Miracle baby

I'm not entirely sure pregnancy is ever touted as a cure for maladies but this baby has so far cured my various ailments. It does remain to be seen whether the recovery persists when the baby has been born, but to date the baby, or the hormones connected to her existence, have "fixed" the following:

1) my whiplash. In April 2009 I was in a minor car accident that resulted in persistent severe pain in my neck. As little as two weeks prior to knowing I was pregnant, I was unable to reduce my maximum dose of tramadol at all. Movement in my neck was limited through pain. On discovering I was pregnant, I tried to wean myself off the drugs. I didn't take one until I needed one, until I noticed I hadn't taken one all day. Or the next. Or the next. And still my neck is like it was before. Normal. It gets a little achey on occasion but no more than that. I can assume it was ligament related and the relaxin has loosened the tautness caused by the accident and allowed the ligaments to return to normal.

2) vegetarianism. In the last three years I started off a fully signed up carnivore, then a complete non-meat eater (I am loathe to say vegetarian for fear of being lynched as I did eat jelly babies). I then returned to eating poultry and so that remained until I was pregnant. I don't eat fish partially for ethical reasons (I have to remind myself that smoked salmon and scallops are fish) but now I am enjoying red meat again.

3) I had some sort of skanky nail thing which resulted in a couple of my fingernails almost entirely falling off. I had a paint on solution that I was to apply for the nine months it takes to regrow an entire nail. Or, apply for a couple of months then stop applying in case of detrimental effect on baby and lo and behold, full nails a month later.

I am trusting fully that none of the above will return post partum in light of departing hormones. I am also trusting that the pelvis will return to normal fairly swiftly and that such things as bending will be possible again. And I should be, like, normal. Woo.

Once I've recovered from the birth and my pelvis returns to form that is. 2012 will be the year of good health and no debilitating conditions. It will.

While still dealing with the pregnancy induced pain, my parents brought me a "helpful hand" grabber which is ace. I think I'd be utterly depressed if I needed one permanently, but for convenience and just a couple of months, it's kinda useful.

Baby still v active, I amused myself for a while earlier by placing a small stuffed lizard on my bump and watching it twitch in time with kicks. I love that, I could interact with a kicky bump all day.

Return to work dependent on sleep. No napping all day should at least provide tiredness. Indigestion could provide wakefulness. We'll see. If I can't make it to work I think I'll have to get signed off properly. I don't really want to do that, but if I can't cope, I can't cope.

Today, part 2

Saw doctor today. Woo! It would seem there is nothing wrong or untoward going on, all is normal. Reiterated to me that problems tend to manifest as bleeding or severe pain. I now have a new and much reduced amount of medication that's ok for pregnancy, which is why I was at the doc rather than due to hypochondria.

Blood pressure: is ok. No drugs for now, to be monitored. Could lead to end of blood pressure medication forever.

Painkillers: can live with whiplash pain just now so need small amounts "just in case" and in case of withdrawal. Hoping that this may also be cured as is clearly a ligament problem.

(may spend first month of child's life in traction, but that won't unduly harm said child).

Antihistamines: ok, so that's because 28 for £0 is a lot better than 7 for £3.

And that is all my medication, other than the folic acid. How amazing. Pregnancy should be touted as a cure for chronic pain.

I think I remember someone with MS saying that they were a lot better when pregnant. I may be making that up.

Oh, more stats, which answers a kindly comment in a most lazy manner:

Chances of having twins in any pregnancy: 1 in 80.
Having one set of twins means that a women is 4 x more likely next time to have a second set, so that means: 1 in 20.

(The 1 in 300 chance is the overall chance of having 2 sets of twins).

So I have a 5% chance of miscarriage and a 5% chance of twins, and therefore a 95% chance (one does not preclude the other) of a normal, singleton pregnancy.

It could be but 4 weeks till a scan, and 8 weeks at the very most I should think. That's not long.

Yes it is.

Symptoms today: boobies (a little) less sensitive, nausea extra nauseating. Tiredness overwhelming. Forgetfulness and general doziness at peak, irritability maxed out.

On irritability, I am all of the following:

a) hormonal
b) nicotine deprived
c) caffeine deprived
d) codeine deprived
e) sleep deprived
f) rationality deprived
g) freaked out

Is it any wonder I'm a bit intolerant?