Pregnancy Pain: Let's Talk About It

Today I've decided to post a little about what I have learned about pregnancy.

Disclaimer: I am NOT and expert. I am simply sharing what I have learned from my Dr., other pregnant women, and the internet.

When you are pregnant, or looking to get pregnant you will have LOTS of questions. So, I'm going to address some of the questions I had and hope that I can be of help to some of you.

Let's start with my most recent discovery... Sciatic Nerve Pain.
Walking around the Zoo one day I started to have rather severe pain in my right thigh and butt cheek. For me, it felt like I had pulled a muscle... but then it went away. and came back. and went away. So at my next Dr's appt. I asked about it. Dr. Judd informed me that it was Sciatic Nerve Pain (Sciatica). He said it's very common during pregnancy and is caused by the baby's head putting pressure on your sciatic nerve.

So... how do you know if you have sciatica?
1: It can feel like a pulled muscle, your leg is falling asleep, or just plain hurt.
2: It is most likely only on one side, and is probably your right side (95% of the time anyway)
3: It comes and goes - not constant pain
4: It can range from uncomfortable to debilitating.

And.. how do you make it go away?
-You don't. But here are some tricks to find relief
1: Lie down on the opposite side of the pain to relieve pressure
2: Soak in a warm bath, then put a cold compress on the pain. The heat will relax your muscles, and the cold with draw away any inflammation.
3: Get a prenatal massage/chiropractic adjustment
4: Wear a maternity belt

When do you worry about it?
-You don't. It is not harmful to you or the baby, it just sucks.

Next on today's list... Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP)
Lying in bed one night, I went to roll over onto my other side. After attempting to swing my legs over and experiencing bone shattering pain... I decided something was wrong. After lots of research I found that I had PGP and that I was fine... it just sucked. (seeing a theme here?)

So... how do you know you have PGP?
1: The pain will be generalized in your back and pelvis.
2: It's JOINT pain, not muscle pain
3: It will probably be accompanied by pain in your back and hips

And... how do you make it go away?
-You don't. You can try finding relief by...
1: Acupuncture
2: Place a heating pad on it
3: Wear a maternity belt when you'll be standing or walking - (this one worked GREAT for me)

When do you worry?
1: When your Dr. tells you to. If you have or think you have PGP let your Dr. know. He/She can monitor the pain and let you know if it is PGP or something else like Symphsis Pubic Disfunction. PGP is nothing to worry about, but SPD could be.



No matter the pain you're feeling, my best advice is to TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. Every woman is different. Every pregnancy is different. It's better to call and ask about it and find out it's no big deal than to not ask about it and realize all too late that you have a real problem. Most problems - if addressed in a timely manner - can be handled and treated safely.

If you happen to be reading this blog and have questions about something going on in your pregnancy that you'd like more info on, let me know. Or if you think there's something pregnant women should be more educated on, I'd be happy to share what I know and find some more credible resources for you to check out as well!

6 Month Check Up

Today was our 6 month check up with Dr. Judd and we got to see our little girl again! She was much more cooperative and we were able to get this cute little profile picture of her:

1 lb. 7 oz.

13 inches from head to toe

48th percentile

and still a precious little girl.

Things discussed and learned today:

1: Weight Gain! I have gained 16lbs so far. 4 months and 9lbs to go to reach my goal.

My Dr. advised me that for my height/weight/age/overall-health I need to gain 25lbs for this pregnancy. Right now having gained 16 and the baby only being 1lb 7oz... you're probably wondering where the other 14ish lbs are coming from. Here's a breakdown of the weight you gain when you get pregnant and how it's all supposed to add up to 25-35lbs at the very end.

• 7-9lbs of baby
• 2lbs of placenta
• 2lbs amniotic fluid
• 4-5lbs increased blood volume
• 2lbs uterine enlargement
• 3-4lbs of fluid in maternal tissue
• 1lb breast enlargement (to prepare for breastfeeding)
• Any remaining pounds are a general deposit of fat required by the body for breastfeeding and energy stores. (though if you've gone above what was recommended by your Dr., chances are it's just plain old fat you don't need.) 

2: Pelvic Girdle Pain. The pain in my pelvis that feels like I'm straining a muscle every time I move. It is perfectly normal and will only hurt more as this pregnancy progresses. 

Explanation? your uterus is a lot like a trampoline, and during pregnancy your joints are really loose, so when your baby is hanging out on your uterus, those springs are stretching down and pulling on your loose joints causing pain. The heavier the baby gets, the more it hurts. And no, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. 

3: Heartburn and Acid Reflux. This is apparently also very common.

The cause? Heartburn occurs when the valve between the stomach and the esophagus are unable to prevent the stomach acids from passing back into the esophagus. Pregnancy can increase the frequency of heartburn and acid reflux because the hormone progesterone causes the valve to relax. This allows the stomach acid to pass into the esophagus and irritate the lining. Aside from being extraordinarily uncomfortable and obnoxious, if you have acid sitting in your esophagus too long, it can cause some pretty serious damage. The Dr. suggested a few OTC medications to keep it under control. Also I should avoid eating chocolate and Orange Juice and other delicious foods high in acidic content. Boo.

What we get to look forward to:

Sometime in the next few weeks I get to pick a day to have a blood glucose test. How it works:

You're given a bottle of slightly flavored, colored, sugar water that you have to drink in about 5 minutes on an empty stomach and after you drink it, you don't get to eat or drink anything else. An hour after ingesting this tasty drink, you get to go to the lab at the Dr.'s office where they will draw out your freshly sugary blood and test you for gestational diabetes. Test results are done within 24 hours of the blood draw.

After that, our next check up is scheduled for the morning of August 13th. We'll be 7 months along and it should be a fairly routine visit. They'll weigh me, take yet another urine test, and hopefully keep telling me everything is A-okay!