Monday, May 27, 2013

Mother nature has a few things backwards...

When it comes to pregnancy, I think mother nature should consider revising a few things!  First, when women are in the first trimester and critical neuro development is happening, mother's should be programmed to crave healthy food full of nutrients like vegetables and fish!  Second, she should really do whatever it takes to support good, deep, and replenishing sleep! 

Michelle has been a rockstar throughout this pregnancy, but sleep is not coming easily and this has been the bane of her (read OUR) existence lately.  And I am deeply concerned that this is only going to get worse over the next four months (yes, that's right...only four months left!!)!  As some of you probably know, Michelle is historically not the best sleeper.  Since she was a teenager she has had restless leg syndrome (RLS), which often rears its ugly head at night just when she's trying to fall asleep.  For those who have never experienced RLS (I have it very mildly, mostly when stuck sitting on a plane), it can feel like a million ants crawling just under your skin or like this impossible-to-ignore urge to move your legs.  And let me tell you, pregnancy has turned this beast into a a full on RLS dragon that harasses her pretty much every night, and often during the day when she is trying just sit and rest.  Quite frankly, it is awful and has led to frustration, growling, and tears at various times.  Her usual "go to" treatments of sleeping on her stomach, taking a hot bath, or taking an ibuprofen PM, are now pretty much "off limits" which makes this even trickier.  I feel completely helpless and useless and I hate that feeling.

And then, when her legs are cooperating, the itchiness usually steps in to fill the sleep-disrupting void.  Sometimes she says it feels like she just got a haircut in the shirt she is wearing to bed and has taken to calling any shirt her "horsehair shirt!"  We have tried literally a ZILLION different lotions, oils, and balm and tried every single suggestion people have given us like changing detergent, soap, etc., all to no avail.  Sometimes it seems like something helps for a while, but the itchies always come back!  Every doctor we've asked about it has basically looked at us with a blank face and been useless.  She has tried benadryl and some nights the "drowsiness" of the benadryl seems to help, but it certainly doesn't help the itchiness. 

All of this means we are both "getting practice" with sleep deprivation.  But quite frankly, I think that is a load of bull.  I don't think there is any real value in getting used to sleep deprivation and I don't think it is going to make us feel any better once the babies arrive.  Here's hoping that at least one of these sleep-depriving beasts decides to go on vacation and let Michelle (and consequently me) get more sleep in the months to come!

No comments:

Post a Comment

We love reading everyone's comments! Thanks for taking the time to comment!