Pregnancy being "normal"

Two finals this week and I will be 99% done with school. I’m relieved to be almost done, and at the same time disappointed that I couldn’t finish my research class. I am very lucky to have such supportive professors who have allowed me to miss almost the entire semester and study from home. As often as I tried to get to class, usually I was either absolutely exhausted from not sleeping, or nauseous, which comes and goes throughout the day now. I have plenty of normal-feeling moments, like right now, but in about an hour or so I might feel like tossing my cookies. I just never know and the sheer anxiety of not knowing when the nausea is going to take over my body makes me not want to leave the house very often. So the plan for school is to write my research paper (which is not even that long) over the summer. I would do it over the spring, but I’m sure as soon as the baby comes, I won’t want to do anything and probably won’t have the energy!!


We went to Laurel this past weekend and visited some wonderful friends who are expecting a baby in April. It was really great to finally get together, but I became really nauseous on the way up there after feeling fine all day. I was just not in good spirits that night and I felt so bad for not being a fun guest. Then the next day Dave’s allergies flared up and he was miserable. We did get a chance to go to the mall in Columbia with Carrie and it was nice to chit chat and just hang out. It was there that I confirmed my suspicion that I definitely need a support belt for my belly. If I’m on my feet for more than 15 minutes or so my belly starts cramping near the top. I tried my bella band today but it did nothing! If anything it made me feel nauseous, but then again, anything putting pressure on my tummy makes me uncomfortable. Anyway, I’m glad we finally made it up to Laurel and I hope we can go again soon and have it work out so I’m not sick and Dave isn’t feeling congested and gross.


I started having this really intense cramping near the top of my belly on the right side, which prompted me to call my midwife. It’s only happened 3 times but it drove me to tears because it was so painful. I have had round ligament pain that is sharp, but nothing like this before. After speaking with Nancy for a bit, we both thought that it was round ligament pain again, just more severe because my tummy is really stretching now. Within the past 3 weeks I have grown quite a bit and the location of the pain is right where my round ligament connects to my uterus. Since there was really nothing I could do about it, Nancy and I talked for a bit about trying to see this pregnancy as being “normal.” I completely understood what she meant in an instant. As much as I know that many of my aches and pains are normal, what I experienced with the hyperemesis still haunts me. Sure I’m not vomiting all the time, but the nausea is still there for portions of the day. As soon as the nausea started to subside, I began cramping and having trouble standing up for normal periods of time. Then I got sciatica on my right side, which has recently switched to the left side. I am more exhausted now than I was for the first 4 months of pregnancy (which is when most women experience the fatigue) and the insomnia has been going full force, so I don’t really get to decide when I sleep. I have to eat every 3 hours or so, otherwise I get really irritable and sick to my stomach, and upon waking I feel like I haven’t eaten in days.


I can say for sure that I do not like being pregnant at all. I love this little baby so much, that’s for sure, but the being pregnant part has been so difficult. I love feeling her move, but she kicks hard and fast and it wakes me up sometimes, and then I have to make food at 5 am because I’m starving and nauseous from being asleep for more than 3 hours with no food. Nancy wants me to see most of my symptoms as being normal, but from what I hear, read, and see, most women don’t get every single one of these symptoms all occurring at the same time for their entire pregnancy. If they do, I admire them tremendously for putting a smile on their face and making the best of it. I wish I could do it, and maybe the next time around I will know what to expect and can prepare. For now, I just feel like a ball of sickness and emotion, which is apparently normal during pregnancy. The normal pregnancy scale must be a pretty large on and I just happen to be on the more uncomfortable side, I suppose.


I need to get through this week and I will feel a lot better about the upcoming holidays and all that we need to do. I’m excited about going to Maine and having time to relax, enjoy family, and see the beautiful snow!


~Christine