February Symptoms

jrouge12

What's up this month?

heyybritt

I've been so sore, I was trying on bras at Target yesterday and it was a real struggle. Had to warn MH not to touch them either because they're just too sensitive right now.

chewie5990

My lower back pain went away completely only to be replaced by constant left hip/groin/inner thigh pain. My pregnancy with DS was SOOOO easy but this baby has been wreaking havoc on my body like no other - but I guess I am 5 years older and started out about 15 pounds heavier... 

I still haven't been able to find a successful sleeping position - I've tried a few different type pillows, but nothing really seems to help. I'm thinking about just moving upstairs to the recliner, because I'm most comfortable propped up on my back and left hip needs some serious pressure relief. 

mamaj1220

I noticed this weekend that I need to make sure I have extra deodorant with me at all times because I am sweating all the freaking time now.Also a member of team sleep is not happening, I am so tired but I cannot find a position that is comfortable without getting killer heartburn which in turn keeps me awake. 

pourmeanothermocktail

@chewie5990 Sleep in the recliner then!!! Permission granted. 

My pillow nest of 3 regular pillows, a tiny wedge and a pregnancy pillow is still working so far!

Getting really done with the constant fluids. TMI Like, constant watery discharge. It's totally normal, and it's happened to me all three times, but I hate wearing pads all day or changing underwear multiple times, especially with my fancy new maternity belt that resembles a neoprene chastity belt.

jhysmath

Wicked bad gas pains this weekend, and I feel baby is blocking the gasses from getting released and I had to flip over and over again to get it to move and let the gas out while sleeping. 

pourmeanothermocktail

jhysmath said:

Wicked bad gas pains this weekend, and I feel baby is blocking the gasses from getting released and I had to flip over and over again to get it to move and let the gas out while sleeping. 

I'm definitely having that feeling too. My support belt seems to also block, lol, so every time I take it off it's...sorta funny sorta gross, lol. 

lajoliedreamer

+1 on sleeping being so hard right now. Constant tossing and turning with back/hip/lower belly pain. I can’t find a good pillow/position combo either.

I’m currently in bed trying to figure out if I’m hungry or it’s just gas/baby moving. I’ll probably get up to eat something because I’d rather not have hunger be one more thing to wake me up motn, but it feels like so much effort. 

bananapanda

Another one struggling to get comfortable to sleep.  Once I'm out I sleep ok, but I'm so uncomfortable when I first lay down.  I do have a big pregnancy pillow from last time, but I was honestly never a huge fan. Lately I've been having luck just wedging a regular thinner pillow behind my back.  I did just purchase the boppy wedge to support my big belly since it feels so heavy when laying on my side.  After I see how much I like it I might end up ordering a second one to put behind my back.

m6agua

I'm sorry for all of you having issues with getting a comfortable sleeping position.

I have been able to get a good sleeping position with my Snoogle. I usually wake up once or twice to pee and at that point I switch sides. I find myself waking up mostly on my back, but I am not worried about it.

I've had some right hip, pinching pain in my right butt area more and more. I had this last time but on the left side. I notice it mostly when I've been on my feet too much. I'm hoping regular chiropractic care and a couple massages will help. I am still debating on seeing a pelvic floor PT prior to birth. Also LO likes to be up on my right abdomen/rib area which can get uncomfortable, luckily it isn't all the time. Last time around this is where DD's head was and also my inflamed gallbladder. This time around I have no gallbladder and have yet to determine what body part is over there. I'll probably bring it up at my next appointment.

ruby696

@m6agua I just started with a personal trainer who specializes in pre and postnatal exercise programs. I'm super excited by this because I feel like my pelvic floor needs all the help it can get and because my physical activity levels have been so low - my RE and OB warned me that my HR needed to stay below 140 and I was too paranoid to risk it. I stopped running and going to the gym, and I felt really gross because of it. I'm already starting to feel better and I slept amazing the night after my first session.

Also, I tried my Snoogle again and nope. I still hate it. Which is so disappointing because it takes up much less room that all my other pillows. Oh well.

drkoyya

+1 for discomfort while sleeping. We flipped our mattress and boxsprings this weekend and that has actually made a big difference. For me at least, DH says his side of the bed is too firm now and he couldn't sleep. He'll adjust. 

I'm starting to feel sciatic pain slowly creep in. It doesn't help that I've given up on yoga in the past couple of weeks because of a sinus infection and the fact that baby is bigger making moves uncomfortable. I'm going to try my best to get back into nightly yoga or stretches. 

soprano19

This baby will not stop headbutting me in the crotch. It makes me feel like I'm going to pee myself constantly.

Also, I think I need to cave and buy maternity bras, or at least a couple that are one band size up. Last time I was able to wear my regular bras all the way through, but they are definitely too tight now and I keep getting Braxton Hicks right under the underwires.

ruby696

@soprano19 Same. I wore my regular bras all the way through last time, but I need some underwire free nursing bras, stat. I'll be so much more comfortable once I have them. But I keep spending all my money on baby stuff. 🤦‍♀️

pirateduck

@soprano19 I caved and bought two a few weeks ago and once I wore them I realized I should have done it waaaaay sooner.  I bought two more last week as well.  I have zero intention of wearing my pre-pregnancy bras again any time soon.  The final straw was when I had put on a sports bra, that I normally consider to be the most comfortable bra I own, and I felt like I couldn't breathe.  You won't regret the investment, and if you go somewhere like Target, they are less than $20 each for the most part, so if you don't end up liking it that much or don't wear it too long, it's not too much money.

jrouge12

@soprano19 I caved a bought a few a band size up with no wire but I still walk around super uncomfortable some days in my original underwire bra depending on the shirt. 😂 I did that much sooner than last pregnancy. I ended up springing for the maternity underwear this time around (last time I just bought bigger underwear). I've definitely been more comfortable this time!!

lajoliedreamer

I've been using the band-extenders for my bras and that helps most of the time, though not always. I'm pretty sure I've starting leaking a bit on my right side which gives me hope that I may be more successful at bfing this time around.

Underwear is one of the hardest parts about getting dressed in the morning right now. The size up that I bought when pg with DD is just not comfortable this time around. @jrouge12 what maternity underwear did you buy?

bananapanda

@lajoliedreamer I also have just been using band extenders, but today I'm thinking I may need more than that as I'm about to bust out.  I've also started noticing a tiny bit of breastmilk leaking after a shower so then I squeeze a little to make sure lol.  I'm pretty sure I've heard it has no real indication of your success or lack thereof for breastfeeding, but it does make me feel a little more optimistic.  I had to EP last time and was a slight under producer which was frustrating.  Hoping that even if I go the EP route this time I can produce more!

Also on the underwear topic I've been wearing Warners no muffin top panties since beginning of pregnancy with no issues.  I know they'll hit differently on everyone, but they have been great for me so might be worth looking into if you don't want to buy maternity ones for just a few months.

jrouge12

@lajoliedreamer I got the boy short cut from Motherhood Maternity. I was able to buy a couple pairs from on of their store closing locations cheap enough to justify at least trying them. I ended up ordering more from online to make it through the week with little to no laundry. 

rox7777

I haven’t slept in weeks. Melatonin, unisom and Benadryl have all stopped working. I sleep 2-3 hours a night and try for an hour nap in the afternoon if I can swing it. I’m a zombie, but I guess I’ll be well prepare for the newborn stage. Hooray. 

Also +1 for crotch kicks and peeing myself and not wearing a bra unless the situation absolutely calls it. 

jhysmath

I've been wearing nursing bras since before dd was born so over 20 months. Last week I thought pulling out one of my Victoria secret bras that I loved and even slept in prior to was a good idea because I wanted some extra umph with the shirt I was wearing... Terrible idea. I never remember underwire hurting before but damn, I don't know if I'll ever wear a normal bra again. 

pirateduck

@rox7777 I’ve hardly slept since becoming pregnant.  It’s getting old.  The sleep tracker on my Fitbit confirms it.  One night last week I was awake so long in the middle of the night it counted it as two different sleep sessions entirely instead of one night.  Unison can get me through the first half of the night, but I have a hard time deciding what time is too late to take more so I can still wake up without feeling groggy, but if I don’t take it I wake up feeling groggy because I haven’t slept.  Can’t win.  

afranzen85

Sleep has also been a problem for me. I usually fall asleep pretty quickly initially, but if I wake for any reason, it takes me hours to fall back to sleep. So, I'm typically awake from 1 to 3 or 4 a.m.

mamaqdubu

I've been having lower abdomen discomfort when i'm standing for too long or overdo it for a day and it can last for hours. i don't think they are necessarily braxton hicks contractions because it's more constant then coming/going.... but it's getting to that point of my pregnancy that I get anxious about these types of aches and pains. It's just really hard when you have little ones to chase after to not accidentally overdo it and I keep having to tell myself to slow down. 

afranzen85

@mamaqdubu I was having the same issue a couple weeks ago. I think it was because of how baby was position. Baby has shifted and isn't so low and I haven't been having the discomfort anymore. Hopefully, that's all that it is.

rox7777

@pirateduck My OB recommended taking 3mg of melatonin about 30 minutes before I’m ready to sleep and then taking an unisom right before I fall asleep, as the next step. I don’t get groggy from any of it, I just don’t sleep period. MH has horrible insomnia as do both my boys, during pregnancy I suddenly develop it and it disappears right after birth. I’m sure I’m birthing another non sleeper. 

@mamaqdubu I’ve had preterm labor with every pregnancy, but this time around I do get these pains in my lower stomach after a busy day. It’s not BH/contractions for me because those are always in my upper stomach and tighten down. These are more like across my pelvis. I have a super low lying baby, so OB contributed it to that. Yay for the next few weeks of pelvic pain and general discomfort. 

pirateduck

@rox7777 I hate that every article about sleep is like just find the reason you aren’t sleeping and fix that, well if it was that simple insomnia would not be a problem!  Plus the underlying problem is hormones in pregnancy shifting and I can’t do anything about that!  I take comfort in knowing you could sleep once baby is born.  I can easily fall asleep every night (I’m exhausted from poor sleep the night before) but then I wake up sometime between 1:30 and 3:00 feeling like it’s time to get up and that’s the end of my sleep for the night.  Unisom typically wears off by then and taking something to sleep at 3:00 when you are getting up at 6:00 doesn’t seem to be good.  Ugh.  At this point I’ve semi accepted it as a way of life.  

catem07

I don't have a problem falling asleep intially but if I wake up in the MOTN it's really hard to fall back asleep. DH got up sometime between 4-4:30 to go to the bathroom last night and, well, that was morning for me. 

mamaqdubu

@rox7777 Do you think that discomfort in previous pregnancies was an indicative factor of eventual pre-term labor? I've never had a high risk pregnancy, so I don't get a lot of questioning/concerns/exams/follow ups from my OB at this point minus my every 4 week appt. I get concerned I guess because of how much my pelvic floor gave out on me after my last pregnancy and i'm worried my body is going to suck at this as the baby gets bigger and trigger early dilation and things I won't necessarily notice on my own. 

rox7777

@mamaqdubu I have a tilted uterus and an irritable uterus. Those combined with how I carry seem to be the cause behind preterm labor for me, so I wouldn’t say carrying low is the only issue. 

There’s a few things that trigger contractions for me due to the irritable uterus: excessive walking, standing for long periods of time, full bladder and sex. Generally my doctor will put me on pelvic rest and limited activity around 30 weeks. 

Also, contractions arent the only sign of preterm labor. Excessive cramping and back pain can be too. As a FTM I didn’t know this and when I went in crying over extreme back pain that’s when I discovered I was in preterm labor. 

mamaqdubu

@rox7777 thank you for the additional background. Those things are also the same activities which create that lower abdominal pressure. I'm happy to have an appt this week so I can at least talk to my OB about it. 

rox7777

@mamaqdubu They usually have the NST to test for irritable uterus. I know most OBs order one during the third trimester anyways, but if you show signs they will send you weekly to keep an eye on it. I started them a few weeks ago. It’s not super time consuming (about an hour once a week), but it does get annoying when you’re juggling other kids and appointments. 

chewie5990

@catem07 same! I fall asleep easy and early (usually asleep by 9:30) but if anything wakes me up there's no going back - so I usually am awake sometime between 2:30-4am every night and don't ever get back to sleep - just tossing and turning until my alarm goes off at 5:30. 

pourmeanothermocktail

I have a tilted and irritable uterus, and put myself on total pelvic rest from weeks 28 ish thru 37 for baby 2, and will this time too. Luckily (?) with my SPD I generally have to take a lot of time off my feet anyway, so that helps. But definitely have to pee with even half full bladder. My first was a 35 weeker, and both previous times I've had consistent timeable contractions for 5 weeks leading up to birth. Even taking these precautions. 

tj_2

I'm sleeping well for the most part *knock on wood* but have started noticing arm numbness from sleeping on my arm which will force me to switch sides.

I inherited a snoogle from SIL and have some nights where I love it and some nights where I'm wondering if it's hindering more than helping.  

pirateduck

@tj_2 I have a love hate relationship with my snoogle.  It's great to start the night, and then I tend to ditch it sometime in the middle because tossing and turning while entangled with that and the blanket does not help my rest.  

bananapanda

@tj_2 I'm with you on the numb arms.  I hate it because when DD1 climbs in bed with us she likes snuggling close on my arm, but then I wake up an hour later and it's completely asleep which stinks because then I have to roll her over and lose my snuggles

allie456

@tj_2 if I sleep on my left side I get woken up with a numb pinky and ring finger. I wonder if that is the same thing as the numb arm?

I'm the most restless sleeper now too.

thepretzelchick

Besides the unending fatigue, I've been okay lately. However, I do get carpal tunnel while pregnant and it's hit the last two weeks. I've had to limit driving because gripping the steering wheel for too long leads to numbness, and I can only crochet for 15 minutes at a time before the tingling sets it. A good third of the rows on those blankets I shared in the crafty thread were done with a numb left hand because I was too stubborn to stop. 

adventuresawait1

With most of the folks here on the tough sleeping times.  I sort of like the snoogle - helps for my legs/pelvis pain, but think it does make my arms go numb. Like @chewie5990 if anything wakes me up (ahem, toddler), I just can't go back to sleep.  No fun.

On the points on lower belly discomfort per @mamaqdubu @afranzen85 , I find I get that more if I don't drink enough water or overdo it physically.  I remember in the last pregnancy, my OB said, "If you are getting worn out, I want you to literally sit down and drink water, even if you have to sit on a curb to do it."  That made me laugh and also helps me remember to stop and rest when I can. (Which I know some people depending on job and life don't have the luxury of doing.)  I feel I have had more weird pains in general this time around, and I'm assuming it's due to toddler lifting/toting around.  Also, this baby now seems to be sitting on my bladder and I hate it.  Feel like I have to pee constantly.

lisush

@thepretzelchick yes the driving makes my hand so numb! I haven't started on my blanket yet but I'm assuming it won't go well with this stupid carpel tunnel. May have to wait until after she's born to make it.