Monday, April 20, 2009

Hungry with no appetite.. just lots of aversions.

A quick hello and update...

I saw Deb today for my 28 week appointment. We went over my test results and all looked great. Last week my bp, when I was supine, had been around 85/55 - or something like that - which I'm sure was not helping with the dizziness. While I've been feeling pretty fatigued again, and quite lightheaded, even with rest, I have been feeling better for the break from work. Today my sitting BP was 110/70 - perfectly normal.

And yet I still have been feeling those symptoms.... with no sign of anemia, or anything else, for that matter, we talked about what could be contributing to the extreme fatigue. Whilst I have a bit of a lupus rash on my face, I don't think what I'm experiencing are lupus related things, and since no underlying factors showed up in the blood work then we talked about how my diet might be contributing to these symptoms.

I didn't gain any weight this past two weeks (just 12 pounds to date), even though the poppet was measuring perfectly. But the sickness, nausea, and food aversions have been terrible, and I've even been taking zofran twice a day - instead of the once that I was getting by on. How can I be 7 months pregnant and still suffering with this dreaded sickness? This past couple of weeks have been especially bad, though. I am often hungry but have zero appetite, and it's not just a lack of appetite, I feel like heaving when I think about what I should eat. Foods that are fine one minute are undoable the next... and I feel as though I am fast running out of options. I will be honest and say this is pretty miserable.

I find it easier to eat food that's prepared by others - and since Rich is a terrible cook I only ever eat food prepared by others when we're out. I have even been going through restaurants, too!! I was regularly at Panera the first few weeks of pregnancy but developed a strong aversion to soup. After a few months i managed to go back and was eating their salad... until I was extremely sick after I ate it in Florida. So, Panera is out. I was also regularly eating at Whole Foods... and, alas, that's out, too. I am a little worried that I won't find anything soon.

Any ideas?

Recent new aversions: oats, oatbran, etc., most cereals, veggie slices, some salad, some protein powders, veggie burgers (that was new of last night), potatoes, most grains...

Jeepers, there are very few things that I can even consider.

Things that I can still eat with little trouble:

oranges, apples, melon, usually toast (helps to eat it in a restaurant!), some brands of soy milk, tomato sandwiches, chocolate covered raisins, bananas, one type of Luna bar, grapes, sometimes soy yogurt with raspberries, blueberries...

Please please please let these aversions magically disappear when the poppet arrives. I used to salivate over my favourite red pepper hummus and pita and now the idea of them is nauseating.

Still... despite all this, everything is great with the boy (though did I mention that I STILL refer to the poppet as a girl!!?). Deb, thankfully, thought it would be okay to skip the glucose test for now given that my blood levels last week showed my level to be around 72.... I don't think I'd have stood a chance of keeping orange gunk down!

I would love it if anyone has any ideas about things to eat... and if someone wants to cook for me, well, that would be lovely too :)

10 comments:

  1. aw alex you poor thing, that sounds just awful. you have my maximum sympathy.

    love lucy x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, Alex, you poor dear! I am so sorry that this is so miserable for you. The good news is that I'm SURE your aversions will dissipate once Poppet is born and your hormones even out again. It is fascinating--and frustrating--how our brain can know we love something and yet our stomach says "NO WAY!" I had the strongest aversion to coffee when pregnant--even the smell made me ill. And usually I love it.

    Anyway: I would LOVE to cook for you! Truly, truly! But I have no idea what to make. . . . I hate to just bring you fruit salad when that is something you are able to manage for yourself (though if you want that, just say the word!). Can you offer a suggestion without making yourself ill? ;-)

    Is there some kind of supplement you can take? (I'm guessing you're already on prenatal vitamins?) It must be so hard not to have many options.

    I'm really glad to year you can forego the orange gunk. Sorry that your symptoms are persisting but hoping that with some creativity in the food department we may be able to fix that. . . .

    Anyway, sending you a hug! And lots of sympathy.
    xo
    Jen

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'll cook for you!
    How about blending some banana and flavoured soy milk and then even freezing some to make into ice-cream/frozen yogurt type stuff? I can imagine it'd get boring though. How about pasta? How's plain tofu? Are you better with plain tasting stuff or flavour? I'm into edamame beans in their pods with salt on them, steamed (or nuked). I'm worried that listing possible foods will make you feel more nauseous!

    I am so glad your bp and tests seem okay now, it must be truly miserable to have so many food aversions and to still feel so sick.

    I called you the other day and left a message, not sure if you got it?

    Love L x

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm so sorry you're still having the sickness and food aversions. I will list some foods that have been tolerable to me (until I got sick of them, you know how that goes).
    Baked potatoes (a little salt, butter), toast with almond butter, pasta with a little parmesan, cold cereal, tortillas with cheese melted on them, almonds, it just changes every day so whatever sounds moderately tolerable, I would try.
    Take care. This too shall pass but it sure is taking its time! I really hope you start feeling better soon.
    -Krystine

    ReplyDelete
  5. I had this with Gabriel right until the end - a tummy that was screaming for food but a brain with absolutely no appetite. Hideous! It disappeared the day he was born so I'm sure the same will happen to you.

    I definitely feel awful when I don't eat enough (still need three breakfasts!) so try to get in whatever you can - if that means 12 tomato sandwiches and a whole bunch of bananas a day then so be it!

    I must admit, I ate a lot of rubbish such as crisps, instant noodles and cake (and endless toast) with G, just couldn't face anything else but when you're growing a person you need fuel, even if it's not the ideal type. Prenatal vits were my safety net. (In the third trimester you need an extra 200-300 cals a day too I'm afraid...!).

    I really hope this passes soon. Until you've experienced it you really can't appreciate just how bloody awful it is. At the very worst, it will stop when Poppet is born, I promise. Hopefully sooner but at least the end is in sight!

    Right, I'm off to drink some raspberry leaf tea and bounce on my ball. Out baby, out!

    Take care Alex xxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. sorry things are so awful. i can't really relate, because my morning sickness went away long before yours has (or will). I mainly just wanted to stop by and say i'm so sorry, and i hope you can stay strong - you must for little R! and no worries, all my food aversions went away once the mini-man was born, thank heavens, because i missed my veggie stir-fry. :)

    xoxo
    brie

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi there! I am sorry I haven't been around. I have no good advice on recipes since everything I like probably has animal products in them. I am excited for you and I hope you get feeling better soon.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks, everyone! I'll be back later to respond properly... it helps to have your lovely comments.

    I'm just about to post a quick update about the scan we had today. No wonder I'm so depleted :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hey, new idea,
    I have a chicken fruit salad (but you can leave out the chicken) recipe. It's basically rice, orange juice, vinegar, mandarin oranges, celery, grapes and almonds. It might be worth a try since some of the fruits are settling with you. I'll give you the recipe if you want to try. Take care.
    Krystine

    ReplyDelete
  10. HI All, I've been meaning to respond to this all day...

    THANK YOU for your great ideas.. and also for sympathizing.

    Thanks, Lucy. it is a bit bloody miserable.

    Jen, you are so sweet to offer to cook for me :) You know I've not been able to take a prenatal since week 6. Since then I've been taking kids' vitamins and a kids' omega 3. I'm thankful that my diet was pretty nutritious pre-pregnancy as Im sure those stores are coming in handy. I do have a new strategy of taking protein bars with me at all times... and then every so often a have a bit. I've managed to add a few hundred calories a day just by doing that, and I really do feel more energized already!

    Thanks, Jen!

    Aw, Lou, I DID get yuor message. I was en route to Deb's when you called. I will try and call you tomorrow when I get back from work.. though more likely it'll be Friday. Your ideas are good ones. I went through a phase of shakes, etc, and oddly I can eat tofu when it's prepared by others... just not by me. I don't do tofu very well, though! Lovelovelove

    Krystine, that recipe - sans the chicken - sounds good. You're just going to have to come and make it for me :) Alternatively I'd appreciate the recipe.. perhaps Rich can make it!!!!

    Oh, Alice, I hadn't realized that you had been sick up to the due date with big G. After today's scan, which suggested by the hair growth that my hormone levels are high, if this is a damn OIiver thing!!! I've been eating quite a few crisps, too.. which I don't do ordinarily. And did I tell you that my folks sent me some pot noodles? Yep.. i ate one on Monday. Frankly I'll eat anything I can keep down at this point.

    hey Krista!! Thanks for stopping by!

    Aw, brie, I think you went through enough with your little guy.. and certainly youre making up for it now (((hugs))).

    I definitely feel my energy levels rising a bit now that I'm being more mindful to chow down. I went to the gym today and yesterday and whilst I have REALLY slowed down, it was good to be moving!

    xoxo A

    ReplyDelete