October mommies - *September(almost there!)*

Well I figured I'd start up the October thread, so we could start posting again in here. So.. uhh.. HAVE AT IT!

So I had my DA today and the Dr. was no help with my pain/pressure. I feel like my pubic bone - yes I said pubic is about to crack in half. I looked up what to do about the pubic symphasis separation but I have tried everything and nothing helps...my belly is also so sore and tender. She was just like hang in there. I am like well yeah but it is getting really hard to stay positive and not get emotional about being in pain 24/7...

Any advice?



Heather

Oh Heather - I'm so sorry. I had that really bad with my DD and in the beginning with this one (didn't understand that)

This is a rather lengthy article I've looked too for help many of times.
http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/pubicpain.htm

I've re-posted the part about Coping with Pain.... There are other tips on the site including chiropractic and acupuncture.. ( Sorry it's so long)
Tips for Coping with Pubic Symphysis Pain

Although the best idea may be to resolve chronic SPD pain through realigning the pelvis girdle and soft tissues, most women have at least some residual pubic and low back pain stick around for pregnancy and the early postpartum weeks because of hormones. Therefore, tips for coping with pubic pain tend to be a focus of many SPD websites. Many of the suggestions include:

Use a pillow between your legs when sleeping; body pillows are a great investment!
Use a pillow under your 'bump' (pregnancy tummy) when sleeping
Keep your legs and hips as parallel/symmetrical as possible when moving or turning in bed
Some women also find it helpful to have their partners stabilize their hips and hold them 'together' when rolling over in bed or otherwise adjusting position
Some women report a waterbed mattress to be helpful
Silk/satin sheets and nighties may make it easier to turn over in bed
Swimming may help relieve pressure on the joint (many sites recommend avoiding breaststroke but Kmom did not find it to be a problem at all for her; see what works for you)
Deep water aerobics or deep water running may be helpful as well (there are flotation devices to help you stay afloat easily during this; you do not need to know how to swim in order to do this)
Keep your legs close together and move symmetrically (other sources recommend a very small gap between the legs with symmetrical movement)
When standing, stand symmetrically, with your weight evenly distributed through both legs
Sit down to get dressed, especially when putting on underwear or pants
Avoid 'straddle' movements
Swing your legs together as a unit when getting in and out of cars; use plastics or something smooth and slippery (like a garbage bag) on the car seat to help you enter car backwards and then turn your legs as a unit
An ice pack may feel soothing and help reduce inflammation in the pubic area; painkillers may also help
Move slowly and without sudden movements
If sex is uncomfortable for you, use lots of pillows under your knees, or try other positions
If bending over to pick up objects is difficult, there are devices available that can help with this
Really severe cases may need crutches, although these should probably only be used as a last resort
Sciatica may be helped by stretching the hamstring muscles with a stirrup around your foot (long piece of rope, two neck ties tied together, etc.) See the Elizabeth Noble book for directions (resources)
Back pain can often be helped by resting backwards over a large gymnastic or 'birth' ball (see resources)
Some women report that pelvic binders/maternity support belts are helpful for pelvic pain; brands in the U.S. include Prenatal Cradle or BabyHugger or the Reenie Belt. However, if the pelvic bones are really misaligned, some women report more pain with these. Listen to your body on whether to use these
Many sites also recommend a lot of bed rest, but Kmom has to disagree with this for most women. In Kmom's experience, her pain levels were much worse when she was inactive. Inactivity may lead to atrophy, and regular exercise is helpful in the prevention of many common pregnancy problems. Although the first 5-10 minutes of activity were uncomfortable for Kmom, she always felt much better after that, and usually returned from her walks feeling much less fatigued and in less pain overall than if she had not walked at all or had stopped partway through. It's possible that in very severe cases, bedrest may be the best option, but Kmom would encourage most women to stay reasonably active as long as they use caution and listen to their bodies.

Other tips that don't usually appear on SPD websites but which have helped Kmom cope include pelvic rocks, a lumbar pillow against the back when sitting, and very strong massage/counterpressure against the lower back. Pelvic rocks (getting on all fours and then slowly tilting the angle of the pelvis back and forth) are general recommended exercises for all pregnant women, plus they help promote good birth positions for baby. They can also help ease tight low back muscles. It is usually recommended to do 2-3 sets of 40 of these throughout the day. You can also do them sitting or standing against a wall, but on all fours is often most comfortable and has the added effect of helping the baby's position, which may be important with SPD.

Lumbar pillows are very helpful to many pregnant women. They are available at many car stores, but if you cannot find one, try a small neck pillow (elongated like a tube), rolled up towel, or tube sock filled with rice or flax seeds. Put it behind your back when sitting, wherever it feels best; for some women this is down low in the small of the back, for some it is even lower against the sacrum, and for others it feels best up high in the middle of the back. Socks or pillows filled with rice or flax have the advantage of being able to be warmed in the microwave before using, which can feel really nice!

Massage of the lower back or strong counterpressure in that area feels really great to some women. Some women like it just to the sides of their spine (helps loosen the muscles there), and some like it really low and farther out (there are trigger points there). Others like it all up and down on either side of the spine. See what feels best to you and go from there. If your partner's hands get tired (this is a tough place to massage!), try a rolling pin, tennis ball, or other hard object there. For women who like extra hard pressure on this spot, try getting on your hands and knees and arch your back a bit, then have your partner put his elbow against the area that feels best, lean his weight on it, and rub around in small circles. For others who like more gentle pressure, hand or finger pressure may be more than enough.

Although it's possible to 'deal with the pain' or use these tips to help you cope with pelvic pain, these ideas only address the SYMPTOMS of the problem, not the root cause of it. If the source of your pain is purely hormonal, then addressing the symptoms is about all you can do until the baby is born and your hormones start to change. However, if the problem is in the misalignment of the bones creating stress on the joints, only fixing this misalignment can really help resolve the problem, and simply having the baby won't change much. It may make sense to at least get an evaluation of your pelvic area and back to see if there's a problem. Then you can choose whether to try any treatment or not.

omg I was having the same problem! Thanks michelle for the article! I am so glad I was not the only one. I can't stand up to put on clothes anymore and I nearly break myself turning over in bed at night! You see, this is why I love having you girls here. At least with yall here, I don't feel like I'm alone in all the stuff I feel. and the people i know who aren't pregnant are tired of hearing me complain. I can't help it! Sometimes it just hurts damnit! lol pardon my language. Anyway Heather, I sympathize with you cuz I'm in the same boat. Not long now hun, til we're out of all this mess lol. Keep your chin up!

So I had my u/s this morning - way too early...appt was at 7:30am....but, the LO passed...had the growth scan too so they said baby is weighing 6lbs at this point so he will definitely be an 8lb-er by delivery time.....just picked up DS from school - he tripped in gym and hit his head on the wall so I took him to the dr for a check, just to be safe, the dr said he's okay but keep him home and watch him for 24 hrs just to be sure nothing happens, but he has a nice bruise in the middle of his forehead which will probably last for at least a week.....there goes my quiet morning! At least DD was already at pre-school when the nurse called so I didn't have to drag her around too.....it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow so thankfully we didn't have any plans for then..

hello ladies, just checking in. and checking my tickler at the same time. i hear you all with the pelvic pain. i just cant take it anymore, but were almost there....we need to hang on. ive been saying im going to pack my bag everyday for like 3 days now and cant get to it.... today is ds2 b-day party.....so im resting now, because when he gets home from school, and everyone gets here, ill be busy....
its supposed to rain all day tomorrow and sunday....maybe ill stay in and try to get some things done.

Ugh.. it's only 11am and I'm ready for this day to be over already. This morning was just a mess.. LOL I was trying to "win" a craigslist war for a breast pump. It was a $300 Pump In Style for just $60. I'm not sure what's going to happen with it, but I think I lost my chance. Then on top of it I packed DD's lunch and left it on the counter. Still can't find $60 in checks my grandmas sent and was waaaaay late for work. At least my boss is uber understanding and that's not a big deal. I just feel drained already..
Oh and the Dr. office called and can't schedule my growth scan until the 16th. That's longer than I wanted to wait, but I guess you can't win them all.

Eve - Good Luck with the B-day party. Sound like your midwife thinks your LO will be here right around the corner.. Me= Jealous! haha

Elsie - Ouch. Poor DS. At least it doesn't sound too serious. Would have been nice to have the quite morning though I'm sure.. I know I would have loved to have one.

Bekah - I think just reading that article again made my pain worse..hahaha
Mine is mostly bad in the morning or after I've been sedentary for a while. I just keep telling myself.. I'll all be over soon!

Hello Ladies,

My pelvis has also been hurting and at the same time it feels like someone is taking a dagger and stabbing the middle of my right butt cheek. Good Times! I love sciatic pain. It makes me walk like a pregnant pirate!

I am very excited today. So much so I can hardly contain myself and I want to go home from work. My baby furniture was delivered at 7 AM this morning and is sitting in boxes in the baby's room. I want to go home and unpack it and have it together and set up. I want to do it NOW! I say this like I can move this stuff and unpack it by myself. No I have to wait for DH to get home tonight so we can both (mostly him) work on it. I got my curtains hung last night and they look great. We made the mistake of getting involved in projects and didn’t eat dinner and I even forgot to drink fluids from 5PM to 9PM. So DH and I ended up getting really cranky and snapping at each other. He made a point to tell me to start drinking and thinking about dinner when I get home from work. Its so hard when we both get low blood sugar.

I am glad to hear everyone’s DAs are going well. We are all going to have good size babies!

I will post pictures once we get everything set up. I have my shower tomorrow so I will hopefully have pictures from that too. *mental note – don’t forget the camera*

I guess that is it for now. Take Care Ladies!

Anyone else fed up with working? I work fulltime I am a corrections officer in a jail I mentioned before but I am working in this dark little room and I mean all I do is sit all day and I even doze off (no one can see in adn I have to let people in so no one knows I am sleeping the buzzers wake me up...lol) But I am just done with working I am so uncomfortable and the attitudes of the people some of them are like ug and I am just wishing I could be home already. But I only have 6 weeks of time saved up so I will be working up until the day before my c-section unfortunately. but man I would kill to be able to be at home!!!

Eileen

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I feel ya on the working thing. I'm kind of getting overloaded because the OMG She's leaving for 6 weeks panic has begun. Plus I'm just so cranky about things. I don't mean to be, but my printer is p*ssing me off and when people complain about stupid stuff I just want to go off on them. LOL

I won't mind the work, or even the extra work so much.. it's the 1 hour each way comute that's killing me.

Amy- YAY! Funiture.. sounds like you and DH will have a busy weekend. Can't wait to see the pics.

Count me in on wanting to stop working. Getting up at 5:45 every morning to have to shower and get ready and be at work by 7:50 to sit here and surf the web and occasionally do 3-4 things a day is getting really old. Couldnt I just stay home, surf the web from there after I sleep until like 8 or 9 and then come into the office and work from 1-5? I would still be able to get everything done. The housing market is in the toilet right now so I am pretty slow. Makes for an annoying day!

I'm in the housing crap too! I work for a Title Insurance company in the marketing department so when business is slow.. we are uber busy. YUCK! I still surf the web more than I should..hehehe

Michelle - I work for a home builder. Small world! Every week I pray for contracts. I know our owner does too! I think they are happy that they are going to be able to save some money while I am on maternity leave.

I heard from one of DH's relatives in England today. She didnt know that I was pregnant and was very happy to find out. She had made the comment of "Oh so I am sure you are almost done with work then". I think they get a month off before the baby is born and then a few after the baby is born. I am only slightly jealous of the European's maternity leave and benifits.

Me too.. and CANADA.. I've heard they get a whole YEAR!

Being home isn't a picnic either...being this pregnant and chasing after my two year old...I would rather be back at work were I mostly surfed the web all day...minus the part were it is super busy there in the summer and I would often get held for additional shifts, thus the reason why I am not working. But seriously I think I am more exhausted being home. I deffinitly know I shouldn't have mowed the lawn today...my back and belly are paying for it...but DH doesn't get home until 6:30 and with the winds and rain coming from Hannah, I wanted it done and didn't want to make DH do it...so it is my own fault I am sore now. The Canadian maternity system rocks...that is so the way it should be...but in my case it needs to involve part time help with my two year old too...LOL

Canada's health care system apparently rules! hmmm... Maybe DF and I should totally move there! lol Canada stays so under the radar! Anyways, just wondering, is anyone having severe gas cramps? My mom said she thought her contractions were gas cramps, but I just don't think thats my problem. anyways, I know a little TMI, but seriously, I can't be the only one!

Amy
I don’t see how you can still drive! I freak out on the highway I can manage around base and stuff but even when DH is driving I keep freaking out thinking we are hitting a wall or something. I’m sure I could stuff it up if I had to but since I don’t its safer for man kind for me not to drive.. my mind wanders to much and I know I would get in a wreck.. I keep doing stupid stuff when I’m driving now like I just forgot to break the other day and the car scraped the curb really bad when I was parking.. Its stupid but I just cant seem to focus.
My mom was stationed in England shortly before she had me and back then they got six months maternity leave, men could get it too!

Kim take it easy! I understand mowing the lawn but girl that is too much! I see your point with watching the kids. My commute is 80 miles round trip and about 45min to 1 hour that is getting to me also. So anyone have blood pressure issues? I am having weird symptoms and go to the doctor monday so just trying to read about it. The top of my stomach is tender and I am having some nausea, I get these periodes of feeling kind of out of it sometimes dizzy. Is this all because of the blood pressure? I have never had blood pressure issues before. I figure my doctor will address the blood pressure if it is still up she didn't seem to worried about it. My doctor doesn't get excited ever. She also says everything is because I am so heavy. She is a good doctor but she is a stick and doesn't get it. just wondering if anyone else has issues with blood pressure and if they do what their doctor has done. I can't afford to be on bed rest unless it is like a week and that is it. I don't have time saved up at work and frankly work is not stressful. home is stressful. I have mentioned I have my train wreck of a mother living with me and I have told her she has to leave she has been out of town for 2 weeks and things have been so nice and wonderful. She can't leave till Feb for legal reasons but she wil be out. So the stress of that could be making my blood pressure go up right? How do I tell the difference if it is just stress or gestational hypertension?

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Thanks for posting the link and the article I have been to her site many times. I wish I could afford acupunture or even just a massage! DH won't even touch me or offer and we are currently not speaking because he is being so selfish and knows how much pain I am in yet offers no help with anything at all - I still do everything like I wasn't even pregnant.

I wore the fat sucker support panties to school today and they helped a little bit but then by the end of the day nothing helps I am just miserable again.

I am glad to hear I am not alone in the pain! Love you guys!

Heather

Err..those darn DH's. Most of the time I wish mine would just move out! seriously. We just fight all the time and he doesn't help me anyway. Ugh.. that's a whole other story.

I got a Pump In Style last night off Craigslist.. YAY! $50. I was so excited. I had actually given up on the though of pumping or breastfeeding because it didn't go so well with DD. But the closer we get them more I thought I owe it to him to try. I will have to be back to work but maybe if I got a better pump things would go better. I just have to purchase all of the "contact" items now. I'm excited! I actually dreamt all night about pumps..LOL

However my SO was all irked about it.. WTF? He's like that's a waste of money, and it's stupid..we're going to have to buy formula anyway. On and On.. and while he's complaining about MY waste of money on a pump he's getting dressed to go to the club at 11pm. He didn't return til about 2:30 this morning.. anyone want to take any bets on if he spent at least $50 while he was gone? I'll never know but it's just the point.

Today DD has a birthday party, and I'm have to returns to make, car inspection to get and hopefully get my pump parts. I'mgoing to try to stay busy all day.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!!

kim: YOU MOWED THE LAWN????? OMG....you shouldn have. i know today was supposed to be worse, thats why i cancelled my ds1 b-day party and did it yesterday, but wow i hope your feeling better, its not someting you should be doing at this point.....
so i have some pics i wanted to show you all from my shower and my ds1 b-day party yesterday. i hope no one minds me posting them on here....

Michelle- I so bet he spent that much last night...his argument so has no merit...do you think he might be uncomfortable with the idea of you breast feeding?

Eve- luckily I do not have a huge lawn...only 45 minutes to do, but yeah, I won't be doing it again as I spent the night quite uncomfortable. How was DS's party? And post away...can't wait to see the pictures.

ok so i will attempt to post some pics. last weekend was my shower i was 35 weeks. and yesterday was my ds1 b-day party, we rented a water slide, you cant really see the water on the slide in the pics, but at the end is a pool where they landed....was really fun to watch, i wish i could of gone on.....lol






sorry pics are so big!!! photobucket is being a pain like always...
enjoy.

Eve- you look fanstastic and that cake is beautiful!!! That waterslide seems like a blast!!!! Yesterday was a good day for it too...it was so hot and humid.