It's been a LONG time since I wrote anything. I just couldn't deal with keeping this blog updated...not that I have a particularly large readership to begin with. :)
Baby Boy (AA) has arrived, finally, after nine VERY long months. He is now three weeks old and what can I say - we're in love. :) Big sister LH will be turning three later this month. It's hard to believe that I was stupid enough to do this twice in the span of three years, but hey - sometimes man plans and God laughs, and let's just leave it at that.
Overall, I would have to say that my pregnancy with AA was easier than with LH. For starts, this time we knew what we were dealing with and we knew what treatment to demand. I was on zofran from around 5 weeks this time, versus last time where I didn't get it until second trimester. Second trimester, can you believe???
I lost the same amount of weight with AA as with LH (10 kg), but I started out 2 kg heavier this time around so while I was much skinnier than I should have been, I wasn't actually as horribly ill-looking as last time. Also, wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles - I actually gained weight beyond my pre-pregnancy weight! After about 20 weeks I started to gain weight and managed to gain not only the 10 kg I had lost, but an additional 7 beyond that. That means that after I gave birth, I was just 1-2 kg above my pre-pregnancy weight and that's where I'm holding.
My recovery from this pregnancy is about a zillion times better and easier than in my first pregnancy. Part of it is the better medical care, part of it is knowing what the heck is going on, part of it is being much better at asking for help and making myself take it easy. A big part of it is the fantastic birth that I had with this one. For a quick overview of my two births, and why this recovery is so much better:
LH - labor was a total of 9.5 hours. All natural birth; got to the hospital about three hours before the birth. Went from 4 cm to birth in around an hour or so. Even though she was small (2.948 kg, or around 6lbs8oz), I had some pretty significant tearing and the lovely stitches and more difficult recovery that goes along with that. Not to mention that I was not in good health at the time of her birth due to the HG, and I was suffering from PTSD.
AA - labor was a total of 2 hours 50 minutes. Yes, you read that correctly. I woke up at 12:47 AM with a strong contraction. The next one was seven minutes later...next seven minutes later...then six minutes...then five...then we hopped in a cab to the hospital. It's about a 10 minute drive and by the time we got there, I was contracting every two minutes. Of course the first thing they did at the hospital was lay me flat on my back and strap me to a monitor, after so helpfully informing me that I was only 3 cm. I felt like I was dying and pretty quickly changed my mind about wanting an epidural. So they sent me to L&D (had been in triage). They were really hopping that night with women giving birth, so we had a midwife with us but no nurse or doctor in sight. Basically, she told me that the anesthesiologist was busy with another woman at the time but that she thought I was moving too quickly to be able to get an epidural. Each time she checked me (at close intervals) I was a centimeter further along. Finally when I was 7 cm, she told me that she thought if she broke my water, I would give birth. While I didn't really want unnecessary interventions, I just wanted the pain to end so I gave her permission. She broke my water and I had an immediate feeling of relief...until my body starting pushing! Needless to say, she was right. She broke my water and five minutes later I was holding my son. He was 3.565 kg (a coupld of ounces shy of 8 lbs), with a much bigger head than his sister, and I had absolutely NO tearing (even though I felt like I was being ripped open while pushing him out). Fast, intense birth + no stitches = significantly better recovery. Not to mention that I was in better health to begin with.
At any rate, I find it very interesting to take a look at my toenails. You can clearly see where my health was bad and I was malnourished, and where it got better. I like the smooth nail part where it got better; but the not-nice-looking nail part legitimizes for me how sick I was. I mean, it's not that easy to mess up your nails like that through normal fluctuations in diet. But what I was experiencing was NOT a normal fluctuation, or a small fluctuation like an acute illness. It was honest to goodness malnutrition.
I suffered from PTSD after my pregnancy with LH, but I honestly don't think I'll have a problem this time. Physically, mentally, and emotionally I just feel so good. I have to attribute a lot of that to the better support network I had this time. As much as I may not see eye-to-eye with my in-laws all the time, they really helped out a lot. They took care of LH when I couldn't, drove me to and from hospital/urgent care/doctor's appointments, and we actually lived by them for a full month when I was at my worst. They were a steady item in her life when everything else was topsy-turvy.
I can't not mention KT, a very dear friend with the biggest heart in the world. We first 'met' online while she was in the midst of her second HG pregnancy and was reaching out for support. I feel blessed that I was able to help her when she needed it...and she has repaid that a thousandfold. I can't even begin to list the things she has done for us, but let's just say she is awesome awesome awesome.
Of course I couldn't have done it without my husband, NM. Between his full-time job and running out household during that time, he most certainly had his hands full and he came through it much better this second time around.
The other friends and family who helped out, supported, gave LH some sense of normalcy, tried to do everything they could to help me feel better...what can I say, it makes all the difference.
And of course, my mother arrived two days before the birth and the help and support she provided in the three weeks total that she was here were invaluable. It was so good to be able to just take it easy and not have to worry about things like cooking and housework while I started to recover.
Showing posts with label cleaning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cleaning. Show all posts
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
24 weeks, yay viability!
Well I'm 24 weeks today. For all you HGers out there, you know how important this milestone is: viability. All of the suffering, all of the misery, and if something goes wrong now - there's still a chance that you can get a live, healthy baby out of it. So yay.
At any rate, I'm actually doing fantastically well. I make a poor excuse for a woman with hyperemesis at this point. :) It just goes to show that if you get proper medical care from the beginning and if you know to fight for what you need, then things can go a lot better.
I'm rapidly gaining weight (I expect to return to my pre-pregnancy weight within the next few weeks), I'm regaining lost muscle (catching up on five months of housework will do that), and I'm able to be more active in my daughter's life. Although I still have to be careful about what I can eat, I CAN EAT. Yesterday my husband was standing there looking at me devouring a small plate of food and he told me how much he loves seeing me eat. I love it too, as does the fetus. :)
My tummy is still teeny-tiny, but I'm pretty sure that I just carry small no matter how the pregnancy is going. We had an anatomy scan two weeks ago that showed a perfectly healthy child with long arms, long legs, and HUGE feet. Seriously, huge is not an exaggeration here. The feet were 4.5 cm long at 22 weeks gestation. Now pull out a ruler and see how big that is. Keep in mind that the baby was probably about the length of an ear of corn at the time, so now think about that proportionately. Huge. Feet.
I'm daring to hope at this point that I am completely past everything and that there is no looking back from here, but I know that I may get sick again as the pregnancy progresses. For the moment, though, despite the limitations and the issues that I still have, I am going to wholeheartedly pretend that I am having a fluffy pregnancy. I always wanted one of those. :)
On a sad note, I am praying for all those who were in the tornado's path in Oklahoma earlier this week, for those who lost their lives, those who lost loved ones, those who were injured, and those who came through unscathed but without a single piece of clothing to their name except the shirt they escaped in. I can't imagine what the parents of those nine little angels are going through right now. I hope that they are able to find some peace and comfort down the line.
At any rate, I'm actually doing fantastically well. I make a poor excuse for a woman with hyperemesis at this point. :) It just goes to show that if you get proper medical care from the beginning and if you know to fight for what you need, then things can go a lot better.
I'm rapidly gaining weight (I expect to return to my pre-pregnancy weight within the next few weeks), I'm regaining lost muscle (catching up on five months of housework will do that), and I'm able to be more active in my daughter's life. Although I still have to be careful about what I can eat, I CAN EAT. Yesterday my husband was standing there looking at me devouring a small plate of food and he told me how much he loves seeing me eat. I love it too, as does the fetus. :)
My tummy is still teeny-tiny, but I'm pretty sure that I just carry small no matter how the pregnancy is going. We had an anatomy scan two weeks ago that showed a perfectly healthy child with long arms, long legs, and HUGE feet. Seriously, huge is not an exaggeration here. The feet were 4.5 cm long at 22 weeks gestation. Now pull out a ruler and see how big that is. Keep in mind that the baby was probably about the length of an ear of corn at the time, so now think about that proportionately. Huge. Feet.
I'm daring to hope at this point that I am completely past everything and that there is no looking back from here, but I know that I may get sick again as the pregnancy progresses. For the moment, though, despite the limitations and the issues that I still have, I am going to wholeheartedly pretend that I am having a fluffy pregnancy. I always wanted one of those. :)
On a sad note, I am praying for all those who were in the tornado's path in Oklahoma earlier this week, for those who lost their lives, those who lost loved ones, those who were injured, and those who came through unscathed but without a single piece of clothing to their name except the shirt they escaped in. I can't imagine what the parents of those nine little angels are going through right now. I hope that they are able to find some peace and comfort down the line.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Preparing for Another HG Pregnancy
I had hyperemesis with my first - and as yet only - pregnancy. According to my doctor and research, however, I have a very high likelihood (60-70%) of having it in future pregnancies as well. Since I gave birth 21 months ago, I have been preparing myself for another pregnancy. The physical preparations are pretty simple. The emotional and psychological preparations are not.
Here is a list of things to do to prepare for another HG pregnancy. I have compiled this list from the list here from the Help HER website, as well as feedback I received from other HG mothers when I asked them what they thought would be good to do in advance. I have split it into several categories for the sake of clarity and organization.
CHILDCARE
If you have older children, be sure that they are taken care of. Have a rotation of friends and family look after them, but keep in mind that they will sorely miss you. For younger children, consider having a basket of quiet activities to keep near you so that they can play near you and with you if you are up for it. For older children, let them know that you are willing to listen whenever they want to talk and ask them to come sit with you and tell you about their day each afternoon. See if there are any activities you can do together while you lay down. Board games? If they are in a sport/dance/play/whatever and you can't make it to their performances or events, have someone videotape it for you and make sure to watch it with your child afterwards.
For pre-school-aged children, consider getting together with other mothers for a round-robin playgroup. If there are five children then each mother has the children only one day a week. Perhaps you can get a family member or friend to be at your house the day the kids are 'yours' and run the activities and take care of them. It would even be worthwhile to hire someone to help, if that is a possibility.
HOUSEHOLD
Make sure that you aren't planning a move for the next year or more. Moving while pregnant sucks, especially if you have HG. Take if from me. I did it. DON'T DO IT.
Stock up on EVERYTHING beforehand. Your husband/significant other will be so overwhelmed just with taking care of you and trying to keep things somewhat sane that you don't want to add extra stresses. Stock up on all non-perishables, and if you have a deep freeze you can stock up on some frozen goods as well. Don't forget about things like toilet paper, soaps, cleaners, clothing, etc.
In all your stocking up, try to avoid anything perfumed or otherwise scented as this can be a trigger for vomiting.
Cook and freeze in advance. Again, a deep-freeze is good for this because the food keeps longer. Store the food in containers that are the correct size for one meal for how ever many people are eating. Last time soups wound up being good for hydrating me, so this time I will precook soups and freeze them in single servings in the hopes that they will work again.
Look into grocery delivery services. Again, this will make your husband's life easier.
Do a deep clean of your house beforehand or hire someone to do it for you. Organize. If possible, arrange for a cleaner (or an awesome friend) to come by once a week and help out with cleaning.
Keep a cabinet full of new toys/activities to keep older children busy when you're at your worst. Go to the dollar store or the dollar section at Target and stock up. Brainstorm and write up a long list of fun activities so that when your brain is in HG mode you don't even have to think too hard and come up with something new.
DENTAL HEALTH
Go to the dentist for a cleaning and x-rays and address any cavities or other issues. Also ask the dentist about a sealant for your teeth to help protect them against all the vomiting.
GENERAL HEALTH
Address any other health issues before considering trying to conceive.
Quit smoking, drinking alcohol, reduce caffeine intake. Avoid artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, etc.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet and make sure you have moderate exercise. With severe HG you will have muscle atrophy. It helps if you have some muscle to begin with before it atrophies.
Make sure you are slightly above (10 lbs above) your goal healthy weight. If you are overweight, don't add these 10 lbs. If you are underweight, spend some serious effort bulking up. You don't want to do this by eating ice cream all day. You want to do this by increasing your intake of healthy food and increasing the amount of healthy fats in your diet. For example, never eat a naked salad - always put on dressing.
Ask your doctor for a comprehensive blood test to check B12, CBC, Ferritin, Potassium, Vitamin D, folic acid and any other levels he thinks it appropriate to address. Address any vitamin/mineral deficiencies BEFORE trying to conceive. This blood panel will also serve as a reference point for what your blood looked like when you were healthy.
Start taking prenatal vitamins 3-6 months before trying to conceive. Don't forget to take folic acid. Also, magnesium deficiencies have been shown to contribute to nausea so ask your doctor if you should take a supplement and how much. And don't forget B6 - while I didn't notice it helping any when I tried it, I was already pretty far gone before it was suggested. Taking it in advance or from the positive pregnancy test may work better.
EDUCATE
Educate yourself. Educate your family. Educate your friends. Educate your doctor. Educate your community. Educate, educate, educate. I can't stress how important it is. The HER Foundation has fantastic resources in this area. Use them.
Obviously there are about a zillion and one other things you can do as well. I didn't mention a lot of the things on the list at the HER Foundation because - well, why duplicate effort? Each individual will have their own needs as well. The best thing to do is to sit down with your doctor in advance and make an action plan. Of course we all hope that all of this planning will be completely useless because we'll have happy, fluffy, non-HG pregnancies - but we can't count on that happening.
I hope that this list provides at least a springboard for planning for your next HG pregnancy.
Here is a list of things to do to prepare for another HG pregnancy. I have compiled this list from the list here from the Help HER website, as well as feedback I received from other HG mothers when I asked them what they thought would be good to do in advance. I have split it into several categories for the sake of clarity and organization.
CHILDCARE
If you have older children, be sure that they are taken care of. Have a rotation of friends and family look after them, but keep in mind that they will sorely miss you. For younger children, consider having a basket of quiet activities to keep near you so that they can play near you and with you if you are up for it. For older children, let them know that you are willing to listen whenever they want to talk and ask them to come sit with you and tell you about their day each afternoon. See if there are any activities you can do together while you lay down. Board games? If they are in a sport/dance/play/whatever and you can't make it to their performances or events, have someone videotape it for you and make sure to watch it with your child afterwards.
For pre-school-aged children, consider getting together with other mothers for a round-robin playgroup. If there are five children then each mother has the children only one day a week. Perhaps you can get a family member or friend to be at your house the day the kids are 'yours' and run the activities and take care of them. It would even be worthwhile to hire someone to help, if that is a possibility.
HOUSEHOLD
Make sure that you aren't planning a move for the next year or more. Moving while pregnant sucks, especially if you have HG. Take if from me. I did it. DON'T DO IT.
Stock up on EVERYTHING beforehand. Your husband/significant other will be so overwhelmed just with taking care of you and trying to keep things somewhat sane that you don't want to add extra stresses. Stock up on all non-perishables, and if you have a deep freeze you can stock up on some frozen goods as well. Don't forget about things like toilet paper, soaps, cleaners, clothing, etc.
In all your stocking up, try to avoid anything perfumed or otherwise scented as this can be a trigger for vomiting.
Cook and freeze in advance. Again, a deep-freeze is good for this because the food keeps longer. Store the food in containers that are the correct size for one meal for how ever many people are eating. Last time soups wound up being good for hydrating me, so this time I will precook soups and freeze them in single servings in the hopes that they will work again.
Look into grocery delivery services. Again, this will make your husband's life easier.
Do a deep clean of your house beforehand or hire someone to do it for you. Organize. If possible, arrange for a cleaner (or an awesome friend) to come by once a week and help out with cleaning.
Keep a cabinet full of new toys/activities to keep older children busy when you're at your worst. Go to the dollar store or the dollar section at Target and stock up. Brainstorm and write up a long list of fun activities so that when your brain is in HG mode you don't even have to think too hard and come up with something new.
DENTAL HEALTH
Go to the dentist for a cleaning and x-rays and address any cavities or other issues. Also ask the dentist about a sealant for your teeth to help protect them against all the vomiting.
GENERAL HEALTH
Address any other health issues before considering trying to conceive.
Quit smoking, drinking alcohol, reduce caffeine intake. Avoid artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, etc.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet and make sure you have moderate exercise. With severe HG you will have muscle atrophy. It helps if you have some muscle to begin with before it atrophies.
Make sure you are slightly above (10 lbs above) your goal healthy weight. If you are overweight, don't add these 10 lbs. If you are underweight, spend some serious effort bulking up. You don't want to do this by eating ice cream all day. You want to do this by increasing your intake of healthy food and increasing the amount of healthy fats in your diet. For example, never eat a naked salad - always put on dressing.
Ask your doctor for a comprehensive blood test to check B12, CBC, Ferritin, Potassium, Vitamin D, folic acid and any other levels he thinks it appropriate to address. Address any vitamin/mineral deficiencies BEFORE trying to conceive. This blood panel will also serve as a reference point for what your blood looked like when you were healthy.
Start taking prenatal vitamins 3-6 months before trying to conceive. Don't forget to take folic acid. Also, magnesium deficiencies have been shown to contribute to nausea so ask your doctor if you should take a supplement and how much. And don't forget B6 - while I didn't notice it helping any when I tried it, I was already pretty far gone before it was suggested. Taking it in advance or from the positive pregnancy test may work better.
EDUCATE
Educate yourself. Educate your family. Educate your friends. Educate your doctor. Educate your community. Educate, educate, educate. I can't stress how important it is. The HER Foundation has fantastic resources in this area. Use them.
Obviously there are about a zillion and one other things you can do as well. I didn't mention a lot of the things on the list at the HER Foundation because - well, why duplicate effort? Each individual will have their own needs as well. The best thing to do is to sit down with your doctor in advance and make an action plan. Of course we all hope that all of this planning will be completely useless because we'll have happy, fluffy, non-HG pregnancies - but we can't count on that happening.
I hope that this list provides at least a springboard for planning for your next HG pregnancy.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Baby wipes
I love baby wipes. They are one of the most amazing inventions ever. Spill something on your white shirt? No problem, whip out a wipe. Blood, poop, wine, food? All magically gone with the help of a wipe.
I have recently expanded my use of baby wipes. They used to be just for L.H.'s butt or other baby-related cleanups, but the other day I accidentally pulled out a wipe when I meant to take a napkin to clean something up. It did such a good job that I just kept going. My most recent baby wipe awesomeness came when I decided to clean my stove with them. Who would have ever thought to clean the stove with a baby wipe?
Under our kitchen sink we have various cleaners, especially one that is specifically supposed to do good work on stoves, counter tops, and ovens. It works okay, although there is still some scrubbing involved. Then I tried my trusty old wipes and voila - everything was gone! No more oil, spilled things that are hardened and cooked on, splashes, dust - nothing. Everything came right off without me even needing to work at it.
True, it left my stove kind of streaky and true, it seems a little weird to clean my kitchen with the product that I usually reserve just for poopy butts, but hey - it's cheap and it works wonders. Baby wipes are my new hero.
I have recently expanded my use of baby wipes. They used to be just for L.H.'s butt or other baby-related cleanups, but the other day I accidentally pulled out a wipe when I meant to take a napkin to clean something up. It did such a good job that I just kept going. My most recent baby wipe awesomeness came when I decided to clean my stove with them. Who would have ever thought to clean the stove with a baby wipe?
Under our kitchen sink we have various cleaners, especially one that is specifically supposed to do good work on stoves, counter tops, and ovens. It works okay, although there is still some scrubbing involved. Then I tried my trusty old wipes and voila - everything was gone! No more oil, spilled things that are hardened and cooked on, splashes, dust - nothing. Everything came right off without me even needing to work at it.
True, it left my stove kind of streaky and true, it seems a little weird to clean my kitchen with the product that I usually reserve just for poopy butts, but hey - it's cheap and it works wonders. Baby wipes are my new hero.
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