4 Unexpected Challenges I Experienced During Pregnancy
Sudden belly stretching in the final weeks
If I was to describe the experience I’ve had with my growing belly, it would be like filling a up a plastic grocery bag with food. The first 35 weeks for my skin was like the full capacity of a plastic bag; after week 35, my bump grew so rapidly that it was like putting way too much weight into the grocery bag. Basically, the bag overstretches and you have to be cautious that it doesn’t split.
I didn’t have any stretch marks through week 35, but I suddenly got a bunch in the remaining weeks of pregnancy. I’m still applying maternity oil and cream religiously but I kind of feel like it can’t be helped…I’m going to have to focus instead on healing my skin but like an overstretched plastic grocery bag, it probably won’t go back to what it used to be.
2. Hand numbness and tingling
When you sleep on your side with a bunch of extra weight, your armpit area gets pinched. For me, this has somehow pinched some nerves which has led to numbness and tingling in my hands, kind of like how it feels when your hands or feet fall asleep (minus the tickling, thank goodness).
Honestly though, this symptom has been so uncomfortable that I can’t sleep. I have limited dexterity which makes it hard to cut things on a cutting board, to open jars or bottles, and to open plastic wrappers.
The only position to sleep in that doesn’t make the symptoms worse is to being in a reclined chair - that way I’m not completely horizontal on my back and nothing is pinching my arms.
3. Pica
Pica is this condition where you feel compelled to eat non-editable items. If I walk by a construction site, I just want to munch a slap of concrete, drink paint, and lick chalk. I also feel compelled to eat toothpaste, lick my facial scrub, and taste my essential oil shampoo.
Apparently the cause of pica may be connected to mineral deficiencies, so it’s important to keep up with the prenatal vitamins and nutrition!
4. Pressure to opt for a birth intervention
At my week 38 appointment, I found out the baby was weighing about 3.8kgs. The doctor was concerned about the weight and size and how difficult it would be for me to wait for natural contractions, so he had me come in for another check 2 days later.
At the next check, a different doctor measured the baby as weighing 4.1kgs and he expressed how I should consider being induced. I also spoke with a midwife who said that since this is my first child, that could also add to the difficulty of delivering a large baby.
I consulted my Doula Stephanie Kawai and she said how it’s unlikely that the baby really gained 300g in 2 days. It also sounds pretty common for birth measurements to be off.
At the same time, opting out of being induced could increase the risk of the need for a c-section.
Ultimately I decided not to forgo being induced and just wait for my 39 week checkup. If things are looking even riskier then I can decide at that time if I want to do an intervention. It’s hard to make decisions when no one really knows the answer!