2015 November Sweet Potatoes!!! Come out come out wherever you are!!

[Trying4BbyBoy]

I feel like a wimp as I'm too scared to do labour naturally. My eldest was born premiee and came naturally. I wear hair extensions and let me tell you those things were on the floor by the time my dd was born! I just dont take pain very well, so I think I'll definitely be getting the epidural. I was required to get it with my twins and I didn't find it so bad. The twins were sent to the nicu and I was much too tired to stay awake afterwards. When I awoke the effects of the epidural had worn off. Hope things go smoothly again

 

[Uni tsi]

Mimzy, sweetV, thank you for your kind words. I'm 31 weeks now, diagnosed at 30 weeks. So, they said all my hard work did probably delay the onset. And, yeah, it does run in the family. When I go to the doc, it's easier to list the people who didn't get type II then it is to list the ones that did (pretty much everyone) and my mom had GD with me which wrecked my odds. But, she wasn't put on monitoring, just told to eat well and exercise. Obviously she did ok, cause I didn't come out jumbo sized. But, her having it increased my odds to have it. So, I do like that I'm getting monitoring because I would like to break the cycle.

I have been having pretty good luck so far keeping it down with diet and exercise. Pretty much as long as I don't drink straight glucose syrup my numbers are ok So, for all intents and purposes the biggest problem was actually caused by the test! However, I am trying some herbal teas as well.

For example, I had read once roobios tea helps control blood sugar. I drank a cup the other night, not for that reason but just because it is delicious. Well, the next morning my fasting glucose was 10 points lower! That's the difference between them wanting to put me on meds and being allowed to control it myself. Tried again last night, and same effect this morning. I can't find anything on it being contraindicated for pregnancy so I will continue to drink my glass in the evening because it seems to have a dramatic effect on my fasting levels. I wish someone would do a clinical trial.

I'm also thinking of starting with raspberry leaf tea, because I've heard it will also control blood sugar and is supposedly just great to drink in the third trimester in general. Has anyone else been drinking it yet?

Trying4, I feel like a wimp cause I'm scared of the epidural! I don't know exactly why, but it deeply terrifies me. I am convinced that I would be one of the few that it doesn't work on, that I'd lose use of my legs while still feeling all the pain. I don't know why, I just am deeply convinced this is true. So, I'm too chicken to try it LOL If I'm induced, I feel like I'll probably end up with an epidural despite my fears, so it's nice to read your positive feelings about them

 

[SweetV]

I was terrified of the epidural as well. My DS was completely natural except for the general for the episiotomy.
After my loss I had to have a D&C and they gave me an epidural. It wasn't horrible but I did not like not being able to move my legs for hours afterwards. I like to be in control of my body.

That's very interesting about the tea's. I love roobios tea and I have also read that it is safe during pregnancy. With my son I drank raspberry leaf tea for the third trimester but this time as I have been monitored for preterm labour I was afraid to start. It is also quite yummy!! My labour with DS was very short (8 hours from first contraction and only 3 1/2 from when the contractions got uncomfortable), perhaps the raspberry tea helped?

Good luck controlling GD with your diet! You seem to have a very good idea of what needs to be done.

 

[lomelindi17]

Great idea Uni Tsi on using natural methods to control your sugar, much safer than prescription drugs in my opinion. I've been drinking a homemade herbal tea formula I made myself throughout pregnancy, which includes red raspberry leaf, and have been upping the amount the last couple weeks. RRL won't put you into labor on its own but it sometimes does increase Braxton Hicks so I can see why some women don't want to use it if they are nervous about preterm labor. In that case there are other herbs that are nourishing tonics for pregnancy that don't influence uterine activity, such as Nettle Leaf.

 

[Indi84]

I had a 15 hour natural back to back labor last time, would love this time to be quicker! I got to 10cm pretty quickly but he was stuck for five hours, never felt anything like those five hours! He suddenly turned and came out though!
I plan on doing it natural again but five hours start to finish ;-) I'd also like (as I'm putting requests in!) Normal contractions in my front, I had all the pain in my spine last time.

 

[Mimzy3]

Indi our labors sound similar. I had a 16 hour all natural back labor. My lower back was in horrible pain the entire time!

I love RRL tea! I drank it while TTC, third tri with my son, while breastfeeding and than stopped when I got preg. again. And I started drinking it again around 32 weeks this pregnancy. I get strong BH and the tea increases mine so I only drank one cup a day but I've started to increase to 2 cups a day now.

Most of us are getting so close! At my midwife appointment on Friday she said I was a finger tip dilated. That is exactly what I was with my son at 35 weeks and he came at 38 weeks. I had two nights last week of contractions but they have since stopped. I'm glad because I want my little guy to wait till at least 38 weeks preferably 39.

 

[Uni tsi]

Well, we can add to the list of benefits of RRL that it really does control blood sugar - roobios was just controlling my fasting glucose levels but with the RRL added in, I'm seeing super low numbers even after meals. Basically, between the two I have the glucose levels of a non-diabetic person! I almost imagine that if I'd started with them sooner, I wouldn't have failed the test to begin with. But then, I wouldn't have the glucose monitor so I wouldn't ever have known for sure if they worked, so maybe it's for the best.

lomelindi, I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that these particular herbs are just as powerful as the pharma alternative, and I shouldn't underestimate their power. However, it does feel better to use something that has centuries of use behind it instead of something that is basically brand new. But the real benefit in my opinion is that it doesn't trigger increasing interventions from my OB the way taking a prescription would. It was finding out that if I had to go on meds they intended to induce me at 39 weeks that created my motivation to find alternative means. It just seems like every intervention leads to the next intervention in an almost inevitable way On the otherhand, I told them about the roobios and my intention to use the RRL so it's not like I'm keeping it a secret, but that doesn't have a box to check on their form so even though I'm still basically using a medicine to control my sugar they won't induce me early because of it I do wish someone would do a clinical trial though. Imagine how many people these herbs could help.... given my overall risk for developing type II eventually, I am SO VERY HAPPY to have learned about this now.

While we're on the subject of natural treatments, for those of you who've been through this before - any luck with evening primrose oil? Or pineapple/bromelain?

 

[Mimzy3]

That is great Uni!

I started inserting Evening Primrose Oil vaginally at 37 weeks with my son as suggested by my midwife. My husband is in the military and was scheduled to leave soon after my due date. So we wanted to be sure baby came on time. Not sure if it was the EPO but I went into labor naturally at 38 weeks and 3 days. I also walked a lot, sat on my birthing ball, drank RRL tea, and we were still sexually active. So it could of just been a combination of it all I used EPO when I was TTC both times too.

 

[lomelindi17]

Uni I am a huge proponent of all things natural!! Hence why I chose Naturopathic Doctors as my pregnancy and birth caregivers. Ironically I find them to be more cutting edge and use more reliable scientific research in their practice than MD's or hospitals generally do (for normal care), due to the lack of influence from pharmaceutical and insurance companies, and outdated routines. You are so right, every medical intervention increases the risk of more interventions. Especially important to remember during birth where interventions tend to escalate even more due to the urgency of the situation. Herbs are medicines which our bodies are accustomed to working with, and the whole plant parts contain many beneficial and complementary compounds in them which assist our body to use the medicinal "active" compounds without harm. Pharmaceutical drugs usually just take the active compound and concentrate it, without using the rest of the plant which is why there are so many side effects that go along with them. I'm so glad the RRL is stabilizing your sugars, I haven't read anything about that effect before but obviously it is serving your body very well. Guess there are more reasons than we know why RRL has been used as a pregnancy tonic for eons!

 

[Amcolecchi]

lome- I am a huge proponent on Natural as well! Unfortunately in my area there isn't many home birthing centers but I a do go to a hospital that has a birthing center and I only see midwives and they never try to push pharmaceutical drugs which is nice. It also has a tub and the bouncing balls and usually they keep only one nurse coming in, so it's nice. It's a smaller hospital, but it would be awesome to have what you are having! I should research that if we decide on another baby hehehe!! But as for doing anything to induce, I am pretty active walking, yoga and chasing my 18 month old around...but rrl tea is so good! I drank that to try to get pregnant but I actually just like the tea itself I might start to drink that since the weather is changing here!! Hope all you ladies are doing great!!!

 

[Amcolecchi]

Any updates ladies?!? Any one have their precious baby?

 

[Uni tsi]

Ladies, I will take my leave of you. We did not have a good outcome. They said it wasn't the GD, which was totally under control. They don't know what happened. My water broke four weeks early, and when I got to there she was already gone. Thank you for all your emotional support over the past months and good luck to all of you. I want everyone to have a happy outcome and hug their babies close.

 

[Mimzy3]

Ladies, I will take my leave of you. We did not have a good outcome. They said it wasn't the GD, which was totally under control. They don't know what happened. My water broke four weeks early, and when I got to there she was already gone. Thank you for all your emotional support over the past months and good luck to all of you. I want everyone to have a happy outcome and hug their babies close.

Uni I don't know what to say...I'm so very sorry for your loss! May God grant you the strength to get through this. And I pray you have a strong support system to help you during this time of mourning

 

[Smile181c]

Oh uni I'm so so sorry for your loss, I know there aren't any words that can make you feel any better but just know we're thinking of you and praying for you

 

[lomelindi17]

Uni I am so so sorry to hear this, sending you lots of love and hugs. May your Angels be by your side and bring you comfort.

 

[Amcolecchi]

Uni- I am so sorry!! I am praying/thinking of you and your family during this time. If there is anything we can do for you, please let us know!

 

[Uni tsi]

I know I said I was leaving, but the truth is I lurk back here every day, hoping to see everyone's happy announcements

 

[Trying4BbyBoy]

I'm glad you haven't left Uni
We're here for you if you ever need a chat or just some encouragement

Hope you're doing well

 

[SweetV]

Uni I don't know how I missed your post. I am so very sorry for your loss. Please take care of yourself and it is so nice that you pop by to visit!