What to do When You're Full of Hot Air

Yesterday we hosted a going away pool party/bbq for ourselves, and I think it was even more successful than our pre-4th of July party. One of the guests, a mother of two boys, asked if I was sick of being pregnant yet, and I honestly replied that I'm not. I keep expecting to get super uncomfortable and to start hating being pregnant, but so far at least, that hasn't been the case (knock on wood!). Sure I feel more breathless and tired and hot now than I did earlier in the pregnancy, but it hasn't been as bad as I expected. The two things that have bothered me the most while pregnant so far have been the lack of sleep and the unbelievable gas and stomach pain.

I've learned to adapt to the lack of sleep for the most part. It really helps that I don't work, go to school, or have any real responsibilities, so on those days when I've had a rotten night's sleep, I just blob around all day. I guess the sleep deprivation is good practice for when Ziggy arrives! As for the gas and stomach pain, that has been harder for me to deal with. I went through a period recently (shortly before the diarrhea started actually, so maybe there's a connection) where it felt like no matter what I ate, my stomach would hurt and I would develop really bad gas. The worst was when the pain was so intense that it would wake me in the middle of the night, contributing to the lack of sleep problem. Now I'm not saying it's over and everything will be fine in that department for the rest of the pregnancy, but it has improved, at least for the time being, so I thought I'd share some of my tips/tricks for dealing with gas and stomach pain during pregnancy or anytime really.

Peppermint tea: So soothing for an aching tummy and helps relieve trapped gas as well.

Plain yogurt or kefir: A cup of this healthy bacteria laden goodness usually helps alleviate my tummy woes.

Apple: Preferably green and crisp, but really any apple can do the trick.

Banana: Easy to digest when everything else seems to aggravate the problem.

Anti-gas tablets (simethicone): I prefer the chewable ones, which provide fast-acting relief. When I've exhausted all other options, this is what I turn to.

Heating pad: Obviously I can't use this now that I'm pregnant, but placed on the abdomen, it provides soothing relief from pain.

Positioning: Lying on the side opposite the heart (for most people that's the right side, for me and anyone with situs inversus, it's the left) relieves pressure on the stomach from the heavy liver and may allow gas to pass more easily. Also, getting on hands and knees (or elbows and knees) and sticking one's butt in the air can also allow gas to pass more easily (after all, gas rises, right?).

Eating habits: Avoiding foods that contribute to gas and stomach pain, eating smaller, more frequent meals (something I've learned to do since becoming pregnant even though it's against my 3 square meals a day nature), eating slowly, chewing food thoroughly, and not drinking water with meals since it dilutes the gastric juices which can lead to indigestion and gas production all can reduce the incidence of developing excess gas in the first place.

Anyway, those are some methods that have worked for me both now and before I was pregnant (yes, gas has always been an issue for me--it's just gotten worse with pregnancy). I apologize for the unsavory nature of this topic, but it's actually something I've been meaning to post for a while.