I am 24 weeks into my 7th pregnancy. Overall, I love being pregnant and truly enjoy this time. I have very few complaints, but these are my "issues" : back pain and muscle discomfort, hemorrhoids, and varicose veins. Each of these show up earlier and become more pronounced with each pregnancy. They also get progressively worse as the day goes on. The more I'm on my feet, the more uncomfortable I become. Towards the end of they day, I'm moving pretty slow and the "waddle" is my main mode of transportation.
I've discovered two very simple things that help substantially. The first is a warm bath. I know that sitting in hot tubs and raising my body temperature are dangerous, so I'm not talking about boiling myself in a tub filled with superheated water. But soaking in a nice warm tub for 15-20 minutes before I go to bed reduces swelling of all types and helps relax my muscles. Also, just getting off my feet and laying down for 30 minutes in the middle of the day is a very good thing.
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| This is SOOOO not a picture of me, but doesn't she look relaxed?! |
The second fix is a pregnancy belt which helps with back support. It reduces the pressure of my expanding mid-section on my lower body. I only wear it about half of the day, but it sure makes a difference.
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| Again, not me, but this is the same support that I have. |
My doctor suggested compression stockings, but I'm not sure if it's worth it or not. In order to fix my most affected area, I would need the full up and over the belly stockings. Seriously, I'm going to the bathroom about once an hour and I think I'd become seriously annoyed having to take them on and off so many times a day. Anyone have any advice here?
Also, my doctor had always told me to wait off on having varicose veins treated until I was done having children. Since I don't know when that will be, I had figured that this would just be a cross for me to bear. However, I did hear that some specialists are fixing varicose veins between pregnancies now. Anyone have any experience with that?
God Bless!
Heather :-)
I LOVE the compression hose, over the belly ones, only for how much they have drastically cut back on my problems with my veins and I NEVER had issues with the hemorrhoids WHEN I started to wear them.
ReplyDeleteThey are tight and uncomfortable but I found them easier to deal with than the belt. I hated the belt! Ugh!
Let me say, I had such a terrible time with both forms of vein issues during my first pregnancy, I ended up with thrombosed hemerrhoids in the ER one weekend only to have to see a rectal surgeon. There was nothing they could do since the veins had blood in them. I was prescribed rest (off of the feet...do not sit...do NOT sit on a donut pillow since all the pressure is put on the hemorrhoids) and tylenol with codeine. Very, very serious!
My mother also has had blood clots due to her veins. She has had emergency surgery to remove them from her groin...all due to pregnancies. All hereditary.
Even though I have to go to the bathroom a lot...even though I can only wear them for about half a day...I have had no issues with the hemorrhoids while wearing the hose. They are that worth it!
Buy them big and buy them for $8 a pair at Motherhood. Do NOT pay a fortune through a medical magazine. I have been wearing the same two pair since week 14. (I wash them weekly of course.)
Are the veins in my legs gone? No. But they would be worse with each pregnancy if I had not worn them at all. They keep the damage down to a minimum. HOse and excellent support shoes.
I hope to have the veins fixed only once, and that is when my child bearing years are over :)
You are going to laugh, but we also have a bidet. David put a little one in on our toilet. Cleaning naturally with water rather than paper and rubbing completely stops all irritation. Hope that wasn't TMI, but I never want to see a rectal surgeon again! LOL
Prayers for you. I can't believe you did the craft show as far along as you are. However, I suppose that could be a real treat to get away and focus on your business.:) I hope you are able to enjoy that bath and get some help for your varicose veins. Looking forward to our next time together.:)
ReplyDeletePatty-
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience. I have also been to the rectal surgeon after my 3rd pregnancy and can say I'm in no hurry to go back! I think I'll be making a trip to Motherhood (or visiting online) to get a pair of stockings...you make it sound worth it! I keep offering this up the discomfort for the souls of my children. That's why we put ourselves through this, isn't it?
Grace-
It was a nice time away and great to spend two days with my mom. She lives 500 miles away, so it was nice to catch up and just hang out with her.
That tub sure looks relaxing...ahhh....Glad to hear that you have found some remedies and relief. Thankfully, I haven't had issues with hemorrhoids or the vericose veins. I'm having more of teh spider vein issue and minor leg swelling these last two pregnancies. Certainly not much to complain about.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who is 33 and just had baby #4 in the spring. Just had her vericose veins done in both legs because they were so painful and really needed to be tended to. She struggled for the first week or two at most, but I think right now is so far happy with the results. She went ahead with the procedure, despite her husband (who is a family practice doctor) not really being for it. Fortunately, her insurance is covering it because her deductible was met with the birth of the baby earlier this year and also because it was medically necessary and not for cosmetic reasons. (That may be the clincher in me not getting my spider veins done one day, my insurance won't cover because it will be considered 'cosmetic'.)
Good luck!
Sarah-
ReplyDeleteAhhh...the lovely spider veins. I have those too, but they really aren't causing me any discomfort - just visually unappealing! Is your friend pretty certain she's done having children that she had the procedure done on her varicose veins? I'm wondering how it would "hold up". I haven't checked into insurance...wonder what my coverage is, if any?
Wow, wish I would have used the support hose if I could have avoided the bulging vericose veins that I have now. I only had 5 children but they got progressively worse and I had a terribly large and painful clot with this last one. What I'm trying to say is that I empathize sister! No miraculous advice, just good old motherly support. Those baths are a great help and trying to stay off the feet...yeah right! Hang in there. I still live with mine since I heard that there really is no permanent fix to the thick and bulging kind...the blood finds a new path eventually. Wearing long pants in the summer has been a painful reality...Let me know if you find out some new technique that I haven't heard of! God Bless you and hang in there! Now that's a new one...maybe hanging upside down might help! LOL
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