Welp (that IS a Southern word, not really sure what words make it up, except for well??), I am STILL not sure that I can feel this little one moving. Several days this past week I would think it was moving like crazy, only to put my hand on the exact spot and realize it was above my belly button…. Oh well! I don’t think the baby could be up there yet??

I was kinda bummed to see the scales read 120.5 last weekend, after I had just mentioned I was gaining a little. But was excited to see 124.5 this morning! It’s so weird, I’m still wearing some new clothes I bought on clearance at the end of last winter. They fit last year, and I’m having to use a belt or clip them up with safety pins now….

Did I LOOK 18 weeks pregnant when I bought these things??!!?? Hubby won’t say a word…

No breaking news to share, except, have I mentioned I found a cure all to my cold/ stuffy nose?? After a HUGE ordeal with a B’ham ENT (BTW- I would recommend to NEVER visit Dr. Douglas T. Lowery), him wanting me on 15 days of steriods and doing procedures on me - not telling me they were outpatient surgery procedures (until I got the $100 bill!)…. I finally found some natural solutions that are safe in pregnancy!!

I just couldn’t believe that steriods were my only option - plus the fact that this particular one isn’t even tested on pregnant women because of the risks!! Did the dr. tell me that? NO! I’m so grateful for a pharmacist that questioned that!

This ENT told me that it was okay, since he asked my OB’s office and they said okay. WHAT?! So the OB saying it was okay meant that my baby wouldn’t be hurt?! This drug is KNOWN to cause cleft palate! Needless to say, he won’t receive any business or recommendations from this patient.

I guess my frustration did pay off, since I ended up spending hours searching online for natural, safe remedies for nasal polyps online. I struck oil when I came across an article on Candida (yeast overgrowth).

I can’t remember if I shared on this before or not, so I’ll just give an overview. But basically, I have most every symptom of this! Fatigue, sleep disturbances, always hungry/ cravings, sinus conditions, etc…

I was disappointed to read this, since my diet is mainly foods that you should avoid to help manage Candida. I read about probiotics, which I had in the fridge and started taking again. Also about Spirulina, which I had packed away - and that helped some too. Remember that itchy rash on my leg? It started clearing up!

Then I saw it - GARLIC! Garlic is a natural antibiotic that helps kill the bad bacteria in our bodies - Candida! I tell you, I’m telling everyone I see about this stuff!

I found an odorless Garlic pill at the store, and from there, here’s the amazing story…

I had a particularly bad sinus day, knowing I’d be back at the dr. with an infection. So that night, I took the Spirulina, Probiotic, and Garlic. Would you believe the next day, I hardly had a sniffle! I couldn’t!

I ran out, and within days I was back to not being able to breathe, runny nose, facial pain. Within a day or two of restarting the garlic (tried a cheaper capsule this time), BETTER! I’m hooked on garlic for life now - just wondering what I’ll do when the baby comes, since I’m sure it’ll affect the taste of my milk??

In other news for the baby’s reference, we made an offer on some land today - 15 acres. It’ll be a big change from our 1/5 acre lot in a subdivision that we have now if they accept it, but the county life would be so much more peaceful for our family!

“Little Mommy”

I must begin by sharing that although I’ve been going through a pretty trying time - there is a bright side! The Lord doesn’t give us something we can’t handle, and everything is for a purpose.

He’s given me a couple of reasons to be thankful in the midst of this ‘health crisis’ of sorts. One - I haven’t had near the morning sickness lately. My mind has been too occupied elsewhere - plus, I can’t smell or taste the triggers of morning sickness!! I haven’t even been able to smell those horribly dirty diapers!!

I can be thankful that although the polyps are still there, and seem larger, the swelling has gone down from the infection - so I can actually smell and taste a few things now - even if just a little.

I can be grateful that He’s given me His wisdom to know not just to trust the doctors, but to listen to His voice and know something isn’t right about these drugs. I’ve been doing a lot of research, and after being fed up with the medical community anyway - now am even more so.

Here’s a couple of doctors wanting to stick me on drugs to take away a ’symptom’ - without ever addressing the problem. I’m grateful for the internet, where I’ve come across a great deal of information of how to prevent these in the future.

Of course, nothing about solving my current situation while pregnant, but He’s given me my taste and smell back a little - so if He doesn’t want to heal me right now, at least He’s making me a little more comfortable.

I’m grateful for a pharmacist that decided to ’stick her nose in the middle’ (as the upset ENT put it) - alerting me to the dangers of the steroids and possible birth defects. It turns out, Prednisone is a Category C drug, meaning it hasn’t - nor ever will be - tested on pregnant women, it’s just too risky. Wow! And 2 out of 3 OB’s in my group haven’t got a problem with it!

From a mother of children with birth defects, no matter how large or small, I can’t willingly allow them to put me on something that is that risky to my baby. How in the world would I feel at birth if this child had cleft palate - knowing that this drug can cause that??!!

Today in church, we sang the song “I Surrender All”. I’ve never really thought about it in terms of health, but today I did. God has allowed this to be a part of my life right now, and I must surrender to His plan in whatever He’s teaching me, or using this for.

I’m not a mother for my own pleasure, but my children are HIS children - I’m simply an instrument to raise them for Him! My body isn’t mine, but His! He is in control of my pregnancy and my health, and the baby’s health. There’s nothing I can do about it - so I’m grateful that at least I know I can trust Him!

I’m grateful I’ve reached 13 weeks - almost 1/3 of the way through! I’m grateful my children are so excited about a new baby in our family. Too many families look at children as a burden, not a blessing - and I’m grateful that new life is a wonderful addition in all of our eyes!

I’m grateful that God has equipped our bodies to tell us when something is wrong. These polyps are tumors (thankfully non- cancerous), that result from toxic build up in our bodies. These toxins have to go somewhere, and form tumors.

I’m grateful they formed non-cancerous tumors, rather than cancerous! I’m grateful the Lord has given me dysautonomia (a disorder that affects the nervous and immune systems). Because of this, I’m extra sensitive to smells, tastes, stresses - and all these attack my nervous and immune system.

Yes, I’m more likely to get sicker than most, have small triggers affect me greatly - such a cigarette smoke, perfumes, even artificial colors and preservatives in foods, and get stressed much more easily than others.

For almost my whole life, I’m been made to feel ’something is wrong with me’, but now I see that it puts me at a higher alertness to pay attention to what goes on inside and outside of my body.

I wouldn’t have a clue of the dangers of most foods available at the grocery store today if not for this disorder. Artificial colors, hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, etc… - these severely attack my body. Research is now showing how these products are linked to many diseases, some more dangerous than others.

Hopefully, by being aware of these, my future health will be better, and my children will be spared many health complications that many aren’t even aware are going to hit them sooner or later - then it’ll be too late.

Yes, this pregnancy and it’s complications have put my mind back on the healthy track - now avoiding all those cravings that I knew weren’t good for me or the baby to start with!

It’s shown me that even as much as I try to be healthy, it’s God that is in ultimate control of my health. I have to learn to lean on Him and trust Him more during this time.

Not that I’m still not praying for complete healing, but in the mean time, it’s a little easier knowing that as long as I’m surrendering this baby and myself to Him, He’ll take the best care possible of us!

Little Mommy

I don’t have all the answers yet, but I’m on the road to medical discoveries - natural routes while pregnant.

I don’t like the thought of taking medicine while pregnant, nor herbs - so I’m in a tight bind right now. As I’ve been talking about, I’ve really been having a terrible time with a virus or something. Symptoms started with headache, tight jaw, fatigue, fever and chills.

Then I ended up with sore throat, stuffy head, ear pain, head pressure. Yep - a full blown mess. Of course, being pregnant, I didn’t do anything except take honey and lemon juice. Monday, it was too… bad, so I called the dr. to see that IF I went to an ENT, if I would even be able to do anything they suggested.

I then decided to call the pharmacy to see what meds on the list from the OB I could take with Mitral Valve Prolapse. The pharmacist was extra nice, feeling so bad - saying first it was bad since I was pregnant with a cold - but then to add Mitral Valve on top of it….

She had to be honest with me and told me I really couldn’t take anything to help with congestion. BUT she did share an option she uses…. A Neti Pot. Ever here on those?

You pour a saline rinse into one side of your nose, tilt your head to the side, and it flushes out the other. Hmm… I didn’t think I was up to it!

Well, let’s just say I’ve been desparate, and being unable to taste or smell ANYTHING for days, became open to at least ‘thinking’ about it. So I sat down and googled how it worked, and watched the videos. Then, I tried an alternative method - using 1 cup of warm water to 1/4 tsp. non-iodized salt and a baby ear syringe.

Much to my surprise - this felt WONDERFUL!! It really clears your head out - like you wouldn’t imagine - and then your nose feels so clean! I was actually able to breathe out of both sides of my nose for the first time in days. I ended up doing it twice the first day, then again the next morning - wow, I’m keeping up with this for life - really!

It’s a great way to keep your nose clear - and keep from getting sick in the first place. So, back to my story - the next morning my nose had settled down enough to see I had more of a problem that I orginally thought. I could see a very large nasal polyp - which was my problem!! I still couldn’t taste or smell, but I could breathe!

So, back to calling the ENT - they told me to come in to check it out. Sure enough, I had them in both sides (he could see them with a scope down my nose), and one HUGE one blocking the entire nasal passage on one side - that’s the one I could see.

The bad news, which is where I am stuck, is the dr. said it was so large that nothing would even touch it except taking an oral steroid for 15 days. That is pretty powerful stuff, but he said I’d be wasting my money on the nasal spray ones, since it’s just too big to even touch it. (Not to mention the 14 days of antibiotic he wants me on for a sinus infection - which probably won’t clear up due to the blockage from the polyp)

The pharmacist wouldn’t even let me get it - saying that’s just not done with pregnant women…. Great… now what do I do? I called the OB, and today’s on call dr. said no way - not this early in the pregnancy….

Called the ENT back, and he was pretty mad that I was questioning him. But shouldn’t my baby’s health be first and foremost on my mind?? Yesterday’s on call dr. told him it was fine, and he’s given it to plenty of women at 12 weeks. PLUS, I came to him asking for help - he told me what would make me better. He kinda had an attitude to say the least. But it was my body, do what I want - he said.

I’m now considering alternatives - such as herbs (which I said I wouldn’t take this time around) - but they have to be better than steroids. I’ll continue to do the nasal irrigation morning and night - as it does help cleaning out everything else.

The polyp was actually larger today, swelling up to fill the entire passage, so the rinse wouldn’t even drip through. If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them!

I apologize for such a health posting, but part of the purpose of the blog is to share on things that affect pregnant women and their health - in case something I’m going through might be relevant to them.

At least now I know what’s wrong - and the dr. said I would regain my sense of smell or taste until on the steriods at least 2 weeks. He said nothing but this oral steroid would touch it. Well, those were fighting words to me as a Christian - God can touch it - and we’re praying He will (if only to show His power to the dr!!).

“Little Mommy”