A pregnancy misconception

Before I ever got pregnant, I was sure I'd have to spend half of it on bed rest or at least in pain because of my back. Surprisingly, that has not been the case at all.

My back problems started when I was about 14 years old. My mom was driving me and one of my siblings home (for the life of me, I can't remember if it was my brother or sister) and she had stopped for the blinking stop sign. The lady behind us didn't. And I, for some reason, had a feeling that I needed to turn around to see what was going on behind us. Which means I was twisted in my seat when the car rear-ended us. It threw me forward in a spine twisting motion. My mom took me to a chiropractor to be checked out. In the beginning I was going 3 times a week, then 2 and then once a week. Eventually it was once a month and nowadays it is only a couple of times a year, as needed. But I have learned that I need to keep active and my body in motion, and not do stupid things, or my back and neck get painful.

Because of this car wreck and the subsequent pain off and on over the years that I thought I would have problems during pregnancy. I am very thankful that this is not the case. In fact, I've been mostly back and neck pain free this entire time.

Since about 12 weeks into this pregnancy, I haven't been able to turn/twist my lower back very well for release, which makes the small amount of pain I do get last a bit longer. Also, the discomfort isn't enough to warrant a trip to the chiro. In fact, the pain has only been bad enough for me to go to the chiro once.

I do wonder if the weight of my tummy has balanced out my back and that is part of the reason that I haven't had much back issues. No idea if that would actually work that way or not, but it amuses me to think of it.

Last Saturday, during our pictures, I did move in some (normal) way as to pinch or tweak a nerve in my lower back. This area has been hurt/sore before, so it isn't surprising this time around, if a bit annoying. Some Panadol (paracetomol), a bit of rest and gentle stretching had helped. I hope things don't get worse before the end is here. If it does, I'll still be grateful to be in this position (of actually being pregnant) and for the fact that the duration of discomfort would be short.

For now, I'll continue on as I have been, which at this moment, means I'm off to go pick some mushrooms (chanterelle) with my MIL.

Why my cat hates me* (aka Vet visit part 2)

*Let me start off by saying that I know my cat doesn't hate me. I'm projecting that on him because I feel bad and guilty for this weekend and yesterday's event. Cats don't think like we humans do and therefore, he doesn't hate me. Most likely he just doesn't understand why he is in pain and why I would scoop him up and take him somewhere he doesn't like.

As I wrote on Friday, I took Mansi and Rusty to the vet. Both cats got a clean bill of health, although they both had/have some plaque, which can help to contribute t o stinky breath. That evening, Rusty seemed got worse. His whimpering-meows happened more often, he was drooling and the lower left side of his chin started to swell. Late Friday evening we finally tortured him enough were able to get a good look in his mouth an see that he had a sore (it looked like a canker sore to me) just under his left fang on the lower gum of his mouth. Also the gum area was quite red and swollen. No wonder he was in pain and not happy.

I spent most of the weekend feeling guilty that my old boy was in pain. We could see it was harder for him to eat, as he was being much more careful and slow. Even when it came to his treats, which he LOVES! I could swear at one point I saw into his head the dialog he was having about taking a drink: I'm thirsty, but if I take a drink it's going to sting and I don't want it to sting because that hurts, but I am thirsty... I've been there! I know how horrible mouth sores are! My poor boy was in pain, but he was also very snuggly. He just wanted his mamma, but once he was on my lap, I couldn't shift positions (even if my legs and back were killing me) or he would whimper-meow. My heart broke even more and my gut stayed clenched all weekend.

So, Saturday night I wrote up a note to the vet (via their website form, in Finnish) and explained what was going on and that I would call Monday morning. The vet called me 5 minutes after they opened and we made an appointment to bring Rusty back in. I left work early, but a freak snow storm hit us yesterday! (Ok, it wasn't so freaky, but the amount of snow was unexpected and unwelcome.) It took me tons of extra time to get home and get Rusty. I did call the vet to say I'd be late and they were ok with it.

After being 15 minutes late, Rusty's mouth was checked and then he was sedated. I can't stand seeing my cat drop off into (or out of for that matter) sedation. I got hormonally-teary and guilty watching my guy fight the sedation. I was allowed to watch the vet clean his teeth and then we were good to go home.

What would normally take 10 minutes to get home, took us almost 30 minutes! The weather was that bad and the amount of snow that had poured and was still pouring out of the sky was crazy. I saw at least 6 double long semi-trucks stuck in the road on the trip home. I was also in stand still traffic. That almost never happens in my town. Traffic jams?! That's a joke here. (Well, unless you are in morning traffic into the area where I live. Thankfully I go the opposite way.) We got home, finally, and tried to make Rusty comfy. He wanted nothing to do with me; I don't blame him.

Soon after Mr Siili headed out to the gym, I got ready to watch American Idol from last week. No sooner had I sat down and got comfy to watch AI, Rusty walked over to me to be in my lap. He snuggled with me for an hour and a half. Still very drugged, but on my lap.

At 9:30, Mr Siili called to ask if I would come get him. I put on out door clothes, grabbed the huge snow shovel from downstairs and dug out my car. Yes, it had snowed enough in the 3,5 hours since I had been home to warrant digging out, again! Not only was Lydia surrounded and covered in snow, it was semi-frozen snow. I finally got the car out and was driving to get Mr Siili when he called to ask where I was (don't worry, I remembered to take my hand's free headset). Our ensuing conversation went something like this:

MS: Don't go on the east-west road, instead take  north-south road.

me: Which road is north-south?

MS: It's the road that runs perpendicular to the east-west road. The one that runs along the frisbee golf park. Don't drive on the that one as there is too much snow.

me: Are you near the back road?

MS: What is the back road?

me: It's the one near the Ahlman Farm.

MS: What's Ahlman farm?

Me: The cow farm near the frisbee golf park.

MS: Just don't come on the east-west road, I don't want you getting f***ing stuck in the snow.
To which I think we both let out strangled and exasperated groans. I told I was doing him a favor by coming out in this horrible weather and picking him up and he wasn't allowed to get grumpy with me and I'd call back when I got closer. I eventually found Mr Siili cold and snowy by the side of the road. We didn't talk to each other for the first few minutes of the ride and then I quickly grumped at him for a sec and then we drove most of the way home in silence.

Mr Siili hopped in the shower and I sat back down to finish watching the show that had been interupted. Rusty walked over to me and wanted in my lap again, so I picked him up and he started purring! My boy started purring at me and I started crying. Mr Siili comes into the room and worriedly asks "What's wrong?". I told him, nothing is wrong, tears can be happy you know and these are happy tears. Rusty purred at me. Mr Siili grumped that I didn't need to scare him. It wasn't like I was trying to!

And so my Rusty finally got less and less groggy. He ate more and was a bit more active. Although, he didn't join me in bed until about 10 minutes before my alarm went off this morning. But as soon as he get in bed with me he let out some very loud content purrs. My boy is definitely feeling better and I can't wait to get home and snuggle with him some more!

And as Paul Harvey would say...that's the rest of the story. (Not sure where that came from, but it did.)

Growing pangs - mini update

Yesterday I posted about some "growing pangs" I had during the weekend. Thankfully they have all but gone away and I'm only left with an occasional twinge and just a sore and heavy abdomen. Nothing I can't handle. But I do let Mr Siili know now and then about the discomfort in hopes of getting some sympathy hugs. Hehe

I did call my neuvola nurse this morning and explained what was going on during the weekend. She said that these pains are very normal for this stage in the pregnancy. My uterus and pelvis should be expanding and moving a bit to make room for Paxlet. So long as there is no blood to go with these pains, then there shouldn't be any worry for me or Paxlet.

Growing pangs

This weekend was one of the first really scary, for me, moments so far in this pregnancy. Friday after work we had a combined birthday and going away evening for 2 co-worker friends. We had snacks and drinks, then we played pool and then to dinner. I had a huge bacon BBQ burger with fries. I knew this meal was going to make me feel bloated and uncomfortable, but I really wanted to eat this. It was so yummy and worth it and I knew that when I woke up in the morning the bloatedness and discomfort would be gone.

During the night I was woken up several times by Mr Siili snoring (he's been feeling a bit under the weather), Rusty whining, Mr Siili growling and grumbling at said whiny cat and my having to go pee. About the time that I woke up the first time, I had some sharp shooting pains in my lower left abdomen area. I wasn't too concerned at this time as I was quite sure it was just pregnancy growing pains (uterus and ligaments stretching). These pains continued throughout the night. I may have even woken up because of the pain, but I can't really be sure as the above mentioned things woke me up quite often too.

When I woke Saturday morning, I still hurt! It was a pretty constant pain, still mostly on the left lower side. The constant pain wasn't so bad, but the sharp pangs and twinges that shot through the area were enough to double me over at times. Also, emptying my bladder seemed to make the pain worse (but this pain definitely wasn't the same as a UTI or other stomach/bladder issues I've had in the past). Some of the most intense pain was during the times I emptied my bladder! Getting up or sitting down was challenging also, as it would cause twinges and discomfort. The pangs of pain did start extending to the middle of my lower abdomen, too. If I sat hunched in a ball-ish position in one of our chairs (watching TV shows) the pain was a bit better. Thankfully Mr Siili and I had plenty of things to watch.

Around 4pm we started getting hungry and I decided I really wanted pizza and green double sticked popsicles. (Thanks to see the popsicles on a Dexter episode and it giving reminders of my childhood.) I convinced Mr Siili to go get pizza with me, by car. I think the bit of walking, to the car and inside the mall, helped with the pangs of pain some. The rest of the evening wasn't so bad, but I would still get the occasional twinge and sharp shooting pain. I did call my friend, R, and talked to her a bit. She suggested I call the ER and/or possibly the Labor & Delivery department, before going in there in person, if that is what I was going to do. I decided that if the pains continued through Saturday night, I'd see about going to the ER on Sunday morning.

I did manage to sleep quite well Saturday night and no pains that I can remember. Bathroom trips weren't so bad and I only felt heaviness in my tummy, which seems to be normal for me with a growing Paxlet inside my body. And so far today, Sunday, I've had maybe one pang of pain and it is now just after 6pm.

I was and am quite sure the pains were just ligament pains from all the stretching, growing and expanding going on in my body. But since this was the first time I felt this much of anything for such a long time, I admit, I was sort of scared for a while. I did use the heart beat monitor just as I was going to bed. I found Paxlet's heart beat immediately, it was reassuring.

Anyone else have this sort of experience?
I am so glad I'm not hurting at the moment and I hope the pains don't come back for some time (or at all).

progesterone after effects

I know that progesterone suppositories can have side effect while you are taking them, but what about after you've stopped taking them?

During my last IVF and more recently my failed first FET, I've taken progesterone suppositories during the 2WW and once I get the BFN, I can stop taking them. What I've noticed is that after I stop taking the suppositories and my body absorbs or expels the last of the progesterone, my lady bits and especially my clitoris get sore. It almost feels as if the entire region is dry or lacking any sort of lubricant. And as I said, the discomfort is especially felt in my clitoris area. It is tender, sore and sometimes even painful.
I remember that I was going to mention it to my doctor during the following visit after the failed IVF, but the pain and discomfort went away before I went in. (out of sight pain, out of mind) I think I'll write this down as one of my questions to ask the doctor.
Now that it is happening again, I'm wondering if this is the correlation and if anyone else has experienced it?