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Cheryl
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| Posted: March 17 2006 at 8:34pm | IP Logged
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I've been reading a lot on this forum about being open to life and I've been thinking how do you all physically manage to have so many babies? Do you work out regularly? Are your abs toned?
I just had baby #4 almost 2 weeks ago. This pregnancy was the hardest, although manageable. I had the usual nausea during the 1st trimester, new back pain during my 2nd trimester, but it went away for the 3rd trimester. My midwife thought the back pain was due to my having no abdominal muscle tone. OOPS. I guess I stopped working out when I got pregnant for baby #1.
I think I handled labor well. I delivered all 4 naturally. I also had a natural miscarriage after baby #3. After this last one though I lost a huge amount of blood, which ended with surgery on a cervical laceration. Later, one of the midwives said my uterus is very low and if I wanted to have another baby I might want to look into having a uterine suspension. Last night I felt like my uterus/cervix/something? was going to fall right out. I hope I'm not being too graphic for you.
Anyway, I felt really scared about getting pregnant again.  With the fear came the what-ifs. What if my uterus can't support the weight of another baby and I have to be on complete bedrest? What if my cervix tears during labor again? I felt like crying because I want to trust God and be open to life. I did not expect to have these feelings. In my mind, baby #4 was not going to be the last. Have you had any experiences like this?
I know it's not a good time to be thinking about the next baby. I'm not even up to the postpardum check-up yet. Maybe this will take care of itself with some kegels and some ab workouts and time to forget the pain. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you have any tips on getting your body ready for another pregnancy?
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Cheryl
Wife to Bob ('97)
Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1
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Bridget
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| Posted: March 17 2006 at 8:52pm | IP Logged
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Cheryl, you just had a baby! Your hormones are all over the place and your body has barely begun to heal! Sweetie, go curl up with your lovely baby and get some sleep.
I don't know anything about your particular condition but I do know that many of these things heal themselves with time.
I'm sure all us with many kids have odd problems, fallen parts, stretched or non existant muscles. It just goes with the job and you just keep doing the best you can to be fit and healthy. We aren't going to look like the hollywood starlets who have c-sections early and don't nurse because they're afraid of stretch marks. We spend our bodies for our children.
Write down your concerns for your 6 week check up but realize that your going to feel better and better each week!
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Bridget, happily married to Kevin, mom to 8 on earth and a small army in heaven
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Jenny
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| Posted: March 17 2006 at 10:11pm | IP Logged
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Cheryl wrote:
| I felt like crying I know it's not a good time to be thinking about the next baby. I'm not even up to the postpardum check-up yet. Maybe this will take care of itself with some kegels and some ab workouts and time to forget the pain. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you have any tips on getting your body ready for another pregnancy? |
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First, have your cry  I know I always need one right about where you are now. Then, like Bridget said, write down any concerns you have to ask your dr at the post partum check up. Unless your doctor/midwife is Catholic, expect a grin or a gasp. My dr, who is not Catholic, but knows we are, always ends the appt. with "See ya next year!"
Jenny
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Jenny
Chris' wife and momma of 7. My blog: The Littlest Way--Bible Journaling, Inspiring Bible Quotes, Daily Affirmations, Prayer Journaling & photography
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: March 18 2006 at 7:13am | IP Logged
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Ahh...uterine prolapse. Welcome to our world! I've got about two seconds: yes, work on your abs. The stronger your core muscles,the better equipped you are for life, in general. But don't do it now; you need to heal first. Secondly, you don't need uterine suspension before another baby. As a matter of fact, that's a bad idea. But do ask about a pessary. Think of it as contact lenses for your uterus. Can't do more detail now but there are others out there who can share perhaps.
Cheryl, you'll sag and drag and never quite be the same again, but this does not signal the end of childbearing, as several of us can attest. It is likely to get better (even somewhat) as your hormones level out. Some people find it's nearly new again after weaning. Really need to go now. And fwiw, everyone I know who hs had uterine proplapse has been really wigged out at first. It IS a shock and is concerning but it's not the end of your body as you knew. Really.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Lissa
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| Posted: March 18 2006 at 8:35am | IP Logged
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Elizabeth wrote:
| And fwiw, everyone I know who hs had uterine proplapse has been really wigged out at first. It IS a shock and is concerning but it's not the end of your body as you knew. Really. |
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Yup, Elizabeth is dead on. I'd never heard of prolapse until it happened to me. Then I found out it's quite common. Take Elizabeth's advice and ask for a pessary ring. My midwife gave me one a few days after baby #4 was born because my whole cervix prolapsed, ugh ugh ugh. I've used one on and off during this pregnancy and will certainly need it for a month or two (at least) after the birth. It's not a big deal to use & you can't feel it at all, but OH what a difference it makes.
Things seemed pretty bleak body-wise after Steve was born, but it really only took a few months for everything to get back to normal and then I was fine. I don't mind sharing personal info about this because I think if more women knew about it, it would be less terrifying if/when it happened to you.
This pregnancy has been pretty hard on me--not in terms of risk factor or anything; the baby has done fine throughout and I haven't needed bedrest or anything drastic--but in terms of feeling completely done in by preggo side effects, the unlovely unmentionable kind like prolapse & other stuff. I too have wondered how on earth my body could manage this again in a few years. I have always had a long infertile period between babies, 18 months-2 yrs usually, so the babies are spaced 2 1/2 to 3 yrs apart. In another 3 yrs I'll be 40. I've got very low blood pressure and have been anemic through this pregnancy, and the fatigue factor has been a serious challenge on top of the other stuff. But I figure that if God wants me to have another baby after this one, He'll get me through the pregnancy somehow! My older children have been such a blessing during this one--they take turns being mom's legs, since I haven't had much get-up-and-go in me.
Give yourself some time to enjoy that little bitty one, Cheryl, and when you've bounced back a bit, try to carve out time for yourself to walk and/or do a pilates video or something that will build ab strength. I wish I'd done more of that before this pregnancy began!!
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Cheryl
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| Posted: March 20 2006 at 8:40am | IP Logged
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I really appreciate you all sharing your experiences.
Bridget, I read your reply the night I posted and I did go snuggle with my baby. I thought, "Yeah, what am I doing on this computer when I could be getting some sleep?"
So it's called uterine prolapse. I think part of my fear came from the story I heard growing up about how my mother's uterus was falling out (after baby #3) and she had a hysterectomy at age 27. It's good to know others have continued to have children after this. I'm actually feeling much better. We have some flu going around in my house though. I hope I don't get it. I do plan on writing down my questions for my midwife appt. in April. I'm going to ask about the pessary.
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Cheryl
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Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1
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Martha
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| Posted: March 20 2006 at 9:49am | IP Logged
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I just wanted to add that not every difficult pregnancy means every pregnancy there after will be as hard or harder on the body.
Every pregnancy is different. My 5th and this one are my hardest so far physically. My 6th was the worst in the hypergravit.. nausea area. My 1st and my 3rd were the hardest in the delivery catagory. My 4th was the absolute best all around.
I'm in constant pain literally from my head to my toes with this one. And that is so exhausting. And exhaustion really messes with a person's emotional balance over time.
Give yourself a chance to just absorb and settle into life as it is now before worrying about what the next pregnancy may bring.
As for precautions:
Don't let your weight go. Regardless of health factors associated with it, it's just flat-out hard on the body to literally carry the extra weight. I'm not saying all women should be sticks, just keep an eye on it. I have found the biggest results with simply walking every day or every other day and not drinking my calories. If you enjoy it, small amounts of weight lifting also gives big rewards for little effort. Building ab/back muscles is what helps your back the most. It can also make delivery easier because the muscles are stronger, which mean you exert less effort to carry and push baby out.
Not sure I've said a single helpfull word, but there you go and I hope it helps some.
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: March 20 2006 at 10:09am | IP Logged
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Cheryl,
Get the pessary before you work on your abs. Stronger abs will help the prolapse, but without the pessary, you will actually put pressure on it and could make it worse.My first pregnancy, labor,and delivery following prolapse was my best by far. You certainly CAN have babies again.
There is a mixed opinion regarding hysterectomy. Many people think that removing the uterus creats sort of a "vacuum" (not the right word) that cause the bladder and rectum to collapse in on themselves. Then you end up with cystocele and rectocele. Unfortunately, bladder and rectum prolapse are not uncommon in cases of uterine prolapse.
And to think, no one told us about all this!
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Rachel May
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| Posted: March 20 2006 at 1:47pm | IP Logged
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Martha wrote:
As for precautions:
Don't let your weight go....I'm not saying all women should be sticks, just keep an eye on it. I have found the biggest results with simply walking every day or every other day and not drinking my calories. If you enjoy it, small amounts of weight lifting also gives big rewards for little effort. Building ab/back muscles is what helps your back the most. |
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 I go to Weight Watchers between pregnancies to help with the weight, walk as much as I can and occasionally do yoga. I was never able to do ab exercises because my ab muscles were not "fewer than 2 finger widths apart" which you are supposed to wait for. This time the midwife told me that I can put something around my tummy for extra support (like a towel) as those muscles will NEVER go back on me.
My goal after delivering is get into a fairly healthy body before the next bout of morning sickness (which usually finishes off the weight loss  ).
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Thoughts on babies and our bodies
