Pregnant and in desperate need of advice

[mrsdee]

Hi. I’ve been reading Ray Peat off and on the last year and have a lot of respect for his work. I’m currently about 34 weeks pregnant and miserable. This has been a hard pregnancy with stress high. I had labs done at the end of October that showed my ferritin levels to be at 10 then they were at 5 two weeks later on additional labs. My hemoglobin is at 11. I also had a hair mineral analysis done that showed my iron levels low as well. I’ve been told I may be anemic but no one is willing to give an actual diagnosis. I have been experiencing shortness of breath, extreme fatigue (my husband and teen daughter have had to take over most of the household duties. We are a family of eight), battling very intense anxiety attacks which I have not had before. I will feel like I have a lump in my throat and need to cry but cannot, a need to escape, sense of impending doom and high heart rate during these attacks, which are getting more frequent. I get out of breath just walking ten feet or more and my muscles are very weak and easily fatigued (folding laundry makes my arms ache). I also have some depression, crying and feeling worthless. Struggle to get out of bed, no appetite. I’m extremely worried about the birth and my ability to do it physically (my last four births were homebirths, but I’m planning to be in a hospital with a midwife this time). My providers seem to think this is just a symptom of pregnancy but it feels so different to me (this is baby number eight). I’d like any advice or input. Most days I’m barely eating 500-1100 calories because of my lack of appetite. I’m also overweight (5’4” and 221 pounds.) I haven’t gained any weight this pregnancy and lost ten pounds last month. My hair analysis test showed my potassium (potassium was 3 on my blood test) and sodium were very low and other indications of adrenal burn out. I had Covid in the start of October, my smell and taste haven’t been the same since which doesn’t help the appetite. I also have a chronic post nasal drip and cough. I’m just trying to share any and all info that could be helpful to receiving advice.

I’ve been taking floradix liquid iron but I’m not sure it’s helping. Also taking a potassium supplement, a liquid b6 and magnesium supplement, and JigSaws MagSoothe drink. I have a hard time swallowing pills, and even chewing wears me out currently.

 

[Peatful]

Welcome.

My goodness sweet @mrsdee
You are exhausted
E x h a u s t e d

Your body is telling you loud and clear.

Eat and rest and eat and rest.

Each pregnancy is more draining than the previous ones in my experience

Don’t be filled with worry
A big balanced comfort meal can ease that anxiety I bet

Try not to overthink
But you must listen to your body
And it needs nourishment and rest

Lastly- I dont put much trust into a hair analysis- but this one sounds correct.
Your stress is so high =
Low thyroid (lump in throat)

Eat
It will help you tremendously

My sincerest best wishes for you and your family

 

[Peatful]

@catan
@sugarbabe

 

[InChristAlone]

I'm so sorry you are struggling

I hope there are people around you telling you how important nourishment is for you and your baby. It's near impossible to feel good on that low amount of calories, could you take a little niacinamide here and there? It can help increase appetite. I know how hard it is to eat when you are so anxious I've experienced it for many yrs off and on. And during those times I wish I had just forced myself to eat more.

 

[LUH 3417]

I’m so sorry for you stress too.. can I ask why you are so worried about the birth? Is there a reason you are choosing to go into a hospital this time over having a home birth? I wonder if working through some of your fears would alleviate the anxiety and get you hungry again. I know how much stress kills my appetite and can relate.

I second sugarbabes B vit recommendation, I think low dose of the Bs could help stimulate an appetite as well

 

[mrsdee]

I’m so sorry for you stress too.. can I ask why you are so worried about the birth? Is there a reason you are choosing to go into a hospital this time over having a home birth? I wonder if working through some of your fears would alleviate the anxiety and get you hungry again. I know how much stress kills my appetite and can relate.

I second sugarbabes B vit recommendation, I think low dose of the Bs could help stimulate an appetite as well

We just moved to a new place, and we are one hour from a hospital. My last birth two years ago was a very hard labor for me and that’s probably a big part of why I’m so fearful about labor. I also feel so weak in body and mind that I don’t know if I can do an unmedicated birth. At this hospital they offer lots of pain management solutions from acupuncture, hyrdotherapy, etc and of them medicated versions like laughing gas, epidural, etc. I’m actually really worried that the birth will give me a mental breakdown and it seems that it may be better to be in a place with many options for that. All the what if’s of being so far away if there was an emergency also weighed on me a lot in my current state.

I do have some of those b vitamins on hand. Do you know if you can open the capsule and take in water or something like that? I have near constant heartburn and struggle with swallowing pills. I will do try though.

Thank you everyone for your kind words and advice.

 

[aliml]

Pomegranates juice reduce anorexia (loss of appetite), relief morning sickness, aid digestion and also help in blood production, reducing iron deficiency anemia. Pomegranate juice also contains potassium and other electrolytes that help relieve muscle cramps.

Pomegranate juice may prevent pregnancy complications | Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Washington University School of Medicine research shows pomegranate juice given during pregnancy may help prevent some health issues in babies.

medicine.wustl.edu

 

[mrsdee]

Lastly- I dont put much trust into a hair analysis- but this one sounds correct.
Your stress is so high =
Low thyroid (lump in throat)

Is there anything I can do/take/eat for low thyroid while pregnant?

 

[StephanF]

This maybe completely off the wall. But when you wrote “we moved into a new place” and you wrote about sleep exhaustion, this let me wonder if your bed is in a ‘bad spot’. I have posted on this before here on this forum, look at my older posts. Maybe your bed place is exposed to ‘noxious earth energies’. I am a physicist and have done dowsing myself and I know that this can be a serious issue.

 

[Perry Staltic]

This maybe completely off the wall. But when you wrote “we moved into a new place” and you wrote about sleep exhaustion, this let me wonder if your bed is in a ‘bad spot’. I have posted on this before here on this forum, look at my older posts. Maybe your bed place is exposed to ‘noxious earth energies’. I am a physicist and have done dowsing myself and I know that this can be a serious issue.

Or maybe they have a smart meter mounted outside near the bedroom?

 

[mrsdee]

This maybe completely off the wall. But when you wrote “we moved into a new place” and you wrote about sleep exhaustion, this let me wonder if your bed is in a ‘bad spot’. I have posted on this before here on this forum, look at my older posts. Maybe your bed place is exposed to ‘noxious earth energies’. I am a physicist and have done dowsing myself and I know that this can be a serious issue.

That’s interesting. I will look into your old posts. The exhaustion started in October when we were staying at my parents waiting on our new home to be finished being built. The visit was extremely stressful (my Dad is not easy to live with). My severe anxiety attacks started then. I wasn’t able to sleep at all the last part of our stay there, my heart rate resting was 100-130 for about three weeks, etc. It was terrible. We ended up leaving as early as we could manage and getting an Air BNB but I have been having these issues since that visit.

 

[Peatful]

Is there anything I can do/take/eat for low thyroid while pregnant?

Yes.
I would eat calorically dense foods- that agree with you of course- that supply salt and sugar.
It doesn’t have to be the same food with both salt and sugar in it- just get plenty of those two therapeutic nutrients while you rest.

Maybe a salted caramel ice cream etc.

 

[Old Irenaeus]

It's not my/our business, but I was curious if you avoided the gene therapy covid shots.

Praying for your health and peace of mind.

 

[mrsdee]

It's not my/our business, but I was curious if you avoided the gene therapy covid shots.

Praying for your health and peace of mind.

I have not taken any of the Covid shots. Thank you for your prayers.

 

[LUH 3417]

We just moved to a new place, and we are one hour from a hospital. My last birth two years ago was a very hard labor for me and that’s probably a big part of why I’m so fearful about labor. I also feel so weak in body and mind that I don’t know if I can do an unmedicated birth. At this hospital they offer lots of pain management solutions from acupuncture, hyrdotherapy, etc and of them medicated versions like laughing gas, epidural, etc. I’m actually really worried that the birth will give me a mental breakdown and it seems that it may be better to be in a place with many options for that. All the what if’s of being so far away if there was an emergency also weighed on me a lot in my current state.

I do have some of those b vitamins on hand. Do you know if you can open the capsule and take in water or something like that? I have near constant heartburn and struggle with swallowing pills. I will do try though.

Thank you everyone for your kind words and advice.

Have you ever heard of ina May gaskin? I’m wondering if you could look at some of her books, specifically spiritual midwifery... her writing integrates the psycho social, spiritual and emotional layers that cn contribute to pain and hard labor for women. She honors the uniqueness of women in childbirth and I feel you should know how amazing you are and how incredible your body is carrying life and making itself a home for this new life, even though you feel anxious and sick, your pregnancy is a testimony to how amazingly so life wants to come forth

I understand your worries, I also think sometimes the delivery of the baby looks like a “mental breakdown” on the outside but is more so a manifestation of raw birthing energy that can really scare people around you (and yourself).

I don’t see why you couldn’t break the Bs and swallow them, I know there are also liquid formulas like health naturas.

Can you focus on salty mineral broths? Those may be easy to get down, with some potatoes cooked for a long time until they’re very soft?

 

[mrsdee]

Have you ever heard of ina May gaskin? I’m wondering if you could look at some of her books, specifically spiritual midwifery... her writing integrates the psycho social, spiritual and emotional layers that cn contribute to pain and hard labor for women. She honors the uniqueness of women in childbirth and I feel you should know how amazing you are and how incredible your body is carrying life and making itself a home for this new life, even though you feel anxious and sick, your pregnancy is a testimony to how amazingly so life wants to come forth

I understand your worries, I also think sometimes the delivery of the baby looks like a “mental breakdown” on the outside but is more so a manifestation of raw birthing energy that can really scare people around you (and yourself).

I don’t see why you couldn’t break the Bs and swallow them, I know there are also liquid formulas like health naturas.

Can you focus on salty mineral broths? Those may be easy to get down, with some potatoes cooked for a long time until they’re very soft?

I am familiar with Ina May Gaskin. I guess my fears with labor have most to do with I can’t get through most days without breaking down and crying, sometimes frantically walking from room to room while having the intense fear of impending doom while crying, feeling like I can’t breath. Needing to sit down after I walk from one room to the other, tiring during folding laundry, etc. I know labor is more intense than any regular day to day things, even good labors I’ve had have required mental fortitude and stamina that I don’t feel like I possess a bit of currently. Most of my births have been short and relatively easy compared to what many women experience. But my last one was difficult and I was exhausted and so worn down by it. I was at my heaviest weight at the time, but weigh about twenty pounds more now and I know another issue is connecting being overweight with hard births in my mind since that’s what happened to me last time.

I haven’t fully decided to get a medicated birth and my midwives are encouraging me that I can get through birth. I feel like if I could just be a little bit better, especially mentally, things would be a lot different.

The broths are a good idea. I hadn’t thought of that.

 

[InChristAlone]

I am familiar with Ina May Gaskin. I guess my fears with labor have most to do with I can’t get through most days without breaking down and crying, sometimes frantically walking from room to room while having the intense fear of impending doom while crying, feeling like I can’t breath. Needing to sit down after I walk from one room to the other, tiring during folding laundry, etc. I know labor is more intense than any regular day to day things, even good labors I’ve had have required mental fortitude and stamina that I don’t feel like I possess a bit of currently. Most of my births have been short and relatively easy compared to what many women experience. But my last one was difficult and I was exhausted and so worn down by it. I was at my heaviest weight at the time, but weigh about twenty pounds more now and I know another issue is connecting being overweight with hard births in my mind since that’s what happened to me last time.

I haven’t fully decided to get a medicated birth and my midwives are encouraging me that I can get through birth. I feel like if I could just be a little bit better, especially mentally, things would be a lot different.

The broths are a good idea. I hadn’t thought of that.

There is no shame in needing to be at the hospital. Don't feel pressured to do things 'naturally', if you need the rest that an epidural could give you then ask for it! Do not be ashamed! And this is coming from someone who had two births outside of the hospital. I was very against medicalized birth, but I've come to understand that every women has different needs and if they choose to use the epidural that is their choice and they can be happy and free with that choice. The only thing to be aware of is a birth that stalls and then pitocin is given and that can increase chances of baby not getting enough oxygen during the contractions and an emergency c section being needed. But even if that needs to happen, that is okay. And they may even give a blood transfusion for those situations as your hemoglobin is so low and that can really give you a better start to caring for a newborn than when you try to do things naturally and feel like death. My hemoglobin was fairly low after my first birth because of blood loss and being a bit low thyroid, though I have no idea since I didn't get any tests for thyroid at that time. But I know for a fact I didn't eat enough. And I was exhausted. I slept as much as the baby! We just laid around all day everyday. But with other responsibilities I'm sure you are going to need all the energy you can get. So absolutely try to eat lots of food particularly red meat. Try out idealabs energin, it has a balanced b vitamin content he is a forum member here who has been in business a long time. I took 5 drops yesterday and I was so starving I gobbled up my dinner!

 

[LUH 3417]

I am familiar with Ina May Gaskin. I guess my fears with labor have most to do with I can’t get through most days without breaking down and crying, sometimes frantically walking from room to room while having the intense fear of impending doom while crying, feeling like I can’t breath. Needing to sit down after I walk from one room to the other, tiring during folding laundry, etc. I know labor is more intense than any regular day to day things, even good labors I’ve had have required mental fortitude and stamina that I don’t feel like I possess a bit of currently. Most of my births have been short and relatively easy compared to what many women experience. But my last one was difficult and I was exhausted and so worn down by it. I was at my heaviest weight at the time, but weigh about twenty pounds more now and I know another issue is connecting being overweight with hard births in my mind since that’s what happened to me last time.

I haven’t fully decided to get a medicated birth and my midwives are encouraging me that I can get through birth. I feel like if I could just be a little bit better, especially mentally, things would be a lot different.

The broths are a good idea. I hadn’t thought of that.

I’m not in any way underestimating physiological causes to feeling weak and sick, just going off personal experience. I get asthma like attacks when I’m anxious and can’t breath, am completely cut off from being able to take a deep breath, but then I noticed with certain emotional therapies the breathing would completely restore even if I was having the same diet and nutritional intake. I think especially during pregnancy our emotional states are heightened. I don’t mean to reduce it to “just cry and everything will get better” but I also think letting your self grieve and feel everything your feeling will ultimately contribute to a greater appetite. Sometimes I’ve balled my eyes out to the point of feeling like I have to vomit, and suddenly started laughing and felt a stomach growl.

 

[LUH 3417]

There is no shame in needing to be at the hospital. Don't feel pressured to do things 'naturally', if you need the rest that an epidural could give you then ask for it! Do not be ashamed! And this is coming from someone who had two births outside of the hospital. I was very against medicalized birth, but I've come to understand that every women has different needs and if they choose to use the epidural that is their choice and they can be happy and free with that choice. The only thing to be aware of is a birth that stalls and then pitocin is given and that can increase chances of baby not getting enough oxygen during the contractions and an emergency c section being needed. But even if that needs to happen, that is okay. And they may even give a blood transfusion for those situations as your hemoglobin is so low and that can really give you a better start to caring for a newborn than when you try to do things naturally and feel like death. My hemoglobin was fairly low after my first birth because of blood loss and being a bit low thyroid, though I have no idea since I didn't get any tests for thyroid at that time. But I know for a fact I didn't eat enough. And I was exhausted. I slept as much as the baby! We just laid around all day everyday. But with other responsibilities I'm sure you are going to need all the energy you can get. So absolutely try to eat lots of food particularly red meat. Try out idealabs energin, it has a balanced b vitamin content he is a forum member here who has been in business a long time. I took 5 drops yesterday and I was so starving I gobbled up my dinner!

And yes to this too, I think the natural birth movement has put a lot of pressure on women. I was a labor and delivery nurse and I’ve been in c sections where I teared up when the baby was born because of how connected and beautiful the energy in the room was. I went into the field being super pro natural birth without realizing that each mother and baby and family have their own spiritual contract and dynamic and part of my role was simply to be there in the way that they needed me, even if that meant them not needing anything from me at all

 

[Mauritio]

I think a high salt intake would calm your body and the stress . I mean several tablespoons per day. Although I would ask peat what he thinks about it simply because of the pregnancy .

If you want to go the hormonal route progesterone might help. Because everything you said screams high estrogen.
I remember peat saying in an interview that babies had an average IQ of 120 when the mother took progesterone during the pregnancy.