Got Glow?

Throughout my life, whenever I thought of pregnancy, I would think of this “glow” that everyone seems to love to refer to when discussing the many joys of pregnancy. So naturally, when I myself became pregnant, I waited with baited breath for this beautiful, ethereal glow that would bestow itself upon me, lighting up rooms with its presence and signaling to others that I came bearing child.

Hmmmm….Six and a half months and so far…no glow  Well, unless of course that glow has been a round of acne, the likes of which I haven’t witnessed since High School. Or the feeling of being unbearably warm in perfectly temperature controlled rooms causing my face to be shades of red darker than others in the same room. Perhaps this glow encompasses the fact that I have begun snoring like a trucker (well, according to my husband anyway) and have had to endure my share of wardrobe malfunctions and necessary adjustments to self image and every day movement. I am almost certain that this “glow” is not referring to the fact that my hair has dried out while my skin has become oily and I am increasingly not able to see over my belly (let alone actually bend over it) in order to efficiently handle personal grooming tasks that I once took for granted. (i.e. shaving my legs and painting my toenails). Some of these changes I did expect on some level but it took the experience of becoming completely out of breath and utterly exhausted one day while trying to complete the daunting task of swatting a loaded nail polish brush at my overgrown toenails for nearly a half hour only to end up with a pedicure that would make even the most seasoned nail salon technician gasp in horror to make me wonder- WHY DOES NO ONE EVER MENTION THIS STUFF? Followed quickly by my second question- AND JUST WHERE, EXACTLY, IS MY GLOW? Of course these are rhetorical questions given the fact that there is most likely no glow and that women that speak of such a glow either:

A) Have not been pregnant or

B) Have some level of delusion that causes them to look in the mirror and mistake acne, blotched skin and bad nail painting jobs for a beautiful glow.

Now granted, there are more than one or two beautiful things that DO come along with pregnancy. For example, feeling your baby kick for the first time, or seeing them move on an ultrasound screen, or just the sheer joy of being able to bond with your child for a full 9-10 months before they come into the world, these are just some of the beautiful things that women are blessed with during pregnancy. And as to why generations upon generations of women have decided to favor THOSE details rather than passing along the the shocking, embarrassing, sometimes downright foul stories that are also a part of being pregnant, well, that’s easy. Because if all those little inconvenient truths were disclosed right from the beginning, that most likely would have been the end of humanity, right then and there, nobody would have ever gotten pregnant again.

So, having resigned myself to the fact that this glow is not forthcoming but that my husband still thinks I’m beautiful and learning to favor the nice things about pregnancy rather than the not quite so nice. I simply keep on keeping on. Comforting myself with the fact that ages of strong, powerful women have gone before me and that our ability to withstand the awkwardness and uncomfortableness of it all for 9-10 months is what has sustained humanity. All the while, being mindful to hide my feet in the safety of closed-toed shoes.

Life, Love and Laughter,

-New Mommy in Town

Hey Mom-Don't Forget to Take Care of YOURSELF!!!

In the course of being pregnant, I have had terrible morning sickness (only for the first three months though-lucky me!). I went through a phase where I could not stomach the thought of consuming any kind of dairy product (VERY strange for me as I could normally have cheese for breakfast lunch and dinner and be completely satisfied).I was then struck with a terrible, wheezing cough for about 6 days that only allowed me an average of about three hours of sleep a night (sometimes two). I called my primary health physician a couple times over these six days and was told that the cough was just something that was “going around”. She gave me a list of acceptable medications I could take and told me that no amount of coughing could hurt the baby but that I should definitely come in if I began to feel any significant amount of pain, or if I began vomiting, contracting or spotting. Throughout all of this and seemingly continuing with no end in sight, I have been suffering from the occasional 3 day migraine headache, terribly painful bouts of nightly heartburn and the sensation that I am going to pull my back out every time I get out of bed or get up off the couch too quickly.

Now, I know that I have had an easier pregnancy than some, but with my low threshold for pain tolerance and with this being my first pregnancy, I have sometimes felt overwhelmed and lost as I figure out what medications are safe for the baby, what I can and cannot eat, what I should and should not be eating and what it all means for myself and the baby. Luckily, I am an information junkie and I am relentless in my pursuit of that information, esp. when it pertains to something close to my heart (i.e. the health of myself and my baby). Although getting my hands on the information I need has been a sometimes difficult and tiresome process and has entailed me pulling together a wealth of information from Internet searches, doctors visits and incessant reading, I am eager to share what I have learned and to pool that information in the hopes that it will possibly put someone else’s mind at ease or make their foray into the unknown a bit less confusing and a bit more comforting. Please note that the below recommendations have all been verified by my doctor. I am sure not all of these remedies will work for everyone but they are what worked for me and what I was assured are safe for both mom and baby!

Morning (or all day) Sickness

I know that there are a variety of blogs and discussion groups out there, all recommending a wide range for tips and remedies for morning sickness. I can only speak for what worked for me. It seemed that anything sour or anything with an overpowering flavor seemed to settle my stomach. Chewing any type of mint gum worked quite well as did drinking water with lemon juice in it. Popsicles also worked at holding off any stomach upset but gum and lemon water seemed to work best. I also found that anything carbonated seemed to do the trick but that sometimes the syrup in sodas would make me feel equally as sick. To get around this, I began mixing ¾ of a glass of club soda with a splash or two of fruit juice which proved to be refreshing, non-nausea inducing and helped me get the necessary amount of water I needed each day. Another trick that worked for me was taking my prenatal vitamin at night, right before bed. I found that if I took it in the morning, it increased my feelings of nausea throughout the day.

Exercise

Having to cut back on my regular exercise regimen of 30 minutes of high intensity aerobic kickboxing followed by 30 minutes of weight training 5 times a week has been difficult. I felt that modifications to my normal routine were not sufficient and I found myself feeling sluggish and overly tired. I have tried different programs (including prenatal yoga and swimming) but I have found what really has given me the best results and left me feeling my best has been water aerobics. I found an ongoing, three days a week water aerobics program in my neighborhood where the instructor presents challenging exercises while encouraging me to only do what I can do and to stop if I feel any pain or over exertion. In this program we use Styrofoam weights that are the equivalent of 8 lb weights when used with the resistance of the water. This class has been esp. enjoyable during these summer months and I feel that I am getting a similar workout to what I am used to only at a lower level of impact.

Headaches

I found that the best remedy for headaches was getting enough sleep. My headaches subsided once I began taking an hour nap every afternoon, getting to bed at a set time of 10pm every night and making sure I got a full 8 hours of sleep. While I still get the occasional headache, I have been assured that it is safe to take extra strength Tylenol and this (combined with the additional sleep) has worked very well.

Heartburn

This has been a difficult one for me as almost everything I consume seems to give me heartburn. However, the following should help and are considered safe by doctors as long as they are taken in moderation:

Tums- As long as you are not taking more than 4 a day, Tums can help to reduce heartburn and can be used to assist you in get any additional calcium you may be lacking If you are not getting the daily recommended allowances through other sources.

Milk- now that I am able to stomach some dairy products, milk can help to coat the stomach lining and reduce heartburn.

Cutting out greasy, spicy and overly processed foods- I have found that foods that are natural or organic and not filled with too much junk content has really helped to reduce heartburn. The more natural the food, the easier it is for your body to process.

Not lying down right after eating- This can be helpful at bedtime too. If I am suffering from heartburn at bedtime, I take one Tums tablet and prop some pillows behind my head and then fall asleep in a half sitting position. Not the most natural sleeping position but better than sleeplessness inducing heartburn!

Water- Drinking a glass of ice cold water has worked well for me when I have mild heartburn. However, I have heard that for some, this increases heartburn. So, once again, every person is different and what works for some, might not work for others.

Cough or Cold Symptoms

Regular Robitussin- This was recommended by my doctor and worked well for holding off my coughing at night so that I could sleep.

Benadryl- Also worked well for reducing coughing as well as runny nose and helped me sleep better at night.\

Vitamin C- While I was sick, I took a daily vitamin C supplement on top of drinking a half glass of orange juice mixed with a half glass of club soda two to three times a day.

Cough Drops- Helped me breathe easier, reduced coughing and stuffy nose

Vicks Vapo Rub-Applied to the chest, throat and under the nose, this helped to reduce coughing, ease congestion and relax sore throat muscles.

The above are all the remedies I can think of at the moment that have gotten me through the magical, somewhat debilitating, never dull adventures of pregnancy thus far. Hope these ideas help. And, of course, if you are pregnant and have ANY questions about symptoms, are noticing anything out of the ordinary or are considering a new treatment for any symptoms your first call should always be to your medical advice nurse or your primary health care physician as they will be able to help you identify options that are safest and will work best for both you and your baby!

A happy mom makes for a happy baby!

-New Mommy in Town