Symptoms, Questions Concerns Week of 6/19

jackiesmom324

Come one come all! Share your queasies, baby kicks and flutters, chin hairs and all the good stuff that comes with your bundle of joy!

blueskies17

My face had been clear and pimple free for the entire first trimester. A week into second tri, I find red bumps on my chin and forehead. Boo, I thought it was time for my pregnancy glow to kick in! 

andipandicWed121369

vitamins make my hair grow in fast- a bonus.  Except it isn't just on my head.  On my legs, arm pits, chin.  So much hair.  So much gross.

dkizz82

Actually felt pretty good yesterday and today. I cleaned my House today. It was bad. We're having our reveal party Saturday.

Anyway,  I have felt tiny movements here and there when I'm very still and relaxed. My breasts are still a bit sore. I have a horrible taste in my mouth a lot.  Sensitive nipples. That's about it I think.  

clovelyone

@dkizz82 OMG, the horrible taste after eating! At 14w, it's a smidgen better, but I definitely still get it. 

Mandayno

I too have started to feel little flutters that I no longer think are gas! New also, sneezing is now horrific! I either feel like my uterus is trying to climb out, or my bladder wants to evacuate.

SierraGood

Really sore nipples and I've been leaking so I. Pretty much in a bra 24/7 also baby kicks are getting stronger my feet have been swelling really bad and I've had killer headaches (history of preeclampsia that wasn't caught till delivery) I feel like my midwife is kinda blowing my concerns off since my bp isn't high right now.

grammergalnyc

My boobs are (even more) ginormous, and itching like crazy these days! Anyone else experiencing that??

whiska

I know the BMBs get a lot of RLP (round ligament pain) talk. My question is do you ever feel it toward the top of your uterus? Like where the ligament is attached towards the top and side?

Ive had the burning in the groin/hip when I twisted my torso reaching for something, which sounds like classic RLP, but this is a bit different. 

jlemons-2

@blueskies17 same here and I usually have clear skin. Ugh. 

babytime24

I thought I was over nausea a couple weeks ago, but I guess not. Getting sick 1-2x a week, which is less than it was, but still so frustrating. Got sick twice today at 15w5d. Not sure what to even eat anymore. 

jackiesmom324

@blueskies17  @jlemons-2 my face is a pizza rn. its so disrespectful. im going to see if I can at least try to find something to put on it to maybe wash off the hormones LOL

blueskies17

@jackiesmom324 @jlemons-2 Not sure whether to blame hormones or all the pizza I've been eating... 

dilbert890

My hair is also growing extremely fast. I have to shave daily!! Ahh! Haha. I've also been sneezing a lot lately but I attributed that to allergies...

jackiesmom324

Also please give me all your constipation hacks

anewadventure

jackiesmom324 said:

Also please give me all your constipation hacks

isn't it the freaking worst?

here are things that are part of my arsenal, some more "woo woo" than others:

coffee
spicy food
beans
beans IN spicy food
yogurt with potato starch mixed in as a prebiotic  (that should send you down the google rabbit hole - resistant starch)
probiotics
magnesium supplements (such as natural calm brand)
lots of fiber in the form of whole foods (not so much in terms of a fiber supplement like benefiber)
chia seeds, especially if you let them gel in a smoothie or pudding first
squatty potty

some people swear by colace during pregnancy. i find it's more of a softener / bulk adder and is not for me.
some people say coke works for them? i'm not a big fan of sugary drinks so i can't corroborate. 

kaylawing

I hope this is the correct board for this question. It is a "concern" I guess. 

(Possible TW) Ive been MIA because I've been dealing with lots of family stuff the last few weeks. Many of you knew my grandmother was diagnosed with kidney cancer in May. She tried chemo a few times but her body wasn't taking well to it. On Friday of last week, we were told 2-3 months left, on Sunday they said 2-3 days. She passed away about four hours later. 

I'm having a REALLY hard time with this. Her and I were very close. She was only 70. I was there with her at home when this happened and it was very stressful at the end.

I say all of that  to ask: tips for grieving during pregnancy?  I know that all this stress and sadness is not great for baby. And I'm also taking care of my 13 month old daughter. I know I can't make any of this "go away", but was hoping for things that worked for any of you to keep your stress down during a hard time while pregnant. Thanks and sorry to bring this thread down with sad talk. 

jlemons-2

@jackiesmom324 wash off the hormones 

failuretofly

jackiesmom324 said:

Also please give me all your constipation hacks

Smoothies with fresh vegetables
This might sound weird but raw vegetables and chew them REALLY well. I find after I have a meal where I really focus on chewing, I'm more likely to have a BM.
Flax meal
Nuts 
Priobiotics 
Kefir 
Ginger tea
When in doubt, take a hot beverage  (tea, coffee, even just really hot water works) and drink it on the toilet with a squatting potty. It doesn't always work, but sometimes it doesn't the trick!

clovelyone

@kaylawing I don't have any advice, but I'm sorry for your loss. 

@jackiesmom324 I use Colace from time to time for constipation. 

katiegeminimoon

@kaylawing I have no advice but I wanted to say I'm so sorry. Just do whatever you have to to take care of yourself 

mdcd44127

@kaylawing I'm so, so sorry for your loss. Are there any grief counselors in your area that you can meet with for at least a few weeks/months to work through the pain of your loss? I've found in my own experience that trying to force a smile because you know you "have to" can make you feel more isolated and prolong the pain. If there's a supportive person you can talk to about it, it could help you begin to work through your feelings and heal. Again, my deepest condolences to you and your family, and best wishes for a healthy, smooth pregnancy.

MJDsquared

@kaylawing I don't have any advice either, but I'm so sorry you're going through this. I believe there was a thread on another BMB that I was lurking about grieving while pregnant...I wish I could remember which month. I would try searching a few keywords here because that thread may show up and hopefully it will be at least slightly helpful.

cait5413

@jackiesmom324 You'l want Colace for after your delivery, so you might as well buy some now and try it! Also, a lot of fruit, like pears, peaches/ plums/prunes, can help get things going!

@kaylawing I'm sorry for your loss. My husband's grandmother passed away right before we found out we were pregnant with DD, which was hard for him not only because he adored her, but also because we didn't get to tell her she had a great-grandchild on the way. This time, my dad passed away unexpectedly a couple weeks before we conceived this little one (He was only 64), so I know how you feel. Father's Day was hard for me, of course, and it'll just hit me at other times. I am pretty sure the reason we got pregnant was the stress of that loss throwing off my cycle, so in a way I see this baby as a gift from him, but it still makes me really sad that he won't get to meet him/her and DD is so young she won't remember meeting him. I just allow myself to break down when I need to and cry on DH's shoulder (although it upsets him and he usually starts crying, too!). It's not something you'll get over right away, but at least you got to say goodbye. When I'm pregnant, I'll cry over commercials and YouTube videos, so I am not going to worry about crying over something legitimate like the death of a family member. 

wabash15

@kaylawing I am so sorry for your loss. I guess I would say allow yourself to grieve, its ok to feel sad and cry and in the long run it will be better for you and this baby if you allow yourself to process your emotions. I hope having your little one to focus on and just putting one foot in front of the other  will also help. also +1 to the suggestion of seeing a counselor to help you process. 

YodaIsGreen

@jackiesmom324 Bran flakes (specifically the one from Trader Joe's) has helped me immensely,

@kaylawing I am so sorry for your loss. When I lost my father, talking about him with a therapist helped. Give yourself time to grieve and allow yourself to cry. I went through a myriad of emotions when dealing with losing my dad and the therapist was able to guide me by being a sounding board and in general helping me come to terms with my loss. 

Marley629

@kaylawing I'm so sorry for your loss.  I would take things one day at a time and allow yourself to process and grieve. May your memories get you through this difficult time 

kaylawing

@Marley629 @YodaIsGreen @wabash15 @cait5413 @MJDsquared @djd0404 @ktcakes87 and anyone else I may have missed... thank you so much for your thoughts and advice. I think I will look into a grief counselor. My mom and brothers aren't great at talking about feelings so I'm feeling kind of alone. Does anyone know if this is something insurance covers?  

I did talk to my OB today and she said I could take unisom to help me get some sleep. I was surprised as I was unaware pregnant women could take anything for sleep troubles. 

cait5413

@kaylawing yes, I think the unisom is supposed to help with nausea too (maybe?? Isn't that the one you can take with B6 to cut down nausea?) As for insurance, some insurance does cover counseling, and some employers have wellness plans with counseling (at least a limited number of sessions) as a perk. It just depends on your plan--you may want to review your coverage first to see if you can find someone in-network. hugs

anewadventure

@kaylawing  does your employer have an "EAP - employee assistance program" ? that would cover some sessions. insurance might as well, i find it is worth a phone call. and yes, unisom is safe during pregnancy and is often prescribed with B6 for nausea. @Jellybelly119  is a pharmacist and perhaps could help with specifics?

i'm very sorry for your loss. please don't keep it all inside and also don't feel like you have to put on a happy face. grieving is a different process for everyone. perhaps making a memory book to print or even just collecting photos or thoughts in once place electronically would be cathartic and also give you something to share with your LO later on. 

(also, if i tagged the wrong jelly belly, my bad man. i can't remember the numbers because my brain doesn't pay attention for that many characters)

Marley629

@kaylawing often companies have what is called an "EAP" program that gives you access to therapies and group meetings. I would speak to HR about it. As far as sleep supplements, unisom is considered ok and also Benadryl helps me (dual purpose: allergies and knocks me out) 

kaylawing

You all are so helpful!  Thank you so much. 

beaandthebabes

@grammergalnyc me too! It is driving me crazy at night.

tracefacemsu

@babytime24 I'm with you! 14+6, and I still have nausea. And the foods that helped earlier in my pregnancy are no longer cutting it. I cut myself some slack in the first tri, and I want to start eating healthy again, but healthy foods have been so unappetizing!

@kaylawing sorry for your loss. I don't have anything to add that others haven't said. Take it one day at a time, and take care of yourself.

rubyrose_0919

@kaylawing sorry for your loas. I can relate, my FIL and I were very close and he passed earlier in this pregnancy. My DH and I were both present, and it was and still is very difficult for us.

We are both counsellors ourselves, and know the value of counselling. So, we have both seen counsellors and it has been really helpful. DH's employer is very small and doesn't have coverage for counselling, so we just found a free drop-in counselling service in our city.

Another thing we have also found helpful is compiling some photos and writing down some happy memories and making it into an album/book of sorts to share with our little one throughout their childhood. It's been really healing for us, and it feels good to know that those memories will be passed down through the generations.

Hope that helps. Thinking of you, and sending positive thoughts your way!

MJDsquared

I have some tiny red bumps in random clusters on one of my arms and they are iiiiitchy. I Googled and now I'm all freaked out about cholestasis. Of course when you Google image search it, there are just a bunch of random stock photos and infographics (the one time I want there to be pictures of rashes on the Internet...). Off to send a message to my OB's office...

YodaIsGreen

Im still having nausea at 13 w. I really hope it goes away soon.
The bloating is really bad on some days. I eat one meal and I feel like I've had an entire thanksgiving dinner. Does anyone have any solution for bloating?

jackiesmom324

@kaylawing I'm so sorry for the loss of your grandma especially so unexpectedly fast. I really love what @barrbaby-2 offered to consider like a memory book. Rituals for me always help in times of severe loss. Also if there is a way to go for counseling health insurance should cover it but even if they don't services like TalkSpace could be helpful too. 

I have been struggling recently too and someone on my PGAL board suggests to spend time everyday doing baby related stuff like writing to baby, filling out one of those baby books , doing Pinterest, registry etc to kind of bring some positive energy to baby. I love this idea and may be a stress release for you too

anewadventure

how are all the HG ladies doing??? please update.

heartburn. ack. just being alive is giving me heartburn this week. it's better than nausea but that's about the only positive i can come up with. 

anyone have any heartburn advice? last time around i had a giant thing of tums but it was ineffective. 

YodaIsGreen

@anewadventure HG sucks. Zofran worked for two days. Now I throw up when I put the zofran in my mouth. The OB said it usually stops by 16 weeks. I am counting- 2.5 more weeks. 

clovelyone

@anewadventure I find that I start to get heartburn if I don't eat something every two hours, even if I'm not hungry. Cheese and crackers seem to work best for a snack. It's weird because my appetite is increasing so if I don't eat enough, I will still get heartburn. I'm taking Zantac 150 for reflux and heartburn and if that's not working, a little Mylanta. 

ETA: I read somewhere that the cheese helps with nausea too. I usually feel great after I eat that.