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[egoldber]

Yesterday, I felt strange all day. I only had a tiny bit of nausea, but I felt lightheaded and slightly dizzy all day, like I was walking around with a perpetual buzz. This lasted off and on from 10 am to 6 pm. I was worried, since I am alone with Sarah now (DH is traveling) and I kept worrying I was going to fall down the stairs or faint and then who would take care of Sarah? I called the OB and the %^&* nurse is like "oh honey, this is totally normal in pregnancy, blah, blah, but I'll have the doctor call." Of course no one called, so I am REALLY peeved about that. I spend my night perusing the web and all my pregnancy books and self-diagnose myself with either anemia or low blood pressure.

So Sarah, who usually sleeps until 7:30 - 8 has been waking at 6:30 the last couple days and it's been killing me! So at about 5 am I hear her in the monitor and I can't believe it! She doesn't go back to sleep, so I go in there, try to lay her down and she screams and screams. I pick her up to comfort her, and I'm like "What's that smell?" So she had a HUGE poop diaper and it was really disgusting. And to make it even better, the diaper pail was disassembled since I washed diapers last night and was too lazy to re-assemble it. I thought I would just re-assemble it in the morning. As I have the first poop filled wipe in my hand, I realize I have nowhere to put it. So I just put it in the pail with no liner along with the dirty diaper and I will deal with it today when she wakes again.

So I change her diaper, lay her down and she goes right back to sleep. But me? No, I'm up until 6. And then around 6:30 my $%*#% dog starts barking at the *&*# foxes that live in the woods next to my subdivision. I finally get the dog to stop barking. Then at 7:30 my %^%&^% cats start scratching at the bedroom door to get fed, which makes the %^&%& dog start whining to go out.

Ugh. I hate my pets this morning. I have the remains of a disgusting dirty diaper to deal with when Sarah wakes up. I need some caffeeine coffee.

[Andrea S]

Beth,

Sorry you are having a bad & early start to your day!! If you are out today go by a Target or somewhere and check your BP. Those machines are pretty accurate for average size people.

Andrea
mom to Andrew 8/14/02

[momathome]

Oh, Beth, I am sorry you had such a rough night. It's especially tough when you are going at it alone. And, yes, pets can certainly agravate the h*ll out of you, especially when you are tired beyond words. During my worst, most exhausting day last week, the dog threw up. I wanted to give the girls and the dog up for adoption that day! Try and relax today - make it a videos and oreos day (or whatever else you can keep down!). Make sure your blood sugar is up to help ward off the dizzy/faint feeling - fig newtons worked well for me during morning sickness. Take care-
Lauren
PS - just keep repeating to yourself "This, too, shall pass!"

[Marisa6826]

Aw Beth!

Sounds like low blood pressure to me. When is DH coming home?

-m

[egoldber]

Thanks all. In the light of day, the diaper wasn't really so bad, it just felt that way at 5!

My blood pressure has a tendency to be on the low side of normal, so I bet it is low blood pressure. I am going to call the OB again today and bitch at them for not calling me back. I'm already thinking of switching practices, so this is just one more thing...

DH comes home tomorrow night, thankfully this is a short trip. But his travel schedule is always much more intense in the summer so he is going to be gone a lot.

It is so strange how different this pregnancy is from my first. I'm having a completely different type of nausea and experiencing symptoms I never had with Sarah (like the lightheadedness).

[bluej]

Oh, you are bringing back all of those horried morning sickness memories for me! I'm sorry you are sick and that your pets aren't cooperating! W/ my last pregnancy I also had that light headed/dizzy feeling, along w/ nausea and shakiness. I know how hard it is to feel those things and still have to function. Peppermint ice cream did wonders for me. The peppermint was soothing and the ice cream had the calories and fat to help me function for even just a little bit. Sometimes just a bit would help settle my stomach enough to eat something somewhat healthy. Most of the time though I ate just the ice cream :) I hope you find something that works for you and that these next morning sickness filled weeks pass quickly for you!

[Rachels]

Beth, I'm so sorry! I had that with Abby. Once during a prenatal visit, the nurse took my blood pressure and said, "How are you conscious?" Not reassuring. Try to be very careful when you change positions. Move slowly. And switch doctors!

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[nitaghei]

Poor Beth!

There were times I could have willing strangled both my dogs (and DH) when I was pregnant, and had been throwing up all night!

I survived drinking Coke - the real thing, with sugar and caffiene. It helped with the nausea and the lightheadedness (not to mention headaches).

FWIW - and if it makes you feel better - caffiene is classified as a category B drug by the FDA, just like Tylenol. So moderate amounts are safe to take during pregnancy.

Other than that, my only suggestion is ginger tea.

Hope you feel better soon.

Nita

[lukkykatt]

Beth, I used to get that too - both the nausea and the lightheadedness. My OB recommended drinking Gatorade, which I ended up drinking almost exclusively for 3 months! It really helped me. Those, and my beloved Egg McMuffins got me through my first trimester. Haven't had either since...

And if it makes you feel better, my cat developed IBS when I was pg. Can you imagine dealing with that?

Hope you feel better soon!

PS: I found that it is not a good idea to self-diagnose, especially when pg! Never know what you will end up with :)

[egoldber]

Not self-diagnose!! BUT, BUT, BUT, what will my compulsive side do!!! LOL! :)

I called the OB again and they worked me in this afternoon. They took my blood pressure and pulse and it was normal. They ordered labs, so I had blood drawn today too (always fun). And they have a sonogram scheduled for tomorrow to rule out an ectopic pregnancy (yeekers!), but they doubt there is any real problem. Just "normal". Disconcerting, but normal.

On the sobering side, a very pregnant woman walked out in tears today while I was in the OB's waiting room. She had to be helped to her car by one of the nurses. I can only imagine what her sorrow was about, but I will be thinking of her for awhile and very glad that dizziness is my only complaint.