Who ever said pregnancy was easy, especially the 2nd trimester, I have decided they are wrong.
Most woman get morning sickness, can't eat, loose weight, and so on in the first trimester. I was extremely lucky not to have any of those things. Other then being tired all the time (that hasn't gone away) I felt good. My stomach would get upset when I hadn't eaten actually. Especially with the increased amount of hormones from having two babies growing I figured I was screwed and would be sick all the time. It never happened thankfully.
And then bring on the 2nd trimester. Not so bad dealing with heartburn once in a while right? Go through a bottle of Tums, the value size, in a week and tell me it doesn't suck? The Tums alone are so not good. You would think that someone would have figured out by this point to make better flavors. But I guess not. And you know, the heartburn wasn't a constant thing so it wasn't that horrible. There were times where I wanted to just scream at the top of my lungs if that would help it go away though.
Then you have weight gain. I have always struggled with weight. I have done Weight Watchers several times, had success sometimes and other times not so much. But it is ingrained in my head not to eat a lot. As much as I have tried, I haven't gotten past that. And now, being almost 26 weeks pregnant I am out of room for food so I can't eat a lot. I have gained a little over 20 pounds in the last 26 weeks but I know I am still not where the doc wants me to be. I am trying. Trying to eat healthy and trying to eat enough so that these little growing babies get all they need plus enough for me. You hear about woman that have babies, full term mind you, and never knew they were pregnant. A lot of the time their babies are healthy despite the prenatal care and eating correctly. That just goes to show that the babies will take what they need from your body regardless of how much is left for you. I don't want to get to the point where I am unhealthy.
One sign of that could be these damn leg cramps I get. The cramps seems to be happening more and more often. I know it is common with pregnancy but that doesn't mean I have to like them. I hate them actually! It has gotten to the point where I know if I roll a certain way my leg will cramp. If I stretch while in bed my leg will cramp. If I sleep with my feet pointed my leg will cramp. And let me tell you, trying to to do those things and get a good night sleep...not easy. Not easy at all.
A leg cramp is actually what prompted this post at 7 o'clock in the morning on a Saturday. I am sure at this point Jake is used to me waking up in pain. I think a lot of the time he doesn't even open his eyes and just starts rubbing my leg where the cramp is. There have been times, a few weeks ago actually, where he got up before I did. And all of a sudden I get a leg cramp and yell for him. I hear the recliner slam shut and Jake run down the hall to the bed room. I could hear the panic in his voice asking what was wrong. The only thing I could say was "It hurts, it hurts!" It took a few seconds for him to realize I was talking about my leg not my stomach.
The cramp this morning was like nothing I have ever felt. It hurt so bad! I couldn't stop crying. The cramp would start to go away and we would both relax only to have it come back with a vengeance. Not just once but 3 times! It was horrible. I am so over these stupid leg cramps!
Some people tell me I need more calcium...with as much milk as I drink and as many Tums as I eat, I don't think that's what it is. Some people tell me I need to eat more bananas. And I have tried that. But did you know bananas can cause constipation? Yep. I have proved it. And constipation is one thing a pregnant woman does not need.
I am open to suggestions if anyone has any. I hate waking up in excruciating pain from a leg cramp.
Its a good thing the end result of a pregnancy is so amazing. I am not sure how many woman would have 2nd, 3rd, and so on babies if the birth of their child didn't outweigh the side effects of being pregnant.
Ok, well that is my little rant for this Saturday morning. I am off to finish reading the Help before Jake wakes up and we have to start cleaning the house and getting ready for the BBQ we are having for all the Tiger Basketball coaches that will coach under Jake this season. Wish me luck, I sure hope I have enough energy after getting up so early to be a good hostess.
2 comments:
I don't think anyone thinks pregnancy is easy :) Well, there is the random few. But for most of us we tolerate it for the end result. :) Hang in there. I promise it will be worth it and you'll happily do it again.
http://www.babycenter.com/0_leg-cramps-during-pregnancy_250.bc
What you can do about it
Try these tips for keeping leg cramps at bay:
Avoid standing or sitting with your legs crossed for long periods of time.
Stretch your calf muscles regularly during the day and several times before you go to bed.
Wear comfortable shoes with plenty of support.
Rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes when you sit, eat dinner, or watch television.
Take a walk every day, unless your midwife or doctor has advised you not to exercise.
Avoid getting too tired. Lie down on your left side to improve circulation to and from your legs.
Stay hydrated during the day by drinking water regularly.
Try a warm bath before bed to relax your muscles.
There's some evidence that getting adequate potassium and magnesium can help prevent leg cramps, though not all studies show a benefit.
Ok this is going.to sound crazy but my mom has always suffered from leg cramps and I get really bad ones on and off every year and she swears by this. Apparently its an old wives tale but if you put a bar of soap at the end of your bed (under the sheets) its supposed to help with these. No clue why or how but it works! Google it and you will get all kindy of.info.on it. Worth a shot at least?!? Good luck, hope it helps :)
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