I'd like to share three of my recent articles published on the Pampers website:
Ectopic Pregnancy Signs and Symptoms - My experience with an ectopic pregnancy scare.
Considering Natural and Epidural Childbirth - Personal observations and suggestions for when considering pain relief options for childbirth.
What are Doulas and What Do They Do? - How my doula transformed my birth experiences.
Please read and pass these articles on to those whom you feel might benefit from them. It's about empowering women to make informed choice in pregnancy and birth.
Showing posts with label complications. Show all posts
Showing posts with label complications. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex
Have you heard of D-MER?
That's okay, until recently I hadn't either.
"Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex is a newly recognized condition affecting lactating women that is characterized by an abrupt dysphoria, or negative emotions that occur just before milk release and continuing not more then a few minutes."
Many women experience this, but are unaware there is an explanation and treatment available. They may feel embarrassed and afraid to tell others what they're going through.
D-MER is thought to be caused by a dopamine drop that happens just before milk let down. If dopamine levels drop too much, it can cause these strange negative emotions.
There is treatment available through both prescription and natural methods, including diet, homeopathy, massage therapy, supplements, herbs, and other treatment options. All of these treatments are meant to help increase dopamine levels and stabilize a breastfeeding woman's emotions. Even taking encapsulated placenta is thought to help ease D-MER. Some treatments may work better than others, and some women may respond better to certain treatments compared to others. I would personally recommend prescription medication as a last resort after other methods have been tried.
Please help spread the word! If you or someone you know is experiencing this troubling problem, please seek treatment!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
The Roller Coaster: Perspective
This is the seventh post in a special bi-weekly series. It's a sequel to The Longest Weekend of My Life series. Please check back next Wednesday for Part 8.
Part 7: Perspective
Sunday was much better than Saturday. Emotionally I was more balanced, and I wasn't having heavy bleeding or physical discomfort other than a headache, which was resolved with some essential oils. We went to church and I enjoyed the distraction as well as the spiritual environment. I found myself struggling to focus, but I accepted that and just tried to appreciate the present and let myself be in the moment. After church I took a nap and focused on spending the day with family.
I was encouraged by the positive feedback I received when various friends responded to my facebook status update and story. Some said they were hoping and praying for us, and some offered information about how bleeding during pregnancy could be completely safe. There were friends I hadn't personally heard from in a long time, and it was wonderful to hear from them in a time when I felt I needed as much support as I could get.
As I thought about things, I had a small revelation. I realized if I hadn't had any pelvic pain things would be very different. If I hadn't gone to Instacare I would have simply waited things out and would have thought I was just having a late period. I'd have had no idea I was pregnant and wouldn't have gone through all of this emotional turmoil. That thought could have made me wish things had played out differently, that maybe I could have just gone through this in ignorant bliss. However, it helped give me some perspective. I felt that everything had happened this way for a purpose, and that I was learning and growing because of it. It also helped me to see the normalcy of my situation and to have more patience in understanding that even though I didn't have all the answers in the moment, the answers would come, eventually.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The Roller Coaster: Support
This is the sixth post in a special bi-weekly series. It's a sequel to The Longest Weekend of My Life series. Please check back next Saturday for Part 7.
Part 6: Support
After my break down on Saturday I chatted online with a good friend of mine who is another pregnancy/birth blogger. I think she felt the despair in my words and tried to help me feel better. I knew I was in a dark place and I appreciated her support but felt bad for her having been put in that position. She told me she had to go, but what she did next was the best thing she could have done for me in that moment. She posted a question on her facebook fan page asking for experiences from women who have bled during pregnancy and gone on to have healthy viable pregnancies and babies. I think at least a dozen women responded, describing their personal experiences with bleeding during pregnancy. I had no idea it was so common, and that helped me realize that my despair was probably at least a little bit disproportionate to the situation.
I had decided to turn my personal writings of this experience into a blog series. I thought that by publishing one portion each Saturday it would allow my story to unfold slowly to my readers and give me time to figure things out and maybe somehow find a resolution to the whole thing. I felt strongly that I needed to not only keep writing, but to share it with everyone I could. I felt that this was part of the purpose of what I was going through. I knew it couldn't possibly be the whole purpose, but being able to find an impetus to move forward and try to help others by sharing my struggle gave me strength, resolve and greater peace.
That evening I made a difficult decision. I had a strong feeling I should share my entire thus-far unfinished story with my family and personal friends on facebook. Oddly, I still didn't feel comfortable making a simple phone call to family members or friends to let them know what I was going through. By breaking the news in this manner I felt safer opening myself up to the masses. I prayed, asking if this was really what I should do, and I felt it was. Even as I typed my personal status update I was nervous:
“Most people wait until the threat of miscarriage has passed, but I'm no good at keeping quiet. There's a chance I could lose this pregnancy, and I don't want to go through this any longer in silence.”
My heart fluttered and I had to step away from the computer without sending the message. I took a moment to collect myself and then I came back and pressed the send button. I then posted a comment on my status explaining the situation very briefly and letting everyone know that I'd been writing as a form of therapy and would post everything I'd written so far for my friends to read if they wanted to. Then I spent the next half hour or so transferring my writings from the word processor into notes on facebook.
I felt that having my friends and family read what I'd written would be easier than trying to explain the situation individually. I understood that some people might be off-put that I didn't approach them individually, but this was part of my coping and healing and it was how I needed to do it.
I talked with my husband that evening, partially to give him a warning that I had just announced to our little world about everything we were currently going through, and he understood. He reminded me that part of how I process and heal is by being able to talk openly about what I'm going through, and this meant having my entire support system available. I loved him even more for understanding that about me, even though it's not how he functions himself. I reflected on how we'd connected in deeper ways over the past week, and it had given me glimpses of how much we really get each other. A different facet of our love was emerging.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
The Roller Coaster: Break Down
This is the fifth post in a special bi-weekly series. It's a sequel to The Longest Weekend of My Life series. Please check back next Wednesday for Part 6.
Part 5: Break Down
I was still bleeding on Saturday, still less than a normal period. The cramping had stopped the night before, but I had gone to bed with a migraine and slept fitfully, and the migraine was there to greet me in the morning. Not wanting to take medication for it, I focused on eating well and trying to nourish my body's needs in any way I could think to. Along with the migraine, I was grumpy. My kids were also in bad moods, and I struggled to keep my emotions in check as I fed everyone breakfast and dealt with trying to get them to do their chores.
I had to sit and quiet myself to help soothe the baby. As I rocked him I felt emotions rising within me. I realized it had been a full week since this whole ordeal had started with the pelvic pain and the trip to Instacare. I realized It had also been about that long since I had cried.
That's when the tears came.
Soft, yet painful, aching tears.
I started praying out loud in an effort to get all of my feelings out of my head and try to make sense of things.
I didn't know how to feel, how to be.
It had been such a strange combination of symptoms, and it felt like a physical and emotional roller coaster. First, the severe pelvic pain, without bleeding. The discovery of the pregnancy coupled with the warning that it might not be viable. The confusion and tears followed by peace. The yearning and searching for answers where there were none to be found. Calm acceptance of whatever would be. The pain had gone completely and I'd allowed myself to feel hopeful, even joyful and elated about the future. I had calculated the due date and dared to imagine our family with a new baby, only to start bleeding and have those hopes virtually ripped to shreds.
What was I feeling? There was anger, even rage, and I found myself unable to keep my emotions under control when faced with any kind of challenge. I threw an adult temper tantrum, throwing things and yelling at the top of my lungs at my children who were refusing to clean their room. Where did that come from? Did they deserve that? No. But I didn't care. Maybe it bought me some time. I wanted to crawl into some obscure hole and hide from my family and the rest of the world, so I couldn't be a danger to anyone but myself. I needed time and space to figure things out, but I didn't know I could possibly get enough, or how or if I ever would figure this out.
I got the baby down for a nap, and I closed myself in a dark room.
I cried. Hard, painful, sobbing tears that shook my body.
For several minutes as I cried, I couldn't speak. I just let the tears flow. When I could speak, I prayed out loud, this time more fervently, more passionately. I begged for comfort. I asked forgiveness for treating my children badly. I explained how I felt and how conflicted I'd been. I had to stop between phrases as more ugly tears would wrack my body. It felt good to let it out.
I realized while praying that I wouldn't know the answers or the end result. It wasn't for me to know whether the pregnancy would last or not. But I could ask for help, comfort, peace, sustaining. It was for me to decide how I would bear this burden and to do it with as much grace as I possibly could. I needed more faith, and I asked for support and help in moving forward the best I could. I asked that I would be able to take care of my family and myself, and as I prayed the tears softened and slowed. I ended my prayer feeling exhausted, but calm. The fear and the anger were gone.
I'm sure my children had heard my sobbing. They'd been in the room on the other side of the door, and as they heard my muffled cries and prayers they had decided to do what I'd asked them to do and work on their bedroom. They were excited to show me what they'd accomplished while I'd been feeling sorry for myself, and it was refreshing to see them cooperating with each other and eager to please. I thought maybe I should have an emotional breakdown more often...
The sadness lingered, and I occasionally found myself sitting at my desk with my head in my hands. My children each came to me at various times and placed their hand on my arm or shoulder, or gave me a hug. My little girl repeatedly walked over to me and tenderly brushed my arm. I knew they felt at least a little bit of what I felt, and they wanted me to feel better. Even though they didn't understand what I was going through, they understood that I needed their comfort. I was grateful for it.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
The Roller Coaster: Possibilities
This is the fourth post in a special bi-weekly series. It's a sequel to The Longest Weekend of My Life series. Please check back next Saturday for Part 5.
Part 4: Possibilities
When I got up Friday morning, I noticed the bleeding had lessened. It wasn't even as much as a normal period. I had no cramping, and still just a bit of aching in my lower back. I tried calling my midwife but her son told me she was at a birth, and I knew my chances of having a really good detailed conversation with her at that time were not good. I talked with my sister on the phone, who reminded me of the peace I'd felt throughout my experience, and reminded me to trust my feelings.
I also reached out to a friend who works as a labor and delivery nurse, for some feedback. She told me that I was probably alright, but I could be having a miscarriage. She said that if it were an ectopic pregnancy I'd most likely be in a lot of pain, which I wasn't. In either case I would be alright without seeking immediate medical attention. We talked for a while and she suggested that I could check in with my OB's office and see if they would recommend any blood tests or an ultrasound to check things out. With it being a Friday I didn't want to miss the opportunity to settle the matter before the weekend, and I definitely wanted to avoid having another Longest Weekend of My Life. I also thought about the fact that my OB's clinic has an ultrasound and lab right there on the premises, and wouldn't likely send me to the hospital for anything unless there were something imminently serious.
On the other hand, I didn't want to jump to conclusions and subject myself to unnecessary worry or testing. I prayed and decided that since the bleeding was less and I was mostly comfortable, I would wait, and I felt peaceful about my decision. In my prayer I also asked that if there were any reason I should seek medical attention, that I would have more pain or something to alert me to that need.
I felt the cramping increasing a bit. It had gone from just in my lower back and spread through my whole midsection. I put some yam balancing crème all over the achy parts, because that had always been helpful for menstrual cramps in the past, and I called my midwife. She was very calm and reassuring. She said that it could be any number of things happening. The first possibility was that it was a normal pregnancy with a period, and nothing wrong. Another possibility was that I could be miscarrying. It could be a single miscarriage or the miscarriage of a twin while the other remains viable. She also mentioned that it could be molar pregnancy or blighted ovum, where the body thinks it's pregnant and acts pregnant even though there's actually no actual fetus growing. It usually passes on its own. She told me that it's important to be open to all of these possibilities and not resign myself to a certain result. She said that the doctor wouldn't be able to do much other than run blood tests and such, and assured me that the best thing to do was to rest. I was tired, so that's what I did.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Prevention of Preeclampsia with Aspirin?
Aspirin in Early Pregnancy May Prevent Preeclampsia
It's all about a meta-analysis that found that low doses of aspirin started early in pregnancy (16 weeks gestation or earlier) lowered the incidence of preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia, Toximia, HELLP Syndrome & Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension are all related variations of the same pregnancy complication. They are serious and potentially dangerous, and these conditions have been linked as causes for preterm labor, which puts the baby severely at risk. I think it's really great that doctors are trying to find ways of preventing these issues. I also think there are healthier ways of approaching prevention than turning to a chemical medication.
Preeclampsia and toximia are preventable with good nutrition. Do everything in your power to Stay healthy and low-risk. The healthier you are in general through exercise and proper nutrition, the much better your chances are of NOT developing pregnancy complications like preeclampsia.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The Roller Coaster: Seeing Red
This is the second post in a special bi-weekly series. It's a sequel to The Longest Weekend of My Life series. Please check back next Saturday for Part 3.
Part 2: Seeing Red
Part 2: Seeing Red
Thursday morning I noticed a slight brown tinge in my underwear when I went to the bathroom. I thought “OK, it could be nothing. Stay calm. Just watch and wait.” I pushed it to the back of my mind and went about my day. Later that afternoon however, I noticed blood, like the start of a period. I said to my husband (who was in the other room) “I'm bleeding” and he said “You're calling the doctor right now!”
I didn't want to call the doctor. In my mind I was telling myself that bleeding in pregnancy can be normal and harmless, and there was no reason to panic. Even as I thought this, my mind was also reminding me that bleeding during pregnancy was NOT normal for me! I had never had a period or any bleeding whatsoever during pregnancy before. I'd had 5 completely normal, uncomplicated pregnancies, with no bleeding! If it had been a stand-alone occurrence, without the events of the previous weekend, I might not have been so worried. However, with the situation I was in I didn't know what to think. I really didn't want to overreact and end up going through pointless tests and procedures for something that could be nothing. I also didn't want to be negligent and think it was nothing, only to have it turn into SOMETHING.
I started to dial my OB's office. My husband said “Are you calling the midwife?” I hung up and said “I don't know”, but I thought it was a good idea. I called my midwife's home and was told she was gone but could be reached on her cell phone. She answered and I explained the situation . She calmly told me that it could be nothing. She said that if it was time for my expected period I could just simply have the period and be fine. She said “You could still be pregnant, and it's safe to assume so unless you have reason to believe otherwise.” She then said that she was at a prenatal appointment and asked if she could call me back in about an hour. I agreed, thanked her, and said goodbye.
Then I thought “What in the world did THAT mean?” I hoped she would call back and could explain things a little more clearly.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
The Longest Weekend of My Life: Waiting
This is the fifth post in a special bi-weekly series. Please check back next Saturday for Part 6.
Part 5: Waiting
I was planning to take the kids to church on Sunday. They had all recovered from their stomach troubles and I wanted to stay on a normal schedule. There was nothing I could do about my situation, and I felt it best to provide normalcy for the kids. I had also decided not to say anything to my older children about what I was going through. I'm normally very open with them about everything, but in this case I wanted to have more information before I said anything to anyone. My husband and I had decided to keep it between us. We also didn't want to risk the possibility that one of the kids might say something to someone else.
I woke up Sunday with a horrible sore throat. I couldn't speak without intense pain, and I decided it was best that I stay home from church. My oldest son made a couple of phone calls for me to let the Primary presidency know I wouldn't be able to play the piano that day, and to make arrangements for his grandparents to take him and two of his brothers to church.
We had a relaxing morning at home. I read my book and rested as much as I could. I couldn't talk to my kids but with a whisper, and I found the house was quieter than usual as a result. I was grateful I'd borrowed a couple of books from my sister in-law just 2 days earlier, because those books were helping me stay focused on something other than the potential crisis at hand, and because of the nature of the books it was also providing me with spiritual strength and peace through what could have otherwise been a very difficult waiting period.
I thought about calling the hospital lab for my initial test results, but when I checked my purse the little card the lab tech had given me was nowhere to be found. I did a little bit of online research about ectopic pregnancy to make sure that what I was thinking was accurate. My thoughts were confirmed as I read that termination of the pregnancy is necessary, and the longer it goes undetected the higher the risks are. If the fallopian tube is damaged it can potentially be life-threatening, requiring major abdominal surgery, and that confirmed my suspicions as well. I was comforted to find that surgery isn't always necessary, if the problem is detected and treated early. I was hopeful that if it turned out to be an ectopic pregnancy I had a good chance of a non-invasive treatment and comparatively easy recovery, because it was still quite early.
I also reached out to my small community on Facebook. Without disclosing my personal situation, I asked for experiences from other women who have gone through similar struggles. I found great strength and comfort in their words and in reading about their personal experiences.
Sunday afternoon came, and it was time to go back to Instacare for my next quantitative blood test. By then my pelvic pain was completely gone. I was hopeful for some conclusive information, but as I thought about it I realized the lab work might take some time, and with it being a Sunday I had no idea when I would receive the results and possible diagnosis. I dropped my husband off at an appointment and I drove myself and our 5 children to the Instacare building. One of my kids got a bloody nose on the way, but the oldest was able to help him get the bleeding stopped and cleaned up. The boys were content to stay in the waiting room while I followed the nurse back with my little girl on my hip. The nurse poked my right arm with the needle as I practiced my breathing and looked away. She explained that the sample would be sent by courier to the lab that evening, and the results would likely be in by Monday afternoon.
Part 1: Preface
Part 2: Bittersweet
Part 3: Numb
Part 4: Peace
Part 6: Writing and Reading
Part 7: Decisions
Part 1: Preface
Part 2: Bittersweet
Part 3: Numb
Part 4: Peace
Part 6: Writing and Reading
Part 7: Decisions
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The Longest Weekend of My Life: Peace
This is the fourth post in a special bi-weekly series. Please check back next Wednesday for Part 5.
Part 4: Peace
The ultrasound was disappointing to say the least. The technician couldn't find any evidence of an egg sac or embryo anywhere. He was very thorough, but as he searched he couldn't see anything in the uterus or the tubes. He mentioned some “cystic formations” on one of my ovaries, and at one point he phoned a colleague for confirmation of what he was seeing. They argued, which didn't help matters. He apologized and explained that it could just be too early in the pregnancy to see anything. He phoned my doctor and had her talk to me.
The doctor explained that since the ultrasound was inconclusive she wanted to do a quantitative blood test to check my hormone levels and see if the levels were right for my stage of pregnancy and if they were doubling at the appropriate rate. This meant that I needed to walk over to the hospital lab and have my blood drawn. Then I would need to return to Instacare 24 hours later, on Sunday, to have my blood drawn again. I would have an answer by Sunday evening at the latest, or so I thought.
The ultrasound technician was nice, and he very kindly told me “good luck” at least 3 times as I was leaving. At first I thought he was just being nice, but as I thought about it I wondered “Did he see something I'm not aware of?” I couldn't think about it.
I asked for directions to the lab, and was sent on what felt like a wild goose chase as I went from one end of the hospital to the other, just to be sent back virtually to where I'd been in the first place. The benefit of being at the hospital on a Saturday is that there's no crowd and no waiting. The downside is that most of the doors are locked, and you have to figure out how to get where you need to go. After driving and parking three different times I finally found the right door and got to the lab. The waiting room was empty and I was helped right away. One of the lab technicians checked me in while she and the other tech chatted away with a hospital security guard about their families.
I was taken into a room with chairs and needles and all that fun stuff, and I used my labor breathing techniques as my left arm was poked and my blood was drawn. It wasn't so bad. The technician did a good job and it was mostly painless. I had to breathe just to keep myself calm, and made sure to avert my eyes. For some reason I can watch someone else get poked and prodded, but when it's happening to me I can't watch or I tend to hyperventilate.
It was over quickly and the lab technicians gave me a card with a number to call for my results. I said “my doctor will have that” and she replied that it was still my right to access my lab results personally. I thought that sounded unnecessary and I stuffed the card into my purse thinking I wouldn't need it.
I came home to find that the kids had done surprisingly well in my absence, and my husband had even been able to get out of bed to help the baby. We had a simple dinner of sandwiches and I spent the evening reading and enjoying my family. I felt a sense of peace with me throughout the evening, and I focused on spending time with my kids and husband. I didn't worry about the messy kitchen and house, and just let myself have some down time. At one point the two youngest children were climbing on me, and my husband commented: “And you're ready for another one?” I quipped back: “I never said anything about being ready!” The pelvic pain was also gradually easing.
After the kids were in bed I was lying in my own bed finishing the book I'd been reading off and on for the past day. My husband came in and we talked about the situation. He was worried and didn't know what to think or how to feel about everything. I shared with him the peaceful feeling I had, and how I knew that whatever happened everything would be alright. As I said the words I realized the truth of them, and I realized in that moment that I was being blessed with this veil of peace. As my husband walked out of the room I prayed for him that he would be blessed with peace as well.
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