Tag Archives: pregnancy truth

I’ve got PUPPP…..

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Guess who got PUPPP again! 😩 With Ryder it didn’t kick in till 2 weeks after I gave birth. With Camden it hit me the second day after birth. I’ve forgotten how miserable PUPPP is. Sooooo itchy and hot!

If you’re unfamiliar with PUPPP (Pruritic Urticated Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy), don’t worry you aren’t missing anything exciting. PUPPP only occurs in about 1% of pregnant or post pregnancy women. It is an extremely itchy, non contagious, red, bumpy rash that shows up on the belly and sometimes down the legs, butt and on arms.

PUPPP is most common in women in their 3rd trimester. But if you’re one of those rare special people like me, it’s possible to get it after delivery. They are still unsure what causes PUPPP. There are a few theories that it’s maybe genetic.

I’ve tried everything to get rid of mine or at least just relieve the itching. Oatmeal and baking soda compresses didn’t work (can’t take a bath just yet since I just gave birth). Hydrocortisone helped for a second but it felt like it moisturized more than relieving the itch. The only thing that gave me actual relief was pine tar soap. It doesn’t have the best smell so beware if you try it. It’s got a strong outdoorsy smell. But it helped with the itching and eventually got rid of the rash the first time after about a little over a week of use.

Im not thrilled I have to go through the process of dealing with PUPPP again. But at least I know what to expect this time around! 🙏🏻

Different pregnancies

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I’ve been battling with contractions for the last three days. Yesterday I was able to make it to the gym for a bit but today I haven’t left the sofa. My body feels completely drained. Getting up to go to the bathroom or get water is the extent of my productiveness for the day. 🤷🏼‍♀️

It’s crazy how different each pregnancy is. With Ryder I had zero contractions. My water broke, I went to the hospital, got the epidural, took a few naps and it was time to push.

With Cam I’ve had contractions for a few days. Yesterday was the worst. I timed them down to 5 minutes and 15 seconds for 9 hours, then all of a sudden they stopped. Yet I was left with this debilitating feeling of exhaustion the next day. Apparently this is common. Your body may stop contracting to take time to rest, absorb nutrients and prepare itself for labor. Then they start up again.

I’m appreciating Ryder’s birth SO much more now. It literally was so easy. I’m having to pay close attention to this one and put in “work.” It’s a lot mentally. 😂

Labor Truth

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Did you know only about 15% of women’s water breaks before labor?!?!

The idea of my water not breaking completely freaks me out! I had it easy with Ryder. I was at home watching tv, got a weird feeling, and my water broke. I cleaned up the house a little, my husband took a shower and we headed to the hospital. It was smooth sailing from there. (With the help of the epidural of course)

I’m praying my water breaks with Camden. Why? Because it’s like a non painful warning system from your body that it’s almost time! I prefer that to having contractions. The idea of painful cramping is just not my cup of tea. I’ve been in enough pain and discomfort as it is, I prefer not to add on any more!

I think the fact that I’m a planner makes labor more stressful for me. I don’t like the idea of not knowing when something will happen. I HATE surprises. I like to have things organized down to the minute. With labor it’s completely out of my hands. My body is going to do whatever it wants. I’m not a fan of that plan!

I’m down to 6 days remaining till D-day. I’m just hoping my body gives me some sort of non painful warning like it did last time.

Rest when you’re dead….

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Tired….So tired….I’m woken up every morning at 3am, 4am and 5am to the dogs pacing. The clicking of their nails on the hard wood is the most annoying noise in the world. I swear they do it just to annoy me some days. 🐕

Then at 5:45am Ryder decides he wants to get up. I have a full day of chasing a toddler around till 9pm. I never in my life would have guessed how exhausting it is chasing around a small human and picking up the tornado like destruction they leave behind. It seriously is a lot of bending over and lifting. 👶🏻

I’m in bed at 10:30pm only to wake up at 3am by the dogs again. It’s a never ending cycle. Combine that with pregnancy aches and pains and I am one miserable human. I keep praying for one morning to just sleep in till at least 7am and not be woken by the dogs, pregnancy pains or Ryder. But then I realize that’s wishful thinking. So I keep telling myself when I’m dead I’ll finally get to rest. 😂

You’re still pregnant?

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The comment I hear almost daily now is…..”You’re still pregnant?” Yup I am. Thanks for pointing it out. It’s not like the mirror, aching body or giant belly don’t remind me each day!! 😂

Technically I’m not even to 40 weeks yet. So I’m actually on time. I guess my belly is starting to look big so people think I’m past due or due today. I’m also pretty short so a big belly looks even bigger on me. 🤷🏼‍♀️

The “you’re still pregnant?” question doesn’t exactly make me feel great. I’m pretty uncomfortable as it is, so I prefer not to have random people tell me in other words that I look huge or miserable. Doesn’t help the situation much. I tend to just laugh and say “yup still pregnant but he’s welcome to come any time now!” I figure it’s better to make light of the situation than let a stranger know I’m miserable and then pointing out my size doesn’t help. 😂

D-Day hair washing

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We are getting close to D-day! That means my hair washing schedule has changed. I’m typically a once a week hair washer. I live for dry shampoo. That’s why my hair is always so soft and shiny. However now that baby time is close, I’m washing my hair every other day. I fear going a week without washing my hair, then the day I go to wash it I end up going into labor and don’t get the chance. Lord knows I’ll be too tired to wash it the days after having Camden. So I’m not taking any chances of being the smelly haired lady. My hair will have to suffer through the frequent washes for the next few days till he’s here! 🧼

Couvade Syndrome

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I couldn’t stop laughing when I first heard about Couvade Syndrome. Never heard of it? It’s a condition in which pregnant women’s partners think they’re experiencing pregnancy like symptoms! Sounds ridiculous but it’s real!

Partners can actually take on feelings of leg cramps, abdominal pain and even cravings! I literally laugh every time I think about it. Not because I’m making fun of the people this happens to. Just because I find it crazy what the human body can do!

This hasn’t happened to my husband, thank god! When he gets a cold it’s like having a sick helpless child in the house. I couldn’t imagine him with Couvade syndrome!! 😂

Over it….

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I used to love going to the gym. It was my place away from everything. Now I sort of dread it. I literally pray that I’ll just make it through a short workout each time. The pregnancy struggle is getting real!💪🏻

I’m in the last few weeks of pregnancy and everything is getting hard! Putting my shoes and socks on is a battle. Not only can I barely see my feet but I can barely reach my feet to get shoes and socks on! I also get winded just walking around. I had to sit down and breathe after just doing laundry! I’m constantly tired and want to lay down but can’t because I have a toddler running around like crazy. I’m always hungry but I’m running out of belly room so I have to eat tiny meals all the time which is exhausting in itself. I barely sleep at night because of the leg aches, back ache, and overall discomfort. Don’t get me started on the constant need to pee. I’m literally on the verge of going to buy adult diapers! 🤦🏼‍♀️

On a positive note, I have no major swelling. My feet and hands look the same as they always have. I had a little swelling with Ryder that caused me some discomfort but none this time around! My hair and nails also look great. My hair struggled at the beginning of my pregnancy but it’s made a turn for the better! It’s looking shiny, healthy and growing long fast!

Needless to say, these last 6 weeks will feel like they take the longest. Maybe Cam will be like Ryder and get here a little early. In all honestly I wouldn’t mind! I’m ready! Literally! 🤷🏼‍♀️

224 days down

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I have officially been pregnant for 224 days. That’s a long time! Seriously, think about it. Kids aren’t even in school that long each year! But here I am growing a tiny human for what seems like years. (Dramatic I know)😂

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. It’s just crazy how much time a pregnancy really is. I guess I’ve never sat down and thought about how many days it actually is. We always count in months. Which by the way, we claim a pregnancy is 9 months but every doctors calendar puts us due at 10 months. Full term pregnancy is 40 weeks. 40/4=10….So technically we are pregnant a month longer than we claim. (Yes I know some count from the point of conception but doctors go from cycle end)

No wonder the body is SO tired all the time when pregnant. Toting around extra weight that was added on faster than normal is a lot of strain on the body. Yes we are built for it but it’s still draining. Your body is working to do its daily functions AND create a life. That’s a lot of work. Not to mention super crazy to think about the fact that you are actually creating a human!

Fibroids

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Ever heard of a fibroid? I knew very little about them before I found out I had one when pregnant with Ryder.

Fibroids are non cancerous growths found on, in or attached by a stalk to the uterus. However, just because they are non cancerous doesn’t mean they aren’t without risk.

While pregnant with Ryder my fibroid grew to the size of a softball. That’s really huge! Mine was pedunculated, which means it’s attached by a stalk. I could actually move mine around sometimes which was really creepy. One time while at yoga I was laying on my back. My fibroid was in the middle of my belly under my belly button. I was able to move it over to the left side just by pushing it. 🤢

Not only did the fibroid take up space in my belly that Ryder needed, it was pulling in a lot of blood. I had to check in with a specialized doctor once a month, aside from my regular prenatal visits. They would measure the fibroids growth each time. There was actually talk about surgically removing it while I was pregnant. It caused me a lot of pain and discomfort. However I was willing to suffer the pain to avoid surgery. Going under while pregnant was not something I was willing to do unless it was life threatening. There’s too many things that can go wrong or put my child in danger so it wasn’t worth it to me. Pain for a few months was a better option.

I got on a strict diet in hopes of reducing the fibroid size. I ate only non hormone, grass fed beef and antibiotic-free chicken. I also got organic milk, eggs, veggies and fruit. I avoided anything packaged or overly processed. I reduced my sugar intake and increased my water intake. I was even very careful what restaurants I ate at. I saw a reduction in the size of my fibroid by a couple centimeters. That doesn’t sound like much but when you’re limited on space, any little bit helps!

My fibroid shrank to the size of a golf ball a few months after I delivered Ryder. I was told it would likely never really go away, but that it shouldn’t cause me any major problems.

My fibroid has grown a little this second pregnancy but no where near the size it was with Ryder. I’m still cautious what I eat. And I still feed my family only organic, grass fed beef, antibiotic free chicken, some organic fruits and veggies (certain foods you don’t have to buy organic, ex: avocado, bananas, etc). Fibroid or no fibroid I give my family the healthiest food I can always! It’s best for all of us. 💙