***High Risk Mamas Support Thread*** - Page 7

[soulshine]

sage, that's great news about your friends coming to help. i hope they will see how fun/easy it is to help out and will sign on for more... sage, i wish i could take some of your pain away from you. it sounds like your dr. is short on bedside manner but very pragmatic about the pain and the meds. i am glad you have an active baby in there! i am waiting for mine to give me a good kick...

bobbie, good advise from aviva! its really hard to be in the moment and see the new pregnancy as its own individual thing, and not a definative repeat of what happened before. especially with progesterone supplementation, when some say 'do it' and some 'don't bother'... i am scheduled to stop progesterone at the end of this week and i have to say i am a little hesitant to do it. it seems like 'something', and i'll do anything to help this baby make it to birth and beyond, healthy and alive. i am going to talk to my ob about the p17 shots...

nothing going on here. my sister is up in the area for a week vacation. she is 20-something weeks pregnant and i have been avoiding her. for me, it is really hard to see pregnant women. it just is, even though i am pregnant right now, the residual stuff from losing my baby and the time of infertility, well, other people's pregnancies repel me. not online! but irl, even friends... everyone and there brother got pregnant and had babies in the last few years, and i used to feel guilty about feeling like i didn't want to be around them, but now, i see it for what it is... it just is! so, i am avoiding my sister. terrible! in a way, the bedrest has been a good scapegoat for me... i am sensitive about being pregnant again and feel like i am in the spotlight or something, which i hate. so, having a reason to hide in bed has come in handy, in a weird way.

aviva, i feel like i have a 2 hour expiration date on my outings. i go into work for 1/2 hour, and by the time the errands are all run, it can be 2 hours from bed back to bed, and i start to feel it. its also psychological... i will be walking around, kind of distracted by the task at hand, and then, bam, i remember that i could start bleeding at any moment and i am like 'let's go home, NOW'. such a mind-frig.

[avivaelona]

hey, how is everyone?

soulshine I understand completely, with my pregnancy after my loss, I had a terribly hard time being around other pregnant women until I got significantly far along. finally around 30 weeks I was able to go to a labor class and be around other women, however, I could not hold someone else's small infant until my own child was born.

this time its completely different, I like seeing other pregnant women, and don't even really mind that I have to have this stupid bedrest pregnancy and they don't...I just completely don't have that jealous feeling, but I completely understood and forgave myself for having it the first time.

Oh I'm good, constipation is being REAL problem, but other than that I'm trying to just sail along.

[soulshine]

found out today we are having a boy! weeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!


aviva, i am sorry about the constipation. i had it for a while and i went and got fiber nutrition bars and that seemed to help. but the thing that gets me is that i am actually afraid to go poo. maybe tmi?!!! i don't want to put any straining or pushing movements or energy of any type for fear that i will make the sch worse... terrible!

how is everyone else? i hope the quietness is from us being bored out of our minds yet doing very well considering!

[ChesapeakeBorn]

Doing alright over here - just battling a cough and headache from being sick. Coughing is the last thing I want to do with an SCH, so I got the okay to take some plain old cough suppressant. It has made lying down kind tricky, especially since I am now afraid to be on my back. But it could be worse and it is not so I am thankful!

Congrats on your little boy, soulshine! What else did they say at your u/s?

Wish I could advise you guys on the constipation thing, but I have had the opposite problem from day 1. Of course, that could always change!

[Sage_SS]

I am sooo tired. This is getting hard on my hubby. Since I have to move so much at night and it hurts so bad to move I cry out the whole time, and it takes awhile to complete the movement trying to be as ginger as possible.

Has anyone had those days where you say to yourself "I can't just sit here all the time." I had one of those a few days ago. I thought that if I'm going to be in pain anyway I may as well try to enjoy my summer a bit. So the next day I walked around quite a bit. I've been paying for that for three days.

My hubby's work is exploding! He just got about two weeks straight booked on a movie they're filming here. Its stunt work so there's no way we can afford to turn it down.
Sockeye season has started. Its open all weekend, 7 am to 7 pm. This is the fourth year of the cycle so numbers are dangerously low, the only ones allowed to fish at all are Natives. We're going to have to pass for this weekend tho, since we only find out yesterday that its open and the net isn't ready, either is the boat. Plus today is our 8th anniversary!

I've very rarely missed fishing with my husband. I long to be there on on the boat with him. But it would kill me, probably literally.

So I told my aunt about the PSD. She was surprisingly understanding! Tho the next day she said to me "whats the matter with you? Oh, are you STILL feeling terrible?" lol... Today I get to call her to tell her we have to cut our camping trip short by two full days because my hubby works. There is no chance that I can take down our tent, at all. Le sigh.

[soulshine]

sage,
yes, feeling a little kookoo here today sitting around while the summer happens outside. not much i can do about it though... i am not in pain, though. have you gotten your rx for any meds? it sounds so painful at nighttime, moving... you are almost 1/2 way thru!

that is (not really) funny about your aunt saying 'you're still feeling bad?!). sorry for that. about your husband's gig, i guess its good he will be working straight thru for 2 weeks, have you made a plan for that time when he is straight out working, for help, etc? will your friends be able to?

chesapeakeborn, i am sorry you are sick! fast healing vibes coming your way i thought i was getting a cold because of the sneezes, but i think it is from the oscillating fan in the bedroom blowing all the dust around!! my house is a total pigpen! not really a pigpen, more like a dog's nest... covered in layers of dog hair! the peri was not in the office until the afternoon, so the u/s tech took lots of pictures and peri will make a report for my ob later, maybe mon or tues... u/s tech said it looked the same size. new revolving ob said things should be ok if nothing has gone bad by now. nice to hear but not that reassuring. baby looked really healthy though! such a mover and shaker!

yesterday i took my last progesterone shot. ob was pretty convincing that i didn't need it anymore. i hope the placenta is super duper healthy, a progesterone making factory!

[avivaelona]

by now that placenta should be chugging away soulshine, but I do understand that its scary to give up those "crutches"

CB I'm sorry you are sick! That shouldn't be allowed!

Sage, hugs on missing the fishing trip. Every once in a while we turn up something I can't do that I had forgotten about and I get sad. That's great your husband is working but I hope you have some help for when he is. I've been hurting for a couple of days and it makes me really feel for what you are going through since its turned me into a whiney baby and I'm not in half the discomfort you are.

In general I'm not handling bedrest real well today. My weird sciatica-like issue is kicking up hell with my muscles and I'm in a lot of pain. Advil would take care of it, but after having to take so much after the cerclage I'm feeling like I really shouldn't push my luck, and tylenol does absolutely nothing. I think I need to seek care from a chiropractor or acupuncture maybe? Or at least Physical therapist, because this just hurts.

On top of that I just was feeling like DH was ignoring me all weekend, like I'm just here on the sofa so he was bustling around doing things but he never really thought to check in with me, so he'd dissappear for an hour or two at a time. I get lonely during the week and so I like when he's home on weekends and can spend some time hanging out. Also, for some reason DS was really bad about not jumping and climbing on me today (he's been better about it for a couple of weeks) and with the sore leg and back it was kind of agonizing.

Ok, that's my whine fest, pass me some cheese?, I'm really looking forward to my US at the end of the week because I really need to know if the amount of "up" time I've had has been ok, and if it has perhaps I can incorporate some short gentle walks into my day, I think that would help my back and leg.

On the positive side, DH and my dad and SFIL all chipped in to build my son a big sandbox in our backyard where he can really play. I can sit out there in my lounge chair and he can really dig. It makes me feel a bit better about not being able to take him to the park much and such.

We are all getting there, nearly halfway.

[Sage_SS]

I can't even keep up with online stuff. Remember when I said its easiest to be online because with my laptop I can be in any position? Ugh... thats no longer true.
I don't feel so well today. Kinda nauseas. Yucks.

[avivaelona]

Sage

[ChesapeakeBorn]

Sage, we purchased an over-bed table when I went on bedrest back in May. Then I can shift my body however I need to and still use the laptop. Maybe that would help you somewhat?

I'm sorry to hear that you are hurting too, aviva!

So my cold turned into a sinus infection that got way out of control because I refused to take any decongestants or anti-inflammatories b/c of concerns that they could increase bleeding. Does anyone know how I can alleviate the nerve pain? It has affected my ear, jaw, and teeth on one side of my face and I can't open my mouth but a tiny bit. Steam, ice, acupressure, irrigation, nothing works. And the weird thing is that I don't feel that congested. I just have this horrible inflammation from the infection. It feels like it is in my bones. Or like I had dental work without anesthetic. It has been like this for 48 hours, but I just started antibiotics last night. They can't start working soon enough. Okay, there is my contribution to our whine-fest. As long as our little boy is still in there doing well, I am okay.

[soulshine]

we need some serious tlc on this thread!

sage, there's nothing i can say, i just wish you could have some relief from this pain. chesapeake's idea sounds good, i use a pillow on my legs to see the computer... i hope you had some sleep last night. sage, i wonder, when you have this baby, will you have an immediate resolution to the pain? or does it take a while to heal?

chesapeake, i have no idea about any natural relief for that infection. the abx should kick in to help. i hope you are feeling the effects of them soon.

nothing going on with me. doing paperwork in bed. petting the dogs. trying to keep my emotional state in check. that's all!

aviva, what is going on with you?

[Sage_SS]

oh OUCH CB! I have ear issues which also leaves me prone to sinus problems. The first sinus infection I had I thought someone had smashed me in the face with a sledgehammer. It hurts.. Steam is the only thing I can think of. You can't take any of the meds I would recommend. So sorry hon.

I'm been walking around too much lately, my bones are not appreciating this rebellion. Ugh. The pain has increased, but at least I've seen my kids. I can only push it like this for so long before I'll have to give in.

I am supposed to co host an online.. hmm... whats the word for this... idea session? But I'm thinking that I should contact my co host and tell her I will be useless. I can't make my brain work, at all. I'm so scattered. Its like 98% of my brain is there to deal with the pain, and the rest of it is too exhausted from support and lack of sleep. I feel so badly about it, tho I volunteered for it a few weeks before this started. I made all kinds of plans before this started, and all of them have to be cancelled. I also cancelled our camping trip

My dad, bless him, walked into the livingroom yesterday where I was laying on the couch and says to me "oh, you look really, really tired. You should get some sleep." Yeah.. those bags are becoming a permament fixture under my eyes. Sleep would be nice.

I am harassing my hubby and daughters to come see me all the time. The loneliness is terrible.

And this will (crossing fingers) start to heal as soon as the baby is born.

[avivaelona]

CB I get sinus stuff like that and warm compresses seem to help a bit, mostly just getting better though. Hang in there.

my leg is slightly better today, most of the day wasn't too bad, though its starting to hurt again now. It woke me up a couple of times last night, but it was better somewhat by morning.

I'm feeling really depressed though, the combination of bedrest, and pain and the us coming up on Friday has me feeling low. I hope that we'll get good news and my leg will feel better soon. The baby is moving a lot but the US coming up has me feeling afraid to care too much

Sage just hugs because I know how badly this pain is getting me down, I can't imagine what I'd do if I knew it would be the whole pregnancy. It would be very hard. I'm sorry you are lonely, I've been a bit lonely too even parked in the middle of my living room, its both hard to be alone but also really hard to engage when I'm hurting.

I think all of us need a vacation somewhere that will be kind to our various aches and pains and come with automatic help...cabana boys bringing drinks, maids turning down the bed, masseurs and excellent mattresses and exotic locals and entertainment so we can feel like we are lying around by choice

Oh btw I managed to break two laptops in two days...and being on bedrest without a computer really sucks. I have an over the bed table too, it helps a lot.

[ChesapeakeBorn]

Thanks for the sinus sympathy, girls! Today I am finally feeling a little better - the pain and pressure are still there, but it is not that awful awful nerve pain that made me out of my mind. I was begging DH for a shot of novacaine... and I am terrified of the dentist!!! Phew. I have come to the conclusion that pain definitely affects one's outlook and state of mind. That seems like a no brainer, I know, but this week really showed me that constant pain affects you differently. For me it takes so much energy to cope that I can't be around anyone else. I think this is why we all get down from time to time while on bedrest. So sage, I wouldn't feel badly about canceling your hosting duties.

We had our anatomy scan today and everything checked out great with baby. We got lots and lots of cute 4D pics. He is still measuring a week ahead (and we were charting so we know when we conceived) which comforts me because I know the placenta is doing its job well. The peri said that he sees "significant improvement" in the clot and the placenta still looks very healthy. And again he said he really doesn't think anything bad is going to happen. I know that I could bleed again, but I am optimistic that it won't hurt baby. Now I just have to worry about everything else that can go wrong...

aviva - I loooove your vacation idea! I have often dreamt of something similar. And can it be in a really beautiful natural place? Just think of this tomorrow while waiting for you scan. Dream up something really elaborate and get back to us.

[soulshine]

hmmmm...
for my vacation, i would go down to a small island in the caribbean and spend a good portion of my bedrest day floating around on a blow-up mattress in one of the bays... then, the other half of the day i'd park myself on a nice comfy bed out on a deck that overlooked the ocean. and, as long as i can have supreme comfort, i'd like a giant plate of french fries with plenty of ketchup. and a fruity drink with an umbrella. that'd be nice...

chesapeake, that's some great news about your scan today! i love that your baby is measuring a week ahead good job, placenta! did they check the sch again today? did it get any smaller? i am so happy you have such a great peri... do you think he wants to come up to maine and be my peri for an afternoon?! i would love to have the confidence you are getting from seeing him! when i had my sch check-up, the peri wasn't even in the office and when she finally looked at the u/s results, all her report said was 'no change'. i like to have a lot of information, and i wish they had included more details for me to grasp onto for a little hope here... they tell you all the things that can go wrong, but then they don't tell you the things that you may have going for you...
chesapeake, can you think of anything or questions i should ask my ob the next time i see him? well, i hope the antibiotics have kicked in and you're feeling better!

aviva, i hope you scan goes really really well tomorrow, and your cervix looks spectacular and that leg starts feeling better too...

sage, i think of you every day.

[ChesapeakeBorn]

soulshine, I wish I could fly you down here to our peri!! He said that the SCH (clot) showed "significant improvement". In other words, it was smaller and more coagulated. It is still sitting over my cervix and next to one edge of the placenta, however the placenta looks very healthy and well-attached. I asked if the baby has enough room in there with the clot, and they chuckled and said "Oh, yes" and then I laughed at myself because twins and triplets are even more cramped! If I were you, I would ask your peri these questions (which you may have already asked):

1) Has the SCH changed in size since the last scan?
2) Does it appear more coagulated/solid?
3) Where is it located in relation to the placenta?
4) How is the placental attachment? Has it lifted anywhere?

That's all I can think of right now. Oh, here are a couple of the pics from the u/s: http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e...08version2.jpg

Let us know how it goes today, aviva. We are thinking of you!

[Sage_SS]

hey ladies, how's everyone doin?

[soulshine]

i'm doing fine... 18 weeks today!
i just finished an amy's frozen pizza, and am stuffed. its raining.

i have an appointment for growth on august 1, next friday.
these next 7 weeks connot go fast enough...

sage, how about you? is your husband on his 2 week work spree now? how's it going during the day? are you staying stationary for the most part? how are you getting meals made, for you and your kiddos?

[soulshine]

woops, forgot to add...

chesapeake, your little one is so so sweet. great pictures, too! i love how snuggley they look in there! thanks so much for the tips. i really hope the peri is in the office on friday...

aviva, how'd everything go?

[avivaelona]

everything was good, it is a boy, a little sad no girls for me but we expected it was a boy so I'm getting used to the idea.

my leg still hurts and they have me on flexerall so I'm dopey and sleepy.

They couldn't see the heart real well so they suggested another one in a month but I think we are going to skip it.

My three year old got to come in and is now playing sonogram. funny.

CB glad your news was good. I'll think of what my vacation would be.