My Pregnancy Misadventures | The Pains and Lessons

This phase in my life was all new to me. I felt like a first timer when it was actually my second pregnancy. Well, maybe because my first one happened 10 years back and I'd like to recall that part as my "sweet journey."

"Di ka madadalang manganak," my midwife sister-in-law once told me. And I totally agreed with her because everything went sooo smoothly when I gave birth to my eldest.

But like what I said before, each pregnancy is different.

Related: My Pregnancy Misadventures | Intro

With my second, the first few months went fine. Thankfully, I didn't almost feel those morning sickness. I had less dizziness, minor throwing up episodes and still had a healthy appetite, which I enjoyed the most  :)



Long time battle

Cravings for sweets especially banana cue and "turon" were apparent. And oh, how can I forget my desire for chocolates, ice cream and cheese? Those were my comfort food...the ones I couldn't live without (lol) but sadly the same reason that triggered my long time battle with Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).

Let me just insert some medical terms here. UTI happens when bacteria colonized the urinary tract and women are 10 times more affected than men.

Speaking for myself, I list down four reasons  that might explain why I had it recurring.

1. I was pregnant. 

"UTI's are more common during pregnancy because of changes in the urinary tract. The uterus sits directly on top of the bladder. As the uterus grows, its increased weight can block the drainage of urine from the bladder, causing an infection." www.americanpregnancy.org

2. Poor diet. 

Yes, I know. I am hard-headed when it comes to my choice of food. I knew dairies are a big NO-NO if you have UTI. But how could I resist my guilty pleasure? Eventually, I learned it the hard way.

3. I waited too long to pass urine. 

I was just too lazy to move and get up especially at night.

4. Drinking less water. 

I'm a certified poor water drinker ever since.

And so the discomfort began...

You might ask. How was it like to have a UTI? 

Aside from the burning sensation when urinating and the blood spots that came along with it, it's the lower back pain that I despised the most. Imagine it hurts just by doing simple chores as sweeping the floor, washing dishes and anything that requires bowing or even prolonged sitting, standing, lying and walking. It was painful and I never want to go through that again!

So my prenatal test showed I have UTI in reference to my urinalysis. 

"Ok, not a big deal. I'm used to it," I thought. 

However, that time, it wasn't just me. I had my baby inside and I couldn't afford any complications. I didn't have any choice but to follow my doctor's advice. 

I even took the antibiotic (I forgot the name) she prescribed which I learned to be safe for pregnant women based on my own research. 

For a while, I was cured and so I thought but not for long...

I could still bear the back pain but feminine itching? That's too much!!! How could I be so clueless reckless for taking antibiotics at that time? I should have known better. Being allergic to most medicines, I should have been more cautious.

It's a discharge, intense itchiness, painful and burning sensation down there that wouldn't leave me for several days! 

Bedtimes were the worst as severe itchiness kept me awake. And it was so discomforting, irritating that it drove away my focus and concentration during the day.

I won't go into further details but I swear you wouldn't wish to have this kind of infection! 

The remedy

Good thing Google was always on call to rescue the helpless me :) 

I researched for natural remedies to combat yeast infection and found out some good writings about garlic being a natural anti fungal.

But the process to cure it was quite delicate so I searched for some alternative. 

Finally, I learned that this probiotic drink was perfect for me!

The live lactobacilli or the good bacteria in YAKULT helped cure my infection in no time! I just consumed five bottles of it everyday for a week and the result was just amazing...the itchiness disappeared and the affected skin went back to normal!

***

Fast forward to January 18, 2016, my baby girl was born four weeks early via an unplanned C-section procedure (my water broke too soon but my baby wasn't descending). 

She had a low birth weight at only 2.04 kg and had an IV for antibiotics for a week to prevent possible infections. 

The doctor said it's linked to my UTI. 

Again! When I thought all along that I've been cured :(

Lessons. Lessons. Lessons.

Hmmm, probably my biggest lesson? "Nadala na akong manganak hahaha." Kidding aside, I only have three great lessons from what I've been through.

1. Moderation. 

It's the key to everything - diet, exercise. It's not bad to satisfy our cravings once in a while but not too much, ok? Remember, pregnant women are not only prone to UTI but to gestational diabetes as well.

2. Know your body. 

Only "YOU" know your body better than anybody else. Personally speaking, I say no to antibiotics from now on. I really regret taking it. I'll rather look for a more natural remedy.

3. Save for a rainy day. 

The unexpected happens during pregnancy. Like me, I planned, hoped, prayed and tried to have a normal delivery but it turned out to be the opposite. Imagine double the pain plus double the cost!  Good thing, we had some extra money back then so it saved us from the debts.

Hugs,
Joan



photos credit to: pixabay.com, geekwise.com, google.com



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