Good news all around

I had my 24 week check-up yesterday, and everything is going well.  My disbelief that this would all go off without a hitch was apparently quite obvious, though.  The doctor had to give me a pep talk—the crux of which is my new mantra.  “You are having a healthy, normal pregnancy.  You are having a healthy, normal pregnancy.”

 

In other news, Dan is coming home to the States next week.  We are all thrilled that this deployment was short and safe.  I’m not sure when I’ll get to see the kid—if/when he gets vacation, I’d assume he’ll go visit mom & dad.  But hopefully we won’t have to wait too long.

 

And finally, JMT had a terrific weekend of racing at the velodrome this weekend.  He qualified for Elite Nationals in two events.  Last year we had a blast trekking out to LA for Nationals.  This year, he’ll likely be on his own since my vacation balance is in jeopardy as baby hatchin’ time comes closer.  In any event, I’m very proud of him.

Ma'am, Your registration please...

No, I haven't been pulled over (lately). The other day I experienced a fit of panic when I realized that the baby is coming in 3 1/2 months, and the only baby gear I owned was a fleece blanket, one bib, and one burp cloth. Oh, and the free spoon and deadly plastic-containing bottle that came in the gift bag from Motherhood.

I'd begun researching baby essentials and compiling a mental wish-list of items that baby and mama will need. I also figured that the best way to keep track of what I need (and want) compared to what I have in-hand would be to register somewheres.

I'm still clueless in the baby-clothes and itty-bitty accesories departments, but I've at least identified the majority of the big items that we'll need before November. No, this isn't a plea for y'all to start shopping, but if anyone does happen to ask, "Where is Jen registered," you'll be able to answer.

Target

Amazon

The cool thing about the Amazon registry, is that if we manage to spend at least $750 on registered items before September 30, we will receive 6 months of free diapers from Seventh Generation (greener, environmentally friendly, hippy diapers).

And one final plea... if you think of things I should add to the lists, either from your own mama experiences or from other mamas you know, please let me know! I'm still trying to figure out all this tiny, tiny stuff.

At first I was afraid, I was petrified...

I had my first acupuncture appointment today, and it wasn't scary. My ribs were a little tender to start with after PT the day before (physical manipulation and ice). Putting the needles in didn't hurt--except for two that pinched a little extra. I didn't even mind the ones he put in my ears. My ears! The weirdest part was when the doctor hooked what looked like a miniature car battery up to little leads that connected to some of the needles. The sensation of the electricity was odd, but not uncomfortable.

My pain is returning this afternoon, but so far I haven't had any extreme episodes. I'll be going to PT and acupuncture both two times a week (4 appointments per week is going to suck down my leave balance quickly!) so I'll be interested to observe if and how the pain diminishes over the next few weeks.

On an unrelated, but very happy note, I heard this week that Dan's deployment will be coming to an end soon and he'll be returning to Gulfport within the month! I'm hoping he'll have an opportunity to swing by Colorado if he gets any post-deployment leave. I'd love to see him!

Misery, thy name is Costochondritis

Since I was about 12 weeks pregnant, I’ve been experiencing an unpleasant pain in my ribcage intermittently. For those of you who are googling “pregnancy, rib pain” the pain is located in the front, on my right side, just under the bra line, and occasionally radiates around my rib cage to my spine. I have long periods of the day where there’s a dull ache or tingly feeling, and then episodic bouts of stabbing pains. Sudden movements (like coughing, or throwing a ball to my dog) can exacerbate it, and as the day progresses, the pain gets worse and worse. As the weeks have gone by, the pain has become more frequent and more severe, to the point now that I’m occasionally driven to tears and have a hard time sleeping at night.

At first I thought this was all digestive in nature—as it hurt the most after eating a large meal. When it started flaring up when I had an empty stomach, I ruled that out. Then my OB started testing me for all types of internal possibilities—liver failure, gall stones, kidney issues—but everything came up clean (thank goodness!). This last appointment, she diagnosed the problem as Costochondritis. From MayoClinic.com, “Costochondritis is an inflammation of the cartilage that connects a rib to the breastbone (sternum). It causes sharp pain in the costosternal joint — where your ribs and breastbone are joined by rubbery cartilage. Pain caused by costochondritis may mimic that of a heart attack or other heart conditions.” In the last 24 hours, I’ve learned that this can affect either your right or left ribcage, but usually not both. Also, it’s not uncommon in pregnancy.

My OB and I talked about treatment options, and if I weren’t pregnant, the easy solution would be anti-inflammatories. Since these are a big no-no during pregnancy, however, we have to develop a Plan B. In my case, Plan B will include regular physical therapy and acupuncture sessions in an attempt to manage the pain and inflammation. If these fail me, I could end up in a Vicodin haze on bed-rest. Let’s hope for success!

I thought I’d post this info for those, like me, who’ve spent hours googling “pregnancy, rib pain” and haven’t gotten good information. My first PT and acupuncture visits are this week, so I’ll keep y’all posted.

And by the way, are there any readers out there who have received acupuncture before? I’m a little nervous at the prospect, but I figure it can’t be any worse than the pain I’m already in!

**Edited to Add:

It turns out this post is one of the most visited sites online about having costochondritis when you're pregnant! Who knew?

It's a shame that there isn't a better source of information out there on this disorder for pregnant ladies. But since there isn't, let's create one. If you came to this blog by searching for information about treating your costochondritis during pregnancy, would you please fill out this questionnaire in the comments? I'll compile any answers I receive and work on creating a post that summarizes our different experiences.

1-During your pregnancy, did you ever have pain in your ribcage? (If no, you’re done. If yes, please continue on.)
2-On a scale of 1-10 (1 being barely noticeable, 10 being hysterical emergency room craziness) rate the worst the pain ever felt.
3-How often did you feel this pain?
4-Did you seek treatment?
5-If yes to #4, from whom (OB, regular doctor, naturopath, etc)?
6-What was their diagnosis?
7-What was your treatment plan?
8-Did it help?
9-What was the approximate reduction in pain? You can answer numerically—for example 9-2 would mean: my pain was originally a 9, after treatment I’d rate it as a 2.
10-Did the pain continue after you delivered?
Bonus-Anything else you’d like to share about your rib pain?

How is it possible?

That this little guy is such a terrorist?