Alternative Medicine

It's been almost 2 months since I last posted. It's probably because the morning sickness has taken its exit, and I've been reveling in the fact that I can enjoy my meals and run errands like any normal person. But new aches and pains have taken residence in my changing body that have made me more uncomfortable and irritable.

I've developed what I believe to be a pinched nerve in the right side of my lower back. It's been there for the last few weeks, and then the pinch has recently traveled to the left side. Without being a medical professional, I also can't articulate to my ObGyn exactly what I'm feeling: pressure localized to the left side deep inside my pelvis.

Exercise seemed to exacerbate this particular symptom. It wasn't heavy exercise either. Just a couple of miles of walking at a brisk pace. My walking stick wasn't even enough to provide relief from the pressure I felt, and the pain that shot downward through my pelvis. At first, the pain only happened when I exercised, but the pressure/sharp pain never went away after my last walk a few weeks ago. It hurt to strain myself in any way. From doing simple tasks such as getting out of bed, standing up, sitting down, climbing stairs, and of course, walking. It's been frustrating not being able to locate the exact reason of this pain; and more frustrating that as my belly grows, the onset of aches and discomfort gets worse.

I know that exercise is extremely important during pregnancy, and some of the times I look forward to most are spent walking with my husband and little girls. But with my back and pelvic pain, I'm afraid my movements are limited these days.

I began seeing a naturopath last year. Little did we know that she would also be guiding me through a pregnancy. Although she's very expensive, and our insurance doesn't cover naturopaths (or FSA reimbursements for that matter), seeing her has been very helpful. I don't discount the wonders of Western medicine, but it's refreshing to have someone approach my health from a holistic and natural perspective--where Western medicine has disappointed. My naturopath prescribed the BEST prenatal vitamins that don't make me sick, and unlike many OTC vitamins that the body can't absorb and ends up expelling, my body seems to absorb the vitamins my naturopath prescribed.

I've also decided to begin taking prenatal yoga classes since merely walking to exercise seemed to agitate my symptoms.

I've only been taking yoga classes for a couple of weeks, but I'm hooked! I love going to yoga class, and being surrounded by women in all stages of pregnancy--which, by the way, seems to be a young woman's game. Many of these women are in their twenties and pregnant with their first baby. I envy how they glow and enjoy being pregnant. Wherein, I'm on my third pregnancy and am impatient for the baby to be born.  But I digress…

Although yoga hasn't relieved my back pain, it seems to have helped me manage my pain better with breathing and deep stretches. My lovely husband was confident that my pelvic pain would eventually ease up, and he was right (bless his heart). I do believe, however, that the yoga exercises assisted in relieving some of my pelvic pain, as I'm not as in much pain as I was before I began yoga.

To address the pinched nerve, I'm going to see a chiropractor on Thursday to finally rid myself of this pain, and get back to feeling more myself instead of irritable at the drop of a hat. The chiropractic office also has an acupuncturist--from whom I also plan to seek services as my pregnancy progresses. The good news is that our FSA will reimburse us for services rendered.

There are a plethora of options when seeking prenatal care. I know that every woman is different, and we have to do that which will meet our individual needs. This time around, I'm pulling out all the stops in order to stay healthy and have a safe delivery. It may seem excessive to have an ObGyn, a naturopath, a chiropractor, an acupuncturist, and om-tastic yoga instructors, but I'm determined to stay positive and get through this pregnancy with putting very little into my body in terms of OTC painkillers.

I'm 4.5 months pregnant, and everything is growing and changing. I remain hopeful that alternative medicine will do its part in helping me grow in grace--literally and figuratively--as I progress in my pregnancy.