Iron and Prune Juice

Yesterday I had another prenatal appointment. Everything is still going along fine, except I have to get more iron now. My doctor told me to start taking 600 mg a day of iron supplements even though “it is quite constipating.” She said that and I saw the look on DP’s face. I knew what he was thinking, and sure enough when we left he said, “You are never going to poop again are you?”

He thinks there is something wrong with me because I NEVER ever go. He thinks I am going to explode now. So, in an effort to combat the results of this extra iron I bought prune juice (also at the request of my mum-in-law who is coming for Christmas and HAS to have it), and some Benefiber, tasteless and disgusting! So far there has been no result, but as I said, that is normal for me.

At the beginning of my pregnancy I read that the goddesses of pregnancy are fair, and all the women who are blessed enough to not get morning sickness are instead cursed with gas. I have to say that in my case this is true, much to the discomfort of my cat and the DP. Ever since the beginning I have been cursed with unrelenting, malodorous flatulence. It is pretty awful, but it could be worse. When I was in Turkey it was bad because it is a social SIN for anyone to fart in front of someone, let alone a woman. Whenever I would have to do it in front of my friend I would then have to have a 10-minute argument about it. Geesh, it was the baby making me do it! Now, at least I am at home alone most of the day – just me and the cat, so it is no big deal. It only becomes an issue when I go out in public. If I was still in Turkey or working somewhere I would basically just be in the bathroom 24 hours a day tooting.

What I think someone needs to invent is charcoal underwear for pregnant ladies to combat this problem. I was thinking I could make some out of an old MOPP suit. The charcoal impregnated material would help counter the chemical warfare that I wreak upon my household on a daily basis now. But alas, I cut the charcoal liner out of my training MOPP suit about 18 years ago, not having the foresight to see this problem so far ahead into my future. Oh well, I only have about 12 weeks to go and hopefully the problem will resolve itself after that!

Of course, there are many good things about being successfully pregnant with a first child. One of those things is excited relatives because they a) buy the baby gifts and b) buy me gifts! Last week I got a box and the DP asked what it was. I said either I ordered something and forgot or someone sent a present. So we ran upstairs to open it and it was a box of goodies from my birth mother! More cool things for the baby, plus a set-up so we can talk to the baby or play music for her, and a thing to listen to her heartbeat. It is fun because it is one of those things you would never buy for yourself. But what I was most excited about was the jeans! I had outgrown the maternity jeans I had and was resigned to going the last 3 months without a pair of jeans – but there in the box was a brand new pair of maternity jeans that fit!! Yay!!