MTHFR

{ November 12, 2009 @ 9:57 pm } · { Doctor Stuff, pregnancy }
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I’m trying to put together a post on MTHFR. It’s been difficult to figure out what I want to say and what medical information is important to give.

Let’s start with my personal brand of MTHFR :)  According to my lab work, I am compound heterozygous for MTHFR mutations. “Right…” You say. “What does that mean?” It basically means my body can’t absorb Folic Acid. I can’t metabolize it or Vitamin B9. Does that make any more sense? Not to me. Not even almost a year after diagnosis. I still don’t understand.

What do I do to treat my MTHFR? I take Folic Acid and baby aspirin. Oooohhh, big deal, huh?

From the research I’ve done in the past 11 months and from what the doctors have told me, it seems like something that is life altering. Yet, my life doesn’t seem that different. In fact, most days I wonder if taking this extra folic acid and aspirin are really helping. And helping what? I don’t feel any different. I’m 31weeks pregnant. I can’t stand taking pills. After taking 3 folic acid pills a day, I missed a couple and nothing happened. So, I put myself down to 2 folic acid pills a day (and the baby aspirin). Still don’t feel any different. I guess right now it’s a waiting game. I’m wondering if I should get retested after the baby is born. Maybe there was a mistake? Maybe I really don’t have it?

According to some websites, MTHFR can cause pre-eclampsia, placenta abruption, IUGR, stillbirth, having a baby with chromosomal abnormalities, recurrent pregnancy loss, clotting problems, strokes, hypertension, and heart disease. They say this is all hereditary. Yet, nobody in my family has these issues… except me. And the only ones I’ve had are miscarriages, possibly mild pre-eclampsia, and IUGR with one of my pregnancies. My other three full term pregnancies were fine. I was born with a heart defect, but I don’t think it’s connected.

People with MTHFR are supposed to be on a blood thinner when pregnant. My doctor recommended Lovenox injections. I refused. I took the chance that my body would take the extra folic acid and aspirin and do what was needed with it. And so far, it has.

 So, were my tests wrong? Or am I the only one in my family to have MTHFR? Are there other family members suffering from it, but not sharing the information? And what would happen if after I have this baby, I stop taking the medicine? Do I really want to risk stopping medicine and end up having a stroke? No. But, do I want to keep taking these pills for the rest of my life? No. But, I am lucky that this is the only thing wrong with me. I am blessed to be so healthy.

30 Weeks

{ November 6, 2009 @ 10:28 pm } · { pregnancy }
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I have hit 30 weeks! I had an appointment with my midwife this week. Everything is fine. I gained 10lbs between 20wks and 30wks and that’s what she likes to see, so I guess I did good there I measured 29 1/2cm so pretty much right on. My blood pressure was good and there was no protein in my urine – so no signs of preeclampsia (I was worried last week with my swollen feet and headaches, but it looks like it was just stress and the trip home for my cousin’s funeral). Baby’s heartrate was in the 140s, she was sort of vertex, but sort of transverse LOL! She’s just like her sisters, she likes to flip around.

I refused the glucose test and she said she’d draw my blood next time for the repeat CBC and all that fun stuff.

Right before we left for NY, I had an ultrasound. I was a little over 28 weeks. They called with the results while I was away. On the phone they told me I was 1cm dilated already. But, the report says .75cm. So, the midwife did look inside and said she could see it was a tiny bit dilated, but not to 1cm yet. So, the good news is that I’m not dilating anymore right now. She said who knows how many people go around dilated at 30 weeks because normally OBs and midwives don’t check at that time.

The second thing the report showed was mild dilation of the kidneys. Nobody is worried about this. It’s something that often clears up and if not, I’ll just take the baby in to have her kidneys checked when she’s born. My oldest was born with a kidney problem and it’s all okay.

Third… the placenta. It’s still only 2.1cm from my cervix, so it’s considered low lying, but not previa. They were hoping it would migrate up, but guess it’s being stubborn. My midwife said it might be because it’s posterior. She wants to talk to some other midwives about it and get their opinions. But, her gut tells her it’s fine and she’s not worried about it. It might be a bit of a challenge with my MTHFR status, so we’ll be keeping an eye on the bleeding in labor. I spoke to my old doula who agrees with her, that as long as it’s 2cm away, a vaginal delivery is fine.

The research I’ve done online seems to go either way… some say 2cm is the cut off. Anything less and it’s a c-section. Other sites say it should be 3cm. Some say you shouldn’t do an ultrasound to check the placenta until 35 weeks or so because it still has a chance to migrate. Some say home births are too risky. But, I’m comfortable right now. If my gut tells me different, I’d be switching. (I also looked up the placenta location in my other pregnancies, they were all posterior, but none were ever marked as low lying).

Anyway, I see her again in 2 weeks at her office and then 2 weeks after that, she’s coming here again! I love when I don’t have to go anywhere. She said something about being full term in 6 weeks! WOW! Just 6 weeks. And being the holidays, time will fly even faster!!!!

Conversation With My Toddler

{ October 22, 2009 @ 2:29 pm } · { Kids }
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Me to my toddler: “Can you please put the spoon away?”

My toddler to me: “I can’t. I hurt my back.”

I had to stifle a laugh.

My toddler to me: “Make me lunch, please.”

Me to my toddler: “I can’t. I hurt my feet.”

She looks at me and then at the spoon, she waits a few seconds, goes over, picks it up, puts it away, then smiles and asks for lunch again.

Too cute.

Judging People

{ October 21, 2009 @ 10:47 am } · { Everyday stuff }
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Do you judge other people? Honestly now. I do and I’m ashamed of it. I try not to. I really do. But, sometimes, I just can’t help myself. I keep my thoughts pretty much to myself, sometimes I blog about them, sometimes I rant to my husband about them, but mainly I just shake my head and keep moving on.

I know that it’s up to God to judge each of us. I know we’re not supposed to judge each other. And I certainly have been proved wrong before. So, why do I keep doing it? Why does my brain automatically think “bad mother” when I see someone smoking in their car with kids on board? And is it such a bad thing? Isn’t that mother not thinking of her child as she puts both their lives at risk?

I had a conversation with a friend the other day. She is a much better person than I am… or at least I think she is from what she says. She talked about she doesn’t like to be judged, so she doesn’t judge other people. Her mentality was “if you don’t like me, fine”. And I like that about her. It doesn’t bother me if somebody non-essential to my everyday wellbeing doesn’t like me. I know I’m different and that’s okay. I don’t expect other people to be just like me and to think just like I do. Sure would be nice though :D

I have been judged before and still am to this day. I was judged as a teenager when I wore all black, spiked my hair up, dyed it purple and had a bad attitude. I was judged when I looked like a teenager at 22 when I had my first baby. I was judged as a b*tch when I moved here and didn’t want to sit out in the street and drink. And I’m judged now for having 5 children and for my views on how to raise them. I can honestly say I’m okay with all that right now. Judge away if you must.

However, even though I’m okay with being judged, I am mad at myself for judging others. I will continue to try and change… but I don’t have much hope. People will still make me shake my head. And I’m sure, as always, I will blog about it.

Cervical Cancer Vaccine Warnings

{ October 8, 2009 @ 9:51 am } · { Vaccine }
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Two more cervical cancer vaccine links – about the researchers of these vaccines speaking out and warning people! 

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/19/cbsnews_investigates/main5253431.shtml?tag=cbsnewsLeadStoriesAreaMain;cbsnewsLeadStoriesPrimary

http://www.naturalnews.com/027196_cancer_cervical_cancer_cancer_vaccine.html

Schools & Money

{ October 8, 2009 @ 9:36 am } · { School, annoying things }
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I’m venting. I’m venting here because I don’t want to vent to my neighborhood and start something. So, here I go… We send our kids to school to learn. We entrust them to teachers. And we do pay. When we buy a home, we pay school taxes. In fact, I pay up the nose in school taxes.

We pay for school supplies. I don’t mind paying it. Although, I would like to know who compiles this list – this list of supplies that our children need. I prepaid for my middle schoolers supplies this year and she didn’t use all of it. Not only was 1/4 of that box left over, but the teachers wanted other things! Specific color folders, binders, assignment books, and don’t forget to add in what the electives need – orchestra supplies, sewing supplies… UGH!

If that wasn’t enough, we are asked at the beginning of the school year for just about everything. School lunch money – not a big deal – I put so much in my children’s accounts so they can get lunch once a week. I think it’s neat how they have an online website where I can see what my girls are eating and how much money is left. I can deal with that one.

But, then there is PTO – this is something I wouldn’t join except that is the ONLY way to get a student directory. School spirit shirts. This isn’t something that is required, however most of the school has them and I don’t want my kids to feel left out every Friday when it’s spirit day. So, I buy the overpriced shirts.

Take a deep breath, that surely has to be it, right? Right? Noooooo. My 7th grader needs a gym uniform! Why is it that they can’t change into shorts and a t-shirt like we did in school? I need to spend $25 on a uniform? And NO, it can’t be the same one from last year!

School officially starts - oh, did I not mention that this was all stuff that needed to be purchased BEFORE school even begins - and YEARBOOK forms go out!!!!!!!! Yes, lets order a $40 yearbook in September! Don’t forget the extra money to have their name engraved!!!

My 7th grader decides to join cross country and all of a sudden I NEED to buy her a t-shirt and a jacket. Wonderful. Then this week, the elementary school wants money for Field Day shirts. Um… Field Day isn’t until SPRING!!!!!!!!!!

Don’t forget to buy from the Scholastic book paper! The schools need books, ya know. And picture day! Spend $50 on a picture package you can’t see before paying for it. We skipped that. We’ll do holiday pictures instead.

So, what set me off now? Why am I venting now? This music thing came up at school, the teachers are playing music in the classrooms and some of it’s not appropriate. The neighborhood is in an uproar. But, the people who are close to the teachers defend them by saying “Well, if you don’t like it, then you need to provide the money for the CDs we should be playing your children.” Um… what???????????????????????? (This topic is a whole other post)

I realize that teachers don’t make a lot of money. I realize that the schools don’t give them money to decorate or buy things for their classroom. But, I take a mean approach. If you don’t have the money to provide what your classroom needs, don’t be a teacher. I was in elementary education when I was in college. I knew what I was getting into. I knew I’d need my own money. And after completing 3 years, I decided that’s not what I wanted to do with my life. Maybe I’m a horrible person for saying that. I don’t think it should be MY responsibility to provide the teachers with extra stuff or CDs. I pay more than enough in taxes that the teachers should get some money to help them.

My 1st grader’s teacher is brand spanking new and her wish list was LONG. I actually don’t like any of my daughters being in a brand new room because they don’t get what the other kids get. The kids who have teachers who have been teachers more than a month actually have more toys, more supplies, on top of the experience the teacher has.

I wish I could homeschool. I wish I had the patience and the  knowledge to homeschool my girls. In fact, I came up with my own great plan :) I think if you are going to homeschool your child, you shouldn’t have to pay school taxes. I could use the thousands of dollars I pay in taxes and all the money I’d save not having to pay for PTO, t-shirts, wish lists, etc. for the supplies needed to homeschool and have enough to hire a tutor for the things I can’t teach!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I’m overprotective.

26 Weeks

{ October 6, 2009 @ 1:15 pm } · { pregnancy }
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The days seem to drag on and yet fly by. I often think about updating my blog and then I get sidetracked. I don’t have any real news to report. I saw my midwife last week for an appointment. She actually came to me! It was wonderful not having to drive anywhere, to wait in my own home, watch tv or be online while waiting. Not that I have to wait at her office either, but compared to waiting at the OB’s office, this is a dream.

My blood pressure was perfect for me, I gained 4 pounds since the last visit, no swelling. My belly finally measured accurately! I was 25 weeks and measured 25 weeks. The last visit had me a little scared because I was only measuring 15 week and I was 21 weeks. It reminded me of my pregnancy with NKJ. They had to induce me because she wasn’t growing anymore. My baby girl’s heart rate was good and she was moving all around. I see her again in 4 weeks and then the appointments will go to every 2 weeks! I can’t believe it’s already that time!

I will be having another ultrasound in a few weeks to check on my placenta. I sure hope it has moved up so it doesn’t cause any problems in delivery.

We did have some bad news on our insurance. It seems they were going to cover the midwife out of network, but our insurance switches January 1st! So, if the baby is born in December, that’ll be awesome money wise. If the baby isn’t born until January, we’ll be paying the whole thing.

Having a Homebirth

{ September 17, 2009 @ 12:19 pm } · { pregnancy }
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It’s amazing how the fact that I’m hoping to have a homebirth brings out the ugly in other people. I read a comment in a forum recently that wasn’t directed to me, but it felt that way. This person said something like “I don’t understand how anyone could risk having a homebirth when there are facilities to deal with birth.”

So, basically, if they build it, we should all go. I wonder if people really forget that it wasn’t so long ago that homebirth was normal, that doctors came to people’s houses and took care of them, that midwives took care of laboring mothers. This was normal. C-sections weren’t normal, inductions weren’t normal, natural childbirth at home was!

Then came along my grandmother’s generation. She tells stories on going into the hospital to give birth, the doctors would give the mothers some sort of gas mask they would have to hold up to their nose and mouth, this would knock them out until their hand dropped and then they’d wake back up again. Boy, that sounds fun! At the end of the labor,  mothers were basically out of it as the doctors yanked babies out. My grandmother says how she woke up hours later and was told she had a girl or a boy. Fathers weren’t in the rooms. She would then have to stay in the hospital for weeks!

And now look at where we are. People actually get to say “Gee, I think the 5th of January is a good day to have a baby” and they ask their doctor to induce them that day and the doctor says sure. Of course, that’s a whole other blog post.

My point today is that people rush to the hospital to have a baby now. They WANT the induction, they WANT the epidural, they WANT the meds… but I’m not sure why. Why would someone choose to be put in a hospital with all the bacteria and viruses floating around? Why would someone want to be hooked up to machines? Why would someone want an IV? Why have all these medical interventions if you don’t need them?

I completely understand if you are high risk that you would  need some intervention. But, for a perfectly normal pregnancy in a healthy mom, why?

However, I don’t normally tell someone who is having a hospital birth I think they’re nuts for doing so. I usually keep my opinion to myself. I wish other people would.

My reasons for hoping to have a homebirth?

  • Giving birth in the comfort of my own home.
  • Having as many people around as I want.
  • Not having any interventions unless absolutely needed.
  • Being able to eat or drink.
  • Being able to videotape and take pictures.
  • Being able to give birth in my tub if I want.
  • Having control over my surroundings.
  • Not having to leave my children with babysitters.
  • Not having to say goodbye to my children at the end of the visiting hours.
  • Not having my newborn taken out of my sight ever. No hospital mixups here.
  • Not having things done to my newborn that I don’t want.

I pray every night that it works out for me. That even though I have some things going against me, that I am able to try for a homebirth. I pray that when that time comes that my body does what it’s supposed to do and everything goes smoothly. Of course, I pray for a healthy baby and a happy outcome.

Bubble… Pop… Nudge

{ August 27, 2009 @ 10:38 am } · { pregnancy }
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How sweet is it to feel your baby’s first movements?

At first, you feel something like bubbles popping and you wonder “is that the baby?”

A few days pass and you feel it again, and again wonder… could that be the baby? You know it’s not gas. You’re pretty sure there isn’t a butterfly in your stomach. It has to be it… right?

Then a week later, you feel it… a nudge, a definite baby nudge. You smile. You laugh. Maybe you tell the world “HEY! I felt the baby!!” or maybe you keep it a secret and not tell anyone, you make it a special thing between you and your baby.

A couple weeks later after feeling these little nudges, you notice your belly jumps a little when the baby nudges. WOW! What a special, wonderful feeling that is! And on top of that, you can see it!!

Then sometimes are those days where you are running around, busy doing errands, taking the kids to school, going grocery shopping and you realize… you haven’t felt the baby move. Scared, you sit down, you wait, hope and pray and then a few minutes later… she moves. And you breathe a sigh of relief.

Feeling the baby move is such a special time. It makes the pregnancy real – finally getting an every day confirmation that yes, indeed, there is a baby in there. Especially, when you’ve had miscarriages in the past,  knowing that this baby is okay is very important.

I am finally at the stage where I can feel our little girl moving every day. It’s so exciting. I love this stage. The kicks and nudges aren’t hard enough to hurt and they are hard enough to not just tickle anymore. I am so blessed to be able to enjoy this every day.

Thank you, God.

Low Lying Placenta

{ August 17, 2009 @ 3:05 pm } · { pregnancy }
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Also in the ultrasound, they noticed my placenta was close to my cervix. The ultrasound tech measured it a few times and said it was about 2cms from my cervix. When you think about it, that’s not very far. It’s not covering my cervix, so that’s really good news. She said the midwives usually like the placenta to be at least 3cms from the cervix, but even that seems ridiculously close!

Supposedly, there is plenty of time for the placenta to move on up. I asked my midwife if she ever heard of a placenta moving down closer to the cervix before and she said no. That would be MY luck! So, I’m hoping and praying that when I go back for another ultrasound in about 10 weeks that the placenta will be a higher up.

I also read that most placentas attach at the top because that area is rich in blood and therefore oxygen and nutrients. So when the placenta doesn’t attach at the top, there’s more risk of IUGR and pre-term labor. YIKES! I had IUGR with my last daughter and they induced me at 37 weeks.

Migrate placenta, migrate!!! I want a homebirth!!

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