Knocked Up – Knocked Over

my journey through pregnancy and hyperemesis gravidarum

Category Archives: General Health


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Being Kind to Ourselves for our Childrens’ Sakes

A few years ago, Juan and I went through a rough patch.  We saw a marriage counselor, and one of the things he told us really stuck out to me:  We are often kinder to strangers than we are to our spouses.

I hadn’t thought about that in a while, but a few months ago, a mom on a breastfeeding board posted that she wanted to lose weight saying, “I feel like such a fatty.”

At that moment, our counselor’s words popped into my head and I realized something that he hadn’t said:  Not only are we kinder to strangers than we are to our spouses, but we are kinder to strangers than we are to ourselves.

The more I thought about it, the sadder I felt.  You would never call someone at the grocery store such an ugly name, but women say things like that to themselves all the time.  Horrible names like fatty, cow, bitch, ugly, and so forth.  When women say those things to themselves over and over, they must believe it.  How horrible that society tells us it’s okay to treat ourselves that way.  And Magazines feed this by promising miracle diets, exercises to get your body “swimsuit ready,” and photoshopped pictures of models with body shapes that most people will never have, flawless skin, flowing locks of hair, and clothing that reveals nary a bulge or a wrinkle.  We’re bombarded with this all day every day.

Then, this week at work, I realized that I was just as guilty as other women.  As I walked to the lunch room at the office to heat my leftover pork chop, I realized that I had forgotten my fork back at my desk.  I thought to myself:

“I’m such a dummy.”

And then I stopped dead in my tracks.

It was one of those moments where images and moments flicker into your mind in rapid fire succession.  Images of me right before our recent vacation trying on my swimsuit and rubbing the stretch marks on my belly and frowning.  Images of me calling myself stupid for forgetting to pre-heat the oven before roasting the previous night’s asparagus.  Images of me climbing out of the shower, turning around to look at my butt and saying, “Ugh.”

And in the background of all of those images are my daughters.  Watching.  Listening.  Learning.

I am teaching my girls that it’s okay to hate themselves.  I am teaching them to be kinder to strangers than to themselves.

That is not okay.

And in that moment in the hall at my office, I made a promise to myself:  Any time I caught myself calling myself an ugly name or saying something rude about myself, something I wouldn’t tolerate from a stranger, I will stop myself and remind myself that it’s not true.  I’m not dumb.  I’m not stupid.  I’m a person who sometimes makes mistakes.  I won’t tolerate someone calling my family members names, and I’m ready to stop tolerating that behavior from myself.

Yes.  I have stretch marks and the skin on my belly is loose.  Every single mark on my belly is a reminder of the victory I won over HG.  That loose skin?  That’s skin may be loose, but it’s special.  That’s where I held my two precious daughters.  My body will never be the same as it was before I had kids, but really, is anyone’s?  I’m finding myself being more and more okay with that as time passes. 

I follow a page on Facebook called The Body Is Not An Apology, and I’m ready to stop apologizing to myself and the rest of the world for the changes my life experience has left on my body.  By the way, this group has a website  that I just now discovered, so I’m pleased to share that with you as well.

I hope this will not only bring a sense of peace and confidence to myself, but will teach my girls to love themselves and their bodies.

And yes.  I wore that purple bikini on my vacation.  Stretch marks and all.


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Chiropractors and pregnancy

I will be the first to say that I don’t know that much about chiropractic care.

I’m very much a scientifically minded, evidence based kind of person.  This means that I don’t always jump on what some might call “alternative healing” methods right away.  That’s not to say I don’t use them to compliment modern treatments.  I’m just saying that after surviving HG, I’m not going to rely on alternative methods to the exclusion of modern medicine.

I’ve got a healthy amount of skepticism about the whole chiropractor thing.  I had a chiropractor once tell me she could cure my head cold by adjusting my neck and tugging my ears in a special way.  But I would have to come back three times per week for a six weeks or it wouldn’t work.  MMMmmm.  I didn’t buy it.  Maybe that works for some people, but I really don’t think that’s the right choice for me.  I totally respect if that’s something that works well for you.  Please don’t misunderstand that.  It’s just not something that I really get into.

I have also had a (different) chiropractor take me from constant, horrible pain in my hips to no pain at all through deep tissue work and joint adjustments.  I was training for a half-marathon and later a marathon (didn’t finish the latter), and when you start running those really significant distances, things crop up.  Little issues become really big, painful issues pretty immediately when you push your body to its limit like that.  This chiropractor got me from barely being able to hobble after a 10 mile run to being able to run 15 miles with no pain.

This particular chiropractor was very into sports medicine.  In fact, he worked on the US Olympic marathon team.  He didn’t cure their sore throats.  He helped work their muscles and bone structure into physical balance so that they could run without pain from one body part compensating for another.  You start building your strength in a symmetrical way and your body is much more comfortable.

When I was pregnant with Gabi, I didn’t see a chiropractor.  I just never made the time.

This time, though, I’ve been getting horrible pain in the joints of my pelvis.  I mean, it was hurting to roll over in bed.  My entire right leg would start hurting part way though the night.  Not fun.

So I asked my midwives if they could recommend a chiropractor in the area. 

The one I ended up seeing is a sport-focused chiropractor just like the one I saw when I was running.  It was great.  No mystical stuff, no uncomfortable pressure to come back every single day for a month.  He just worked on the muscles in my hips, back, and neck, and gave me a few good adjustments.

I say he “just” worked on those muscles, but boy he really got in there.  It was pretty intense.  I had to breathe through most of it.  He told me to tell him to back off if I needed him to, but for me as long as I can stay relaxed enough to where I’m not flexing the muscle to “protect” it or holding my breath, it’s okay.  I like deep tissue work.  If it’s right on the edge of too much and I need breathe and focus, that’s just where I want the pressure to be.

I tell you this: I waddled in there, but I walked out like a regular human being.  Wonderful.

I went back to see him this past Tuesday just to follow-up.  He was able to get in a little more on the hips and worked things out enough to get a good adjustment deep in my low back, which he hadn’t been able to get before.

He also gave me some pointers on relieving some of the symptoms I’ve been experiencing:

  • Pelvic rocks (cat/cow if you’re into yoga) will help ease pressure on my pelvis
  • A calcium/magnesium supplement will help reduce the leg cramps (eating a banana apparently won’t help much)
  • Ice packs on sore places in my back, hips, and neck will help reduce pain also

Basic stuff.  Most of it echoed what my midwives had told me, but hearing him reinforce that was nice.

If you are pregnant, I very much recommend finding a good, reputable chiropractor.  He really helped me to feel more comfortable.  I’m still achy, cranky, and hot, but I’m not completely miserable anymore.  I’m also pretty sure that shortly after he did the first adjustments, the baby went ahead and turned the rest of the way to a head down position.  I’ll find out for sure at my next midwifery appointment next Thursday.  I’ve heard that getting your hips opened up can help a baby turn, so I really think this is what happened.

Have any of you seen a chiropractor while you were pregnant?  If so, what did you see him/her for?  Did it help?


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Green Sunday – Natural Ways to get Iron

This Green Sunday, I’ll be jumping off my previous posts of the week and talking about iron.  Since I recently found out that I’m pretty anemic, it seems like a good topic choice.

“Molly,” you might ask, “Why don’t you just get an iron pill?”

A very good and very important question.  I don’t get along well with iron supplements.  First and foremost, they aggravate the nausea.  It’s a huge part of the reason I do not take a prenatal vitamin.  The high iron just makes me ill.  They also can be very constipating, and believe me, I get enough of that from the Zofran.  Finally, they can be difficult for your body to absorb.

Nutritional supplements can be good, but often they pass right through your body.  The trick is to get your vitamins and minerals from food.  For the vitamins that I do take, I try my best to find companies that source theirs from foods.  New Chapter vitamins (my daily vitamin) are sourced from food.  So is Floradix, my new iron supplement.

Sourcing nutrients from food also means they’re easier on the stomach.  So far, I’ve not thrown up a New Chapter vitamin (everyone knock on wood!), and the Floradix seems to sit pretty well, too.

I would like to find some other ways to safely and gently incorporate iron into my diet through simple and easy changes to my eating.  Now, anyone who has had HG knows that this can be difficult.  Finding snacks that don’t make me sick can sometimes be a challenge, so I did what anyone would do!

I called my mom!

And when you call in my mom, she springs into action in a big way!  She pulled out her trusty copy of Prescription for Nutritional Healing and went straight to work looking up foods for me to try.  Some of the ones she listed included (but is not limited to):

  • Bananas
  • Apples
  • Dark leafy greens (NOT spinach)
  • Purple grapes
  • Plums and prunes
  • Carrots
  • Dried Apricots
  • Liver (yeah right!)
  • Meat
It also listed foods to avoid (also not limited to):
  • Milk
  • Cheese
  • Other dairy products
  • Sugars
  • Chocolate (damn!)
  • Spinach

Wait a second.  Avoid spinach?  Apparently so!  According to the book (and wikipedia backs this up), spinach contains a compound called oxalate that can block the absorption of iron.  Good to know!

I also asked the good folks over at the Natural Parents Network Facebook page for some gentle and natural ideas to help with adding iron into my diet.

Those ladies came through in a big way.  I got a big thumbs up on the Floradix, but they had some other suggestions as well.  I’m not sure how ready I am to try powdered colustrum or terramin clay (or where I can even find those things!), but they also suggested some simple things like:

  • Cast iron skillets (check!)
  • blackstrap molasses
  • Stinging nettle infusions (will have to check and see if that’s safe for pregnancy)
  • Avoid corn and wheat (not sure how well I can do that since I’m on a bread-heavy diet right now)
  • Fresh parsley
  • Turnip greens and carrot tops
  • Foods high in vitamin C to help the iron be absorbed into my body

The most appealing suggestion, though, was to try out some green smoothies to see if they are palatable to me.

Now I have to admit:  I was not exactly sure what a green smoothie is.

If you’re clueless like me, here’s the gist of it:  Green smoothies are a fruit-based smoothie into which is blended a leafy green of some sort.  This can be spinach, kale, chard, lettuce, dandelion greens, or anything else leafy and green.  They look green, but the flavor is that of the fruit

I swung by Trader Joe’s today, and here’s what I got for my green smoothie experiments:

  • Kale
  • Bananas
  • Apples
  • Strawberries
  • Fresh medley of cut pineapple, papaya, and mango
  • Orange juice
  • Coconut milk
  • Coconut water
  • Lemons
  • Limes
  • Unsulfered Prunes (can be soaked to reconstitute for blending)
I’ve also got in my pantry:
  • Organic blackstrap molasses
  • Flax meal (high in omega 3s)
  • Agave nectar (if I need to sweeten it)
Let the experimenting begin!


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The Bacteria Fairies sprinkle their magic about

On Wednesday I started feeling that tickle in the back of my throat.  That one that means the next week or so will involve lots of tissues and tylenol.  Great.  Since I’m nursing and decongestants can permanently dry up my milk supply, I’m pretty much stuck with home remedies.

Then Thursday afternoon, while the cold was still trying to decide if it was going to clobber me or not, WHAM!  A UTI (bladder infection) hit.  This  meant a trip to the doctor and antibiotics.  I do not mess around with UTIs.

Friday, while I’m still feeling not so hot from the UTI, the cold decides that, yes, it will go ahead and make my life miserable.  Thankfully, by Friday afternoon, the UTI seemed to be on its way out the door, but the cold, oh, the cold.  It was obviously settling in to stay.

Craaaap.

Saturday, I woke up to incredible pain in my sinuses and the UTI symptoms back.  A visit the urgent care doctor and 2 hours and $110 later, I was back at home with a new antibiotic to kill both the UTI and the sinus infection.  It was a miserable day.

Today is also not that much fun.  The Bactrim kicked the UTI’s ass and the pain in the sinus isn’t so bad, but the cold is a virus and just has to run its course.

So what’s a gal to do if she can’t just take a Dayquil and get on with her life?  I’ve been trying out a few options.

First and foremost is my beloved Neti Pot.  If you haven’t heard of one of these, check out this video!  I don’t recommend eating and watching.  Also, do you love this woman’s facial expression?  That’s exactly how I look while I’m neti potting.  Really.  Honest and true.

Neti potting is freaky.  It’s also wonderful and awesome.  No, it doesn’t hurt.  It actually feels really good and soothing.  Unless you don’t add enough salt.  Then it burns like hell.  Here’s how I mix my neti water:

  • 2 cups warm water
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Some folks add baking soda saying it’s more soothing that way.  I find baking soda to be more irritating, so I leave it out.

The other thing I’m trying is an ayurvedic drink that an Indian friend told me about.  Here’s the recipe for that.

  • 1 cup hot milk (I nuke it in the microwave)
  • 1 tsp Turmeric (the yellow stuff)
  • Honey to taste

Mix the turmeric and honey into the milk and allow it to cool to warm.  This gives the turmeric enough time to dissolve (sort of ) into the milk.  Then you drink up.  It’s delicious and soothing.  The idea behind it is that turmeric is antiseptic.

There’s actually been some research coming out about turmeric lately.  It’s looking kind of promising for a variety of ailments.

I found that early on in the cold, it would keep the symptoms at bay for a couple of hours.  Now that the cold has settled in, it’s not helping quite as much, but it’s still yummy and soothing.

Other things I can take:

  • Mucinex
  • Affrin (sparingly)
  • Tylenol
  • Advil

So that’s my life right now.  Just trying to kick this cold before I have to get on a plane to Ecuador on Saturday.

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