the irony of this is almost funny . . .

[jenmk]

I am finally going to be able to experience natural, unmedicated birth which I am so thrilled about. The fact that I do not have to go through being induced for a third time is such a huge relief and cause for celebration for me.

And here's the ironic part . . . I am having the most medicated pregnancy EVER. I am very much against taking any medications while pg, I don't drink any alcohol, take in caffeine, or artificial sweetners. I eat healthy (when I can eat), I eat little refined flours or sugars, and no hydrogenated oils/trans fats. And YET I was so sick that I had to take anti-nauseant prescription meds (an antihistamine, actually) just to be able to get off the couch and function so I could take care of my two little boys for about 4 weeks during the first trimester. I stopped as soon as I could stand the nausea reasonably and still function.

That's when the unbearable heartburn started--heartburn that came on with everything I ate. So I didn't feel good if I didn't eat, and I didn't feel good if I did eat. It was a delightful 4 weeks or so of feeling crappy and having to pop Pepsid twice a day to keep from throwing up due to the heartburn. (I discovered that one day when I decided I was not going to take the Pepsid anymore . . . I was hugging the toilet mid-morning after spending the entire morning laid out on the couch feeling really crummy. I took a Pepsid as soon as I was done throwing up.)

About a week ago, I finally conquered the heartburn ('though I'm still afraid to eat because I do not want to feel bad . . . but I'm slowly working through that) through diet and wishing on my crystals. I've been Pepsid-free for a week!! Yay!! I've had a cold this week, with a junky cough and have started wheezing, so I go see my doc yesterday because I haven't seriously wheezed since I was a kid and had serious asthma. (I haven't had asthma problems since I was a kid, kinda grew out of it, thankfully.) Come to find out that pregnancy can trigger asthma and discovered that I have bronchitis. Due to the asthma/wheezing I have to use an inhaler of Albuterol, which is a category C drug (!!). I almost cried when she told me this. Unfortunately, the problem is if I don't get enough oxygen due to the asthma, then little bug isn't getting enough oxygen either. My doc has had other moms who took Albuterol and everything was fine with their babies, so that makes me feel a little better. But not much.

This is all just so crappy. And I know I don't have things bad in comparison to some people. I'm fully aware of that. But this just sucks. (Yeah, I'm feeling a little sorry for myself today.)

But do you see what I mean about the irony? I get my unmedicated birth, but I have a completely medicated pg. Sheesh.:irked: It is almost funny . . . almost.

[2 in August]

What a bummer. But you have to do it to keep yourself and baby healthy. When I had complications with dd I just kept repeating "This is what I have to do to keep my baby healthy" over and over again. I still hated everything that was going on but it kept me focussed on the most important thing, my baby.

Hang in there!
Jen


I just read what I wrote and I'm worried that it sounded bad. I was just trying to say I know how you feel and I went around for along time trying to convince myself that there was a good reason behind all the junk that I was going through. I sure hope that makes more sense. Sorry if what I wrote above sounded bad/insensitive, I didn't mean it to at all.
Jen

[veganf]

I'll join you!
My first two pregnancies I was trying to eat "perfectly" as well as any random cravings would allow me to. I never took ANYTHING except a vitamin.

This pregnancy, lets see, so far I've had: Tums & acetaminophen. And tonight I'm so congested from this cold/flu we've had that I may use a nasal spray, plus I'm going to go out and buy an antihistamine for the nausea. I'm embarassed, but sometimes I think about what some babies "survive" in the way of crazy drugs during pregnancy, and I figure that the rest of my family needs me too, so there's got to be a compromise sometimes.

- krista

[peilover010202]

Jen, I feel you, I really do. In fact, I was thinking the same thing earlier this week. With ds, sudafed a couple of times for major sinus headaches and that's it.

This pregnancy - hmmm, where to start - clindamycin for BV, sudafed, ibuprofen (can't take tylenol), caffiene to keep headaches at bay, terconazole for monster YI, plus a medication for my liver that a Cat 4!! :( Poor baby - I'm praying all is alright when the u/s comes around. Luckily, and only luckily, milk works for my heartburn!

[autumnfaery]

Man do I hear you. I've been cringing at the immense amounts of pills I've been popping this pregnancy too. Besides the vitamins (multi, C, B complex) and herbals (ginger, cranberry caps) and flax oil caps, I've also taken a frightening amount of tylenol, both for headaches and the awful respiratory illness I picked up (complete with fever and body aches, etc). I also took more than a few doses of cold medicine and a course of Zithromax for the resulting sinus infection. And then lets not forget my Synthroid (thyroid disease) and the Wellbutrin I just restarted now that I'm in my 2nd tri.

I don't think I've taken so much stuff in my entire life. Combined!

[3_angels]

I've had a cold this week, with a junky cough and have started wheezing, so I go see my doc yesterday because I haven't seriously wheezed since I was a kid and had serious asthma. (I haven't had asthma problems since I was a kid, kinda grew out of it, thankfully.) Come to find out that pregnancy can trigger asthma and discovered that I have bronchitis. Due to the asthma/wheezing I have to use an inhaler of Albuterol, which is a category C drug (!!). I almost cried when she told me this. Unfortunately, the problem is if I don't get enough oxygen due to the asthma, then little bug isn't getting enough oxygen either. My doc has had other moms who took Albuterol and everything was fine with their babies, so that makes me feel a little better. But not much.



I can't believe this happened to someone else! I was hospitalized with an asthma bad attack last week! I didn't even know I had asthma, I was sitting in class with a sinus headache, and then all of the sudden I couldn't breathe and my best girlfriend was rushing me to the hospital. They gave me Ambetrol too. They told me it was perfectly safe for the baby though. What does catagory "c" mean? Oh lord, now I'm all freaked out. I've used it like three times for mini-attacks since the hospital.

[jenmk]

Thanks for the commiseration and support, mamas. (And, Jen, I took no offense to what you originally wrote at all . . . it sounded neither bad nor insensitive, just good advice. Thanks.)

My asthma is not bothering me today, so I'm unmedicated today!! Hopefully this is a new trend for the rest of the pregnancy. I wish the same for you all too.

3 angels: Category C means that animal studies have shown a risk to the fetus, and there are no adequate studies in pregnant women OR no studies have been conducted at all. So they do not know if the drugs are safe to take while pg, and the only reason to take them is because the benefits outweigh the risks. In your case, the benefits definitely do outweigh the risks.

Here's a good site to look up various drugs, if you want: http://www.perinatology.com/exposures/druglist.htm#Albuterol

[didelphus]

That's a bummer!
If it makes you feel any better I had to use albuterol with my first two pregnancies and they turned out fine. Haven't had to yet with this one.

[amybw]

Have had to use albuterol so far too...

My first pgcy my Dr told me to make sure i had it during L&D!

glad i am going light on it, i didnt realize it was a Cat C. :(

[rebeccalizzie]

:hug to all of you with really tough pg's...I've been pretty lucky, although I'm in the same boat as some of you-I almost never take OTC drugs, I just don't like to. Well, so far this pg I've had to pop Tylonal quite a few times for really severe headaches (I *never* get headaches) and this week I finally gave up and took some Sudafed for my sinus pressure. It's been so bad that I haven't been sleeping well, so I figured at that point my sleep was more important to the baby than the no-Sudafed.

I just worry...I know Sudafed is supposed to be safe, but my first Ob didn't like me taking it because I have a heart arrythmia--pseudefrine (sp?) makes it worse. Because of that, he was afraid to expose the baby to it in case babe also is working on a heart arrythmia, which is pretty close to harmless for me but could be bad in a baby. My new ob and midwife both think it's perfectly okay for me to take it, and I only take one instead of two of the little bitty ones, not the 12 hour, but I still worry. A lot.