably pass. With this pregnancy, my skin broke out terribly in the first trimester, and not just on my face. I was bumpy and itchy on my face, upper chest and back and it drove me NUTS! I paid close attention to body wash and lotion products (fragrance free all the way), gave it some time and it went away, thankfully.
*Swap childcare with a friend. It seems strange to encourage you to watch someone else's child during your first trimester, but I find that an extra playmate is often just what my kids need to keep them entertained. Then I had some freedom to rest or work around the house, and on my day without kids I could rest and recuperate as much as I wanted.
*Avoid caffeine, as it can aggravate your already existing symptoms (restlessness, breast tenderness, sleeplessness). On the opposite side, though, there have been occasions where a little caffeine helped ease a headache, so use your best judgment.
*Meditate on Scripture even if you don't have time or energy to extensively study God's word. Put Scripture in prominent places for you to see it (bathroom, perhaps? :-). Pray in small snatches, while doing the dishes, or showering, or throwing up in the toilet. Pray aloud in front of your children for God's strength to make it through the day.
*Begin to make adjustments in the first trimester that will affect your pregnancy and life later. Limit carrying your toddler downstairs (this is hard for me when Baxter says "Mommy, hug!"). Move child/ren into different rooms or beds or carseats early to get them used to that setup. Encourage your child to sit beside you to read books rather than in your lap, as that will get very uncomfortable as your belly grows. Refer to the older sibling as big sister/big brother, or big girl and big boy, and not 'little' and 'baby'.
*Don't be afraid to ask for help (Meg hit on this!), and don't hesitate to hire it either! Pay someone to clean your house, or watch your children, or even run errands for you. Hopefully the Lord has placed you in a church or community that will support you and help you without you hiring anyone, but if you must, just DO IT!!
Now for my disclaimer--what works for me might not work for you. And quite frankly, I don't always follow my own advice very well; for instance, I have not exercised much this pregnancy and I can feel the difference in my body. As always, these are suggestions that I have, and it is my prayer that they might be helpful to someone. Please feel free to add any suggestions or thoughts in the comments!
I am currently 37 weeks pregnant, and though I was not anywhere as sick during my first trimester as Meg was, I still had obstacles to overcome (like CONTINUAL exhaustion). Below are some of my tips for those going through this wonderful stage in their pregnancy. Please feel free to add your advice in the comments!
*Drink your water early in the day. Staying hydrated keeps away many pregnancy 'ailments', but if you wait until later in the day to drink, you will spend your entire night in the bathroom. I tried to consume most of my water between mid-morning and late afternoon so that I could cut back on the bathroom visits (I still went regularly!)
*If at all possible, adjust your budget to have room for more groceries and eating out. Your appetite will change, what you want to eat will change, and you may even have times where you plan a meal and then realize you don't want to eat it! You can quickly drain your budget if you do not allow yourself some wiggle room during the sick times.
*In addition to napping when the kids nap, my kids play in their room by themselves for 30-45 minutes in the morning, and I could use that time to rest as well. If your child does not do that yet, start out small and slowly increase the time spent in the room alone. This will allow you to rest, shower, or accomplish a few household tasks.
*Exercise when you can, even when you are tired. This will help you increase your energy, and keep your body healthy for the 'long haul' of pregnancy.
*Know that your hormones will fluctuate, and some things will be really weird, but it will probably pass. With this pregnancy, my skin broke out terribly in the first trimester, and not just on my face. I was bumpy and itchy on my face, upper chest and back and it drove me NUTS! I paid close attention to body wash and lotion products (fragrance free all the way), gave it some time and it went away, thankfully.
*Swap childcare with a friend. It seems strange to encourage you to watch someone else's child during your first trimester, but I find that an extra playmate is often just what my kids need to keep them entertained. Then I had some freedom to rest or work around the house, and on my day without kids I could rest and recuperate as much as I wanted.
*Avoid caffeine, as it can aggravate your already existing symptoms (restlessness, breast tenderness, sleeplessness). On the opposite side, though, there have been occasions where a little caffeine helped ease a headache, so use your best judgment.
*Meditate on Scripture even if you don't have time or energy to extensively study God's word. Put Scripture in prominent places for you to see it (bathroom, perhaps? :-). Pray in small snatches, while doing the dishes, or showering, or throwing up in the toilet. Pray aloud in front of your children for God's strength to make it through the day.
*Begin to make adjustments in the first trimester that will affect your pregnancy and life later. Limit carrying your toddler downstairs (this is hard for me when Baxter says "Mommy, hug!"). Move child/ren into different rooms or beds or carseats early to get them used to that setup. Encourage your child to sit beside you to read books rather than in your lap, as that will get very uncomfortable as your belly grows. Refer to the older sibling as big sister/big brother, or big girl and big boy, and not 'little' and 'baby'.
*Don't be afraid to ask for help (Meg hit on this!), and don't hesitate to hire it either! Pay someone to clean your house, or watch your children, or even run errands for you. Hopefully the Lord has placed you in a church or community that will support you and help you without you hiring anyone, but if you must, just DO IT!!
Now for my disclaimer--what works for me might not work for you. And quite frankly, I don't always follow my own advice very well; for instance, I have not exercised much this pregnancy and I can feel the difference in my body. As always, these are suggestions that I have, and it is my prayer that they might be helpful to someone. Please feel free to add any suggestions or thoughts in the comments!
First Trimester Tips
Posted by | Sunday, December 5, 2010 at 7:45 PM
Oh, morning sickness! It seems like just a bad dream now that I am in my third trimester, but I vividly remember how miserable I was and how just making it through the day seemed like a huge accomplishment. I was so incredibly excited to be pregnant, but truly wondered if I would actually be able to make it through while taking care of two little ones. This week I am supposed to be giving tips on how to keep your household going smoothly while feeling under the weather for several months, but I have to be honest: I did a pretty poor job of it this summer. My first two pregnancies were not too bad, but this last one hit me much harder and really threw me for a loop. I pretty much gave up and had to rely completely on my family and friends for most of the 1st trimester. That was really hard for me, but God taught me a lot through it. I’m going to share a few practical tips that I did learn, but just keep in mind that the biggest lesson I learned was to trust God and be humble enough to ask for help!
Random tips in no particular order:
-- If you are lucky enough to find out that you are pregnant before morning sickness hits, stock your freezer!! I usually have about 10 happy days before I am incapacitated and I try to cook up a storm during that time. As soon as I saw that blissful line on the pregnancy test, I threw my schedule to the wind, made a huge trip to the grocery store and cooked all week long: enough bread, pancakes, tortillas, and meals to last about a month. I really don’t know how we would have survived if I hadn’t because once it hit, I seriously couldn’t walk into the kitchen without gagging.
-- Give yourself a break -- I remember so many days during that time where all I did was lay on the couch or floor and read to my girls. I got absolutely nothing else accomplished. My house was a wreck and I felt like a slacker but seriously couldn’t do anything more than that. But at least I knew my girls were happy and out of trouble and I had made it through one more day. There is no reason to beat yourself up for lack of productivity when you can do absolutely nothing about it!
-- Don’t be too proud to ask for help! Your church family is there to help you through times like these and it will bless them as well! One young mother in our church asked if she could keep my girls for me one morning to give me a break. Normally, I would have declined, because the girls didn’t know her that well, but I was desperate enough to accept the help. My girls had a wonderful time and wanted to go back. They ended up going over there every Monday morning for the entire duration of my morning sickness! It started a great friendship with a young family that we hadn’t previously known that well and I wouldn’t trade it for anything! In addition, I cannot tell you what a difference it made in my mindset to know that I could start my week off easily. I had previously felt very overwhelmed on Mondays, knowing it would be so many days before I had my husband’s help again. I also had a young pre-teen girl in my church offer to come over and play with my girls. That began another beautiful friendship and she still comes over one morning every other week! The girls really look forward to her visits and I definitely do! I have been amazed at how God has used my weakest moments to form relationships that I now treasure. Please don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it! God will bless your humility.
-- Switch or stop taking your pre-natal vitamin is they are making you sick. With my first two pregnancies, I was able to take my pre-natal vitamins throughout my first trimester without any problem. This last pregnancy, however, they made me throw up. If I took them, I would spend all day in the bathroom. I decided that they were not doing me any good if I always threw them up, so I just quit taking them. I still felt utterly miserable, but no longer threw up at all. It was definitely worth it to me!
-- Ginger and honey tea can help settle your stomach. I didn’t want any of my normal favorite teas when I had morning sickness, but a simple ginger tea did seem to help a little bit. I bought fresh ginger at the grocery store and would simply cut off a few pieces and let it steep in my hot water for a few minutes. It was a very mild ginger taste and I would add just a drop of honey as well.
-- Try eating before you sit up in bed. If I sat up, I would not be able to eat anything, so my husband brought me buttered toast and ginger tea almost every morning to eat while lying down. Sometimes it was all I could manage for breakfast, but it was better than nothing!
-- Use paper plates and other disposables. I usually try to do everything all natural and “green-like,” but the first trimester is undoubtedly just a time to survive. Dishes became a huge problem for us because they completely grossed me out and made me sick and I just couldn’t do them. I really could hardly walk in the kitchen without feeling ill. My husband had to completely take over kitchen duty while I had morning sickness so he stocked up on the paper plates, bowls, plastic utensils, etc, and it helped so much! I also gave up on cloth diapers during that time.
-- Nap when the kids nap. This was hard for me, because nap time is when I get everything done! But I found that I if I did not use that block of time to sneak in a nap for myself, my body would not be able to make it the rest of the day. I would have to crash at 7:00 when I put my girls down rather than hang out with my husband. But if I took a nap mid-day, then I could stay awake to spend some time with Mark in the evenings.
Pregnancy Advice
Posted by | Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 12:00 AM
I thought, since I'm currently pregnant, I would start by sharing about my two pregnancies and the similarities and differences I’ve seen with them. First, let me say that I consider it a total miracle and blessing to be pregnant at all. I know that all life is truly a miracle and gift from Him, but sometimes it’s hard not to question things when you want to get pregnant so much and can’t (and you’re married and pursuing the Lord with all you are) and then you hear of unwed teens getting pregnant, abortions, child abuse, etc. If you want to read about our battle with infertility, please click here.
Our daughter, Lydia was born in August 2006, (click here to read our birth story) and I’m currently 27 weeks pregnant with twins. For the most part, these two pregnancies have been very similar. One of the early symptoms I had during the two week wait - “TTW” – with both pregnancies was weight loss. This time around, from Day 1, I had an incredible hunger as soon as I woke up in the morning – to the point where I could tell my blood sugar was dipping really low and I needed to eat (this lasted the first month). Both times I had insomnia a lot in the first couple months (I think from the sheer excitement and joy!) and this time around my stomach was already getting firm by the time I could take a pregnancy test and find out if I really was pregnant.
Around 7 weeks, to the exact same day, the nauseous started both times. I never threw up (although I often thought I would feel so much better if I had) and it lasted until around 12 weeks. I was very tired in the first trimester this time with twins. In fact, with Lydia I never really missed a beat and wondered why so many pregnant women said they were tired – whew, do I now I understand! Both times, though, my second trimester has been great and I can honestly say that I feel better pregnant than not. I love being pregnant and during my second trimester I walked every morning, cooked, and did whatever else I needed to do. So far my weight gain has also been identical; although I’m quite sure my belly is bigger this time around! Also, my iron levels this time have dropped quickly and I’m now anemic and have to start taking iron supplements. (I honestly don’t know if this was even monitored with my first pregnancy, but, since it’s so common with twins my doctor has been monitoring it closely.) I knew they had been dropping for the past several months and did a lot of research of natural remedies – I tried several and just spent the last month taking 2 T. of liquid chlorophyll everyday only to find my levels stayed the same (it did maintain them and keep it from dropping and for many women it helps their iron levels rise so I’d definitely recommend trying this route first!). So, now I’m left with taking iron supplements which I know can cause constipation, among other things, but at least I know I’ve tried the natural remedies first.
With Lydia, I went to a midwifery unit during my pregnancy. I had one ultrasound – at the very beginning – only to make sure I was pregnant with just one baby. We declined most all testing, including the gestational diabetes test later in the pregnancy (I figured I never ate sugar anyway so what did drinking a cup of sugar really prove?), and had the most wonderful surprise of our lives to find out the sex of our baby when she was born. This time around we also declined most testing, but we have had several ultrasounds and are told we’re having two boys – I figure we won’t really be sure until they’re born!
Currently, our biggest prayer request – besides of course having healthy babies! – is wanting to make sure I am able to deliver them with a doctor who is experienced with delivering twins vaginally because I really want the chance to birth these babies naturally (and right now they are breech). Where we live overseas, the c-section rate is as high as 90% - and that’s for vertex singletons! Doctors are skilled with surgery, but not necessarily with natural delivery, and especially of twins. This issue has become very complicated and we are praying for grace and wisdom for everyone involved in the decision-making process (yes, unfortunately, it goes beyond just us).
This is why the importance of selecting the right doctor for you cannot be understated!! Most doctors today do not like delivering twins vaginally; rare is the doctor who would even consider giving a woman carrying breech twins the chance at a natural birth. Yet, those doctors do exist! We researched and researched (I started by calling midwives in the area I wanted to deliver to find out what doctors were more sympathetic to natural childbirth). We ended up finding a perinatologist (additional training beyond an OB) whose specialty is with multiples and breech and prefers to allow a woman the chance to birth naturally rather than just scheduling a c-section. I tell you this to encourage you that you CAN find skilled doctors who are sympathetic to your wishes, just be persistent in looking!
Well, I’m sure there’s so much more I could share, so if you have questions about my experiences please leave a comment or question! Let me close by sharing some of the resources I’ve enjoyed, as well as specific advice I’d give:
1. READ, READ, READ! Here’s some things that I strongly recommend:
Our daughter, Lydia was born in August 2006, (click here to read our birth story) and I’m currently 27 weeks pregnant with twins. For the most part, these two pregnancies have been very similar. One of the early symptoms I had during the two week wait - “TTW” – with both pregnancies was weight loss. This time around, from Day 1, I had an incredible hunger as soon as I woke up in the morning – to the point where I could tell my blood sugar was dipping really low and I needed to eat (this lasted the first month). Both times I had insomnia a lot in the first couple months (I think from the sheer excitement and joy!) and this time around my stomach was already getting firm by the time I could take a pregnancy test and find out if I really was pregnant.
Around 7 weeks, to the exact same day, the nauseous started both times. I never threw up (although I often thought I would feel so much better if I had) and it lasted until around 12 weeks. I was very tired in the first trimester this time with twins. In fact, with Lydia I never really missed a beat and wondered why so many pregnant women said they were tired – whew, do I now I understand! Both times, though, my second trimester has been great and I can honestly say that I feel better pregnant than not. I love being pregnant and during my second trimester I walked every morning, cooked, and did whatever else I needed to do. So far my weight gain has also been identical; although I’m quite sure my belly is bigger this time around! Also, my iron levels this time have dropped quickly and I’m now anemic and have to start taking iron supplements. (I honestly don’t know if this was even monitored with my first pregnancy, but, since it’s so common with twins my doctor has been monitoring it closely.) I knew they had been dropping for the past several months and did a lot of research of natural remedies – I tried several and just spent the last month taking 2 T. of liquid chlorophyll everyday only to find my levels stayed the same (it did maintain them and keep it from dropping and for many women it helps their iron levels rise so I’d definitely recommend trying this route first!). So, now I’m left with taking iron supplements which I know can cause constipation, among other things, but at least I know I’ve tried the natural remedies first.
With Lydia, I went to a midwifery unit during my pregnancy. I had one ultrasound – at the very beginning – only to make sure I was pregnant with just one baby. We declined most all testing, including the gestational diabetes test later in the pregnancy (I figured I never ate sugar anyway so what did drinking a cup of sugar really prove?), and had the most wonderful surprise of our lives to find out the sex of our baby when she was born. This time around we also declined most testing, but we have had several ultrasounds and are told we’re having two boys – I figure we won’t really be sure until they’re born!
Currently, our biggest prayer request – besides of course having healthy babies! – is wanting to make sure I am able to deliver them with a doctor who is experienced with delivering twins vaginally because I really want the chance to birth these babies naturally (and right now they are breech). Where we live overseas, the c-section rate is as high as 90% - and that’s for vertex singletons! Doctors are skilled with surgery, but not necessarily with natural delivery, and especially of twins. This issue has become very complicated and we are praying for grace and wisdom for everyone involved in the decision-making process (yes, unfortunately, it goes beyond just us).
This is why the importance of selecting the right doctor for you cannot be understated!! Most doctors today do not like delivering twins vaginally; rare is the doctor who would even consider giving a woman carrying breech twins the chance at a natural birth. Yet, those doctors do exist! We researched and researched (I started by calling midwives in the area I wanted to deliver to find out what doctors were more sympathetic to natural childbirth). We ended up finding a perinatologist (additional training beyond an OB) whose specialty is with multiples and breech and prefers to allow a woman the chance to birth naturally rather than just scheduling a c-section. I tell you this to encourage you that you CAN find skilled doctors who are sympathetic to your wishes, just be persistent in looking!
Well, I’m sure there’s so much more I could share, so if you have questions about my experiences please leave a comment or question! Let me close by sharing some of the resources I’ve enjoyed, as well as specific advice I’d give:
1. READ, READ, READ! Here’s some things that I strongly recommend:
- Daily pregnancy journal – I used this one with both pregnancies
- The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth
- Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way
2. Take a childbirth class: I recommend a BRADLEY COURSE
3. Nutrition – this is huge. I can’t say that I ate differently pregnant than before because I really try to cook/eat healthy. If anything, I ate worse pregnant because during the first trimester there were times I ate things like Pizza Hut – agh!! But, here’s the basics:
Brewer Diet (Also, check out http://www.blueribbonbaby.org/ - I couldn't get this link to work as I typed this but it is the website I used for my informaton on the Brewer Diet.) In a nutshell, the Brewer Diet is good because it deals with the importance of protein. This cannot be understated! Dr. Brewer was an OBGYN who found that in 20 years of practice he NEVER saw a case of preeclampsia or eclampsia among women who followed his protein recommendations. There are many other health benefits to eating protein, especially while pregnant. The problem with this diet, though, is he does not deal with the QUALITY of the food you eat. So, you also need to check out the Weston Price Organization and read through what it means to truly eat healthy. For more information about how we eat, check out these posts (one, two, three, four, five) I wrote on POH that deal with different aspects of nutrition.
4. Make sure you choose your doctor or midwife wisely!
5. ENJOY every moment of the short season that you are pregnant!!
Leah's Pregnancy Advice
Posted by | Tuesday, December 16, 2008 at 11:30 PM
I found out I was pregnant with my first son, Samuel, in January of 2006. When Samuel was 10 months old, I found out I was pregnant with our second son, Joel (I actually took the pregnancy test the day we moved from North Carolina to California). I really enjoyed both of my pregnancies and pray that the Lord blesses me with more children in the future. Here are a handful of things I can share with you:
1. Take lots of pictures of yourself. I love to take pictures of my family, but I am SO rarely in any photos. And I am horrible inconsistent at most things. I really wish I would have done the "here's my belly this week" series of photos with my pregnancies. I have such a hard time looking back now and remembering. This is definitely something I will try harder at next time. Oh, and I totally agree that you should have some professional photos taken. I didn't do this with either boy and now I am so jealous when I see other people's pics. So cute!
2. Sleep. Put aside your guilt and sleep as much as you can. It doesn't matter whether this is your first or your fourth, sleep. Although I'm sure that if this is your fourth, I'm preaching to the choir.
3. Make a list of things you like/want to do that will be more difficult once you have a baby and do them. Go out to dinner and a movie with your hubby. Sleep in. Hang out at friends' houses until all hours of the night. Once your little one arrives, s/he will be in charge and you won't be able to do all those things you now take for granted.
4. Ask your ob to recommend a pediatrician. I have lived in three different cities while pregnant. I asked my ob for a recommendation in NC and here in Chicago and I was very pleased both times. Shop around for a pediatrician if you need to. Mary S - you did this, right? I remember running into you at Starbucks once while you were "interviewing" a pediatrician. Can you comment here?
5. Keep a pregnancy journal. Samuel likes to look at the journal I made while pregnant with him. I kept a little monthly calendar and just wrote down little things on different days like dr's appts and when he kicked for the first time, etc.
6. Maintain a healthy diet. I'm hoping Krista or Margaret will post about the diet they kept while pregnant. I am a pretty undisciplined person, so it was really hard for me to eat well while pregnant. I mostly struggle with not eating enough and not eating enough healthy stuff. But I made sure I ate breakfast every day and plenty of it. It really helped give me energy and made me feel better. One suggestion - at night when I craved a bowl of ice cream, I ate a bowl of cereal instead. It hit the spot and was at least a little bit better for me than ice cream.
7. Continue breastfeeding if you have an older, breastfeeding child. Samuel was only 10 months when I got pregnant again, so it was important for me to keep nursing him. I read a lot about child-led weaning and tandem nursing because I didn't know what would happen with him. But, at around 12 months, Samuel really cut back on nursing on his own. A lot of people told me this could happen. He weaned himself at 13 months. Ask me if you have questions about breastfeeding while pregnant.
8. Talk to your insurance company so you can understand how your visits and hospital stays are billed. I add this one b/c it was an issue with both my pregnancies/deliveries. My insurance plan counted my infant's hospital stay under my name, my deductible. I should not have had to pay a separate deductible for either boys' stay. If I didn't know that ahead of time, I would have paid the hospital bill when it came without knowing the difference. Be sure you understand your coverage.
9. Consider not finding out the gender of your baby. We didn't find out with either of ours and it was SO MUCH FUN. We were always wondering whether we would have a boy or girl and it made the delivery that much more exciting. Just consider it... :) OR, and I can't believe Hollie didn't share this, think of a fun and exciting way to find out the gender or share with others what you're having. Hugh and Hollie had an awesome "Guess the Gender" party where someone opened the envelope to tell them what they were having in front of their family and friends. Such a cute idea.
Any questions that you all have? Ask away!
Christina's pregnancy advice
Posted by | at 9:16 AM
First off, this week is really going to give me baby fever! Despite our wacko pregnancies - I miss being pregnant! Second of all, please do not let this post scare you. I simply want to share important information that I wish I had known prior to the end of my first pregnancy! If you are pregnant now, do not let the facts create anxiety! Psalm 121 is a huge comfort to me in moments of fear. (Including my pregnancies!)
For any new readers, I have two kids. Will was born in June of 2006 and Adeline in March of 2008. Both of my pregnancies started out normal, but ended a little more complicated. Will was born at 32 weeks due to preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. Here is the long version of his birth story. Adeline was born at 37 weeks after 5 weeks of bedrest due to PIH (pregnancy induced hypertension). You can read her birth story on our family blog, here.
My hope for this post is to give some information about preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome and premature births in general. I'm still suprised at the number of pregnant women I encounter that have not heard about preeclampsia.
First off - I have some advice unrelated to preeclampsia. If you've ever been pregnant, you've likely dealt with some degree of "morning sickness" or nausea. With my first, the nausea was very manageable. It wasn't pleasant, but it was not bad. With my second (a girl - I think that caused the difference!), the nausea was debilitating. I WISHED I could have thrown up. I know that may sound crazy to someone who did and did often, but the few times I threw up made me feel so much better! To help me get through my days teaching, the doctor gave me a prescription for Zofran.
Here's my bit of advice about Zofran. Watch out for constipation. I have N.E.V.E.R. experienced anything more painful and unpleasant in my life. I had no idea it was side effect of that drug until I ended up at my OB after one horrid night. After that, I still took the Zofran, but much less frequently and I was sure to combat the constipating factors.
Now that I've said my peace about that...
Preeclampsia - Is a dangerous condition that only occurs in pregnancy or the postpartum period. The three main symptoms are high blood pressure, protein in your urine and swelling. (If you click on my son's birth story - there is a picture that shows how extreme my swelling was.) This is why they take your blood pressure and check your pee at every OB visit!
It mostly occurs in the late 2nd and 3rd trimesters and only occurs in about 5-8% of pregnancies. Most often, it occurs very late in the 3rd trimester and delivery is induced. Delivery is the only "cure" for this condition, although it can be managed in order to delay an extremely premature delivery. My preeclampsia was managed for a week before my son was born. Symptoms to report to your doctor include headache, vision changes, sudden swelling and stomach pain.
HELLP - This acronym stands for- Hemolysis Elevated Liver enzymes Low Platelets. This condition is a very serious complication of preeclampsia, although it can rarely occur apart from preeclampsia. Basically, this is when your liver is failing. Symptoms include right side abdominal pain (where your liver is), nausea and vomiting. This is ultimately what caused Will to be born at 32 weeks. Like preeclampsia, the only cure is delivery.
PIH - Pregnancy Induced Hypertension is what I battled the entire second half of my pregnancy with Adeline. I've heard different stories as to whether or not it actually is the same thing as preeclampsia. I think of it as a precursor to preeclampsia. It is the high blood pressure without the other preeclampsia symptoms. High blood pressure in pregnancy can be dangerous to the fetus and result in poor growth for the fetus among other things. (Will weighed 3lbs because of my blood pressures.)
There are safe medications that can be used during pregnancy to lower blood pressure and "manage" both preeclampsia and PIH. I took one called Procardia. Bedrest is often used to keep the blood pressures down as well and allow optimal blood flow to the baby. I truly think that the five weeks of bedrest with Adeline allowed her to grow to a more healthly weight of almost 7 pounds (50th percentile). With Will - my blood pressure went unchecked and he weighed in at 3 pounds (less than 5th percentile for his gestation).
One last thing to be mindful of are the fetal kick counts that your doctor usually asks you to do once a day after about 28 weeks into the pregnancy. Decreased movement is always a reason to call your doctor. It was ultimately why I called my doctor on the day Adeline was born. It can be a sign that the baby is under stress and when Mom has high blood pressure the baby is more likely to be under stress.
There are many other causes of premature birth, including preterm labor and premature rupture of membranes (your water breaks!). The March of Dimes is a wonderful resource when it comes to information about prematurity and its causes.
Anyone have experience with pre-term labor or a premature delivery? Please share your story so other can benefit!
"I lift my eyes up to the hills -
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip-
he who watches over you will not slumber.
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you -
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm -
he will watch over your life.
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore."
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip-
he who watches over you will not slumber.
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you -
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm -
he will watch over your life.
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore."
For any new readers, I have two kids. Will was born in June of 2006 and Adeline in March of 2008. Both of my pregnancies started out normal, but ended a little more complicated. Will was born at 32 weeks due to preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. Here is the long version of his birth story. Adeline was born at 37 weeks after 5 weeks of bedrest due to PIH (pregnancy induced hypertension). You can read her birth story on our family blog, here.
My hope for this post is to give some information about preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome and premature births in general. I'm still suprised at the number of pregnant women I encounter that have not heard about preeclampsia.
First off - I have some advice unrelated to preeclampsia. If you've ever been pregnant, you've likely dealt with some degree of "morning sickness" or nausea. With my first, the nausea was very manageable. It wasn't pleasant, but it was not bad. With my second (a girl - I think that caused the difference!), the nausea was debilitating. I WISHED I could have thrown up. I know that may sound crazy to someone who did and did often, but the few times I threw up made me feel so much better! To help me get through my days teaching, the doctor gave me a prescription for Zofran.
Here's my bit of advice about Zofran. Watch out for constipation. I have N.E.V.E.R. experienced anything more painful and unpleasant in my life. I had no idea it was side effect of that drug until I ended up at my OB after one horrid night. After that, I still took the Zofran, but much less frequently and I was sure to combat the constipating factors.
Now that I've said my peace about that...
Preeclampsia - Is a dangerous condition that only occurs in pregnancy or the postpartum period. The three main symptoms are high blood pressure, protein in your urine and swelling. (If you click on my son's birth story - there is a picture that shows how extreme my swelling was.) This is why they take your blood pressure and check your pee at every OB visit!
It mostly occurs in the late 2nd and 3rd trimesters and only occurs in about 5-8% of pregnancies. Most often, it occurs very late in the 3rd trimester and delivery is induced. Delivery is the only "cure" for this condition, although it can be managed in order to delay an extremely premature delivery. My preeclampsia was managed for a week before my son was born. Symptoms to report to your doctor include headache, vision changes, sudden swelling and stomach pain.
HELLP - This acronym stands for- Hemolysis Elevated Liver enzymes Low Platelets. This condition is a very serious complication of preeclampsia, although it can rarely occur apart from preeclampsia. Basically, this is when your liver is failing. Symptoms include right side abdominal pain (where your liver is), nausea and vomiting. This is ultimately what caused Will to be born at 32 weeks. Like preeclampsia, the only cure is delivery.
PIH - Pregnancy Induced Hypertension is what I battled the entire second half of my pregnancy with Adeline. I've heard different stories as to whether or not it actually is the same thing as preeclampsia. I think of it as a precursor to preeclampsia. It is the high blood pressure without the other preeclampsia symptoms. High blood pressure in pregnancy can be dangerous to the fetus and result in poor growth for the fetus among other things. (Will weighed 3lbs because of my blood pressures.)
There are safe medications that can be used during pregnancy to lower blood pressure and "manage" both preeclampsia and PIH. I took one called Procardia. Bedrest is often used to keep the blood pressures down as well and allow optimal blood flow to the baby. I truly think that the five weeks of bedrest with Adeline allowed her to grow to a more healthly weight of almost 7 pounds (50th percentile). With Will - my blood pressure went unchecked and he weighed in at 3 pounds (less than 5th percentile for his gestation).
One last thing to be mindful of are the fetal kick counts that your doctor usually asks you to do once a day after about 28 weeks into the pregnancy. Decreased movement is always a reason to call your doctor. It was ultimately why I called my doctor on the day Adeline was born. It can be a sign that the baby is under stress and when Mom has high blood pressure the baby is more likely to be under stress.
There are many other causes of premature birth, including preterm labor and premature rupture of membranes (your water breaks!). The March of Dimes is a wonderful resource when it comes to information about prematurity and its causes.
Anyone have experience with pre-term labor or a premature delivery? Please share your story so other can benefit!
Pregnancy Advice
Posted by | Monday, December 15, 2008 at 12:37 AM
It's been almost three years since I've been pregnant. Boy does time fly. It feels like yesterday when I was pregnant. I'd like to share some advice, in no particular order, from my own experience with pregnancy.
1.) Be proactive about praying for your child EVERY day. Also pray about lots of things concerning being pregnant: your perfect picture of delivery day, your pregnancy road-rage, and your breastfeeding experience, etc..
2.) READ. READ. READ! Read NOW. Read all that you can. I regret not taking advantage of those nine months to read and educate myself. I had to squeeze in so many books that first year, which was not easy. Once baby arrives, whether it's your first or your third, life will get that much more busily blessed. You can never start too early Here are a few that I enjoyed to start you off: The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears, The Bradley Method (about birthing naturally), The Successful Child by Dr. Sears, The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley, Super Baby Foods by Ruth Yaron
3.) Learn the life-lesson of surrender NOW. Your self-esteem will plummet like that of a pubescent teenager. You thought those wars of insecurity were over with. Guess again my friend. You'll find that you will struggle more than ever with seeing these drastic changes in your body, comparing yourself with others (even other pregnant women), and feeling so insecure with who you are now and who you are becoming. Surrendering all of these fears and worries is lesson number one of being a happy, contented, confident Mama-to-be. Better learn it now. Find Biblical scriptures to help you combat this struggle victoriously.
4.) Lesson number two: find humor in everything. Really learn to laugh at yourself, your failed attempts at _?_, and things you learn along the way. It makes for an easier adjustment to motherhood and your husband will thank you.
5.) Take time to make a birth plan, where you type out what your hopes and desires are for YOUR Delivery Day Experience. So many mothers don't know about this. I learned about it in my Bradley Birthing Class. You won't have time to explain to your Doctor everything you want on that day nor will your OB remember everything from the appointment the week before. If you'd like to natural route, try googling "Bradley Birth Plans." Also, follow the link above.
6.) Steer clear of direct sun exposure to the face and always wear sunscreen on your face. I got the "Pregnancy Mask" and "Splotches" on my face when I was pregnant. (FYI: Not everyone will get it the Pregnancy Mask.) I was in the sun a few times and POP..out they all came. I wish I had stayed OUT of the sun. I STILL have them, three years later. I'll post two pictures below from THIS summer (2008) after getting some sun on my face. If you're feeling pasty in the summer and wanting a tan face, just pull up this post and let my splotches help you fight the temptation of the sun. Be sure to hone in on the forhead/temple/cheek bone area in the pictures.
Pictures of Pregnancy Mask
7.) If your morning sickness is truly in the morning, start taking your prenatals at night.
8.) Become a minimalist. Go through your house and purge unused, even nice things. Purge your heart out. Have several garage sales BEFORE Baby arrives. De clutter in a MAJOR way. I have wanted to really get rid of LOTS and LOTS of really nice stuff that I just don't use anymore, and after three terrible garage sales and the long hours of preparation with the limited time I have, I wished I had gotten rid of it all when I had more time on my hands.
9.) EAT YOUR FATS! You need WHOLE milk. You need WHOLE fats. You NEED animal fats - Take Cod Liver Oil (I'll let Krista expound on this, since she was the first who taught me about Cod Liver Oil) and coconut oil.
10.)Get a Pregnancy Photo Shoot. I had some professional pictures taken of Hugh and I two days before my c-section. I LOVE looking back at these pictures. I'm always amazed and ever grateful for such an experience. If you're in the Raleigh, NC area, Casey Chappell took my Pregnancy Pictures that you see throughout the post. Check out her site: Poiema Photograph (Be sure to click full-screen or same window first.)
11.) Buy one of those cheap asian-looking fans and carry it in your purse for those hot flashes, especially if you're pregnant in the summer. I was teaching at the time and HAD to have my hot pink fan with me to help ease the hot flashes. You could also buy the battery powered little fans you can get from Walgreens, CVS, etc..
12.) Hip Pains: I had unbelievabel hip pains from 9 weeks on. I'm not talking about a little achy here and there. No. I mean, moaning-in-my-sleep-deep-bone pains. Talk about horrible. FROM THE NINETH WEEK TO THE THIRTY-NINETH WEEK. What helped? I went to a Physical Therapist and that helped just a tinsy bit, but I was pretty disappointed in the outcome. I ended up buying a super-nice, top of the line memory foam for our bed and that made a HUGE difference. I would highly recommend one even if you don't have hip pains because it would help balance you out and cradle you as your belly gets bigger. And you can't forget the curved-c pregnancy pillow. That helped A LOT with hip pains as well. Nothing took the pain completely away, but these were extremely helpful.
Well, that's it for now friends, but I've only just begun. I will probably be posting more as I read comments and the other posts throughout this week. We would love to hear your Pregnancy Advice!
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