My stomach and I have come to an agreement
Yesterday we were out of the house for most of the day, meeting friends and running errands. Usually my morning sickness is “distractible” but not this time. I was slightly appalled to find myself hugging 3 public toilets in various locations. I do have to mention that Goodwill on I-10 keeps their toilets sparkling clean, inside and out. I appreciate that about them.
I’m not sure if I was more or less appalled when I found myself ralphing into a coffee cup in the WalMart parking lot. In spite of a delightful visit with our friends, yesterday was not an entirely pleasant day. But that’s not what I was going to blog about.
A couple of days ago, my stomach and I came to an agreement.
Since everything eaten before noon comes right back up, I have quit eating before noon. After noon, my stomach and I do a coin toss each time I eat: heads, the food stays; tails, it goes.
You may think my stomach has won, but this is actually a good deal from my perspective. I hate, hate, hate to throw up actual food. When that happens, I can hardly bring myself to eat that type of food again. Over the last couple of weeks I have developed serious issues with eggs, milk and cheese. I’m running out of protein foods and didn’t want to jeopardize peanut butter and meat, so this deal was good timing.
Also, my blood sugar gets very low if I don’t keep eating once I’ve started. This means that all morning, I am nauseated, vomiting, and struggling with low blood sugar (because the food doesn’t count if it won’t stay down, ya know?).
My fasting blood sugar, on the other hand, is relatively stable. If I don’t start eating, I’m fine.
So I’m happily heaving the morning away, running for the bathroom at regular intervals but with the carefree steps of a woman who knows that her stomach is already empty.
And the rest of the day? It’s a gamble. You win some, you lose some. On the bright side, I weigh less than my wedding day. This would be a good time to try on my wedding dress, though I suspect the waist might not fit the way I remember.
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Filed under: pregnancy/labor
Oh girl. I do feel for you. I have morning sickness for 9 months and have to take drugs in order to keep food down. To put it into perspective…I lost 45 lbs total after this last pregnancy (that was the total at about 8 weeks postpartum).
Good news is it really helped my waistline! I told hubs that if I were to become pregnant in the next year, just maybe I could be back down to my post high school size! lol!
Sorry you’re so sick, but oh-so-happy that you’re able to keep a little down! :O)
Hi kim!
Just thought I’d tell you that today is day 31, and my period has not started. So I’ll take a pregnancy test tomorrow morning…….I ‘m trying not to get my hopes up and trying to trust the Lord for whatever happens and give thanks for my 6 wonderful blessings!
I really enjoy reading your posts keeping us up to date on your morning sickness saga!!
You are a wonderful and powerful testimony of a woman who has chosen to embrace her special role in life. I strive with all that is in me to do the same. Thanks for your example!
Leanne in Longview WA
Have you tried eating Luna bars in the morning? I have a dear friend, pregnant with her third little one, who says its the ONLY thing she can keep down before noon. May the Lord bless you and keep you!!
gosh I hope your feeling better soon, when does your MS typically end? I was blessed to have very little and feel very sorry for you. GOD BLESS
You poor dear!! I had “morning” sickness (read: all-day-nausea) with my two boys but not with my daughter. I am empathizing with you through the screen, really I am! I just started reading your blog, so I don’t know if you get sick every time, do you? You’re such a trooper if you do, and here you are on your 10th pregnancy! But it’s so worth it in the end, isn’t it? :O) Thank our Lord for short-term memory loss, right? ;o) I’ll send up a prayer on your behalf, hope it doesn’t last too much longer!
Hi Kim,
Sorry to hear that you’re so sick. One time when I thought I was all done with my all-day-sickness, I discovered that my purse worked well when the unexpected “urge” hit me. Thankfully, I managed to quickly retrieve my wallet first! Just make sure you’re carrying a purse that you’re willing to part with : ) Or, you might try carrying ziploc bags with you. Not fun, I know….. Oh, the memories…..
If we can get some more bread made, I’ll send some more over your way. Hope you’re feeling better soon.
In Him,
Laralee
http://www.PlymouthRockRanch.com
Recording the Faithfulness and Provision of God for Future Generations
I am praying that this part of pregnancy will soon pass and you can begin enjoying your days more. I never have gotten that sick but I have several friends who have. I am usually in a constant state of nauseousness for 6 months without actually throwing up. Blessings to you! Oh, a few of my friends have carried ziplock baggies with them so that they always have a place to unload if needed.
Wow. Who would have thought that there is always something new to learn during pregnancy? Mysterious body…
But perhaps you need to re-make that arrangement with your body:
flip the coin:
heads means hurl,
tails means it takes the natural exit!
Wishing you God’s strength through this all!
I hear ya, sister…I’ve never had a pregnancy WITHOUT vomiting…I just know that when I hit the time of day that things have the POTENTIAL to stay down, I focus on those proteins, and hope for the best.
I thought I was pregnant just recently, because I was 4 weeks late…took about a dozen pg tests, to no avail…Cycle returned late and with a vengeance. My midwife thinks it’s because of Abigail’s renewed interest in (read: incessant) nursing.
*sigh* Maybe next month…
oh kim, I agree with you 100%- throwing up nothing is so much better! Your line about the “carefree steps of a woman who knows her stomach is already empty” so cracked me up! I am praying that you will start feeling better, but until then, keep up the positive spirit you have been demonstrating here- it is a great example.
Bless your heart! Praying for you that this will subside very soon. I always get a terrible case of morning and daytime sickness, and I know how difficult it can be. Blessings!
[...] I sit, sipping a coffee mug of warm water (because it’s not noon yet). I’m wracking my brain for blog fodder, because I assume you really don’t want to [...]
For those who asked, I *always* get morning sickness. One of the reasons I’m able to stay reasonably cheerful about it this time is because I usually get it much worse.
Typically, I lose 10-15 lbs. in my first trimester. This time I’ve only lost about 3 lbs, so I’m very happy.
With some pregnancies I stay sick for all 9 months, while with others the nausea is mostly gone by 4 or 5 months. Once or twice it faded soon after the first trimester.
I’m in wait-and-see mode.
Oh, Kim, I am so sorry for your stomach struggles ! I have a friend that is sick like that for 6 months without fail during each pregnancy. She has a severe case of Hyperemesis (sp?) and has to go to the hospital daily for IV transfusions to hydrate….the doctors eventually put in a permanent IV so that they don’t have to make that daily drive to the hopsital. She is kind of non-functional during her pregnancies. The good news is that her labors (home births) last about 10 minutes from start to finish. Not sure if that is a great trade off but surely a concession and it is so sweet of the Lord to bless her that way after such harrowing pregnancies.
I am glad you have found what works for this pregnancy. I went back and forth with mine. The girls were “do not eat for the first 4 months” and I was okay. I never threw up but it was probably because I never ate! The boys were “eat but eat sparingly”. Not the best time for a weight-loss program.
I feel for you in the “ralphing” in public. I did it a few weeks ago…and I can’t even blame it on pregnancy!!!!!! I was having a girls Saturday out and by the end of the day, I was puking in the trash can in a SUV with 4 other ladies. Talk about mortifying! I did announce that now we can all be best friends!!!!!
That sounds like me! I never thought I would meet someone who actually would understand that not eating in the morning would actually help me until a certain point where no food was bad! I am sorry!
[...] you’ve been living with your head in the toilet like me, you might not be aware that voting has started on the 2007 Homeschool Blog [...]
[...] My agreement with my stomach has provided plenty of time for introspection. I am basically fasting each morning and into the afternoon, and the way I see it, I am doing it for the Lord. I am also throwing up for Him each afternoon and evening [smile]. Our children are blessings directly from God’s hand, but our decision to willingly surrender to His will is our act of service for Him. And so it follows (or it should follow) that my resulting morning sickness is a joyful sacrifice I make in His service. [...]
You sound like me with my first pregnancy. All I ate before supper was peppermints (they would keep the vomiting at bay for up to half an hour) or the occasional pkg. of chicken noodle soup (since it comes out pretty much the same way it goes in). I definitely feel for you! I hope this passes quicker for you than it did for me! Make sure you’re drinking lots of fluids though and taking some kind of vitamin (or eating very healthy when you do it). Your body needs to stay strong so you can support that little one - and your other little ones too!
Blessings.
Tee
I’m so sorry! I just spent about 6 to 8 weeks where opening my fridge and seeing the food would make me gag (and if I SMELLED food, I’d do more than gag.) I was told to eat before sitting up in the morning, so I went from one kind of crackers to another on the bedside table before discovering cheese sticks worked best for me. If I sat up before eating it wouldn’t stay down, though, so my sweet husband would bring me a daily cheese stick. Then I could go sit in the living room with peppermint tea while he made his lunch and breakfast. We’d eat breakfast in the living room, to avoid the cooking smells of the kitchen. I am very thankful for a strong pregnancy, even though the morning sickness wasn’t fun at all. I lost five pounds, but am feeling much better now and seldom even gag.
Hope you find things that sound good and stay down, and that you feel better soon!