Friday, January 28, 2011

Settling in for the long wait

I wish I could hibernate and when I woke up the baby would be ready to come out into the world. Because this part of pregnancy? This part is starting to be a bit on the suck-ola side. (Feel free to stop reading if this makes you want to hurl. I am still incredibly grateful and so so excited, but I'm feeling a wee bit entitled to a bit of a whine.)

My pregnancy compromised immune system and lack of decent sleep have caused -- get this -- an outbreak of shingles. Because it's not enough to have to get up 3x a night to pee. I now need to stay up trying desperately not to rip my own skin off with itching. I'm doing better now than I was earlier this week, but on Wednesday as I was trudging through the snow and slush after my diagnosis, I was pretty precariously balanced on that ragged edge between reason and meltdown. I just was worried that the shingles or the associated treatment would be bad for the little one. But apparently not, and as long as this is cleared up by the time I deliver (which it should be -- it should be cleared up within a week) I will not have to be quarantined from my newborn baby. I'm slathered with calamine lotion and doing a good job of not scratching, and am pleased that I have yet to have a crying meltdown over this. Because this part of pregnancy is hard, and the itching and worry about some random disease? Not making it easier.

My baby (Can I say that? Is it really a baby yet? Holy shit, every time I think about what is actually IN there I start to freak out a wee bit that I am nearly 36 weeks pregnant...) is breech. Head is right in the middle, some appendages with sharp points are on my right side and every once in a while something hard pokes my bladder/ cervix. I've discussed with my OB trying to flip the baby, and we'd both prefer not to, as she's seen too many of these attempts end up in emergency c-sections because there was a good reason the babies were breech. I've also gone to acupuncture 2x and burned that stinky stuff over my little toes at home. I only did that once, though, as it made everyone in the house, to include the dog, nauseated. But head is still up. I'm not even going to go into how I think that head up means that something is wrong, as I've tried to put those fears to rest. But they are there, just lurking waiting for a moment of weakness.

Breech means (for me, at least) heartburn. The heartburn is killing me. Water, bread, lettuce -- they all cause it, mostly because there is just a tremendous amount of pressure upwards from the little one's head. It is without a doubt my least favorite part of pregnancy. I'll trade the gagging for the reflux/ heartburn. I'm not even kidding.

Snow. Enough, people. We've had snow, sleet, ice way more than usual, and that has made commuting to work scary and hard. It just wipes me out, and so today I am working from home. I could use a bit of a break on the weather so that I am not so exhausted just by getting to work.

Oh -- and my shower is this weekend (more on that later). Which is very exciting and I have friends coming in from all over (Texas, people, they are flying in from as far away as Texas!), but I have (a) this icky looking rash on my neck which is not very nice for photos and (b) since there is the possibility of giving people chicken pox if they haven't had them, two people have had to drop out. One has never had chicken pox or the vaccine (this is just crazy -- she has two little kids!) and one was going to bring her 3 week old, as she is nursing. But the baby shouldn't be too near me, so now she can't make it. But I am excited about the shower and think that it still will be loads of fun. But shingles is complicating my life unnecessarily and I resent that.

OK -- I feel better now, a bit, after venting. But still itchy.

11 comments:

  1. Ugh for itching! Hoping it clears up quickly and doesn't cause any more grief. And yeah, the heartburn was the absolute worst - although it was one of those symptoms that simply disappeared when the baby was born and the relief of not being reflux-y? I swear it's why I thought recovery from the c-section was so easy - I was glorying in not feeling horrible from heartburn! Hang in there.

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  2. Aaahhhh, it's making me itchy just reading about it!! You poor thing! The bright side is of course that in only a few more weeks you'll have that baby in your arms :) Hang in there sweetie!

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  3. Ah, a fellow sufferer! No, I don't have shingles (thankfully), but it's hard to imagine being more miserable, physically.

    I've never heard of there being something intrinsically wrong with a breech baby-- a friend of mine recently had one (via c-section), and the little girl is a total doll, totally normal.

    Hang in there!!! xox

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  4. I can't believe you have shingles!!! That TOTALLY SUCKS! I have heard that it hurts like all hell. I am so, so sorry. You get the prize for most sucky 3rd trimester symptom, if you can call it a symptom. Side effect? I don't know, whatever you call them, you get the award none of us wanted. Complain away, you have the right to.

    I hope it clears up quickly and doesn't distract too much from your shower. Know I'm sending you get-better vibes!!!

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  5. Oh no, shingles sucks!! My MIL just had that, and she couldn't see the critter baby for awhile. And the pain! You poor poor thing.

    As for breech, don't worry too much about it, in terms of something wrong with the baby. It happens sometimes. My girl was breech and she is just fine. Be prepared to have a c-section though, most if not all docs won't deliver breech babies vaginally anymore.

    Have a great time at your shower!!

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  6. Oh, you poor thing! I understand wanting to be unconscious until X (for me it's until Beta).

    Hope your rash clears up in time for the shower.

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  7. Itching sucks! I hope it passes quickly and other than itching you have no pain. I also hope your time passes quickly for you to meet you little one.

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  8. sorry you are feeling so sick :( I hope the rest of your pregnancy is smoother sailing and the time moves very quickly for you...

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  9. Eek! Shingles! That really sucks. I hope things start to settle down soon!

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  10. AHHHHHH! I had shingles once and they were insanely painful. I am SO SORRY! And what a huge inconvenient bummer that they're keeping people away from your joyful celebration! Also, the heartburn. What little I'm having drives me nuts, so I really feel for 'ya. And yeah, more snow! Yay!

    I hope that at least once the shingles go, you'll feel a bit better. That's the only benefit of being assailed by multiple ailments at once...

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  11. Ugh. I call a complete foul. It's not fair that you should have to deal with even one of those situations, but to have to deal with all of them...NOT FAIR! And as far as the weather, I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. And there's another storm getting ready to hit us as I write. This has turned out to be the winter from hell.

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