What does it feel like to be pregnant ?

I'm coming up on the end of my first one. There really is an incredibly diversity in such things, so hopefully (many) other women will weigh in here and provide a nice round perspective of what the experience is like.

I had what most would call an "easy" pregnancy. I worked through the whole thing and didn't suffer too many adverse side effects. My experience of it changed a lot over the course of the pregnancy, so I thought I would break it down by month.

Month 1

Yay, I'm really pregnant! Time to hold my breath and hope it implants properly, worry about those drinks I had before I knew I was pregnant, and stress out about miscarriage. Grateful I'm not too nauseous but also worried that I'm not too nauseous. Is my body taking this seriously? Exhausted and hungry all the time.

Month 2

First ultrasound. It's so tiny! Buying maternity clothes already because I'm so bloated. Wishing it would start to show so I wouldn't just feel fat. I've gained 15 pounds already. That's not a good sign right? I'm obsessed with whether or not it's a boy or a girl. Still exhausted and hungry all the time.

Month 3

Energy levels stabilize and I start eating like a normal person again. Pooch my stomach out so I can pretend I'm showing. Seriously, when will I start to look pregnant? Anxious to get to the second trimester so I can start sharing the news with folks. Still stressed out about miscarriage.

Month 4

Everything is great. I feel human, I'm not too big, but showing enough that when I tell people I'm pregnant they don't give me weird looks. I start to feel the baby moving and it's the best thing in the universe. 

Month 5

Start stressing about the next round of tests and ultrasounds which will look for abnormalities in the fetus. Continue to obsess over whether it's a boy or a girl.

Month 6

It's a boy! All the tests look good and he seems to be developing normally. Immense relief. Finally starting to feel like it's going to happen.

Month 7

Okay, my tummy is starting to get really big. Sleeping is getting harder. I can't ever seem to get comfortable and my hips, back and tailbone are screaming after a day of work. Also, I'm starving. Is it time for second breakfast yet?

Month 8

No seriously, I'm starving. The movements of the baby are so pronounced that I can see my tummy bulging from the outside. It's a weird feeling, and I can't stop thinking about Alien. My house is starting to fill up with baby paraphernalia. I have 50 thank-you notes to write.

Month 9

I'm exhausted all the time. I can't get a good night's sleep anymore and if I'm on my feet for more than an hour my head spins and I feel sick to my stomach. I'm terrified of the baby coming early so I kill myself on nights and weekends to get the house ready. He doesn't come early. Now I feel like I'm just sitting around waiting for him and it's maddening. Once or twice a week I cry in the bathtub for no reason.

Month 10

Dear lord, I hope it doesn't come to this!

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I feel like my antidepressants are making me feel worse. Has this happened to anyone?

Answer By Simon :

Yes - this has happened to me recently (I had a bad reaction first to citalopram and then venlaflacine).

In both cases, the drug caused anxiety levels to soar through the roof to a point where it was (a) almost unbearable to be awake, and (b) almost impossible to sleep.

In each case I gave it about 3 weeks (which is reckoned to be the usual acclimatization period for these drugs before contacting my doctor, explaining the symptoms and asking to try something else (a week's "cold turkey" being required each time to clear the previous drug from my system before starting the next).

I am now taking a non SRI typed medication which does actually seem to be helping although again the side effects (aching muscles & joints, cramps & nerve spasms, horrific nightmares, tiredness) were all pretty severe for the first 3 weeks and are still present (although in reduced form) 5 weeks in.

My advice is to speak with your doctor sooner rather than later. He/she well know what the usual acclimatization period is for your medication, and will also know about the most commonly experienced side effects / problems during and after that period. It may be simply that the dosage needs to be changed, or (as in my case) that the medication is fundamentally incompatible with your body chemistry in some way and that it's time to try something else.

It may be that your bus is just around the corner (in which case stoicism has a high chance of success), or it maybe that the place you've been patiently waiting is not actually a bus stop at all (in which case stoicism as a strategy is doomed to failure !).

Talk to your doctor with the aim of getting some idea of which situation applies here.

Courage and good fortune :-)

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What is it like to take antidepressants regularly?

Answer By Expert :

I had been wanting to try antidepressants for a while before I actually did, but I was hesitant because my parents had convinced me that they gave false happiness and turned you  into a zombie. It turned out that that idea was completely bogus. If anything, antidepressants woke me up from a zombie-like state that chronic depression had put me in for years.

I took Citalopram for a few years and it worked wonders. I later switched to Generic Lexapro, and it works well, too. Either of them is worth trying. I haven't noticed any side effects except an upset stomach in the beginning, but that went away after my body got used to the medicine. It's no worse than any other pharmaceuticals.

When I first started antidepressants, it only took a few weeks for me to go from near suicidal to spontaneously smiling. It was totally worth it. Once I got on antidepressants, I was better able to cope with my problems instead of feeling helpless and defeated, and I was able to strengthen my relationships with family and friends.

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How to deal when your stomach hates you?

                                  

I am Karla and I’m glad to share my story. My current doctor looked at my prescription list and we did some weeding because it read over 20 different things. My course for the stomach has primarily been carafate, Nexium, Bentyl. The thing about medications, check very closely with your best online pharmacy which ones interact with each other. Carafate is good, but you can't take it with any other medications because it absorbs/blocks them. If you take carafate you have to wait 2 hours before you can take your other medications so you have to plan it's dosage out. GERD meds like esomeprazole 40 mg help some with the gastritis, but aren't too effective for BRD sufferers. Bentyl really helps with the spasms your stomach and colon have, but can constipate you. Maalox is ok for immediate short lived relief, and I can't comment on Zofran because they just prescribed it. So far I don't like the affects and they will most likely stick me back on Phenegran for nausea. Lifestyle changes are a good thing, but won't do too much. However, I have axed fast food, and painfully given up coffee.

I will have that cheeseburger now and again, and I am human and indulge in a very weak cup of coffee every once in awhile. My doctor made a very good point. Our bodies are like plumbing. If there is a clog in the drain, things back up. Therefore, I have been told to take a very mild laxative before bedtime on occassion. This helps if you are diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrom. This did help with constipation and some cramping. You will need to discuss what is best for you with your doctor. If you don't like a medication, don't be afraid to tell your doctor you hate it, or it doesn't seem to be helping.

I still feel cruddy even on my medications, so my regime might not be the best for you. As for the weight drop, you must make sure you eat, even with the nausea. Eggs are a good, mild thing to eat. I like them scrambled. Ramon noodles too. It is very hard to eat when you are experiencing nausea. However, I force myself to eat it. Even if just to keep my strength up. Anorexia and Bulemia are not symptoms of BRD. BUT, extreme nausea does make it difficult to eat. Set up a plan with someone you love and trust to help make a mild meal . Team work helps, and also relieves some stress as well. My boyfriend/fiance is my help. He makes it for me, and doesn't comment or condemn me for the amount I eat. Even if it's just a couple bites at every meal made that day. But, we do this religiously. I dropped 25 lbs since July. I am happy to say, I have gained all of it back. Some weeks it might have been only a pound or none, but I didn't give up and he didn't give up on me. Our worst enemy is feeling no one believes what we are feeling is real. MY god it is real, and our best stress relief is finding someone we love/like to talk to, believe us, support our good and bad days, and just be there. I hope some of this helps. I wrote a couple other hubs that might help you as well. Or at least give you some information to discuss with your doctor. Or help you feel a little better.

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