I never forgot about this blog, but I did get pretty side tracked by life. I just published a blog post about preparing for Reyna's birth that I wrote long ago. Well, Reyna is now almost two and I am set to deliver my second baby in the next few weeks! That said, my second pregnancy has gotten complicated in the third trimester. I am writing a guest post on my experience for another blog, but figured I would share the more detailed post here as well. Hopefully I will find some time to go back and fill in the gaps, and post some new content and recipes soon. Nutrition, Healthcare, and Intrahepatic Cholestatis of Pregnancy (ICP)Amanda is a holistic nutritionist. her blog can be found at amandabrowningnutrition.weebly.com/blog
I am currently 37 weeks pregnant with my second baby. Almost five weeks ago I was diagnosed with a liver disorder called intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), which essentially means that my liver is not removing toxins properly, causing them to build up in my blood and skin. I woke up one night with intense itching and burning on the palms of my hands and soles of my feet. I tried everything I could think of to stop it, but nothing worked and I lay awake for hours thinking I might go insane. I googled my symptoms and texted Amanda at 1am saying “I think I have ICP and I am freaking out”. I read a bunch of online information about ICP and called my midwife who sent me to the hospital for testing. Though I believe much of the confusion and fear I experienced through this ordeal has been due to the uninformed resident I dealt with in the birthing unit that first day, I was sent home with the clear message that there was nothing I could do to change my condition. The baby should be fine, but the toxins in my blood would continue to build, my symptoms would worsen until I delivered the placenta, probably by a medical induction as early as 36 weeks. Any liver damage I would sustain would be “reversible”, and as long as the baby was delivered before the risks of still birth increased he would be healthy. There was medication I would take which may or may not help my symptoms which the doctor told me to “try or not, up to you”, and my care would be transferred from midwife to O.B. I would be closely monitored and come back for weekly tests at the hospital. Now, I fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum between “granola” mom, and what I will call “convenience” mom. I am practical, but of course I want the best for my family, and am willing to make certain sacrifices (like time) to make things from scratch, or do things the hard way. When it comes to health care, I take as few drugs as possible, and believe in getting a second or third opinion on any medical advice (especially after this experience with ICP!). After getting over the initial shock of my diagnosis and the disappointing implication that I would probably not get to experience another natural unmedicated midwife-assisted birth like I had with my first baby (and would suffer insane itching every night for the next 5 weeks), I became suspicious of the conclusion that there was just nothing I could do to help my condition. This is where Amanda comes in. I figured I would try the medication I had been prescribed, but when I went to the pharmacy I found that it cost $450, and I would need two refills. My husband and I don’t have insurance and while we could afford it (and had tons of offers for help), I decided to try and deal with my symptoms another way before spending that kind of money on a drug the doctor wasn’t sure would work, and could potentially further stress out my liver. Amanda went straight to work researching and consulting other holistic practitioners for me. She vehemently disagreed that my lifestyle and nutrition choices had no impact on my liver health, and gave me advice on immediate changes I could make to decrease the amount of toxins I was ingesting, and detox my liver. These included: Cutting out sugar, flour, processed foods, caffeine, animal fats, canned food, and dairy. Switching to natural products for laundry, deodorant, moisturizer etc. Eating smaller meals more often. Taking dandelion chamomile tea four times a day, and drinking tons of water with lemon. She also suggested using positive affirmations about my body, and daily yoga/stretching. I will admit that at first glance the list sounded daunting. And most people I told about the plan wrote it off as impossible, though some did acknowledge that “you gotta do what’s best for you and the baby”. Having done a sugar detox before I knew it would be possible, though perhaps not fun. So I did it. At first it was easy, because obviously my future health (ability to have more kids, avoid future liver problems) and the health of my unborn child are extremely motivating. I ate tons of beans, veggies, and chicken, and I didn’t touch anything on the bad food list. At this point my midwife had received my initial test results and was confused as to why I was confirmed as having ICP, since my bile salt tests (a “hard” marker for the disorder) were not yet back, and beyond having mild symptoms my liver enzyme tests showed only slightly elevated, but not dangerous levels of urate. My symptoms had also begun to ease. I slept through the night because I was exhausted, but itchiness on my hands and feet sometimes lingered during the day, and started in the early evening, especially if I got to hot. My itching stopped completely about three days after it had started, though I noticed a few other symptoms such as orange urine and light colored stool. The next week I had a second round of tests. I felt awful that day and had to leave work because I was dizzy and tired. I had caught a bad cold and had fever, chills, and a very sore back. The hospital did a urine test to rule out kidney infection, and monitored to me to make sure I wasn’t in early labour. They found that I was very dehydrated, and that my urate levels had slightly increased over the last week. The doctor told me I needed to eat more sugar and suggested I drink ginger ale and juice instead of water. As horrible as all that sounds, I was slightly relived, though ever more confused. I still had no idea if the changes I was making had any effect, and the doctor wasn’t very helpful at answering my questions (because though my midwives had decided that I was now under O.B. care, but the hospital disagreed, so the doctor didn’t think she should make recommendations since I wasn’t technically her patient. Communication was very bad), but my urate levels were still well below the danger zone, so even if I kept increasing each week, I stood a good chance of not being too toxic when it came time to give birth. When I got home and did even more research, I found that dehydration can cause skewed liver enzyme tests! I kept up my diet plan, but relaxed it a little. Obviously I disregarded the doctor’s advice to add sugary drinks to my diet, but I had been finding it tough to know what to eat, so I had just been avoiding eating. My cold had killed by appetite, and I had lost about three pounds. It was also holiday season so there was constant temptation. I started focusing on hydration, added in a vegan sugar free electrolyte drink once a day, and was basically drinking at least 15 cups of water. I also let myself eat more fruit and stress less about following every rule all the time. For example, I ate a piece of cake at our Christmas lunch at work. I had some gravy on my Christmas turkey. I guiltlessly added a teaspoon of jam to my oatmeal. I enjoyed the rare decaf latte with soy milk. Put cheese on my cauliflower-crust pizza. At my week three tests I got some good news. I felt had been feeling great since getting over my cold and was completely symptom free for about four days. My bile salt test results were finally back and they showed that my levels were only slightly high. The put it in context, 6 is normal, 40 is really high, and I was at 7. Barely toxic! I meant I still had a positive diagnosis, but that there were more options for my care, and the O.B. might be more flexible on my induction date. Also, my urate levels had dropped below what they were at my initial test two weeks prior. I left the hospital feeling great and encouraged to continue with my diet changes. After meeting with my midwife again, I have been told that as long as I remain symptom free (and I have so far), my care will continue on with the midwife as normal. Hospital testing is done, and hopefully I will go into labour normally. The O.B. does not recommend letting me go back my due date, but pretty much my baby is going to be allowed to go to full term and come when he is ready! I still have not received any additional bile salt test results to compare with the first week. Reading over what I have just written and considering my personal circumstances, one might write off my results as luck, or say that I never should have been worried in the first place. I myself have thought this on many occasions and still personally question whether I have this disorder or not. However, what I have learned without a doubt it that my nutrition absolutely plays a role in how I feel. I am 37 weeks along and feeling amazing. Besides being constantly kicked in the ribs and not being able to bend over, I have zero nasty pregnancy symptoms. I feel empowered and in control of my own health care and my own body. I have confidence in my ability to give birth and to advocate for myself and my baby. At this point I don’t know how the birth will go and of course there is always the chance of complication, but I feel very content and excited about the pending arrival of my son and ready for any challenges that come with that!
My husband and I love food. We have been delighted to find that our daughter does as well. We were itching to give her solids early on, but waiting until she was just about 6 months old. At first she did not seem very excited, but that was because she was no fan of rice cereal! At 9 months she eats whatever is on my plate and in my cup. It's actually quite maddening!
My sister is studying holistic nutrition and has been making changes in her own diet to better her health. After hearing about the many benefits and dangers of certain foods, and watching a few Netflix documentaries. Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, is a documentary about one man's experience with juice cleansing. He sets out to cure a chronic illness. He succeeds in this regard, and losses 90lbs in the process, but more importantly, inspires a whole bunch of other people to do the same - myself included! I won't get too into the details because you could just watch the movie yourself! In addition to this, I have good reason to believe that cutting down on meat and sugar are very important steps toward a healthy diet. I want to lose weight (I've never been happy with my shape and have drifted between 160 and 229lbs in my adult life, including my pregnancy), but this is not the sole motivation for changing my family's diet. I want my baby to grow up with good eating habits, and I my husband and I want to see our great grandchildren! I am currently doing the Dr. Oz two week rapid weight loss plan. It promises weight loss, but what it really does is cleanse! Details here http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-ozs-3-day-detox-cleanse-one-sheet Once I am done the cleanse, I plan to add back in a couple things (like coffee with skim milk), but mostly maintain the diet of tons of healthy veg, less meat, and less wheat and sugar. I am currently on day 12 of this diet. I have to admit that I cheated a few times. My husband's birthday was this week and we had a few dinners out to celebrate. My main issue was dessert, as I was generally able to avoid grains and dairy otherwise.
The good news is that I am down a solid 8lbs. After the weekend (when my cheating meals occurred) I was back up a little bit, but it didn't stay. I have noticed my hips and stomach are less flabby and I feel amazing. The best thing about this plan is that I am never hungry! I drink lots of water and veggie juice, and fill up on healthy dishes. I often find I don't even need to eat the rice serving. I will share some more of the meals I have created to inspire you! Check out the recipe section. And you know what, because this plan about getting healthier and treating my body better (vs. a low cal or fad diet meant strictly to lose weight), a little slip doesn't even matter! Even though I am at the end of the two weeks, I am going to continue the plan. I want to do one more week adhering strictly to the plan, but after that I will just add a few things that I really miss. For example, I love coffee with milk, so I will allow myself to have one coffee a day with milk. I will eat grains, but my family will swap out refined grains for gluten free and whole grains, like millet, quinoa, almond or coconut flour, and whole wheat flour. Though I am working to improve my family's health overall, I am also looking for ways to lose weight while breast feeding. I have found my milk very temperamental when it came to my diet. Whenever I have attempted to cut back my calorie intake my pumping comes to a complete stop.
Anyway, my sister recommended I try Dr Oz 2 Week Rapid Weightloss Diet because you can still eat a lot, just not certain foods. You can find more information and instructions by following the link, but the main ideas are as follows: No dairy (except 1 cup plain greek yogurt per day) No sugar or substitutes No grains (except 1/2 cup brown rice per day) No caffeine (except green tea) No alcohol Breakfast smoothy 1 serving of lean protein per day Unlimited low glycemic veggies Unlimited veggie broth I have decided to forgo the broth and continue juicing my veggies. I will leave out the fruit for the next two weeks. My husband is not doing the cleanse/diet, but will partly participate out of necessity. He will eat the same protein as me (maybe a larger serving), and he will eat the veggie dishes I make, but he will get his own carb/grain dish to make sure he is satisfied. I also won't regulate his beer or sugar consumption because let's he serious, I don't need that stress in my life. This diet promises fast weight loss over the two weeks (double digits even!), but I am treating it more as a kick start to my healthier diet including fewer grains, refined sugars, and meat! Day 1 Made a pot of tea, but Rey didn't let me drink much. Will reheat later if I feel like it. Loved the breakfast shake, added spinach. Ate a spinach salad with walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette (garlic, salt, pepper, EVOO, Balsamic vinegar) at like 10:30am because I was already hungry. Lunch is brussel sprouts steamed, then sauteed in olive oil and some balsamic vinaigrette with a side of raw broccoli dipped in modified guacamole. SO yummy. Not going to say much on this topic besides the fact that reading that pushing a baby out is the same type of pushing as having a bowel movement was not helpful. I tried this method for my first push or two, and when I found that it did nothing, I focused on pushing the baby out and she came right along. Long story short, though some may disagree
LABOUR PUSHING IS NOT THE SAME AS POOPING I did not poop, and, as I said, completely different sensation. What does "Natural" mean?
I have read countless times that, though breastfeeding is natural, women find it difficult and painful. This seems to mean to some women that it feels "unnatural". What I don't understand is why? Think of it this way. Our bodies need exercise. Does exercising feed good? If some ways yes, but running? It does not feel GOOD. It's hard! It's painful! You have to work at it and your body must get used to it. Breastfeed is the same thing. Try This Have you ever had a small person sucking your nipple as hard as possible with no regard for your comfort. As if his or her life depended on it (because it does)? Probably not. Take one moment and imagine what that might feel like. Good? Of course not! Let's stop romanticizing birth and breastfeeding and setting ourselves up for disappointment and failure. If anyone asked me for tips on birth and breastfeeding I would tell them this: You can do it, no matter what anyone (including your partner, mother, doctor) says. If you want to have an unmedicated birth, do it! Barring a few significant and/or unavoidable issues, you should be able to go for the birth that you want! If you want to get drugged up to the max or have a planned cesarean, that is your prerogative. But if you want to have a natural birth, do some research and make it happen. If you want to go natural, say no to drugs. I don't mean don't take drugs if you really need them, but think twice before popping pills for every little issue. During my first pregnancy (which resulted in a loss at 12 weeks), I trusted my doctor and took whatever he prescribed. He gave me pills for nausea. He told me not to worry when I knew something was wrong, and told me there was no way to check if my baby was okay (she wasn't, but I believed him). In my second (and successful) pregnancy I educated myself and chose a midwife. It was a completely different experience. She empowered me and gave my the confidence to make my own decisions. Don't let them give your baby drugs he doesn't need. Don't take drugs to help your labor, or speed it up. Don't take drugs to help your milk come in, or decrease your supply. I was super engorged and my baby was going crazy screaming and nursing every couple minutes that horrible second night, and you know what worked for me? Waiting, and trying. And, as suggested by my midwife, cabbage leaves. Yes! Can you believe that? They fixed me right up. When I got a yeast infection (candida) in my milk ducts, I changed my diet and took grape-seed oil, and fought through it. And it HURT, but was totally worth it. I know of mothers who were told by the nurses that their milk wasn't good enough and they needed to supplement. First of all, (at least where I live) medical professionals are not even allowed to talk to you about bottle feeding until you have 100% decided not to breastfeed. And yet, in the hospital when my baby was 8 hours old a nurse was telling me my baby needed formula. She was just gonna go ahead and give her a bottle, ok? Ummm no! Wtf!? Anyway, I am no expert and everyone has their own experience and opinions. I can only speak from my experience, but as someone who did not have a super easy time breastfeeding, I want to tell you that you have options. You are perfectly made! Trust yourself and take your healthcare and your baby's well being into your own hands. Hello! I am so happy that you are here reading my blog!
I wanted to write a brief note to explain myself. I have been writing for some time, but never gotten into the habit of posting on a regular basis. For this reason, I have many posts pre writen that I will edit and share (In case you are wondering why things might seem out of order or so close together). Anyway, enjoy! Please share any positive comments, but keep the negative ones to yourself! |