photo credit: NickStenning

*NOT OUR DOCTOR’S PARKING SPOT – A MERE REPRESENTATION*

Well on July 8th we saw our general practitioner for the first time for this pregnancy.
The “prenatal visit” they tell me.

I don’t really remember all that poking, prodding and depressing conversation when we were there for our first child.
It seemed besides the initial excitement felt on our end and our continuing worry about managing a house with twins and an older brother, we have a truckload of bigger things to worry about.

Most importantly is the first 12 weeks. If the twins survive to 12 weeks inside the womb, their chances of survival make a huuuuge jump. If you were talking with your hands, you go from “weeeee chances” before 12 weeks to “yay chances” after 12 weeks.
So rather than convincing Julie to take a complete bedrest and avoid work altogether, our doctor put it out there that regular life and activities can continue but to put EATING, DRINKING FLUIDS and REST at the top of the list of things to do today, and tomorrow and for the next 4 weeks.

What I also thought was a pretty cool thing to say, our doctor made the comment that the prenatal vitamin CAUSES NASEUA, so in this case, since Julie has already been to the ER for dehydration and a nice little “HEY YOU’RE HAVING TWINS” moment, fluids and foods outweigh the necessity for the prenatal horsepills. So if you have to choose between pukey pukey and yummy yummy slurp slurp, go for the yummy slurps and foresake the pukey.

In addition to some simple counseling about the safety of our unborn twins and encouraging Julie to take the Zofran in case of emergency, we were also informed that we would no longer be seeing our general practice doctor for the remainder of the pregnancy. “I do singletons.” The doctor told us.

In a bizarre and morbidly blunt tone he said: “If you happen to lose one, then you’ll come back and see me.”

Coming from a family where the law of attraction and the belief that positive thinking is quite powerful, I don’t care to harbor such negative ideas, but I appreciate the sentiment.

The doctor continued to tell us that he WILL be in the delivery room, but not as quaterback as he was during our son’s birth.

So we learned a few things:

• Our due date is now February 16th, 2009
• We will be seeing a team of OBs (three to be exact) so on the day of delivery we will have an OB that knows all about Julie’s vajayjay and the state of our twins’ health
• This pregnancy is considered High Risk, so we will be going back to see our High Risk doctor from Julie’s last pregnancy on a regular basis

p.s. I always wanted to use vajayjay as a post tag! HAHAHAH!

First Doctor Visit – July 8th, 2009 is a post from: havingtwinsnow.com

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photo credit: Evil Erin

One of the things Julie has been suffering with consistently since week 4 is morning sickness. Morning, day and night sickness, that is.

In Julie’s case, the mornings and evenings are normally the worst, with the afternoon being generally acceptable, although mildly at best. We’ve been told that extra B6 (30mg minimum) is a great place to start to help treat the nausea, but what do you do when you can’t even bring yourself to LOOK at the water you would need to swallow the tablet?

When Julie left work the second time she called her doctor and he gave her a script (IMAGINE THAT!) for a drug called Zofran.
Of course, on the RX label it says “DO NOT TAKE IF YOU ARE PREGNANT.” Julie read that and was afraid of the potential side effects on the baby (we got the drug before we knew about the twins), but in the ER the nurse practitioner said that the FDA had categorized it as a Type B and that it was generally safe and no one would test the drug on pregnant ladies, but in those that HAD used it their weren’t any complications or negative effects on the fetus.

Julie has taken it twice since we found out about the two newbies, but only after prolonged periods of nausea and hunger did she break down to use it. It definitely helped, but any alternative to using drugs has to be better than taking something that isn’t documented as NOT hurting unborn children.

MORNING SICKNESS FREEDOM!

While looking for more information on the subject we came across Morning Sickness Freedom. In this book we read about a set of pressure points that work immediately, a method for avoiding chemicals in the foods you eat that can increase the chances of feeling sick to your stomach, breaking down the contents of the prenatal vitamins that pregnant women take that could be the source for some of the vomiting, and also some exercises that cut down on reflux and increase bloodflow.

A lot of the books we found on Amazon didn’t seem to focus on the specific 6-12 week period during the first trimester where things seem insusrmountable, but Mary Kinsey focuses JUST on the timeframe where morning sickness is most profound.

This summer she is selling the book for about 30 bucks, but I’m told it will go back up to 50 bucks sometime soon.

I’ve learned so much on a subject I was not at all comfortable researching for my wife initially, but when your partner in life is puking her guts out morning, noon and night, you gotta step up and find some stuff out as soon as possible. Three lives depend on it.

Morning Sickness ALL DAY is a post from: havingtwinsnow.com

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photo credit: eyeliam

Helping Baby Be Healthy Before Being Born!

Pregnancy is a special time, not only for the new, growing baby. Mom and Dad, and many others, feel the impact of the coming baby. Along with the anticipation and joy comes some anxiety and fear and a TON OF QUESTIONS. Will the baby be ok? Will it be a boy or a girl? What if there is more than one baby?  Will Mom feel well? Will the delivery be easy or will there be surgery? Will Mom & Dad be able to afford their additional responsibilities?

All of these questions – and hundreds more – seem to take care of themselves. Worrying is usually unnecessary and counterproductive. Yes, it is all too easy to sit on the sides and say, “Don’t Worry”, or, ”Just leave it in God’s hands”. Those of us who offer these kinds of “advice” do so with the best intentions – and often with a lot of experience. Still, Mom & Dad might not be successful quelling their fears with our words. It is common for expecting parents to want to KNOW what they can do to make sure things run smoothly and their baby is as healthy as can be.

One important thing Mom can do for the health of her unborn child is to eat well and avoid toxic substances. That’s obvious. What isn’t so obvious is that it is usually not all that easy to avoid substances that can harm both Mom and Baby. One such substance is MSG – Mono Sodium Glutamate.

MSG IS AN ENEMY MSG & hidden sources of MSG

Monosodium Glutamate is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, an amino acid found naturally in foods that contain protein. It acts as an excitatory neurotransmitter. Free glutamic acid is found primarily in processed foods. When eaten, it can over-stimulate your nervous system and cause a wide range of adverse effects.

Unlike salt or other seasonings, MSG does not alter the actual taste of food; instead it enhances taste by exciting and increasing the sensitivity of taste buds. It has a drug-like effect upon the flavor perception of the person who has ingested food or drink that contains MSG.

MSG has no nutritional value, nor is it a preservative, as many people seem to believe.

MSG does not affect food, instead it tricks your brain into thinking the food you are eating tastes good. Manufacturers can use inferior ingredients, and by adding MSG, mask the inferior quality and freshness of foods.

It is used to disguise the tinny taste of canned products and to give a fresh taste to frozen or freeze-dried foods. Food companies are able to make their ingredients go much further with the help of this flavor enhancer, thus cutting their production costs. Inferior products and higher profits prevail at the expense of consumer health. MSG is not a preservative and does not protect food from contamination or spoilage.

One food scientist told me that ONLY about 5% of the people are sensitive to MSG. Other sources put the number much higher. But, even if it IS just 5%, that represents around 15 MILLION Americans. Is that insignificant? 

Wikipedia Link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate

Why is MSG still on the market if it causes such debilitating reactions?

MSG production and consumption are multi-billion dollar industries. The passivity of government regulatory agencies, such as the FDA, coupled with established relationships with food-industry-sponsored lobby groups, have allowed a dramatic increase in MSG-use by manufacturers. Current levels added to food are fifty times higher than amounts used forty years ago—and the quantity continues to grow every year.

Where do you FIND MSG? It’s in many foods including packaged food, canned food, restaurant food, drinks and candy.  It’s even sold in the spice section of the grocery store.  MSG alone has no flavor.  It enhances the flavor of other foods by exciting our taste buds.  You’d think that MSG would be listed on the products that contain it.  It is, but it isn’t always easy to find.  You see, some manufacturers KNOW that MSG is harmful so they use different names to hide the truth that their product contains it. Here are some common ingredient names that contain MSG: 

• • Autolyzed yeast
  • Calcium caseinate
  • Gelatin
  • Glutamate
  • Hydrolyzed protein (any protein that is hydrolyzed)
  • Monopotassium glutamate
  • Yeast extract
  • Yeast food

Some of the more common sources of MSG are:

• • Bouillon, Broth
  • Malt extract
  • Maltodextrin
  • Smoke flavoring
  • Soy protein
  • Soy sauce extract
  • Yeast extract
  • Whey extract
  • Slow-cooked protein
  • and flavorings- including “natural flavoring”

What are some adverse reactions to MSG? In sensitive persons, MSG may trigger an allergic reaction. Some others include:

• • anxiety
  • arrhythmias
  • chest tightness
  • cramping
  • depression
  • diarrhea
  • dizziness
  • flu-like symptoms
  • flushing
  • hives/rash
  • hyperactivity
  • migraines
  • nausea/vomiting
  • numbness
  • rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)
  • runny nose/sneezing
  • shortness of breath
  • vision disturbances
  • and weakness

How do I avoid MSG? It’s almost impossible. However, if you make an effort to avoid the major sources of MSG – and read package labels carefully – it seems you can reduce your sensitivity to it. Really? YES! I have personal experience with this chemical. I discovered that it is the “trigger” for my migraine headaches. If I make an effort to avoid the major sources of MSG (bouillon, soy, yeast extract, and so on) I find I can tolerate whatever small amounts “sneak through.” Sometimes I KNOW that I’ve ingested some (tingling in the mouth, a burning tongue, or really HOT ears) and then I search for the source. Sure enough, there it is, hidden among the long list on the label (usually in tiny print.) I even find that MOST brands of Ranch Salad Dressings have enough MSG to start a reaction. Marie’s Ranch dressing is safe – so far. I still check each jar because you never know when it will creep into a product – any product.

Canned foods like chili or stew are loaded. I also find it in almost every brand of frozen dinner entrées. Sadly, manufacturers change their ingredients from time to time. So, read the labels EVERY TIME you buy something. You may find that a product you used to buy NOW list MSG or one of it’s cousins on the label.

Eliminate processed foods if you want to lower your MSG exposure. 

What about dining out? You’ll need to ASK QUESTIONS when you’re at a restaurant. Generally, the more expensive the menus the less the chance they’re adding MSG or using cheap processed ingredients. Be particularly careful when you see “No MSG Added.” All that means is that the restaurant (or food processor) didn’t add any extra MSG. Because it can be formed during cooking or processing, MSG can be present. High protein foods that cook for long periods are suspect. It’s wise to avoid pot roast, stews and most Oriental cooking. 

The longer meat is simmered or stewed the more likely it will produce MSG.

What should you do if you eat some MSG and get sick? Drink water – a lot of it. The water will dilute the levels of MSG in your body and help flush it out more quickly. I have personal experience with this technique and I can testify that it works. It isn’t easy because it’s hard to force water when the MSG is making your feel bad. Do it anyhow.

MSG & Pregnancy

Pregnancy is special because the decisions about what to eat are made by the mother – and they can have direct negative impact on the unborn child. Therefore, choices about food and drink have to be made with full consideration for someone, unborn, who isn’t capable of making choices. Mom is responsible for the health of two (or three, or more). She might want to do her best to choose foods that do not contain any form of MSG. If she successfully keeps her intake to a minimum, she’ll feel better and baby will develop in a healthy environment. There are additional benefits from removing MSG from Mom’s diet – all those who share her meals will also receive a healthy boost by having MSG reduced in their diet. Everyone wins when Mom is concerned about what she’s feeding her baby.

There are other potentially toxic substances in our food supply. We’ll discuss them at more length in other articles on this site. For now, steer clear of all artificial sweeteners (especially aspartame), and HFC (high fructose corn syrup).

Larry J. Frieders, RPh

http://www.thecompounder.com/contact.php
340 Marshall, Unit 100 ~ Aurora, IL 60506
Tel 630-859-0333

MSG & Pregnancy by Larry Frieders, RPh is a post from: havingtwinsnow.com

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