Prepare yourself for a moany post, and as I'm dosed up on pain killers, possibly a lot of waffling. I hate feeling space out. Blleeurrgh.
So why the pain? Well, as I've mentioned before, while I was pregnant with Lib I pulled a muscle at the top of my bump that was made worse by her positioning. It hurt...a lot. This time, the same area was bothering me which was to be expected, but last Tuesday I was sat on the edge of the bed when (I didn't feel him move, but I'm assuming he just put pressure on the wrong spot) there was an excruciating ripping sensation....like my whole bump was tearing open. It took my breath away and I was bent double. I know this can be a common sensation to have in the middle of the abdomen as the bump stretches and the ligaments relax to make room for the growing baby, but it was exactly in the same place where I had been having trouble before. It. was. awful.
The muscle had obviously torn/pulled/sprained/lord knows and I've been in agony ever since. The pain was actually on and off for a good few days, because Junior was still moving around quite a lot so I got the occasional bit of relief, but now he's head down in position, raring to go, so his bum and feet are (like Lib's were) in prime position to make things hellish.
The pain this time around has been so much worse as well because I'm having to keep moving a lot more than last time, so I keep aggravating it. Aside from dealing with Lib, I was also trying to keep occupied to distract myself over the third trimester drag, but I need to stop that nonsense now. I drove yesterday thinking I'd be ok in the automatic, but I didn't think about the amount of twisting you do when you're driving, and it has made it a lot worse. I can honestly say this is the worst pain I've ever been in. Worse than labour without a doubt, and at least with labour you know that it'll be coming to end at some point soon. With this though, I have an awful feeling that he's going to be big....and late (purely because that would be sod's law), so I could have 8-10 more weeks of this! My sanity is certainly going to be tested.
I had a midwife appointment this week anyway, so at least I could discuss things with her as they were occuring. As with before, there's obviously not a lot they can do. I luckily still have the Tubigrip that went over my bump last time around, so at least I feel a little more secure when I'm out of bed, but like my midwife said, they might not be the right size anymore. In my mind though, it's better than nothing! She's referred me to the physiotherapist, but whether I get an appointment before I give birth is another matter so I'm currently relying on Tubigrip, warms baths, Fisiocrem (it's really helped to soothe the burning sensation on my skin. I'd definitely recommend it as a natural alternative to Deep Heat/Cool gel and similar pain relievers) and have even treated myself to some fancy aromatherapy products to help with sleep and massage into my bump. I figured it was the least I can do if I'm not going to be able to leave the house for a while! Trying to stay relaxed is going to be key, though it's easier said than done.
I've also been given a prescription for codeine from the doctor which is helping for now, but has it's downsides. It makes my throat really dry, which means I'm having to drink a lot (which is theoretically good) but that means more trips to the bathroom so getting in and out of bed...and of course, it's always when I've finally managed to get myself comfortable. Also, I know from last time that it can make you constipated which won't help. I certainly need to make sure I try to keep them at a minimum. Codeine is safe to take during pregnancy, but if you take it too close to the birth then the baby can have withdrawal symptoms and will need to be monitored. This means no birth centre birth, and being stuck in the hospital instead, so I'm very keen to use it as little as possible. I'm making myself stay in bed this weekend in the hope that by lying down and giving the muscles a proper rest the pain might ease a bit. Having said that though, having Junior kick and prod at them whenever he's awake means the chances of healing are pretty slim until he's out.
So yep I'm feeling decidedly sorry for myself...but it's Easter weekend. Which means I can at least get people to feed me copious amounts of chocolate and I don't have to feel guilty about it!
Nuff said.
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