What the F?!?

Most everyone I know sleeps with their baby in the bed but, despite the King Size of ours, I’m kinda scared about the abuse the baby may receive. Dad can be down for 9-10 hours in a row and have the most efficient, lovely beauty sleeps – but as for what mom may feel lying next to him….that’s another story.

First, he talks in his sleep. Enough to wake you up and perk up your ears for interesting details…but it’s mostly inanities and a few lines here and there that give no real-world clues or insights. Next, he’s a blanket stealer. If I get to cover half of my body vertically with just the sheet I consider it lucky. And indeed, lucky we live Hawaii or I’d be freezing my tokhes (tush) off.

This morning though he stole my pillow – that was the last straw! He already has two of his own mind you, but he stole my king sized, which is the closest thing I have to a body pillow – and is absolutely required for any decent maternity rest in these final weeks. I awoke, panicked, looking for it, and there he was nuzzled in a big ball of sheet, blanket and pillows – as if he was pregnant. I slid my big pillow out from under him, so I could try to fall back asleep (if writing this at 4 am is any sign of how well that worked out), and his response was to yell “What the F*ck!”. Yes, sir, what the F*CK already!

I haven’t even touched on the elbow to the face move which unbelievably has not yet produced a black eye but obviously the baby will have to sleep on the outside of me where I can better protect him. Now if we could only afford a co-sleeper so I could really keep him safe.

p.s. I finally went back for a couple xtra hours of sleep early AM and awoke to a very realistic dream – where I was massaging my guy’s legs and feet because they were sore! Can you imagine? I’ve gotten one foot rub every month or two during this pregnancy (that usually lasts a distracted minute — and yes, gets filed under the ‘why bother’ category) and here I am, working my arse off in my sleep rubbing him because HE is sore! Oy vey!!!!

Annoying Side-Effects of Pregnancy: Heartburn

The annoying side-effects of pregnancy could easily be a many-parter. Perhaps I’ll eventually do a comedic top ten or twenty or…. The only way I can avoid getting too down about it is to find solutions; and the solutions are not always pretty. In this case though, I have found relatively simple solutions to the annoying problem of heartburn.

First off, I now realize that before becoming pregnant, I’d never had heartburn. And I also now have more compassion for those who get it on any regular basis. I don’t feel like researching the medical info on specifics, but logic and a minimal background in anatomy, physiology and human biology has lead me to assume this acts up in pregnant women because of added pressure on the organs. Heartburn is typically acid that, for whatever reason, gets pushed up from the stomach into the esophagus (more modernly referred to as acid reflux) – so it’s not actually something that has to do with the heart, you just feel it in that area. It can be caused by a defective or weak valve – but otherwise I’m not certain why some have a proclivity towards it while others do not. Some foods which are more acidic or foods that affect the valve can increase chances of this occurring. As well, positions we get into or clothing that adds pressure on the stomach can have negative effects.

So when this first started happening to me, most often it would occur while I was lying down. A few pillow adjustments helped (pregnant wahines can never have too many pillows); keeping the body at an incline. Tilting the bed by propping up the front end a few inches is helpful (though you may also want to then raise the legs some if you’re experiencing edema). And you want to avoid lying down right after eating, which is never a healthy thing to do anyway. Sometimes lying on one side would aggravate it more than the other – but I lost track of which side because it kept changing. After some time passed though, and da belly got bigga, simply adjusting my position was no longer was a guaranteed fix.

FDA Reported Tums Side Effects: blood calcium increase (a cause of kidney stones), hypersensitivity, vomiting, mental impairment, malaise, confusional state, dyspnoea, suffocation feeling, bronchitis, asthma, hyperglycaemia.

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Less serious side effects may include: nausea or vomiting; decreased appetite; constipation; dry mouth or increased thirst; or urinating more than usual

I recall on the Pregtastic Podcast that some women mentioned chewing on Tums like it was candy. While reducing stomach acid surely helps, it’s not really what you want to do after eating food – considering you want those stomach acids to break the food down into bite-sized molecules that your body can access and churn into baby nutrition. And often the issue is that you are having a problem digesting the foods in the first place – which is, in holistic terms, considered a weakness in the digestive system. Plus, though that is when it’s most prevalent, my burning throat sensation wasn’t solely occurring after food consumption.

So I decided to find alternatives and make something like the very doctor approved Tums -with its added sucrose, talc, aspartame (found in the sugar-free variety), mineral oil, etc.- a last resort. Because really, how long are you going to take Tums – your whole pregnancy? That can’t be good! Can I sidebar here: there are studies which show antacids create food allergies. And though by now most people understand the calcium in Tums is not a complete or bioavailable form -especially since you need stomach acid to absorb calcium – some still believe it’s supplying them with needed calcium during pregnancy. You can read about a few of Tums’ calcium marketing myths at Katolyn Yardley Holistic Health and check out important facts about calcium -and a great breakdown of product vs. how much calcium is really absorbed- in the article: Is It Important What Form of Calcium You Take. Pregnant women shouldn’t pop Tums or drink their daily glass of milk and think they’re all good! And since acid reflux, muscle cramps, loss of mental functions, low back pain are but a few of the symptoms of calcium deficiency -and your baby will take every bit of calcium you can proffer- you may want to look into it further. Avoid antacids containing sodium bicarbonate as it can cause metabolic alkalosis and increase the potential fluid overload in fetus and mother. Also, avoid magnesium-containing antacids during the last trimester because it can interfere with uterine contractions during labor!!! Now just a little more on aspartame (though it deserves its own post…).

One of the breakdown components [of aspartame] is aspartic acid…[which] contributes to free radical damage in the brain and literally “excites” brain cells to death. Another is methanol or wood alcohol, described by Dr. H.J. Roberts as “a real poison”. The third breakdown component of aspartame is phenylalanine.

Phenylketonuria, or PKU, is a genetic disorder which prevents a person from metabolizing phenylalanine. …board-certified neurosurgeon, Dr. Russell Blaylock, related aspartame’s effects on women who are pregnant and carrying the gene for PKU. Asymptomatic and often unaware that they harbor any such gene which might affect their babies, they are nonetheless twice as likely to give birth to a child with brain damage if they consume aspartame. –Children of the New Earth (check out their site for a lot more info on pregnancy and aspartame consumption. At least if you are taking Tums, do not use the sugar-free variety!)

At this point the heartburn feeling is a constant issue, which turns into a burping issue; it’s always in my throat. And though I find it difficult to swallow pills while pregnant ’cause just the act of putting them near my throat makes me want to gag, I thought a few of the right pills might be worth it if they do the trick. Luckily one of my massage clients is the owner of a local health food store and he was in that day, so he helped me pick out some of his favorite digestive enzymes and acidophilus. After having heartburn as a daily occurrence, it was easy to notice the pills stopped it quickly and efficiently and it worked for three days straight. Unfortunately, on the forth day I got into an argument with my boyfriend and it came back for a spell, albeit the burning sensation was less potent, less often than it had been for the preceding few weeks, so I am very pleased with the results (and added stress to the following list).

Your E-Z handy dandy checklist to avoiding heartburn with pregnancy.

• No stress. If your boyfriend or husband, co-workers/employer, parents, friends, etc. are not supporting you during your pregnancy, or are even making things harder on you – make some space, find some alone time, meditate. Your job is to protect yourself and the baby. Stress has lots of negative effects. The stomach muscles often contract during stress or fear – as well heat rises – so do your best to keep it mellow.

• Recline at an angle. When I told my boyfriend there was a recliner on Craigslist for $40 and asked if he could please help me pick it up – he balked, “we don’t have the money for luxury items.” Luxury!?! I can no longer sit straight up in a regular chair and I don’t want to have to be in bed anytime I need to rest (which is a mattress on the floor in the summer-hot second story). Suffice to say we have little other furniture at this point as we just moved. There are a few other preggerz reasons (like the pubis symphosis) which would make a recliner so wonderful for me to have right now, and heartburn is certainly one of them. I still dream longingly for the recliner, which sold three days later.

• Eat Your Veggies. If you’re not getting enough, your belly and digestive system may not be happy. Compliment some cooked food with veggies. And though raw is nice and healthy, it’s often too cold (elementally) on the mommy-to-be tummy, so lightly steamed may better suffice. At least have your salads more mid-day, not at night, because your body must work a little bit harder to break the raw foods down.

• Consider how you may be deficient. Work with a nutritionist if need be – they can often find out where you are lacking. Consult your doctor if there are any concerns over contra-indications with pregnancy. In my case acidophilus (enteric coated) and digestive enzymes seem to help (I take them twice a day). Probiotic formulas might be a supportive supplement. Also, your body may be running acidic (which depletes your bones of calcium) so you may want to find out (try some PH test strips) and consider things that could balance out a more acidic body – even a quality blend of calcium can do the trick.

• Avoid large meals. Though the enzymes should help you digest your food better – you are all squashed up in there and there’s no room. Eating a small amount every 2-3 hours should satiate, help you deal with any blood sugar issues (as long as you’re not eating junk), and allow you to more easily process. And don’t eat too late; though if you have a queasy tummy you’ll surely need to nibble on some bread or crackers.

• Pay special attention to foods that may make it act up. Foods that don’t make the situation any better for me: beans, too much dairy/milk, fruit juice, spicy foods, onion, garlic, tomatoes. I’m sure there are more, but I’m still trying to figure it out.

• Tea and hot water. Though it’s hard to figure the safety of herbs, especially during the first trimester, I did see this tea online called Earth Mama Heartburn Tea. Otherwise, a lite Peppermint can calm a belly, or even just a cup of hot water can soothe the digestive tract. I’ve noticed I crave cold water more than ever, probably because I’m so hot all the time, but I also notice my belly sometimes doesn’t like it. At least, drink anything cold very slowly.

And remember, whatever you consume in terms of medicines, chemicals (which includes all artificial sweeteners), herbs and supplements – always research information from those who are telling you it’s safe, and those who are telling you it’s not safe. Once you read both sides, then decide what makes sense to you and if it is worth the risk? Hope this helps you find the most healthful solutions to your annoying pregnancy side-effects. Good luck!

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(A cool post-published link to check: “Heartburn: Stomach Acid or No Stomach Acid“)