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February 2013 Moms
irishwife714
member
Cocoa Butter NO NO!?
irishwife714
member
I went to my 33 week check up today and my midwife said the baby had an irregular heartbeat. She had us hooked up to a monitor for about 10 minutes and then scheduled an ultrasound. They did more recordings during the ultrasound and the doctor then came in to discuss the results. He said that there is definitely an arrythmia in her heartbeat and that we will have to watch it closely at each of our next appointments. He asked if I smoke. No. Had any caffeine? No. Chocolate? Just a little over the holidays. He looked over at the nurse and asked for any other stimulants she could think of that would cause an irregular heartbeat and then he said, "Do you use cocoa butter for stretch marks?" I said, "Yes, every day." So he suggested I stop using it immediately because it is being absorbed right into my belly. I have been using it for months and the baby has never had an irregular heartbeat before. I mentioned to him that I had a fever on Christmas day and have been dealing with that and cold symptoms for the last few days. he said that being sick could also cause the baby some stress but they kept trying to link it to stimulants.
I just wanted to post and let you all know that cocoa butter for stretch marks isn't as safe as one would think. I thought I did all the research I could do on everything I was putting on or in my body but neglected to see that cocoa butter has caffeine. And just today my midwife mentioned, "Wow, no stretch marks, or linea negra..." Well now I'm done with the cocoa butter so we'll see.
Good luck to everyone with the rest of your pregnancies. I definitely did not like hearing my baby's heartbeat doing anything other than beating normally and will continue to rest all that I can until I kick this cold and I welcome stretch marks if it means my baby is as healthy as can be.
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Re: Cocoa Butter NO NO!?
I have done the research. I got home and checked my bottle of Palmer's Cocoa Butter and sure enough, it's right there. The doctor said that this late in pregnancy it is more easily absorbed right through the skin. I was taken aback because I had thought it was completely safe. I understand that we are told that we are allowed a certain amount of caffeine a day and still considered "safe", but maybe it being absorbed through the skin is different. If you have some research that shows it is "quite inaccurate", I welcome your expertise. But for now, I'm just going to be cautious and follow the doctor's instructions. Thanks.
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Agreed!
MUD? Only two posts to her name, a doctor who claims cocoa butter causes arrhythmias, and a midwife who believes cocoa butter actually prevents...wait for it...linea nigra and stretch marks. Seriously!
I assure you what happened today was very real. And it scared me to have to go through extra monitoring and a surprise ultrasound. My midwife merely mentioned how I didn't have any stretch marks or my line yet. Later in the day the doctor that looked at my ultrasound results was the first to mention cocoa butter. I had never met him before and I didn't walk away thinking he was a genius. But I do take what he said seriously. That's my choice. I then made a choice to share it with the board I frequent the most because it has been so helpful to me.
The end.
Some of these replies are totally unnecessary. And MUD? Seriously? What weird MUD that would be.
She was told her baby has an irregular heartbeat today...imagine if that were you and how scared you would be. Whether you agree with the doctor or think he is a nut, she is just sharing her experience. This board has been a very supportive place, let's try to keep it that way and not rip into someone who got news at an ultrasound that could be unnerving to say the least.
We are so thankful that our second daughter, Lillian Elizabeth "Lily", was born healthy and happy on February 11, 2013. We love her to pieces.
We lost our first daughter, Hannah Grace on May 4, 2011. She was buried on May 14 during a beautiful service at my home church. We are grateful that if she could not be here with us, that she is healed and whole with the Lord. We look forward to the day when we will get to meet her. We love her so much.
This. I'm suprised the doctor would even suggest this but, oh well. If it gives the OP some peace of mind, then by all means she should quit using the cocoa butter. I, however, highly doubt that this would be the cause of the arrhythmia.
How scary!!! I would be freaking out. I hope your lil baby's heartbeat regulates soon, OP.
As for belly lotions, somebody mentioned Bio-Oil, which I've read great reviews on. I personally use MotherLove Pregnant Belly Salve. I looove it. And at 32 weeks I don't have stretch marks or the linea negra yet, either, but I'm pretty sure that's just coincidence and good luck, not so much anything I'm doing.
Anyway, good luck!
Not comparing in the sense that they have the same level of danger but that both are stimulants. Nicotine is still highly dangerous due to its potential toxicity and habit forming dependence. Though in today's society many are becoming more dependent on caffeine's capacity to stay alert (ie energy drinks). I also did not say that it is an increased absorption, just a constant absorption, that like a transdermal nicotine patch it is absorbed all day. The skin over a 3rd tri bump is thin due to being stretched out abnormally and the potential to enter the blood stream is increased, not that the amount of absorption is increased. You had mentioned that an ounce would hold 5.32mg and I mentioned that a stage 3 nicoderm patch has 7mg, that is all. Though the skin is a natural barrier to most things, somethings are not. It could be that being immunocompromised as we are, the OP may be more sensitive where as not all pregnant women will have this affect. This may be something new trending, like allergies to things like gluten. We don't know until it becomes more common and a quick search on the internet is showing that it is not a recent development, this question being asked for years. Though, they do say googling symptoms on the internet can have you dead by morning. I am not a doctor and not quite a nurse, I cannot make this diagnosis. I am going to ask my doctor about it for giggles. Also, the OB may have mentioned to the OP just to stop using the lotion just to rule it out but the idea stuck and she freaked out and thought to pass it on to everyone else as a courtesy. At the moment they are still looking for an answer to why the baby has an arrhythmia so why not safe than sorry. Women have been using cocoa butter for years on stretch marks but then in the last couple of decades, people have become more sensitive to all sorts of common things. It may not be likely but it is a possibility.
This exactly. I have been using Palmers Cocoa Butter since I found out I was pregnant in the beginning on June three times a day the whole time and I have a belly FULL of stretch marks. It looks like a tiger got ahold of me and used my stomach as a stratching post.
This sure is a strange thread.
To everyone who thinks the girls who think this is a little silly or muddy are being meanhearted- come on, they're just being logical. None of them seemed to be trying to make the OP feel bad or stupid, but honestly her Dr. should know better. She's only been pregnant this once, that Dr. is supposed to guide her and his advice is bogus. Someone needed to tell her. If nothing else merely for the fact that it might be good to get a second opinion or at least not see that dr. again.
To the OP - We're not trying to tear you down, and I fully agree with following your dr's instruction as not applying cocoa butter obviously will not be harmful- but the advice is not logical and I would seriously consider not seeing that Dr. again. I drink way more caffine, more than the reccomended amount, almost daily and did last pregnancy as well and there was never any worry about the heartrate of either baby. Now everyone does react to caffine differently, but in the case of cocoabutter the amount you would be applying to your skin is far too small to create any real effect. There's a reason you've never heard of this before (even though pregnant women have been using cocoa butter forever). I'm sorry you had a scare and I truely hope it has regulated itself by your next appointment. I too would have been scared in your situation.
My money is on the following scenario: the OP's doctor made a casual mention of a possible but unlikely scenario. Natually, through the emotion of a very scary medical moment (baby-arrhythmia-hormones-stress), the OP heard much more in the doctor's tone than he meant. That's it.
It's like when my husband says, "Honey, do you know if I have any clean boxers?" but because I'm busy and overstressed I hear, "WOMAN YOU WILL DO MY LAUNDRY NOW!!!" Hah. Obviously that's not what he meant! I know I read all sorts of things into a simple scenario because of my own emotions. And I'm betting that the poor doctor simply asked a simple question - at a bad time, of a badly pregnant lady. That'll learn him!
Glad I'm not the only one who hears it that way sometimes!! haha.
First of all thank you to all of you that have responded...positive or negative...
Secondly, as I already explained, my midwife and I did not discuss cocoa butter. When she lifted my shirt to listen to the heartbeat with the doppler she simply mentioned, "Wow, no stretch marks or linea negra." That's it. After the arrhythmia was discovered and I was sent to get the ultrasound, the doctor there mentioned cocoa butter. My midwife made no allusion to cocoa butter preventing anything. I didn't misunderstand anything. I am a very smart, competent woman. This doctor, whom I met for the first time yesterday (not my doctor) was going through stimulants that could affect the baby's heartbeat. Chocolate, caffeine, cigarettes, and after about 5 minutes of babbling about smoking with my smoker husband, said, "oh and cocoa butter...do you use that?" He never said that it was the cause, he said it may have been a contributing factor. Like I also previously stated, I was surprised because I never heard of such a thing and didn't think that my use of cocoa butter would have such an affect on the baby. I really think the arrhythmia has a lot to do with me being sick and hopefully it will work itself out as soon as I am better. I've had caffeine, chocolate, and used cocoa butter at various times during the entire length of my pregnancy and yesterday was the first time anything abnormal showed up. Part of me thinks that if I wasn't sick, there would not have been an arrhythmia...but how am I to know that for sure? So I'll eliminate anything that may contribute to my baby having an irregular heartbeat. Bottom line.
I really appreciate everyone's feedback. I wouldn't have posted if I didn't think that there would be relies like I have gotten. Things effect everyone differently. I applied cocoa butter once every morning after my shower since I was about 6 months pregnant...Palmer's website says it is safe to apply numerous times a day...and I didn't have any stretch marks...so either it worked for me or I have good genes...or both.
No offense to any of you but I will listen to the medical professionals before anyone on this board...but I appreciate the feedback. My intent was to simply share my experience in case anyone else out there needed to hear it. I have sat at my computer day after day and said, "Oh she's having pain in her right hip today...so am I." or "I have heartburn from the same things!" It's nice to know that there are other mom's going through the same things as me.
This way of communicating leaves a lot to be desired but I really enjoy being able to log on and share in the experience of other moms. So I thought for once I would share my experience instead of lurking. I am a FTM and learning as much as I can as I go along. You really have to be careful who you decide to take advice from, but I take everything with a grain of salt. The main thing I took from yesterday was that my baby has an irregular heartbeat right now. It may be better by my next appt. It might be normal the minute the cord is cut. The only thing I can do is do my best to be healthy and stay calm until I meet her. In the meantime, I'll keep reading.