Breech Baby.

During pregnancy babies tend to be in the breech position and turn head down towards the end of pregnancy. Unfortunately Em didn't read the manual and remained in the breech position for the duration of the pregnancy.  I think it might explain all the tremendous back and rib pain I experienced in the last few months of pregnancy, with her head being the biggest part of her body, stuck between my ribs and spine!

At 34 weeks pregnant I began researching methods to turn babies, however this is quite late to be trying to turn a baby around.  I'm not sure if any of the methods do work or not but I did give them a go without any success.

I went to see an acupuncturist who works a lot with pregnant women.  He used a combination of acupuncture and moxibustion to try and turn baby.  I swear during treatment I could feel Em trying to move, but I don't know if that was wishful thinking or not or perhaps she was just scratching her nose or something.

I also read the Spinning Babies website, which has suggestions on how to encourage babies to turn head down, such as the breech tilt.  Unfortunately Em stayed put no matter what I tried and it got to a point where I had to make a decision:

1. Attempt a breech birth (This would be the best option if it worked out , however 1 out of 20 babies die or are injured, which was too high odds for me - not to mention the fact that a breech birth is a lot harder than a normal birth).
2. An obstetrician could attempt to forcibly turn her (but the success rate is extremely low, there is a chance of it ending in an emergency situation and the biggest possibility is that nothing will change at all except I'd be mighty sore and bruised).
3. A scheduled c-section (a major operation after which I'd need to physically recover while taking on the demands of a new baby and there's a small chance she'd be injured or end up in a nursery for a few days under observation).

Faced with the above options I chose to schedule a c-section.  I was so devastated because I knew the best outcome for the two of us was a normal, natural birth. I knew it would be a huge bonding experience between the two of us and something I was really hoping to experience.  Though a small part of me was also somewhat relived that I wouldn't have to face the pain and fear of child birth.

Miscarriage.

Unfortunately pregnancy can lead to miscarriage and from my research it's actually very common and most women will experience at least one miscarriage whilst trying to conceive. Most miscarriages happen at the time your next period is due and hence most women think they are having a normal period, rather than a miscarriage, and never notice it.

During the first three months of pregnancy the risk of miscarriage is higher than later, but a miscarriage can happen at any time. I know of one woman who was pregnant around the same time as me and she lost her baby at 8 months! It was such a shock to me that it could still happen that late in pregnancy. Of course it was devastating for her, left her full of grief and wondering if she would ever be able to carry a baby to term. I can't even imagine what she must have gone through - having to birth her stillborn baby girl and then bury her.

I have been pregnant twice now. With my first pregnancy there was something wrong from the start. I didn't get my period but no pregnancy tests showed that I was pregnant. I saw a doctor who told me to wait another week and then she did a blood test which confirmed my pregnancy but also showed that there were very low hormone levels.

I knew I was pregnant and became attached to the baby in my belly. A couple of weeks later I started bleeding and it continued for a month. I was devastated. It was very early on. I must have only been about 6 weeks, but I was still so sad. What I found even worse was that no one knew about my pregnancy or miscarriage and I suffered alone. I had to grieve the loss and it left me wondering if I'd be able to carry a baby to term. I realise that it must not have been a viable embryo but I still felt like I had lost a baby.

As soon as I found out I was pregnant a second time I told my closest family and friends. I didn't want to be alone again if I miscarried again.

If you have been effected by miscarriage and you are struggling with the loss seek help by talking to family, friends or a counsellor. The grief is real. The loss is real.

Back ache.

During the second trimester my back started aching, especially towards the end of the day. Then during the third trimester my back got worse and worse and got to a point where it was hurting all day long. I couldn't get comfortable. It also affected my sleep. By the end of the day I was in agony. I'm not sure if it was because my baby was big or because she was in breech or just because.

What helped me was:

• Doing a course through my hospital, run by a physiotherapist, about managing your back, pelvic floor and other pregnancy issues. If your hospital doesn't run such a course I would recommend seeing a physiotherapist who specialises in women's health. You will be given exercises to do at home, which did help relieve my back ache. You will also be given information on how to sit, stand and lie so that you are in the best position to prevent aches. The course also covered birth and the best positions to use to relieve pain.
  
• Doing the stretches given to you by the physiotherapist every day.
  
• Using lots of pillows in bed to support your legs and growing belly. I also used pillows when sitting on the couch and in the car to support my back into a more comfortable position.
• Seeing an osteopath regularly to manipulate and massage the back to relieve pressure.
• Getting regular massage to relieve muscle soreness.
• Sitting on a chair backwards so that you are leaning on the back of the chair. This really worked well to relieve back ache and was very comfortable.
• Walking regularly.
  

Carpal tunnel.

I suffered from carpal tunnel during my pregnancy (pains and numbness in my hands). Unfortunately there's not much you can do about it. I found massage, physiotherapy and wearing a wrist and hand splint eased my hand pain but never got rid of it altogether and by the end of the day my hands were much sorer and more tingly. Towards the end of pregnancy it was a lot worse and during the last month my hands were pretty much unusable because of the shooting, stabbing pains and pins and needles.

At the same (weird) time (because I just have to do things differently to everyone) I experienced the same pains and pins and needles in my knees and feet. It got to a point where I couldn't kneel down or bend my knees much at all. Walking hurt too.

I was actually told that my hands, feet and knees weren't carpal tunnel by my obstetrician but she couldn't offer me any other explanation, except to say 'that's very weird'.

Yes my pregnancy was filled with weird aches and pains. Then I had a c-section which made my feet swell to twice their size (seriously) and it made the pain and numbness in my feet even worse.

To this day, one year after the birth of Em, I am still suffering from pins and needles in my thumbs, knees and my feet, but thankfully the pain has gone. The only explanation I have been given is that it is probably nerve dampening caused by all the swelling in my pregnancy and c-section and nerves take a very, very long time to heal.

I do feel very unusual in these symptoms and am yet to find another women who has experienced this in their hands, knees and feet.

As I said I do like to be different.

Comments.

Being pregnant gives everyone the right to comment on your body apparently. It's OK to tell someone that they are fat or skinny, showing or not showing or that their face is fat and blotchy.

Sometimes I would receive these comments all in one day and I'm not sure how it is possible to be big and small, showing and not showing all at the same time..

Stretch marks.

I was so lucky during my pregnancy because I didn't develop any stretch marks. I used anti stretch mark cream daily, rubbing it into my expanding belly, just in case that's what was keeping them at bay.

Towards the end of pregnancy I did see a few stretch marks around my belly button but that was all. I was happy with that.

Then just before I had my baby I exclaimed to my husband how lucky I was to get through pregnancy and only end up with a few small stretch marks around my belly button. To which he replied that I did in fact have plenty of stretch marks. What?!?!?! Where?!?!?! Under my belly - where I could not see.

The thing is I didn't use the anti stretch mark cream much under my belly. I couldn't see there and it was hard to reach there.

So maybe I could be a model for anti stretch mark creams (cocoa butter if you are interested) - look here where I used it no marks! Just don't look at my lower belly.

Prenancy Heartburn.

For pregnancy heartburn I found three things that helped:

1. Putting towels under the head of the mattress to raise my upper body whilst sleeping (you could use any other soft material - clothes, pillows, etc.);
   
2. Drinking milk after every meal. This seemed to work very well for me and eased that burning sensation.; and
   
3. Avoiding spicy, rich or citrus foods.
   

Leg cramps.

Until you have experienced a pregnancy caused leg cramp then you have not experienced a leg cramp I say. Pregnancy leg cramps are a whole new experience and boy do they hurt. It feels like your whole muscle is being ripped in half. Worst still it always felt like the cramp would never end. I always thought I would just have to learn to live with the agonising pain of a muscle being torn in two. There was nothing to do but cry and moan until thankfully it did eventually subside. The next morning I would wake and my muscle would be really sore, as though I'd done some heavy exercise the night before.

Happily I found that taking Magnesium supplements helped me. While I still got the leg cramps they occured less frequently and with less force.

For any subsequent pregnancies I plan on taking Magnesium from the start, in the hope that it may prevent the leg cramps altogether.

Recommended pregnancy books.

Before trying for a baby I decided to get a book about pregnancy to find out what I was actually getting myself in for.

I bought Birth: Conceiving, Nurturing and Giving Birth to your Baby by Catherine Price and Sandra Robinson and found it to be a gem. It is written by two Australian mid-wives, so it has relevant Australian information. It is packed full of knowledge on conception, pregnancy, birth and newborns. There are also pros and cons on topics, which aide in decision making. I constantly devoured this book during pregnancy.

Another book I recommend is Up the Duff by Kaz Cooke. It is also written by an Australian and has lots of useful, relevant information, but it is written in a humorous way (which is something very much needed on occasion).

How to create that pregnancy glow.

When I was pregnant I found that people thought it was OK to comment on my appearance, even telling me when they thought I looked awful.

Thanks.. really appreciated. Of course every pregnant woman likes to have a running commentary about her expanding body.

Anyway, my face went blotchy whilst I was pregnant. I guess thanks to those lovely pregnancy hormones.

And people kept pointing that out to me. "Your face is blotchy" they'd say. Yes I know. But thank you SO much for pointing that out to me because I wasn't self conscious enough about it.

Funny enough their comments did get to me and I began to feel like a bit of an ugly freak. Now I think it's time to mention that I don't wear make up. I think wearing make up maybe makes me look a little nicer but I just can't be bothered putting it on every morning. If it's a choice between catching a few extra z's and putting on make up to look a little nicer - I choose the sleep!

I do however moisturise every morning. So I decided to buy a tinted moisturiser. Yep.. it made me look a little nicer. But I couldn't have guessed what would happen as soon as I started using it. Suddenly, according to every one, I had that pregnancy glow!

By the way what is a pregnancy glow - I have never seen anyone glowing while they are pregnant! I also have no idea what people were seeing in me. All I could see was a blotchy face covered in tint.

So there's my secret to creating that pregnant glow - whatever the heck that means.

The search for reasonably priced maternity clothes.

In my opinion maternity clothes are far too expensive for what they really are - a temporary wardrobe! I discovered that some of the baby clothing stores (such as Pumpkin Patch & JK Kids) stock maternity clothes - the best time to shop there is during their sales.

I also bought a lot of clothes on online auction sites. Of course there is ebay but there are alternatives to ebay (search for "online auctions"). In fact I purchased three of my favourite items from an auction site (Oztion) at a fantastic price because no one else was bidding.

One particularly useful buy was a belly band, which I could use to cover my growing belly and still wear normal tops. I also found buying a few pairs of men's socks was great for my expanding feet.

Morning Sickness.

So you are pregnant and you feel like you have a hideous hangover or a bad case of food poisoning. You feel like you are on the verge of throwing up all the time. Maybe you are actually throwing up or, if you are like me, you never actually vomit, so there is never any relief.

Yep I'm afraid that's normal morning sickness and there ain't much you can do about it. Before I was pregnant I thought (from good old TV and movies of course) that morning sickness was where you just vomit occasionally. I didn't realise I would feel terribly ill ALL THE TIME. The only relief I had was when sleeping and unconscious.

So what can you do about it. Well nothing really. But here are a few things that helped me a bit:

1. Always carrying around snack foods such as peanuts and dried apricots. Somehow I felt worse when I was hungry, even though I didn't want to eat a thing! So keeping snacks on hand to nibble on when required always helped ease things a bit.


2. Vitamin B6 apparently helps. I did take this regularly and I think maybe it eased things by like 1%.


3. Ginger. I took regular ginger tablets, which again helped by about 1%.


4. Keeping food by the bed for when you wake during the night hungry and sick.


5. Having a supportive partner who can bring you food in bed first thing in the morning. Yes I did actually feel worse in the morning and needed to eat before I could manage to crawl out of bed. Toast with butter or vegemite worked well here.

There are also medications you can take (talk to your doctor) but none of them helped me at all.

The thing to remember, which is what I struggled with most, is that it does go away eventually. It was an extremely tough three months for me though. I just couldn't function as normal and couldn't eat properly. I had to give up pretty much everything during that time. I would somehow drag myself to work and then lie on the couch or in bed when at home. Eventually I was able to eat again and then food tasted exceptional. I guess it would to anyone who had a diet of dried apricots, peanuts and toast for three months!

I think it's also important to note that from my research I found that it doesn't matter if you are not eating well during those first few months. Babies have their own supply of nutrients during that time.

If you are reading this and are currently suffering from morning sickness then my heart goes out to you. Feel free to share your tips on how to ease morning sickness.