A little nervous

[Athena-Nadine]

I am not feeling very well, and before I call my doctor I thought I’d check with those of you who have already had children.

My abdomen keeps getting really tight—can I be having some type of contractions at only almost 16 weeks already? I don’t really have any pain, and I’m not bleeding. Also, I didn’t have morning sickness my first trimester, but now I get nauseous almost every time I eat. And I’ve been feeling a bit lightheaded/woozy since yesterday.

I can read all the books there are, but I’ve never been through any of this before. This is my third pregnancy, but it is the first one that has made it past 6 weeks. Have any of you ever been through this? Should I call my doctor?

[HorseCrow]

Your tummy tightening is called Braxton Hicks and are natural and not dangerous in any way- it is the uterus toning. As long as there is no pain and/or bleeding, there is no cause for alarm.

Lightheadedness/woozyness could be a sign of low blood pressure or iron deficiency. Are you getting enough fluids throughout the day? At least 8 glasses of water a day. And do you get enough iron? 50-70 mg daily.

The only reason you should call your doc, would be to get your bloodpressure checked as well as your HgB.

[SSanf]

You are one smart, informed poster! I ADMIRE THAT!

[HorseCrow]

Oh- nausea can come at any time during pregnancy, here are a few tips:

To prevent:

Avoid low bloodsugar as this brings on nausea; eat small, frequent meals, rich in protein.

Walk a mile a day, to prevent the build up of nausea causing hormones in the body.

Increase your iron and vit.B-complex intake (esp. B1 and B6). 10- 20 mg a day.

Eat unsalted crackers or dry toast, before getting out of bed.

Get out of bed SLOWLY, avoiding sudden movements or sitting up fast.

Avoid greasy and spicy foods.

Drink a cup of Anise and/or Fennel seed tea when you wake up and before getting out of bed.

Add one teaspoon of apple cider to 8 ounzes of warm water and drink, first thing in the morning.

To combat (in order of increasing strength- start of with the mild ones, before moving on to the stronger ones! The ones at the bottom of the list are only for severe nausea):

Fresh air- open the window or go outside. It can do wonders. Think of something other than the nausea, as thinking of it makes it worse. watch TV, read or talk.

Rasberry leaf tea- sip 1- 3 cups throughout the day.

Tea made from dried peach leaves.

Sip Peppermint or Spearmint tea throughout the day.

Ginger root tea, sip 2- 3 cups throughout the day.

Wild Yam Root tea, sip throughout the day.

B6 vitamin 25 mg x 3 daily.

Ginger root capsules (250 mg x 4 daily).

[Kalika]

Sounds like you are probably having Braxton Hicks contractions - though, if you're worried, ALWAYS call the doctor. That's what they are there for.

I had these kind of contractions from early on... the only thing I'd notice is that my stomach would get really tight, kind of like I was flexing a muscle... then it would loosen. Never bothered me other than that, but I had them right up until I went in to have him.

:hugz:

If you're worried, or its bothersome... like I said, call your doc. They'll either have you come in to check you out, or reassure you that nothing is wrong. :)

[Seren_]

I didn't really have morning sickness, either, but I've had some nausea throughout my pregnancy, just on and off. I figured it was just me adjusting to yet more hormones or something.

I only started getting Braxton-Hicks after about 32 weeks, but most books I've read say the average woman will start getting them from 20 weeks onwards. Looks like you're an early bloomer in that department. They won't cause your cervix to start dilating or anything like that, and they should be painless - though one woman I took parenting classes with got them quite severely and ended up in hospital most weeks thinking she'd gone into premature labour. She was at 38 weeks at that time, and she and baby were doing fine.

It sounds like your body is just doing normal pregnancy stuff, but I know it can be a bit freaky. It was a bit worrying feeling my muscles stretch every few weeks or so as I got bigger, and it was quite uncomfortable at times. But my midwife said it was all normal, provided it wasn't painful and there was no blood.

[Mother Goose]

You've already gotten some excellent advice. I just wanted to send you some calming vibes. :smile: As Kalika said....if you're still worried do call your dr. It never hurts to let him/her know what you're experiencing. :hugz:

[frigga]

Here, here to everything said. Don't worry it's normal and natural...sending some calm also! :shift:

[Jenne]

I had BH like this--and same kind of wooziness/dizziness with the m/s. HC's advice is sound (it's her metier after all! ;) ). Also, make sure when you're standing to have one foot up, one foot down, and put your feet up when sitting. DRINK A LOT OF WATER!!!!!!! Can't stress this enough when it's hot out! Dehydration is one of the main reasons for preterm labor.

:hugz: and calming vibes--get some rest after you see the doctor, ok?

[Semele]

:hugz: You have a small tummy and it is not unusual for women to feel the Braxton hicks contractions this early when they are small. With your history though and just to set your mind at ease go ahead and call the doc and just let them know. You are going to do so anyway! ;) That way the doc can set your mind at ease.

[Rhianna813]

Just wanted to add..... when I was around 4-5 months pregnant I experienced a lot of dizziness. Usually after getting up from sitting and walking around but sometimes just when I was standing. It would sometimes feel like the blood was draining from my face and arms.

My blood pressure and iron were great and I was eating lots of food and protein. After I talked to me midwife she said that I was right at the stage when my blood vessels were expanding to acomodate my increased blood supply but the blood volume had not caught up yet. Most women never notice this at all..... but for some reason I was really sensitive to it. It got better in a couple of weeks.... just like she said it would.

But I am sorta a dizzy person anyway LOL And I felt like I was on a boat almost my whole pregnancy.

Rhianna

[Ceres]

I second (and third and fourth) everything thats been said. You may want to use Bach's Rescue Remedy (its homeopathic) when you start to feel panicky about things. It calms wonderfully. Many women use it during labour to help alleviate the fear that can make your labour longer and more painful.

[Athena-Nadine]

Sorry this took so long. The power has been going out in our building all morning. :smash:

Thanks, everyone. I know I’m probably a little over-paranoid because I’ve already had two pregnancies fail. I try not to panic over every little twinge and pain, but sometimes it’s difficult because all of this is completely beyond my experience.

I drink around 80 ounces of water a day, and that doesn’t include milk, or juice. I also eat about 8 times a day. I have for years because I have a tendency towards low blood sugar. My blood pressure on a normal day is right around 90/60, and it has been holding steady since I got pregnant because I am extremely diligent in making sure my blood sugar doesn’t fall. I’m sure all of these things contributed to the lightheadedness.

Besides the understandable paranoia caused by losing two pregnancies, I worry at times because my mother has Graves Disease and I carry anti-thyroid antibodies, though I still have perfectly normal thyroid function (at the moment). A lot of the symptoms of a thyroid problem are very similar to low blood sugar. While my doctor considers me low risk for this pregnancy so far, she has been having my blood drawn at every visit so she can monitor my thyroid function.

Anyway, I called my doctor while I was waiting for the power to come back on in my office, and she told me to come in, that everything was most likely perfectly fine, but that with my history she didn’t want to take any chances.

Everything is fine, just like you all said. :) The baby has an extremely loud heartbeat and gets pretty annoyed when she’s poked with the Doppler (she turns into a little jumping bean :lol: ). My uterus is exactly the size it should be. My cervix is long, closed, and very high. I don’t have to go back until Sept. 27th and that will be for my 20 week ultrasound.

HorseCrow, I printed out all the information you gave me so I don’t have to go looking for it again. :) I’m very lucky that I always have all of you to come to when I’m worried or unsure about something.

[HorseCrow]

That is so good to hear, glad everything is as it should- sounds like you have a strong, healthy baby in there. Enjoy her! :hugz:

[Kalika]

:hugz:

I'm glad to hear that everything is ok!!

[frigga]

Yay for Ok babe! :acheeer:

[Lunacie]

http://yelims.free.fr/SpecialNouveauxNes/Bebe25.gif
:woot:

Most moms are almost as nervous as you are with the first pregnancy, even without a history of miscarriage. So many things are happening with your body and your hormones, and they keep changing from week to week. I wish I had kept a journal during my pregnancy. I know I was dizzy quite often, seems to run in the family with my daughter as well.

[Mother Goose]

:yayhawaii I'm so happy to hear the good news of your little jumping bean!! :jumprope:

[Faery-Wings]

Athena, I am glad you have such a thorough and understanding doc. And when all else fails, Horse Crow is just simply amazing.

Lots of luck to you and the jumping bean.
:)

[Rhianna813]

Glad everything is OK and I don't blame you for being paranoid. It sounds like a natural reaction due to your history. Our feelings are powerful and important especially in pregnancy. Take care!!

Rhianna

[atropa]

Athena, I am glad you have such a thorough and understanding doc. And when all else fails, Horse Crow is just simply amazing.

Lots of luck to you and the jumping bean.
:)

Yes, we love HorseCrow! I've had alot of them too, and they can be uncomfortable every now and then. Don't worry about being over paranoid, I haven't had the problems you've had and I'm still that way. This is just the beginning of your lifetime of worry lol! My Stella doesn't like the doppler either. And there's nothing wrong with going to get something checked out jut to be safe either. Better safe than sorry.

[HorseCrow]

You guys..... :bigredblu