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Lisbet
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| Posted: Feb 07 2007 at 6:03am | IP Logged
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Okay, so I've pulled myself up by my bootstraps, well, really by the grace of God, after everyone dooming me to all kinds of troubles because of so many babies, and then after losing one of the little ones. I'm feeling stronger, more confident, and I'm really focusing on taking good care of myself and the little fighter inside. I've always worked hard at taking care of myself, but this time I'm giving a little extra.
One thing that I realized is that while yes, I've had many babies in a very short span of time, I have lots of experience to draw from, I am more in tune to what baby and I need because of my experience.
So I thought we could share with one another what we have learned or done different from one pregnancy to the next. Some of the things we have learned from our experiences as grand multiparas (one more baby and I'm a 'great' grand mutipara! LOL!) What have you done to make each pregnancy better and healthier?
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Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
Josephine born 6.11.12
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Martha
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| Posted: Feb 07 2007 at 8:25am | IP Logged
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Oh great thread!
I'll list several things. Please bear in mind that I have severe HMG with each pregnancy, so my coping strategies are rather strict.
Eat teeny amounts of protein rich foods every other hour. With Bridget my dh, in desperation to get some hydration in me, found a wonderful soy Chai tea protein drink. Sounds disgusting. Looked weird. Tasted great. I had 1 ounce every hour and it even stayed down half the time.
Every other hour opposite the protein, have a small amount of light carbs. An ounce of dry cereal like cheerios for example. cereals are great for this. quick, no mess, no fuss, light on the stomache, and they are enriched with some nutrients. Other great options are lightly sweet pluck and eat fruits. These are helpful for thirst too.
gross but helpful - use the kitchen sink rather than the trash or potty. After about the 200th time, the shoulders and ribcage get extrememely sore and tender the the touch.
find a throne and rule from it. make the princes and princesses come to the queen, rather than the queen scurring every where. You can grade papers from the recliner/sofa just as easily as anywhere else, but from these locations you can doze off for quick bits of rest. Give orders and expect them to be carried out. Maybe not like mom would do it, but still done. (It doesn't have to be perfect to be perfectly fine!) Daddy will deal with any rebels when he returns home from work.
I'm sure there's dozens of other little bits of info I follow naturally at this point, but I'm not pregnant today and therefore can't remember them at the moment. 
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Martha
mama to 7 boys & 4 girls
Yes, they're all ours!
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saintanneshs
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Oh, I'm looking forward to gaining lots of wisdom from this thread!!
For me, during this last pregnancy (#5) I quit getting up before the kids in the morning and slept until they woke me up (I switched my morning devotional time to the afternoons). This cut down on the # of trips to the bathroom to throw up, at least in the early morning it did (BAD morning sickness). I also think that the little bit of extra sleep, like an hour or so, was the only time I could do what everyone was telling me to do ("REST") and... during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters I had more energy than I've ever had in any of my pregnancies.
Makes you wonder...
Hang in there, Lisa!
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Kristine
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Lisbet
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| Posted: Feb 07 2007 at 11:17am | IP Logged
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Martha, I think I may be drinking that protein chi tea your talking about, Bolthouse Farms was it? YUM! My 'morning sickness' lasts all day long, but I hardly actually vomit, my stomach just feels real swirly and I have an ultra sensitive gag reflex. (brushing my teeth can be scary!)
I know too that protien is key for energy now and later. I feel pretty wore down right now, but I know it's totally normal in this stage. I have tons of helpers. It's also very helpful that my husband has been making an effort to be home earlier, that alone works magic! 
__________________
Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
Josephine born 6.11.12
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Martha
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| Posted: Feb 07 2007 at 11:40am | IP Logged
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Lisbet wrote:
Martha, I think I may be drinking that protein chi tea your talking about, Bolthouse Farms was it? YUM! My 'morning sickness' lasts all day long, but I hardly actually vomit, my stomach just feels real swirly and I have an ultra sensitive gag reflex. (brushing my teeth can be scary!)
I know too that protien is key for energy now and later. I feel pretty wore down right now, but I know it's totally normal in this stage. I have tons of helpers. It's also very helpful that my husband has been making an effort to be home earlier, that alone works magic! |
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Yep! That's the one! Can you believe one of those little bottles would take me an entire day to nurse my way through? 
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Martha
mama to 7 boys & 4 girls
Yes, they're all ours!
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Lisbet
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Sounds like you get way sicker than I do. Mine is actually a big quart size bottle, they have the smaller ones, but I opted for the big one. I also got the veggie juice, and it's really good too.
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Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
Josephine born 6.11.12
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Sherry
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Mega-multi-para here--
--Power bars--my fave is oatmeal peanut butter (or something similar)for extra protein and energy
--lime juice in water (a natural remedy for nausea; use the little squeeze bottle from the fruit section of the grocery store so you can take it with you and take it "straight" if needed)
--powdered ginger, which I put a little of in my mouth to stave off sudden nausea
--Alfalfa tabs and black strap molasses to build your blood, etc.
--peppered beef jerkey--even better than energy bars for protein, and the pepper somehow settles my stomach
--flavored (unsweetened)seltzer water, like lime- cranberry
--hot water bottle to the back or tummy
--daily nap in the afternoon
--two uplifting, gripping novels--one to read aloud to the kids, one to read before sleeping. I was enjoying a biography of Sam Adams last time
--taking the pressure off--staying away from negative relatives, etc. until you feel better, or perhaps until 6 weeks post partum!--limiting pressure-filled activities
--going on a trip--you get out of under the weight of your daily routine and distracted by new surroundings, people and activities--we traveled to South Dakota last spring and I enjoyed a brief reprieve from my morning sickness
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momwise
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I don't have too many tips for the sickness, except chewing on candied ginger.
I had my last 3 from ages 36-44. I hemmoraged (sp?) with my 1st 4 and hardly bled with the last 3. I took 4-6 alfalfa tablets a day for about the last 4 months.
I used protein powder in 20 gram scoops about every other day. It's not too bad if you blend frozen fruit into a shake; the thicker the shake the less I mind the powder.
You probably already know about the raspberry leaf tea. I drank about a quart a day, cold, for a uterine toner (also the last few months).
Like everyone said, the naps are important. Warm baths helped a lot. A really good belly binder. I tried some digestive enzymes for the heartburn but I never found anything that worked as good as Tums.
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Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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Sherry
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 1:41pm | IP Logged
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I had forgotten about the candied ginger--that's what works best.
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Angel
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Lisa, my nausea sounds a lot like yours. I feel icky for most of the day, but don't actually do much (if any) vomiting. Still, the taste of water will sometimes make me sick to my stomach, and the smell of hardboiled eggs in the refrigerator right now is enough to make me want to go sit down for a while.
I find I feel a lot better if I ingest a lot of protein at breakfast, because my stomach usually feels ickier as the day goes on. (I'm drinking that protein chai drink, too!  ) I found some bagels (Thomas) made with soy flour, so they're high in protein as well, and I've been eating those at breakfast time. If I can take it, I'll also have an egg.
I do better with drinking for snacks, so I'll have yogurt and/or fruit smoothies pretty often.
Around dinner time, I find that I do best with salads and not a whole lot of protein. (Also, for some reason I can never do chicken in my first trimester.) I can't tolerate milk and ginger ale helps a little bit, but I have to go brush my teeth afterwards or else the aftertaste gets me.
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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Lisbet
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Angela, Seems that Chai drink is a popular one among pregnant women! I can only brush my teeth once a day, and that's hard enough. My gag reflex is sooo strong!
__________________
Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
Josephine born 6.11.12
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Cathmomof8
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I have all sorts of back/hip problems with pregnancies. This last pregnancy - our 8th and me 41yo, I couldn't believe the difference good shoes - at home and away- and an air mattress (you know, the kind you can adjust how firm to make your side of the bed) made. When will I learn?! ;) I think the other thing though that made a huge difference was doing nightly stretches - slow stretches towards my toes, both sitting on a chair and reaching forward on the floor with toes flexed. My back was in great shape with NO trips to the chiropractor. The three previous pregnancies I spent LOTS of time and money on chiropractic care just to function.
HTH.
Theresia
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Sherry
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Theresia, could you share what you mean by "good shoes"?
Sherry
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juststartn
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Ok, I'm going to feel really silly. But what is the differentiation between the levels of motherhood? LOL. I'm "only" on my fourth pregnancy (but having babies 4/5)...so what does that make me? LOL
I'm just curious. I am finding all of this advice to be extremely useful (since I hope that this pregnancy is not my last, and I have a IRL friend who is currently expecting #5 herself, and can use all of the help she can get. She'll likely have at least a couple more herself (she's a repeat c-sec due to botched military record keeping).
I already knew about the RRL tea, and the air mattress--we're getting one in the next month or so....ah, bliss!!! I hadn't heard about the alfalfa. What is the dosage that you were taking? I'm getting some in the prenatals I am taking already....but just want to know about how much to aim for. I don't have bleeding problems, but having twins is a whole new ballgame.
Thanks for this thread, ladies.
Rachel
__________________
Married DH 4/1/95
Lily 3/11/00
Helena(Layna) 5/23/02
Sophia 4/19/04
John 5/7/07
David 5/7/07
Ava Maria, in the arms of Jesus, 9/5/08
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Cathmomof8
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Sherry,
I have loved to wear for years my kinda big cloddy shoes with a 2 inch heel or so - vanity, vanity. But last pregnancy I realized that my back would start to hurt just in the time that I had dressed and blow dried my hair - not a good sign. So I went hunting for something that didn't look too 'orthopedic' but had support and was comfortable. And of course, it was winter so I had to have a black pair and something I could wear with my brown maternity cords that I had recently bought. :) So I found a pair of black aerosoles, no real heal to speak of but looked good with my jeans (another true confession?????) and also I bought a pair of lace up shoes that looked like a cross between tennis shoes and hiking shoes - they are a yellowish tan (that sounds kinda ugly but they aren't bad). I wear these still almost everyday around the house and if I go to work in the nursing home. I have my eye on a couple pair of suedeleather tennis shoes in brown and black but $49 on sale isn't a sale to me.
That was awfully long winded for what could have been a simple answer. sorry about that. 
Theresia - who should go watch the Land of the Lost DVD with the family ha ha Is it just us or do others rent old sitcoms??
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Sherry
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Theresia,
We check our old series out from the library--our latest was Stargate, but we also did Combat (all the seasons on DVD--we're talking years and years) and own some Macgiver seasons.
Have you ever heard of Sky Angel? It is the only Christian satellite service, and they carry Catholic programming. They play a lot of old series and good movies, as well as preaching and teaching, HGTV and Hallmark. It's lots cheaper than regular satellite, too.
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momwise
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juststartn wrote:
| I hadn't heard about the alfalfa. What is the dosage that you were taking? I'm getting some in the prenatals I am taking already....but just want to know about how much to aim for. I don't have bleeding problems, but having twins is a whole new ballgame. |
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My dose was high but I had pretty bad bleeding after all of my first 4. They are huge pills but I took 4-6 per day ( I rotated 4-5-6) and took Sunday off  . I bet a smaller dose would be pretty effective if you have no blood volume issues.
__________________
Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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juststartn
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Cool. Thanks.
Rachel
__________________
Married DH 4/1/95
Lily 3/11/00
Helena(Layna) 5/23/02
Sophia 4/19/04
John 5/7/07
David 5/7/07
Ava Maria, in the arms of Jesus, 9/5/08
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Nina Murphy
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Oh, this is a great thread. I have loved reading everyone's experiences.
--Metamucil therapy nightly for the digestion issues.
--A chelated form of iron (for the digestion issues!), more needed esp. for multips (how are your blood-iron levels when they're tested mid-pregnancy? Last two pregs. mine have been low even with a good diet, iron.)
--Support hose started earlier or periodic elevation of legs and pelvis (esp. before dinner hour if swelling mid-day is a problem).
--Make sure to wait a bit, staying there, squeeze a little--gently--to completely empty the bladder. Last two pregs increasing incontinence and infection tendency for me (that's after #6...) and that's what was suggested. What number are you on again, Lisa?
(Yes, I drip now at every cough and sneeze...do you ladies? I don't know if those kegels really do anything once you go past a certain number!  )
--Omega 3/Flax Oils for Pregnant Women
--DAILY naps, not just rests, even if kids have to kind of "entertain themselves". Actual sleep. Crucial.
--Don't exercise if your instinct says not to, even if you are made to feel like a slug. It's just too risky in some cases. Read a book called A Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy---author has four-- to get this perspective... (although def. a worldlier book, I liked this section after my last two high-risk pregnancies).
--LISTEN TO YOUR BODY and sit down or stop what you're doing or lie down if you feel the instinct. Your body will let you know if you've overdone it...too late.
--EAT whenever you are feeling (even questioning) that your body is needing nutrition; don't watch your weight and be nervous about eating if you are hungry or low-blood sugar. Weight, size is not a good indicator of how nourished you are or not. You still may need more to get through...in other words, eat for energy OR eat to rest (sometimes food is the only thing that will "sedate" me when I am pregnant...you know: food coma?)
Anyway, let me know if you want more ideas but I think I've been writing enough!
Hugs,
--
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God bless,
~~Nina
mother of 9 on earth,
and 2 yet-to-be-met
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Maturemomg
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I have (had) a great midwife- the same one through 5 pregnancies and 4 miscarriages. (I had 2 before that with another midwife in another city.)
She says (and makes sense to me) that in your early 20s, if you can't easily carry a baby to term without major problmes, something must be really wrog with you.
BUT, when you start getting up there in years and after multiple pregnancies, YOU better do your part.
When I was pg at 48, God gave me some pretty clear (nothing new or earth shattering here) insights.
1. NOTHING is more important right now than taking care of yourself. This baby is TOTALLY dependent on YOU and if you don't do your part, s/he will suffer. That's pretty plain and simple. So if the rest of the family subsides on canned pineapple and peanut butter on crackers for a few months, so be it, they'll live. Use paper plates, wear the same clothes 3-5 days in a row (except underwear and socks), whatever.
2. I had 3 areas that I took care of each day, without fail.
A. Great diet (not just good- great). No empty calories, lots of protein, fresh veggies and fruit, etc.
B. Exercise. Dreaded exercise. I walked an hour daily (bought a treadmill), 6 days a week. I will admit that during the last 4-6 weeks it was more like attempt to waddle for 45 minutes!
c. Solid prayer life. This was/is JSUT as important as what you eat or anything else. I needed to stay closely tuned in with God. Now, in my case, our little one was obviously such a miracle, thsi was easy. My whole pregnancy felt completly enshrouded in a protective bubble and no evil of any kind, no evil thoughts or words or attitudes from others could penetrate or reach me. It was amazing.
Anyway, I never had a "hard" pg, but I can truthfully say that my pg at 48 was easy and the delivery was also fairly easy.
PTL!
Yours in Christ,
Kathy
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Grand Multip 'Tips'
