The nausea has definitely become more mild....I'd even venture to say bearable. Thank goodness Tessi, my sister, came to stay with me for a month, giving me such a relief from housework so that I was able to spend what energy I did have on responding to Violet's needs. For a while there, after we first moved in and I was throwing up with no relief, I wondered if I was going to make it through this pregnancy by myself. God is merciful, though, and it's looking like I'm going to do fine.
The hunger, the demanding, mind-consuming, obsessive HUNGER that I experienced the last few weeks has been dizzyingly strange! Last pregnancy I could hardly eat ANYTHING. I lost 10 pounds in my first trimester, and was just back to my regular body weight and beginning to show a belly at 6 MONTHS! This time around, I'm eating ALL DAY LONG and even once at night, and my belly is out at 2.5 months. Yep, they say they're all different!
At the moment, I feel relatively normal, except for needing to much on fruit and cheese all day long. I do still retain some food sensitivities, though nothing consistent other than, "if I had it yesterday, I won't be able to stomach it for weeks after." Leftover nights are a thing of the past. It was a struggle for Tessi to fix meals for exactly 3 people, with no extras. Any more than that and she'd be eating it by herself for days!
Another saga I've recently overcome has been the Insurance Company Battle. Not that our insurance isn't pretty good......I mean, we get decent coverage, as far as the medical world goes. (that is, the things we value for our true health like, chiropractic, massage for my FMS, and herbal supplements are never covered). It's just that, the staff are incapable of solving a problem for you in one step. You must get passed around, you must fill out forms (the old-fashioned way, with pen and paper and fax), you must wait for responses in the MAIL, people!! and you must eventually start over again with your own help from smart insurance beneficiaries you find on google! Yes, Google was my biggest source of assistance in accquiring healthcare from my dashed insurance company, if you can believe it. Once I knew the answers to my questions, I could then call up Tricare and prompt them to answer my questions correctly!
Anyhow, as it stands, I am downgraded (which is really more of an upgrade, if you ask me) to TriCare Standard, so that I can see any "network" provider and they will pay for all my maternity care. As of now, I will be getting a midwife to attend the birth at the hospital, and receive all my prenatal care from her, as well. Thank goodness it's not my original PCM, a 60+ year old Army dr. who also is chief of family planning at the "women's clinic" here in town.......i.e., "head abortion doctor."
As for exercise, I'm still running, and I'm still trying to push myself back up towards 3 miles 3 times a week.....but it's slow-going when pregnant. The blood increase thing kicks my butt. :( I'm also religiously working on my core muscles. Last pregnancy I was NOT in good shape in that area, and ended up with torn cartilidge between my ribs on my left side. There's a HOLE in there, which I can fit 2 fingers into, and it still provides me some pain once in a while. I really hope to avoid that this time around.
So there you have it. Biggest hurdle overcome (nausea), and lots of happier times to come, I hope!
4 comments:
What an update!!! The eating thing, I remember all the weight you lost last time. That's crazy... Perhaps this is a boy, because they always seem to have ravenous appetites. :)
I totally get you on the Tricare thing. Googling lead me to forums, from which I learned from other military wives what was covered, what wasn't, and how to go about it the right way. It's crazy, because you'd think it should be clear in your handbook. NO SUCH LUCK. I am so glad you got a midwife instead of that HORRID dr!!!
When did the cartilage tear last pregnancy? I think it's great you're exercising (running) this time. I know, know, know it will pay off big. The friend I have here who ran even up to a few hours before her delivery, looked amazing post-pregnancy. I want to do that (Lord willing) next time.
You look great!!!
Denise,
Last pregnancy when baby Violet "dropped" at 7.5 months I began to feel sharp pains in one specific spot on my left ribs. It got progressively worse by the end, to the point where I was wearing a maternity girdle all day, every day. I also couldn't sleep on my right side, else the weight of the baby would pull against that left side too hard for that one spot. When I started situps again after pregnancy, I noticed a strange popping, somewhat painful, in my left side, and found that disturbing GAP in my ribs. The chiropractor and doctor both checked it out for me and confirmed there was some pretty significant cartilage stretching, if not tearing. Neither seemed to think anything could be done about it, though the chiro. suggested lots of sideways situps on an exercise ball to strengthen the surrounding muscles. They helped, but weren't able to completely heal it. When I got lazy about exercise when Ben got home from Iraq, the pain from it was considerably worse, noticeable just in a prone position, or sleeping on my side. Now, I have some backtracking to do to reinforce that muscle group and get it ready to carry another 8 pounder!
Glad to hear the nausea is improving. Did you get the Mother's stuff I sent you? I'm working on putting a big box together to send you (and Lis)...gotta find a box big enough to hold it all!;)
Does your gym have a pool by any chance? I'm a HUGE advocate of swimming and water exercise during pregnancy. It was my salvation for back pain, general pregnancy discomfort and mental stress relief, too:)
Glucosamine Chondroitin with MSM is recommended by our chirop. for connective tissue injuries, as well as for joint problems. Expensive, though.
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