B6 Deficiency & Birth Control Pills

Today I was reading about the benefits of B6 in alleviating morning sickness. More specifically, the article discussed how women suffering from B6 deficiencies are more prone to suffer nausea during pregnancy. Interestingly enough, birth control pills are known for hindering the absorption of several nutrients - including B6, B12, and folic acid. I can't help but wonder if my body was slightly deprived of proper amounts of B6 (having conceived while still on the pill). Because I've been on the pill for almost 5 years now - there is a good chance this may have been the case. 

I began adding B6 supplements (100 mg of P-5-P ... the most active form of B6) into my daily regimen about 6 days ago. Interestingly enough, my nausea symptoms greatly improved about 4 days ago. While correlation does not equal causation (especially in this case, when so many factors are at play), it is interesting none-the-less.

Bran Muffins

Today marks day 4 of my nausea lightening up ... hooray! I still have a slightly nauseous feeling throughout the day, and I can't do much physically or I do get nauseous ... but overall, I'm thrilled to be feeling human again! Yesterday I got it together enough to make a batch of Joy of Cooking Bran Muffins. Yum. Mom wanted the recipe a few days ago, so I read her the ingredient list. After that, I couldn't stop thinking about them for several days - so I finally decided to just make a batch myself. I think they will make a great pregnancy snack: bran and raisins (to help with constipation and keep things moving!), yogurt (for that much needed calcium), molasses (high in iron) and calorie dense (it's hard with nausea to get enough calories down each day!). 

Kyle and I watched the National Geographic Video "In the Womb" last night. It's a great hour and a half look at fetal development during the 9 months in the womb. They are able to use 3-D ultra sound images now to look inside the womb at the fetus, watching it's movements, facial expressions, etc. Quite amazing. Anyone interested in learning more about fetal development should definitely watch this video. Just beware there is a birth scene at the end which surprised Kyle (he isn't quite ready for that part, but I promised him he would be by July). =)

Dandelion Root & Wild Yam

Reading through "The Natural Pregnancy Book: Herbs Nutrition and Other Holistic Choices" today gave me a few more ideas on morning sickness cures. One is the use of Dandelion Root. It is a bitter that helps to promote digestion, helps to calm the stomach, and supports the liver. The recommended dose is 30-40 drops of tincture in water 3-4 times a day. 

The other suggestion is Wild Yam. It is supposed to reduce irritation in the hollow organs, including the stomach and uterus. The book recommends 30 drops of tincture 4-6 times a day. Rather than buying a tincture, however, I am going to use the Mannatech product Plus, which happens to be derived from Wild Yam (lucky me!). Since Mannatech produces excellent products, I feel very comfortable taking the pill form instead of the tincture. The recommended Mannatech dose is 3 tablets per day. I've taken them in the past and had my face break out with acne rather badly - but at this point, I'd rather have a nausea-free next few weeks with acne. =) We'll see if it helps. 

Slight Reprieve

Tuesday and today (Wednesday) have been somewhat improved nausea-wise. I desperately needed a day or two of feeling better! I'm not sure how long it will last ... some people online say that their nausea stopped after lasting only a week or two, others say that their nausea would get better or worse, depending on the day. I'm afraid to even think the thought that perhaps I'm at the end of the worst! Right now I'm just enjoying the break I'm getting.

I quit taking the concentrated ginger capsules (they seemed to give me a gassy stomach and I was constantly having to belch!) and instead started grating 1 tsp. of fresh ginger into tea every several hours. Kyle also bought me sea bands (for sea sickness). These are small bands that fit around each wrist and press on a pressure point on the inside of the wrist. I have no idea if they are working or not, but I'm feeling good enough that I'm afraid to take them off. I should note that I was actually feeling better before Kyle brought them home - but I'm willing to do whatever at this point to stay feeling better!

Week 8, day 1 today! This week there are plenty of changes going on down there baby-wise. He/she is now 14-20 mm long - the size of a large lima bean. Eye-lids will form this week, while the brain continues to mature and form neuron connections at an amazing rate. A nose is now present, and arms and legs are lengthening. There is likely still some webbing between the fingers and toes, but the webbing will begin to slowly dissolve over the next week or so. My uterus, once the size of a small pear, is now the size of a large grapefruit! No wonder I'm constantly feeling slight discomfort in the abdomen. That's a lot of growth going on! My waist is definitely getting a "thicker" feel to it - though it is likely all due to intestinal distention. This occurs because the bowels slow down the movement of food through them in order to take in more nutrients for the growing baby inside. This is partly why, especially during the first trimester, eating a lot of food is not as important. The body will take out more nutrients from what little you can put in your body than it would otherwise. Quite an amazing design!

Motivation!

I was reading an article online yesterday about a woman who couldn't get pregnant for quite a few years. She said she would always get upset when her friends would complain about morning sickness because she thought, "I'd do anything to have that feeling if it meant I was pregnant!" Well, she did get pregnant and DID get morning sickness, and she said she quickly changed her mind. She said there were days when she even prayed to miscarry so she could end her misery. I haven't reached that point yet - but there are moments I wonder if it will all really be worth it! (Everyone keeps assuring me it will.) 

I did get to the point today where I started Googling "Zofran" and other anti-nausea medications. I did some research via the Hopkins Library, however, and none of these medications have been proven safe or unsafe during pregnancy (they are considered "Category B" drugs, which mean tests on pregnant animals have shown no ill effects, but no conclusive tests have been done on humans). After feeling a little better in the afternoon, I realized I would endure.

I have also gotten to the point where I went out and bought a little jumper to look at to remind me to of the end goal. =) I pull it out of the closet during the day and think "In just 7 1/2 months there will be a little person filling these arms and legs." It helps.  

Dysgeusia (Metallic Taste)

I've had a weird metallic taste in my mouth the past few days. It is a bitter taste and won't go away, even if I drink or eat or brush my teeth. I thought it might have to do with the B6 vitamins I'm taking and Googled it to find out. Turns out that the metallic taste in my mouth (called "dysgeusia") is very common in the first trimester and is due to high hormone levels, in particular, the hormone estrogen. Apparently it lasts throughout the first trimester, then begins to disappear as the pregnancy hormones settle down the second trimester. Interesting! I'm like a case study for 1st trimester pregnancy symptoms. Ha!

Solutions: I read that 1 tsp. of salt in 8 oz. of water, OR 1/4 tsp. baking soda in 8 oz. of water can be used as a mouth rinse several times a day. Drinking/eating citrus foods such as lemon in water or lemon-drops may also help. We'll try them out today!

Nausea still here today. Rough night last night. Tossed and turned quite a bit. Hoping today will go better. I continue to Google images of the embryo growing inside of me to remind me that there is a baby spirit in there - and that all these hormones are helping him or her to grow into a human being! Here is an embryo at 7 Weeks:

Week 7 Photo