Maybe I’m licking sidewalks in my sleep
I’ve gotten to the point in pregnancy when people start saying “Oh, you don’t have long now!” both because I am visibly huge and also because it feels – even to other people – like I’ve been pregnant FOREVER. I was pregnant when it was cold in the spring, pregnant when it was hot in the summer, pregnant during the beautiful fall colors and now it is cold again and I am STILL PREGNANT. It depresses me a little to have to say “Yes, well, 6 weeks isn’t that long” even though it feels like the longest amount of time it’s ever taken anyone to finish doing anything ever.
Of course, then I go to the mall and see the Christmas decorations and turn on the radio and hear Christmas music and think about the fact that I only have 6 weeks to finish all these knitting projects and OMG IT’S SO SO SOON! I NEED MORE TIME! I CANNOT POSSIBLY HAVE ANOTHER BABY!
Despite my mixed feelings, I am quickly nearly the point where my personal level of physical discomfort is greater than my fear of keeping an infant alive. Besides the kicked in the crotch pelvic pain, I have horrible sciatic nerve pain in my left leg – which seems like a total “DUH”, considering that’s the hip I’m constantly carrying a toddler around on. The doctor gave me a ridiculous pamphlet on stretches that are supposed to help (stand with your back against a wall! sit in the butterfly position! try the cat-cow pose from yoga!) but considering I’ve been doing ALL OF THOSE several times a day for the last 8 months I think my only hope at this point is a daily Tylenol or two and lots of lying down.
Of course, lying down just makes my heartburn worse, although I’m not sure it could get any MORE worse (more worse?? really, Suzanne?) than it is right now. It’s gotten to the point where I’m not even that interested in food, because I know it’s going to hurt so much later. Plus I have this terrible taste in my mouth that I can’t get rid of. I’ve never experienced anything like it before (while pregnant or not pregnant) but it’s totally gross. At first I thought it was an aftertaste from an artificial sweetener in something I was eating or drinking but I tried switching to water & full fat/real sugar food and it doesn’t help. I tried Googling it but the internet is torn between suggesting I just brush my teeth more and a horrible, birth-defect causing mineral deficiency and suggesting I should be eating more marmite and tahini. I don’t even know what marmite is. I’m going to mention it at next week’s OB checkup but I’m guessing it’s just another of those annoying, unimportant symptoms that will go away immediately after giving birth thanks to the mommy amnesia.
Wait, what was I talking about?
I guess the good news is my hemorrhoids aren’t nearly as bad as last time. Knock on wood.
Advice appreciated.
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And for my very last giveaway of Giveaway Week, the winner of the $25 credit to Becca’s Hugs & Kisses Designs shop is…
#2 Katherine from the lovely blog The Flowers in Her Hair! Katherine, I sent Becca an email so hopefully she can set you up ASAP and you can start TRYING to pick out something to buy. Good luck choosing though, what with the beautiful fabric items AND the prints!
And to all my readers, thank you so much for your participation and your patience with my giveaways. I know some people get totally bored and hate entering and some people LOVE the chance to win free stuff, but it is just so fun to work with great handmade shops I can’t resist. I tried to make them as easy and requirement free as possible, but hopefully you found some new Twitter friends, blogs to read, and places to do your Christmas shopping.
xoxo
Suzanne
Tags: baby 2, baby girl, gross, heartburn, pregnancy, pregnancy symptoms, TMI, winners
I had a weird copper/blood-like taste in my mouth for the last 2 months of my pregnancy. It was gross and my OB said the only thing she could think of was that it might be the tums. Which made me slightly suicidal because they were helping with the awful heartburn and horrific leg cramps, so I sucked it up and endured. It went away when I had the baby.
(I am in no way telling you to suck it up. That not something you say to a pregnant lady.)
I had the metal taste at the beginning of my pregnancy but it was nowhere NEAR as constant and disgusting as this taste. It’s like dirty concrete and preservatives and Nutrasweet all at once. I’m trying to keep my Tums consumption down to just a handful before bed so I don’t think they’re causing it, but I’ll try to notice if they make it worse.
I am seriously having a heart attack right now. DUDE I NEVER WIN ANYTHING. And its so funny because I was just saying to myself how I need a new diaper bag because the one I have isnt big enough!! OMG. I am so excited. Thanks for all your giveaways!!!!
Marmite is a yeast based spread popular in England and to some extent Austrailia. I wouldn’t eat it if my doctor told me without it there was a 50/50 chance of death. The smell makes me want to vomit and I’m NOT pregnant. It is quite possibly the most disgusting stuff ever.
However, tahini is in hummus and that is delcious.
I think “yeast based spread” is the most disturbing thing I’ve read in my life.
Yes, Marmite is disgusting. My English husband loves it (so does my cat) it does make me want to barf.
It’s vegemite. My dad eats it (he’s a vegetarian); I think it’s revolting. It looks like chocolate BUT IT IS NOT CHOCOLATE. It is packed full of vitamins and healthy benefits. Also: salt.
My sciatica was so bad with Niko that my husband had to get behind me and shove my butt up to lever me into a van, because I couldn’t lift me feet high enough to step in. It was AWESOME.
I am mere hours away from that exact scenario. Having to step up to get in the minivan is so terrifying I avoid going out at all. I’m pathetic.
My mother in law has a full on van and I could not get my feet up onto the step. Plus, for some reason none of us can figure out, NONE of the doors have grab bars, so even when I’m in full health and mobility it’s hard to get in/out of the van. I HAVE SHORT STUMPY LEGS OK.
A few weeks after I gave birth (and was recovering from the c-section) the mere action of LIFTING MY FEET and going up and down stairs without stumbling was AMAZING.
The end is tough, Suzanne. I remember taking a lot of naps when Landon napped. And not because I wanted to. I actually wanted to get stuff done. But it’s like my big ole’ body just said NOOOOOO. And started to fall asleep.
Take it easy, girl.
Ugh. No advice – from about 6 months on when I was pregnant with O EVERYTHING gave me heartburn. Even water! It was rad. Anyway, between the Maalox that I chugged, pretty much by the gallon, and the over-the-counter Pepcid I took, I was only marginally able to keep it under control, so I feel you. I hope yours is nowhere near that bad.
A nasty metallic taste in your mouth is a side effect of a particular antibiotic (I don’t remember which one). Anyway, when I used to work at a doctor’s office, we used to suggest to patients that they suck on orange tic-tacs. I don’t know why, but apparently it helped a little. You could try it…
HUSH YOUR MOUTH OTHER ERIN! I’m Australian and I looooooove marmite (ok, my heart really belongs to Vegemite, but the other stuff will do in a pinch). I eat it every day AND managed to get my American-born daughter to eat it everyday too. I cannot imagine what it would cure, however. A lack of.. yeast?
Anyway, I’ve often said that no woman can truly remember what it’s like to be pregnant or have small baby, because then everyone would only ever have one baby and the world would have ended after two generations.
That said, my other “thing” that I say to pregnant women is that if there’s something you want to do, but you feel like, “oh, I’m so pregnant and tired and lethargic and gross I don’t want to”, just DO IT, because you will never feel this good again. Your first child is so time-consuming it takes your breath away, and the second is the same. Just when you thought you couldn’t have less time, you do.
Good luck Suzanne! Those last weeks go slow.
I was a big fan of a chiropractor when I was pregnant. It helped with all my back and sciatic pains! Plus- I didn’t think my labor was difficult at all…and I credit it to the chiropractor and massage therapist. Expensive, but definately worth the relief in the last several weeks.
I can’t imagine being pregnant AND carrying around a toddler. I know people do it all the time, but man. Congrats on your baby girl, I know the last few weeks drag on forever.
I remember that feeling right around 6 weeks left to go (really more like 5 weeks) when I was like “wow this pregnancy thing really hasn’t been so bad” and then WHAM! Like being hit with a Mack truck of discomfort and not sleeping. Hang in there! I’m sending you all my love and comfortable-sleeping thoughts!
An old wive’s tale is that a lot of heartburn when you are pregnant means that the baby will have a lot of hair. Not sure if it is true, but it was for our youngest. The only one to have a lot of hair at birth, and I had LOTS of heartburn.