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Pregnant with 1st, and scared!
Hi all...my name is Jill and I just turned 27. I have been married since
last October 6...my husband and I decided to stop trying to prevent a baby just a few weeks ago. I figured it would take a while to get pregnant, but boom, here I am. I have my first visit with the nurse tomorrow and my doctor's appointment is at the end of next week when I should be far enough along (the doctor's office wouldn't take me until I am at 8 weeks or later, is this normal? I did have the pregnancy confirmed by my primary care doc...) Anyway I have developed a big case of cold feet. This is my first pregnancy and I *am* happy but I am scared to death....will it be uncomfortable, will it HURT, etc. For one thing I am suffering from nausea almost constantly and also, I can't sleep. I am having great difficulty in even getting a few solid hours of sleep. I have stayed up all night several nights already. That itself, I think, is making my anxiety worse..when you can't sleep and have hormonal changes...=anxiety. I am terrified...I am sure everything is fine and I am trying to stay relaxed. They dr has me taking Zantac to try and do away with the nausea. I don't vomit a lot but and constantly queasy...my appetite is low, and I have actually *lost* 6 pounds in a month (I am not dieting!) I suffer from migraine headaches and the good news is I have not had a single one. I just have a few questions.. 1. With your first baby is it normal to be scared/worried? (Again, I am terrified I will go on with insomnia, labor will hurt, etc) 2. My doctors are not believers in a pregnant woman taking ANYthing other than plain Tylenol or Zantac. At least in the first trimester....I was taking Zanaflex and Klonopin to prevent migraines- it worked very well but of course I stopped as soon as I found out I was pregnant. I checked weekly.) So currently I am taking no medications except Zantac, and am doing well, no headaches. I have researched it and get conflicting info...some doctors allow Klonopin if the MTB is having major panic attacks etc..others don't. I have read where some say they took Klonopin with no adverse effects on the baby. I am NOT taking it, to be safe...but what are your thoughts on medications during each trimester...do you doctors have different opinions? I think mine err on the safe side and so I follow their advice, but being unable to sleep and just toss and turn every night is mierable (I never used Klonopin for sleep, it doesn't make me sleepy, but it was a good headache preventive for me)...I am just wondering how to deal with anxiety/insonmia in a medication free way? And thanking god I haven't had a migraine. I normally use Imitrex and was told I can have none of that while pregnant. Narcotics generally don't help my migraines. But my ob/gyn told me that after the first trimester it would be possible for me to take a monitored number of Darvocet or something, one of the prescription pain relievers with a Tylenol base and a little bit of narcotic...can some of you share your experiences with me, and what your own doctors have and have not allowed during pregnancy? First and foremost I want to do everything possible for a healthy baby... And one more thing, I am scared to death...can someone please tell me that pregnancy is a joy, is not that uncomfortable or painful, and that labor will be ok??? I will be posting and reading here often I am sure... I can already, at 4 -5 weeks or so, tell that my body is changing....weird things. I have hot flashes- I have always been hot natured, but am now VERY hot natured...I crave salt really bad (yes I am taking a prenatal vitamin!)...I am VERY moody, very much....and my skin is itchy everywhere! My back itches, my legs itch, my face itches..my skin allover feels dry and itchy. I feel tearful...and a few more embarassing things.... Jill |
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Pregnant with 1st, and scared!
On Tue, 16 Sep 2003 16:43:23 GMT, "Jill" wrote:
Anyway I have developed a big case of cold feet. This is my first pregnancy and I *am* happy but I am scared to death....will it be uncomfortable, will it HURT, etc. For one thing I am suffering from nausea almost constantly and also, I can't sleep. I am having great difficulty in even getting a few solid hours of sleep. I have stayed up all night several nights already. That itself, I think, is making my anxiety worse..when you can't sleep and have hormonal changes...=anxiety. I am terrified...I am sure everything is fine and I am trying to stay relaxed. They dr has me taking Zantac to try and do away with the nausea. I don't vomit a lot but and constantly queasy...my appetite is low, and I have actually *lost* 6 pounds in a month (I am not dieting!) Oh boy, does this ring a bell! I'm also with my first so I can't tell you that much more than yuo know, but in my 17th week, and I've had brutal panic attacks almost all the time from when I first found out I was pregnant. Fortunately, they are starting to go away in the last week or so, just as my doctor said they would -- they are apparently a not-uncommon version of first-trimester mood swings. So I'm starting to feel a lot better and less frightened; here's hoping you will too! I was also queasy through my first trimester; threw up sometimes but not often, mostly just didn't eat much, and also lost weight. My doctor and my friends who have had babies before assured me that a lot of people lose weight their first trimester and as long as you are getting enough hydration it's perfectly okay. The nausea will probably go away with time; if it doesn't, talk to your doctor about what you need to do to make sure you gain weight when you really need to, but that isn't yet. I just have a few questions.. 1. With your first baby is it normal to be scared/worried? (Again, I am terrified I will go on with insomnia, labor will hurt, etc) Yes!! Not just with the first either, although I'm sure that doesn't help either you or me; it's all so new and the responsibility is breathtaking. It's normal -- not universal but common -- to have severe anxiety or panic during early pregnancy, period; it's a common hormonal effect. And it does ease up with time. 2. My doctors are not believers in a pregnant woman taking ANYthing other than plain Tylenol or Zantac. At least in the first trimester....I was taking Zanaflex and Klonopin to prevent migraines- it worked very well but of course I stopped as soon as I found out I was pregnant. I checked weekly.) So currently I am taking no medications except Zantac, and am doing well, no headaches. I have researched it and get conflicting info...some doctors allow Klonopin if the MTB is having major panic attacks etc..others don't. I have read where some say they took Klonopin with no adverse effects on the baby. I am NOT taking it, to be safe...but what are your thoughts on medications during each trimester...do you doctors have different opinions? I took Ativan for anxiety before I knew I was pregnant, and was told sharply that I had to stop that; the benzodiazepines are risky for babies. So I stopped. There are other medicines which are less risky, though obviously you need to follow the advice of your own doctor (unless you decide it's really out to lunch, in which case you need a different doctor). Mine told me that Benadryl for sleep was okay, at least in the second trimester; I don't know about the first because I was already into the second by the time I found out I was pregnant (because of other medical problems, long periods, exhaustion and nausea were business as usual for me). And one more thing, I am scared to death...can someone please tell me that pregnancy is a joy, is not that uncomfortable or painful, and that labor will be ok??? I will be posting and reading here often I am sure... I don't know about a joy; certainly it is sometimes. Sometimes it's uncomfortable and annoying. Right now I'm doing really well -- the second trimester is often pretty easy and seems to be working out so for me; the nausea is mostly gone, the exhaustion is gone, I'm not showing yet, and I feel pretty normal. And the panic attacks, thank heaven, are a thing of the past. What I've experienced so far tallies pretty closely with what my friends who have had babies before tell me: that at best, pregnancy is joyous; at worst, it is royally unpleasant but no worse than a really bad day when you're *not* pregnant, and on average, it can be annoying and uncomfortable but isn't that big a deal. I can't speak to labor and delivery, I haven't been there yet. Good luck! Naomi #1 EDD February 28, 2004 |
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Pregnant with 1st, and scared!
"Jill" wrote in message
... I have my first visit with the nurse tomorrow and my doctor's appointment is at the end of next week when I should be far enough along (the doctor's office wouldn't take me until I am at 8 weeks or later, is this normal? Yes. In the first few weeks of pregnancy, there's no real benefit to being seen by a doctor. There's nothing they can do that will change the course of the pregnancy. I did have the pregnancy confirmed by my primary care doc...) Probably not necessary. The test the doctor does in his/her office is the same one you use at home, and therefore no more accurate than your own. Anyway I have developed a big case of cold feet. This is my first pregnancy 1. With your first baby is it normal to be scared/worried? (Again, I am terrified I will go on with insomnia, labor will hurt, etc) I think it's quite normal. FWIW, I was like you in that I got pregnant the first time almost immediately after going off birth control. Even though I'd planned the pregnancy, I was still in shock. It happened more quickly than I anticipated and, as a result, I wasn't as ready as I thought I was when it actually happened. The good news is that nature gives you a good 8 months to get used to the idea g! You probably won't stop being nervous, but as your pregnancy progresses, I suspect it'll get better. (Oh, and when it comes to labor fears, the best thing you can do to overcome them is to get educated. A good childbirth education course can work wonders.) 2. My doctors are not believers in a pregnant woman taking ANYthing other than plain Tylenol or Zantac. Well, there's not much evidence to support that position. There are plenty of medications beyond Tylenol and Zantac that are shown to be perfectly safe during pregnancy in appropriate doses. Maybe you should consider other caregivers who are somewhat less prohibitionist and reactionary. I don't know about the safety of the migraine medications you were taking in pregnancy, but I *do* know that narcotics have a very good safety record during pregnancy (I suffer migraines myself, so I've needed to know) if you *do* have a migraine that Tylenol alone won't touch. And, of course, there are plenty of other medications that pregnant women absolutely *must* take. I'm an asthmatic and if I didn't take my asthma medications, the consequences of my not being able to breathe would be far worse than the potential negative effects of the drugs! By the way, many women find that their migraines improve during pregnancy because they are caused in part by hormonal triggers. The suppression of your menstrual cycle during pregnancy may mean you don't have any migraines at all or very few even while off your medications. And one more thing, I am scared to death...can someone please tell me that pregnancy is a joy, is not that uncomfortable or painful, and that labor will be ok??? I will be posting and reading here often I am sure... Oh, I wish I could totally reassure you, but I can't. Everyone's experience of pregnancy and of labor and birth is so different that I can't predict how *your* pregnancy will be. My pregnancy were all good experiences overall, though each presented its own challenges. I was never particularly uncomfortable physically during pregnancy, aside from feeling slightly green during the first trimester, nor did I experience pain as a result of it, even in the late stages. Labor is definitely a profound physical experience and I won't lie and tell you it's not painful, because it is. That said, two of my three births were unmedicated and if I were to have another baby, I'd have another unmedicated birth in a heartbeat, so it obviously wasn't *that* bad. I crave salt really bad Be advised that low sodium and pregnancy nausea seem to be related. If you're craving salty foods, eat them (though of course not to excess). I am VERY moody, very much....and my skin is itchy everywhere! My back itches, my legs itch, my face itches..my skin allover feels dry and itchy. I feel tearful...and a few more embarassing things.... Very normal. It's the hormones. It does tend to equalize as pregnancy progresses and your body gets more accustomed to the different hormonal balance, although plenty of women experience some of the symptoms to varying degrees throughout pregnancy. Good luck with it all and I hope this helps you feel a little better. -- Be well, Barbara (Julian [6], Aurora [4], and Vernon's [18mo] mom) See us at http://photos.yahoo.com/guavaln This week's special at the English Language Butcher Shop: "No parking passed this sign" -- hotel parking lot sign All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman |
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Pregnant with 1st, and scared!
"Naomi Rivkis" wrote I took Ativan for anxiety before I knew I was pregnant, and was told sharply that I had to stop that; the benzodiazepines are risky for babies. So I stopped. Thank you so much for saying this...I guess I kind of danced around it but I have had problems with anxiety and panic attacks. My doctors always thought that was why Klonopin was effective at preventing migraines for me, that it was sedating and maybe stress/tension/anxiety were triggering my migraines. Of course I had other known migraine triggers such as perfume, going without eating, my menstrual cycle etc. My husband doesn't have anxiety so I am always trying to explain to him what it is like and why you can't just will yourself to " calm down"...the best way I have found to get him to understand it is "fight or flight", too much adrenaline...it's like when you get stung by a bee and your heart speeds up...or when a car pulls out in front of you and you react and avert a collision but you remain trembly for a few hours....I really think pregnancy has made this worse and it must be a combination of hormones and lack of sleep, not helping. I am glad someone out there understands! Thank you for your post! Jill |
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Pregnant with 1st, and scared!
On Tue, 16 Sep 2003 17:26:55 GMT, "Jill" wrote:
My husband doesn't have anxiety so I am always trying to explain to him what it is like and why you can't just will yourself to " calm down"...the best way I have found to get him to understand it is "fight or flight", too much adrenaline...it's like when you get stung by a bee and your heart speeds up...or when a car pulls out in front of you and you react and avert a collision but you remain trembly for a few hours....I really think pregnancy has made this worse and it must be a combination of hormones and lack of sleep, not helping. I've told my husband the same thing!! Anxiety disorders show up in the form of fear but they're not like ordinary fear and just "calming down" doesn't always work. I've had times when I actually succeeded in making the fear go away through thought techniques and my body *still* insisted on going through the whole racing heart adrenaline thing. I sometimes say it's as if fear is hiding in the crevices between my bones. I can get it out of my head but I can't get it out of my body. A pharmacist friend of mine told me that Buspar, one of the non-benzodiazepine drugs, is good for anxiety and is safe during pregnancy. I'm going to ask my psychiatrist (who knows I'm pregnant and has worked with pregnant women before, so I trust her judgment) whether I should be taking it, even though the panic has calmed down a lot from where it originally was. You might want to ask your doctor about it too. At very least, though, know that you're not alone and that it really does get better as you get later in your term. I am glad someone out there understands! Thank you for your post! You're welcome! Glad I could help, if only by empathizing. Jill Naomi |
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Pregnant with 1st, and scared!
Jill wrote:
Hi all...my name is Jill and I just turned 27. I have been married since last October 6...my husband and I decided to stop trying to prevent a baby just a few weeks ago. I figured it would take a while to get pregnant, but boom, here I am. I have my first visit with the nurse tomorrow and my doctor's appointment is at the end of next week when I should be far enough along (the doctor's office wouldn't take me until I am at 8 weeks or later, is this normal? I did have the pregnancy confirmed by my primary care doc...) Anyway I have developed a big case of cold feet. This is my first pregnancy and I *am* happy but I am scared to death....will it be uncomfortable, will it HURT, etc. For one thing I am suffering from nausea almost constantly and also, I can't sleep. I am having great difficulty in even getting a few solid hours of sleep. I have stayed up all night several nights already. That itself, I think, is making my anxiety worse..when you can't sleep and have hormonal changes...=anxiety. And one more thing, I am scared to death...can someone please tell me that pregnancy is a joy, is not that uncomfortable or painful, and that labor will be ok??? I will be posting and reading here often I am sure... Hi Jill, Congratulations! I'm half way already in my pregnancy and I'm in a perpetual state of "scared witless". I'm scared not of the whole preg/labour thing though but of the rest of my life with kid/s. How does one innately selfish person become so wrapped up and responsible for this new life? I've chosen to put my head in the sand a little and hope the hormones and nature kicks in to help me. Anyway, I hope I havent added to your fears...When I get really unnerved I try looking at things in 'baby steps' fashion and often find that helps. cheers, Aprill #1 EDD 3rd Feb '04 boy! |
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Pregnant with 1st, and scared!
"Jill" wrote in message ... [] And one more thing, I am scared to death...can someone please tell me that pregnancy is a joy, is not that uncomfortable or painful, and that labor will be ok??? I will be posting and reading here often I am sure... [] My first pregnancy was kind of scary and confusing too, but I've had seven children now, so I must have gotten over it. Pregnancy has uncomfortable and even painful moments but I experienced joy also. I found it very emotionally, even spiritually, satisfying to know that I was carrying a new life inside me, the product of my husband's and my love. And I usually get some nice months in the middle where I'm not too big and no longer nauseous and my sex drive is turned up to its highest setting. That is a lot of fun. I suppose labour is painful, but that is not what I remember. I remember the joy and excitement of holding my new baby for the first time. Good luck. Jayne |
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Pregnant with 1st, and scared!
(the doctor's office wouldn't take me until I am at 8 weeks or later,
is this normal? Yes, very normal. Aggrivating when it's your first, but normal. I just have a few questions.. 1. With your first baby is it normal to be scared/worried? (Again, I am terrified I will go on with insomnia, labor will hurt, etc) It's normal to be scared to death... at first, I was sure I'd be like the rest of the women in my family and miscarry my first baby early on. I was scared of having a miscarriage, and scared of NOT having one! Kept asking what I had gotten myself into. 2. My doctors are not believers in a pregnant woman taking ANYthing other than plain Tylenol or Zantac. At least in the first trimester....but what are your thoughts on medications during each trimester...do you doctors have different opinions? ...can some of you share your experiences with me, and what your own doctors have and have not allowed during pregnancy? First and foremost I want to do everything possible for a healthy baby... Each doctor is different. Some are more accepting of vices and various meds. I needed breathing treatments twice because of the flu, one doc was all for the first one... the second time, a different doc refused to give me the same med! My regular doc was pretty open to taking things, the idea being that a comfortable mommy makes for a healthier baby. And one more thing, I am scared to death...can someone please tell me that pregnancy is a joy, is not that uncomfortable or painful, and that labor will be ok??? I will be posting and reading here often I am sure... First, let me say my mom had two kids, and she says both pregnancies were a joy from start to finish; no problems, easy labor, she loved every minute. I'll be the first to say I had discomfort during my pregnancy in the last 2 months (had a 9lb 5oz baby in there), but the first 7 months were pretty symptom free and easy for the most part. I had issues with my delivery that I won't bore you with, but it actually was easier than I thought it would be. I bounced back pretty quick, too. Now that baby is 3 months old, I've pretty much forgotten all of the negative, and really want another! As for doubting whether you really want this baby, I went through that too. The last two months were when I was really moody. In one especially emotional evening, I secretly hoped the baby would be stillborn so that I could get divorced and move to the woods by myself, LOL. It's all natural. Plus, I had been a stay-at-home wife with zero responsibilities, and I worried about how I'd adjust to this "thing" needing me 24/7. It took a couple of weeks to really get into the swing of things once he was here, but now I have a great routine, and I feel like he's a blessing, never a burden. Now, I almost forget what life was like before the baby, and I would never turn back time... not for anything or any amount of money. The only thing I'd do different if I could is clone him! |
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Pregnant with 1st, and scared!
Hi Jill and welcome.
Congratulations for your pregnancy. I am just at the end of my first trimester with our first child. I suffer from MDD and Anxiety. I have been on medication for 2 years now. When I first told my pcp that we were trying to get pregnant, he said that only Prozac was safe and it would have been even better if I went off medication. I did it and it was a total disaster. My Ob/Gyn sent me to a psychiatrist and he put me on medication (other than Prozac) that is safe during pregnancy. Since I got pregnant I had to be on a new medication for anxiety and this one too is safe during pregnancy. I spoke to a genetic counselor, too and she told me that there are safe medication for migranes to take during pregnancy (Luckly enough I had only one bad episode in 3 months). If your anxiety continues to affect you so badly you might want to see a specialist or a genetic counselor. It helped me a lot and I am enjoying my pregnancy more. Wishing you a very unventful pregnancy. Love Nicky |
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Pregnant with 1st, and scared!
Jill wrote:
Anyway I have developed a big case of cold feet. This is my first pregnancy and I *am* happy but I am scared to death....will it be uncomfortable, will it HURT, etc. It's perfectly normal to be scared. I just discovered it's no different the second time around, although I now know better what is normal and what isn't. But even that is no guarantee, many women experience very different pregnancies. Yes, it will be uncomfortable, and it will hurt too, but your body is made to cope with that. Believe me, when you hold your baby, the pain of labour is instantly forgotten! Don't worry about losing weight, as long as you keep your fluid levels high you are fine. Your body will make sure the baby gets what it needs, and you will be the one to suffer, not the baby. I am very careful with any medication, especially in the first trimester, when the basis for all organs is laid and any damage done will have the biggest impact later on. Tylenol is safe, but even that I limit. And one more thing, I am scared to death...can someone please tell me that pregnancy is a joy, is not that uncomfortable or painful, and that labor will be ok??? I will be posting and reading here often I am sure... You will be just fine! Perhaps you should try prenatal yoga classes, it sounds like you could do with some tuning into your body and relaxation. It is also helpful when labour strikes. -- -- I mommy to DS (14m) guardian of DH EDD 05-17-2004 War doesn't decide who's right - only who's left |
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