The appointment at the physio yesterday was pretty much what I expected. I've been told I need to severely reduce the amount of activity I am doing, and add in significant rest periods throughout the day. Um, yes, well that will be easy as a stay at home Mum to a toddler!
But she has basically explained that it is a necessity to prevent the problem from worsening and causing other problems, particularly because they are so limited in what they can do for the problem while I am pregnant. And that if I can't rest myself at home, then they will make me with a week's stay in hospital on enforced bed rest.
My lower back is also suffering a lot more too with the extra work it has to do because of the weakness in other areas, and as the pain has caused me to develop a bit of a limp, that pressure has been added to my lower back too. She managed to loosen the muscles there during the appointment and my back is feeling a lot better. Not a whole lot she can do for the pubic/groin/leg pain though as expected. She has me taking panadol in the afternoon and again before bed to help with the problem at night. I also managed to get enough relief from the burning pain yesterday for a 45 min nap during the day by laying on my back, raised by a heap of pillows. So I'm now trying that technique to help me get to sleep at night for the first couple of hours in particular.
So, the physio wants to see me in a week's time to check on how things are going. If it hasn't improved at least somewhat or has gotten worse, she will be speaking to my OB about the next step.
Although after even 1 day of doing basically nothing yesterday, I can notice the difference this morning. Still pain, but a definite improvement on yesterday morning. I'm not the type of person who can just sit back and do nothing though, so it was a real struggle to do it for even one day. But I don't have a choice, I need to take care of my body so that I'm able to properly care for both my toddler and baby in 5-9 weeks time (yes I am counting!).
Nov 5, 2010
Nov 4, 2010
Limits
Between the SPD and the sciatica, I have been trying to limit my physical activity as much as possible when I'm experiencing pain. I'm trying to get light exercise, while not overdoing it and still trying to get some rest. I'm trying to sit the right way, walk the right way, turn the right way, get in and out of the car/bed etc the right way, roll over the right way, sleep the right way etc etc. I'm wearing the support strap during the day and only taking it off for breaks, particularly where I am sitting or laying down.
But the pain level seems to have doubled over the last few days. I can't do anything without feeling pain - even sitting or laying still most often causes a strong burning pain in my groin. Feels like I am being stabbed with a hot knife. Walking is painful enough that I cant help but limp a lot of the time - whenever I put any pressure on my right leg, I get the pain from both the SPD as well as the shooting pain in my RH lower back from the sciatica. After laying down in bed for a couple of minutes, I start to get a burning pain in my groin so bad that it brings me to tears. It lasts for about an hour and I can't seem to find any position that makes it go away.
I'm off to the physio again today, but not expecting her to be able to do much. I've come to the realisation this morning that I just have to accept that my mobility is decreased severely and will be that way until the birth. I find it so difficult to sit back and do nothing, particularly with a toddler who wants me to run around playing and dancing with him like normal and still has times where he wants to be picked up or carried. He doesn't, and shouldn't have to, understand why I can't. But I just can't handle this pain anymore, I don't have a choice but to limit my activity to a much more severe degree. I don't want to spend the rest of this pregnancy in tears.
Nov 2, 2010
32 Weeks
Here I am this morning at 32 weeks...
And compared with my last pregnancy...
So maybe a bit bigger, but looks pretty similar to me! I've now put on around 12kg compared to the 11kg I put on in total last time, but I'm still 3kg lighter than my finishing weight last pregnancy.
I had my 32 week OB appointment yesterday which was pretty uneventful as usual...just what to hope for. My blood pressure was pretty good at 105/60, baby's heart rate was 140. OB just wanted to make sure that I was taking iron supplements, but other than that had no concerns.
The pain is still hanging around - both from the S.P.D. and sciatica. I'm still seeing the physio every 2 weeks which helps a little, but only for a few days. The midwife has recommended a remedial massage therapist now as well, but I must admit that I'm more than a little skeptical. The last few days have been particularly painful, but I've also been at home by myself with a toddler over the whole weekend. The pain seems to be very closely related to the level and type of activity I do throughout the day. I'm trying to take it easy as much as possible, but there's only so much I can avoid as a stay at home Mum. I'm also trying to wear the support strap as much as possible - not sure how much difference it makes though. I try to wear it in the mornings when I am getting the most work done, but it's pretty uncomfortable and the baby doesn't particularly like it, especially if I sit or lay down. I really think it is just something that you can get minor relief from while pregnant, but that won't go away until after the baby is out. Even though he wont directly say it, I get the feeling that my OB agrees.
And compared with my last pregnancy...
I had my 32 week OB appointment yesterday which was pretty uneventful as usual...just what to hope for. My blood pressure was pretty good at 105/60, baby's heart rate was 140. OB just wanted to make sure that I was taking iron supplements, but other than that had no concerns.
The pain is still hanging around - both from the S.P.D. and sciatica. I'm still seeing the physio every 2 weeks which helps a little, but only for a few days. The midwife has recommended a remedial massage therapist now as well, but I must admit that I'm more than a little skeptical. The last few days have been particularly painful, but I've also been at home by myself with a toddler over the whole weekend. The pain seems to be very closely related to the level and type of activity I do throughout the day. I'm trying to take it easy as much as possible, but there's only so much I can avoid as a stay at home Mum. I'm also trying to wear the support strap as much as possible - not sure how much difference it makes though. I try to wear it in the mornings when I am getting the most work done, but it's pretty uncomfortable and the baby doesn't particularly like it, especially if I sit or lay down. I really think it is just something that you can get minor relief from while pregnant, but that won't go away until after the baby is out. Even though he wont directly say it, I get the feeling that my OB agrees.
Nov 1, 2010
Hospital Tour
Ironically, after waiting an extra month to do the hospital tour because of the hubby's last minute work commitments, he ended up having to work again...the joys of business ownership!! But I didn't want to chance waiting another month so I headed off to the hospital tour on Saturday morning myself, toddler in tow.
It was of such a great benefit to me - it really made a difference being able to see the place where our baby would be born. The tour started with all the general information you would expect about labour and the actual hospital stay in particular from one of the midwives on staff. This was the second hospital midwife I have met and she was just as lovely as the first one. We looked through the rooms, as well as the whole ward in general, nursery & birth suites.
This hospital is so different from my last one. It's not as 'pretty' to look at, the rooms are all smaller and older, but there were other differences that made it seem so much more 'homely'. For example, at my old hospital, the bed was THE major furniture item in the birth suite and the constant fluro lighting made it seem more like a hospital. These birth suites still contain a bed, but they are not the major feature of the room, and even the midwife commented that they rarely get used, only really for epidurals. There's also beanbags, mattresses, fitballs, couches etc. The lights are dimmed too which makes it seem a lot less like a hospital. They also have ensuites with a large corner bath that I'm hoping I will be able to utilise for a water birth.
The rooms were simple, but clean and tidy. All rooms are private rooms, mostly singles with just a single bed, big comfy recliner, ensuite, tv, phone etc, and all except 2 of the rooms also have their own balcony.
I also noticed that this hospital seems to allow mums more privacy than my last one. Last time, it was very rare to have an hour go by without someone coming into my room. Here, they deliver breakfast, lunch and dinner to your room, but morning & afternoon tea is delivered to the kitchen so you can wander down and help yourself if you want them. There's also a fridge filled with juices, softdrinks etc, as well as tea and coffee that can be accessed at any time. They even have a sign for the front door of your room that you can use if you want to have a sleep - like a do not disturb sign effectively. You have the ability to get your own fresh linen or extra supplies for the baby if you wish too. Particularly as this will be my second baby, I love the sound of being able to have that extra privacy if I want it.
The tour has left me so excited...I want the baby here now!! It also made me feel even more comfortable about the labour. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I'm not scared at all, but it has definitely made me feel a lot more relaxed about it and in a way, excited to see how it will all happen and hopefully being able to have that 'healing birth' that people talk about.
It was of such a great benefit to me - it really made a difference being able to see the place where our baby would be born. The tour started with all the general information you would expect about labour and the actual hospital stay in particular from one of the midwives on staff. This was the second hospital midwife I have met and she was just as lovely as the first one. We looked through the rooms, as well as the whole ward in general, nursery & birth suites.
This hospital is so different from my last one. It's not as 'pretty' to look at, the rooms are all smaller and older, but there were other differences that made it seem so much more 'homely'. For example, at my old hospital, the bed was THE major furniture item in the birth suite and the constant fluro lighting made it seem more like a hospital. These birth suites still contain a bed, but they are not the major feature of the room, and even the midwife commented that they rarely get used, only really for epidurals. There's also beanbags, mattresses, fitballs, couches etc. The lights are dimmed too which makes it seem a lot less like a hospital. They also have ensuites with a large corner bath that I'm hoping I will be able to utilise for a water birth.
The rooms were simple, but clean and tidy. All rooms are private rooms, mostly singles with just a single bed, big comfy recliner, ensuite, tv, phone etc, and all except 2 of the rooms also have their own balcony.
I also noticed that this hospital seems to allow mums more privacy than my last one. Last time, it was very rare to have an hour go by without someone coming into my room. Here, they deliver breakfast, lunch and dinner to your room, but morning & afternoon tea is delivered to the kitchen so you can wander down and help yourself if you want them. There's also a fridge filled with juices, softdrinks etc, as well as tea and coffee that can be accessed at any time. They even have a sign for the front door of your room that you can use if you want to have a sleep - like a do not disturb sign effectively. You have the ability to get your own fresh linen or extra supplies for the baby if you wish too. Particularly as this will be my second baby, I love the sound of being able to have that extra privacy if I want it.
The tour has left me so excited...I want the baby here now!! It also made me feel even more comfortable about the labour. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I'm not scared at all, but it has definitely made me feel a lot more relaxed about it and in a way, excited to see how it will all happen and hopefully being able to have that 'healing birth' that people talk about.
Oct 20, 2010
Hospital Midwife Appointment
So, the hospital midwife appointment yesterday went really well. Everyone there was so lovely, very friendly and focussed on making me feel comfortable there.
Before going in to my appointment, I was given a bounty bag (forgot about those little goodie bags!), as well as a brief questionnaire designed to assess my risk of post natal depression. I was at a pretty high risk of this last time (but thankfully never got it), but the fact that I have a lot more support around me this time in the form of friends with children, means that my risk is significantly lowered. Plus the fact that more time has passed since certain events that also added to the risk factor last time.
My appointment was with a student midwife as well as one of the staff midwives. They basically went through my hospital admission form, as well as a question sheet to do with plans/expectations for the birth. They explained a lot about how they work at the hospital, and spent some time talking to me about my previous birth. I also had to sign for the first medical decisions for the baby - our baby will be getting the vitamin K injection after birth, but not the Hep B vaccination as we will be starting it at 2 months instead (All my personal research and advice from doctors/midwives confirms that this is the right decision for us). I also agreed to have the injection to help expel the placenta after birth.
The also checked on the baby - bub's back was laying along my left side which is apparently good at this stage. Baby's heart rate was good at 142bpm, my blood pressure was still around the same as it has been at 90/65. My gestational diabetes screen has come back negative, but as expected, my iron was a little low. It's not too bad (they like to see it at 120, mine came back at 103), but they have recommended iron tablets for me. Partly to help me feel better (less tired, more energy), but also to get my iron levels up before labour because it is obviously harder for your body to cope with blood loss when your iron levels are down to start with.
I actually felt much better after walking out of this appointment. They were so very reassuring about my upcoming labour and were also very supportive of the fact that I will be having a doula with me. They work pretty much the opposite of my last hospital - the midwife was quite angry about the way I was treated last time, and has assured me that the things that happened then, would never happen at their hospital. The fact that all of the variables from last time have changed completely, gives me much more confidence that this will be a very different labour for me.
Before going in to my appointment, I was given a bounty bag (forgot about those little goodie bags!), as well as a brief questionnaire designed to assess my risk of post natal depression. I was at a pretty high risk of this last time (but thankfully never got it), but the fact that I have a lot more support around me this time in the form of friends with children, means that my risk is significantly lowered. Plus the fact that more time has passed since certain events that also added to the risk factor last time.
My appointment was with a student midwife as well as one of the staff midwives. They basically went through my hospital admission form, as well as a question sheet to do with plans/expectations for the birth. They explained a lot about how they work at the hospital, and spent some time talking to me about my previous birth. I also had to sign for the first medical decisions for the baby - our baby will be getting the vitamin K injection after birth, but not the Hep B vaccination as we will be starting it at 2 months instead (All my personal research and advice from doctors/midwives confirms that this is the right decision for us). I also agreed to have the injection to help expel the placenta after birth.
The also checked on the baby - bub's back was laying along my left side which is apparently good at this stage. Baby's heart rate was good at 142bpm, my blood pressure was still around the same as it has been at 90/65. My gestational diabetes screen has come back negative, but as expected, my iron was a little low. It's not too bad (they like to see it at 120, mine came back at 103), but they have recommended iron tablets for me. Partly to help me feel better (less tired, more energy), but also to get my iron levels up before labour because it is obviously harder for your body to cope with blood loss when your iron levels are down to start with.
I actually felt much better after walking out of this appointment. They were so very reassuring about my upcoming labour and were also very supportive of the fact that I will be having a doula with me. They work pretty much the opposite of my last hospital - the midwife was quite angry about the way I was treated last time, and has assured me that the things that happened then, would never happen at their hospital. The fact that all of the variables from last time have changed completely, gives me much more confidence that this will be a very different labour for me.
Oct 19, 2010
30 weeks
30 weeks today...on the 10 week countdown!!
Finally managed to get one out of my pajamas!
Pain wise I'm still struggling. Although thankfully the pain in my hands eased up a lot after a couple of days and is now barely noticeable - things I changed were being more careful about drinking lots of water and making sure to stretch my hands properly throughout the day. I've also noticed the swelling in my feet went away too which probably has something to do with it.
However, over the last few days, I have developed some sort of pain in my lower back. It's a stabbing pain right at the bottom of my lower back only on my RH side. It's the kind of pain that almost brings you to your knees when it happens. Because of the location, I'm concerned that it might be sciatica, but still hoping it's just a knot that can be fixed. I have another appointment this week with the physio so will hopefully find out more then. I'm just so envious of those people who manage to get through pregnancy with just discomfort rather than pain.
Other than that though, everything seems to be going well. I haven't heard anything back about my glucose challenge test so hopefully that means that all is good. Baby is moving lots and lots which is awesome...well most of the time, I am getting the occasional painful jab!
This afternoon I'm off to meet the hospital midwives. I'm looking forward to talking to them and finding out a bit more about labouring in their hospital. Will update after the appointment...
Finally managed to get one out of my pajamas!
Pain wise I'm still struggling. Although thankfully the pain in my hands eased up a lot after a couple of days and is now barely noticeable - things I changed were being more careful about drinking lots of water and making sure to stretch my hands properly throughout the day. I've also noticed the swelling in my feet went away too which probably has something to do with it.
However, over the last few days, I have developed some sort of pain in my lower back. It's a stabbing pain right at the bottom of my lower back only on my RH side. It's the kind of pain that almost brings you to your knees when it happens. Because of the location, I'm concerned that it might be sciatica, but still hoping it's just a knot that can be fixed. I have another appointment this week with the physio so will hopefully find out more then. I'm just so envious of those people who manage to get through pregnancy with just discomfort rather than pain.
Other than that though, everything seems to be going well. I haven't heard anything back about my glucose challenge test so hopefully that means that all is good. Baby is moving lots and lots which is awesome...well most of the time, I am getting the occasional painful jab!
This afternoon I'm off to meet the hospital midwives. I'm looking forward to talking to them and finding out a bit more about labouring in their hospital. Will update after the appointment...
Oct 9, 2010
Pain
As if I needed more pain. This is the second day I've been having pain in my hands, specifically at the base of my thumbs. It hurts to close my hands into a fist and particularly when putting any pressure on my hands like picking up an object. There's also a weakness there that makes me concerned that I'm going to drop the object I'm holding.
At first I thought maybe I just slept on it wrong, but it got worse at the end of the day yesterday, and is still bad this morning. I've also noticed a small amount of swelling in my feet over the last few days. Swelling from fluid is what causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome during pregnancy. And like S.P.D., the only cure is delivery. Its basically the same sorts of symptoms as a repetitive strain injury. So if you imagine opening and closing your hands all day long, how it would feel the next morning and you get the idea.
Sitting on the laptop working on our business during the day wouldn't help, but I was also in an office based job during my last pregnancy and didn't have any sign of it. Or the swelling though - I don't remember having any swelling until the day after the birth.
I ended up seeing a physio about the S.P.D. a few days ago - recommended by my OB. She used to be the physio at the hospital and has a special interest in women's issues. I did learn a few tips for pain management, but essentially it was what I already knew - pretty much put up with it until the baby is born and hope it goes away straight away. She also checked my lower back and found it to be quite tight, apparently from having to help support the belly more due to the looseness of the pelvic muscle. The massage to loosen it was awesome, felt so much lighter afterwards. I'm already starting to get some pain back though. I have another appointment in 2 weeks so she can keep an eye on it, then probably just one or two more appointments before the birth.
So between the pubic pain, lower back pain and now hand pain (which I am still secretly hoping will magically just disappear!), I am a bit over being in pain. I'm still very grateful that all is well with the baby and everything has been going smoothly medically, but my body just doesn't seem to like pregnancy...
At first I thought maybe I just slept on it wrong, but it got worse at the end of the day yesterday, and is still bad this morning. I've also noticed a small amount of swelling in my feet over the last few days. Swelling from fluid is what causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome during pregnancy. And like S.P.D., the only cure is delivery. Its basically the same sorts of symptoms as a repetitive strain injury. So if you imagine opening and closing your hands all day long, how it would feel the next morning and you get the idea.
Sitting on the laptop working on our business during the day wouldn't help, but I was also in an office based job during my last pregnancy and didn't have any sign of it. Or the swelling though - I don't remember having any swelling until the day after the birth.
I ended up seeing a physio about the S.P.D. a few days ago - recommended by my OB. She used to be the physio at the hospital and has a special interest in women's issues. I did learn a few tips for pain management, but essentially it was what I already knew - pretty much put up with it until the baby is born and hope it goes away straight away. She also checked my lower back and found it to be quite tight, apparently from having to help support the belly more due to the looseness of the pelvic muscle. The massage to loosen it was awesome, felt so much lighter afterwards. I'm already starting to get some pain back though. I have another appointment in 2 weeks so she can keep an eye on it, then probably just one or two more appointments before the birth.
So between the pubic pain, lower back pain and now hand pain (which I am still secretly hoping will magically just disappear!), I am a bit over being in pain. I'm still very grateful that all is well with the baby and everything has been going smoothly medically, but my body just doesn't seem to like pregnancy...
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