Water retention....

Hey there.

Yesterday I noticed that my right foot is definitely "bigger" than my
left foot because the Birkenstock was definitely tighter around the
instep. Today I think it's even a bit worse, both feet are somewhat
swollen. I drink lots during the day (over 2 liters, not quite three
though I'm pretty sure.).
I'm trying to get rid of the water by:
- drinking lots of water mixed with juice (plain water's not really
working for me right now, it tastes strange)
- footbaths with sal****er (a recommendation from one of my pregnancy
books written by a midwife)
- putting my feet up whenever I can
- eating cucumbers and raddishes with Salt (the cucumber's another
recommendation from the book)

It's really uncomfortably hot where I am right now. We had a mild
thunderstorm this evening but I doubt it cooled off. I would like to air
out the house right now, but since both Sam and I are allergic I can't
because the pollen concentration's bound to be high right now.

I'm 27+3 weeks now, so I have another 3 months to go (EDD 22. Aug). I
really want a homebirth, but if I'm already starting on the water
retention now I'm scared it'll end in pre enclampsia and c-section
(AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH please nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo).

With Sam I had some water retention very late in the pregnancy,
definitely later than 32 weeks, possibly as late as 36 weeks. But it was
not really a lot, you could hardly tell from looking.

I know I need to talk to my gyn/midwife about it, but we're having a
long weekend in germany and I don't think it warrants and emergency room
visit, so I'll call them Tuesday.

I could really do with some tips, advice and reassurance that I won't
necessariely end up with pre enclampsia. I'm such a wuss when it comes
to hospitals and surgery even the slightest chance of c-section sounds
scary.

cu
nicole

I'm pretty sure just swelling isn't a get checked out now situation at any
stage of pregnancy, I seem to recall advice being changed on this, that it's
no longer considered a primary sign of preeclampsia. However, it is pretty
early to be getting classic late pregnancy swelling, so I'd get checked out
this week rather than waiting for the next appointment. Do get help if you
have any other symptoms though.

I hope this doesn't sound wierd, but have I understood right that this
pregnancy has a different father to Sam? If so, that means your preeclampsia
risk is the same as that of a first timer, so you should make sure when you
do get checked out that the caregiver knows that, so isn't conciously or
unconciously dismissing it as unlikely for a 2nd timer without previous
history.

On the off chance it is PE, you can request induction not c-section.
Obviously sometimes the c-section is needed because it's very urgent, but
more often, there is time, particularly considering that time is in a
location where you are being monitored and could have a c-section in 30mins.
So the usual reason it's a c-section is because of the perceived low success
rate of induction at such an early gestation, but I came across info
somewhere recently suggesting that the sucess rate was around 50%, though I
have a suspicion that was for 32 weeks and PE, but it's not going to be dire
at an earlier gestation.

Cheers

Anne

Anne Rogers wrote:
I'm pretty sure just swelling isn't a get checked out now situation at any
stage of pregnancy, I seem to recall advice being changed on this, that it's
no longer considered a primary sign of preeclampsia. However, it is pretty
early to be getting classic late pregnancy swelling, so I'd get checked out
this week rather than waiting for the next appointment. Do get help if you
have any other symptoms though.

I seem to have more headaches than pre pregnancy, but I've been blaming
that on weather changes because every bad headache's happened the day
before a change in weather conditions.
What other symptoms should I be looking out for?

I hope this doesn't sound wierd, but have I understood right that this
pregnancy has a different father to Sam? If so, that means your preeclampsia
risk is the same as that of a first timer, so you should make sure when you
do get checked out that the caregiver knows that, so isn't conciously or
unconciously dismissing it as unlikely for a 2nd timer without previous
history.

Yeah, different father, same problems ;-) Doesn't that sound horrible? I
feel like all I did was sleep around and get knocked up in the past 6
years (Comment from my mother when I told her I'm pregnant: "What?!
Again?!" like I've been popping a kid out every year...) But I'm not
offended! I can imagine what it might look like to someone who doesn't
know me personally and as long as noone suggests I "Get a therapist"
all's fine ;-)

But I know what you mean about letting the caregiver know.

On the off chance it is PE, you can request induction not c-section.
Obviously sometimes the c-section is needed because it's very urgent, but
more often, there is time, particularly considering that time is in a
location where you are being monitored and could have a c-section in 30mins.
So the usual reason it's a c-section is because of the perceived low success
rate of induction at such an early gestation, but I came across info
somewhere recently suggesting that the sucess rate was around 50%, though I
have a suspicion that was for 32 weeks and PE, but it's not going to be dire
at an earlier gestation.

Thanks for the info. I would definitely rather be induced and in
hospital than have a c-section. At least I'll be able to have a midwife
I know right there.

(When I asked her "What about breech babies?" "What about them? They
come out butt first." "You don't suggest c-section?" she gave me the
funniest look "No. I go and get myself a doctor who knows what he's
doing and then we have a vaginal birth in hospital." "What about
external version?" "Personally I think it's rather risky, but if the
mother insists we try it. But usually I find it safer to deliver butt
first. The babies know which way they want to be born." Have I mentioned
I love this woman?)


Thanks again for the info and tips. I'll definitely call her Tuesday and
see what she suggests. But the weekend seemed kind of long so I wanted
to get some more opinions from people who know what they're talking
about, i.e. this NG.

cu
nicole

I seem to have more headaches than pre pregnancy, but I've been blaming
that on weather changes because every bad headache's happened the day
before a change in weather conditions.
What other symptoms should I be looking out for?

quick response, before the battery dies, head aches is one of the symptoms,
as is change in vision, I think pain in the liver area may be as well, oh
and vomitting too. I don't think the symptoms are all that clear, hence the
number of women that present with very advance pre eclampsia. PE is
surprisingly common, 5-8% of all pregnancies according to preeclampsia.org.

See for more info http://www.preeclampsia.org/symptoms.asp, they indicate
that swelling in places other than the feet would be a cause for concern.

Anne

NL wrote:

I could really do with some tips, advice and reassurance that I won't
necessariely end up with pre enclampsia. I'm such a wuss when it comes
to hospitals and surgery even the slightest chance of c-section sounds
scary.

From the purely practical viewpoint of dealing with the water retention
in your feet, I would recommend pelvic rocks. Get down on all fours and
wiggle your butt up and down as if you had a tail & were trying to wag
it up & down rather than side-to-side, arching your back so that the
middle of your spine goes down as your bottom goes up and vice versa.
The recommended regime I read was, I think something like a set of 40
up-and-down pelvic rocks at intervals throughout the day, with 80 in the
evening (taking a break part way through). This shifts the weight of
your uterus off your legs for long enough that the blood can flow and
some of the water can shift.

I did pelvic rocks regularly during my pregnancy and had very little in
the way of oedema. This may, of course, have been pure luck rather than
cause and effect. However, I do know that on days where I did feel the
water retention was building up I could *feel* the improvement after I'd
done that evening's set of pelvic rocks.


All the best,

Sarah
--
http://www.goodenoughmummy.typepad.com

"That which can be destroyed by the truth, should be" - P. C. Hodgell

Sarah Vaughan wrote:
NL wrote:

I could really do with some tips, advice and reassurance that I won't
necessariely end up with pre enclampsia. I'm such a wuss when it comes
to hospitals and surgery even the slightest chance of c-section sounds
scary.


From the purely practical viewpoint of dealing with the water retention
in your feet, I would recommend pelvic rocks. Get down on all fours and
wiggle your butt up and down as if you had a tail & were trying to wag
it up & down rather than side-to-side, arching your back so that the
middle of your spine goes down as your bottom goes up and vice versa.

snip

Best explanation of pelvic rocks I've read so far. Thank you. I'll
definitely try that tomorrow. I don't think now would be a good idea,
I've just had a huge glass of iced water with a bit of syrup for my
heartburn and I think the only "safe" way to do any kind of exercise
right now would be with a bucket in front of my face ;-)

It makes a lot of sense to get the weight off my feet/legs, especially
since I always seem to somehow bend forward when I'm sitting,
ristricting the bloodflow to my legs further that way.

cu
nicole

I did pelvic rocks regularly during my pregnancy and had very little in
the way of oedema. This may, of course, have been pure luck rather than
cause and effect. However, I do know that on days where I did feel the
water retention was building up I could *feel* the improvement after I'd
done that evening's set of pelvic rocks.

I think pelvic rocks are a great pregnancy exercise, and it would seem to
help with oedema if you have it, but I suspect it's one of those things
where the proof doesn't go the other way. I would have been a prime candiate
for oedema particularly 2nd pregnancy when my SPD was so bad it set of a
fibromyalgia like flare of pain in my whole body for the last month, I
barely moved, I certainly didn't do any pelvic rocks, but not one jot of
odema, rings stayed on and weren't stuck on. Oddly enough I had very severe
oedema just in my feet after my first delivery, not helped by not drinking
enough following the delivery (ridiculous hospital policy to not have jugs
at the bedside, but I wasn't mobile enough to get enough for myself and
hadn't got a bottle I could fill up).

Anne