Well, there have definitely been some new experiences for me this week and I’m starting to get anxious to feel somewhat “normal” again. Don’t get me wrong, I love being pregnant. I like the attention, I love feeling baby kicks, I love the thought of carrying my son with me everywhere I go, but with that are some small annoyances. For instance, my hands and feet fall asleep all the time. It can be frustrating at times. I’ll try drying my hair, brushing my teeth, or even just laying in bed and my body parts can’t keep up! Lately, I’ve have to take 3-4 breaks when I dry my hair in the morning because my arms and hands get really numb. At night I seem to have restless feet and legs and they also go numb. I tend to sleep with 5 pillows and my arm underneath my head, and I can’t do that anymore either because my entire arm goes numb instantly. Even doing everyday normal tasks can now be a challenge.
The other pregnancy symptom that I’m having a hard time with is the extreme pain in my groin and in-between my legs. It’s called Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction or SPD. It’s somewhat rare (one in every 35 pregnancies are diagnosed with this dysfunction), so it’s hard to explain how sever the pain is to most people. Most people shrug it off as being “normal pregnancy discomfort”, but let me assure you, that it’s not the case. Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction is intense pelvic pain that may make it difficult to walk, climb stairs, and other movements that involve the pelvic bones. This pain is a result of separation of the symphysis pubis which is a joint in the very front part of the pelvic bone structure. There is cartilage that fills the gap in the bones. During pregnancy, hormones such as relaxin soften this cartilage allowing the pelvic bones to be more flexible for delivery. Some women, however, have too much play in the pelvis causing a large gap between the bones. This makes the symphysis pubis area extremely sensitive to touch. I’ve had SPD since I was about 25 weeks, but since I’ve never been pregnant, I assumed it was normal pregnancy discomfort. As my SPD progressed, I knew that this couldn’t be normal. Even switching a position in bed can be extremely painful to the pelvis. Often when I get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, I can’t even walk. The pain is so severe that my legs give out. I literally have to hold onto walls and I’m in pure agony. Bending, walking, going up stairs, squatting, sleeping, changing positions, sitting down and even crossing my legs are all extremely painful. At my doctor’s appointment this week, my condition was confirmed and now I’m looking at methods of rehabilitation to get some relief. Another downside to having SPD is that labor with an epidural is not recommended. The reason being is that with an epidural, you don’t realize your limits with labor and pushing and you could end up severely damaging your pelvis for life. If my SPD continues to get worse in the next several weeks, I may have to skip the epidural all together or even perhaps look into different birthing methods. I never really thought about having a medication-free birth, but I’m definitely open to that possibility. I would rather endure a few hours of labor pain than a lifetime of pelvic problems.
Any pregnant woman will tell you that pregnancy is not easy. It’s really hard on your body and you go through a lot of changes physically and mentally. I have my own issues, but I’m grateful that the pregnancy is going well for the most part. I’ve had no major swelling, I’m not retaining water, I’m at a healthy weight, I show no signs of pre-term labor or preeclampsia, I haven’t had extreme back pain, loss of energy, or heartburn. Even with the severe SPD pain, I would never regret this pregnancy or take it for granted. The only thing that is important to me is having a healthy and happy baby boy!
This weeks baby class was interesting. We learned about the different stages of labor and all about contractions. We also learned about different things we can do during labor for distractions and the men learned all about supporting their partner during the labor stages. We filled a hospital/labor bag and went over different items to bring. We did some relaxation breathing and different types of massages as well. Glen made a friend too! He discovered that he grew up in Rhode Island right down the street from this other dad-to-be. We ended up staying about 20 minutes late with our new baby buddies. Glen is being very supportive. So, supportive that he's incorporating things that we've learned into our everyday life. Every time I try to lay on my back he tells me that I need to turn to a side. He also offers to help me with the laundry and cleaning a bit so that I can stay off my feet. I think he will be a great partner to have during labor.
As I said previously, my doctor's appointment was this week. The doctor performed an internal exam to check things out, then listened to the baby's heartbeat; It was 140. My blood pressure is great and I only gained 22 pounds so far. My body is right on target. She then measured my belly, and I'm measuring a bit small. It could mean a number of different things at this point, and those external tests aren't always 100% accurate. So, she's sending me for a growth ultra sound next Wednesday. The best thing I can do is to relax and stay positive until they confirm that everything is ok with Baby Charron.
My shower is tomorrow, and I'm really excited to see everyone! We'll have about 18-20 guests, which totally blows my mind. It feels great that so many people are supporting the baby and excited for us and his arrival. I'll be posting photos and all of the shower details on next weeks blog, so stay tuned!
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