SORRY VERY LONG POST Nightmare pregnancy really worried!

[ChanFirstTimer86]

Hi guys this is my first and only ever pregnancy. I am 18 weeks today and 35. Now abit about me I started very obese 16ish stone at 5ft1. I also have IBS and constipation anyway due to painkillers. In 18 weeks I have gone up nearly 3st!!! Im nearly 19st (I cant remember my exact start weight it was 16 something) I am extremely constipated. I am on 3 different types of laxatives and still struggle with my BMs. Im also severely dehydrated (im not diabetic). My whole life I have been a constant urinater day and night. Literally 30 times or more every single day. I cannot drink the recommended amount of water its just not worth the toilet trips. During my pregnancy Im still going to the toilet excessively but I have dry mouth, cracked skin side of my nose and dry lips. Which is madness to say I am still urinating constantly. I am wondering if I weigh so much because of a combination of IBS bloating and constipation made worse by pregnancy and pain killers and also swelling due to water retention? my midwife is really annoying. She just constantly says she doesnt know what I am going to do if I keep gaining like I am all the way through! which is not helpful. She is also dismissing Im developing SPD because of how soon. I tried to explain to her im 7st over obese (30 BMI) and 9st over Overweight! (28BMI) a baby weighs 6 to 10 pounds so yes eventhough I am not far along it doesnt matter what a baby isnt pushing on me because of the relaxin and my heavy weight it makes sense that I have been experiencing it early. I have all the symptoms back ache, vagina ache and pain, pelvic ache and pain, top thigh ache and pain, knee pain, pain when gettin up and down, standing, walking etc. I am eating really well sure I eat massive portions but so many vegetables and fruits. I do eat the odd treat but not bad enough to have gained so much weight. I havent EVER put on weight so fast and Ive eaten much much worse. I just dont know what to do I feel so unsupported. My mum had her last baby 15 years ago she cant remember much and im single and live alone so got no one to help me. Im just really scared this weight will not stop creeping up. The thing thats making me feel a little better is my clothes still fit except for the tummy area and breast area. If someone had gained nearly 3st of actual weight it would be allover wouldnt it? my legs would have gotten bigger arms etc. Another thing is my shoes dont fit by the evening another sign of swelling. REALLY sorry for the long post I just dont know what to do. I have physical hunger but no appetite. Meaning I get up in the morning because im experiencing the worst hunger pangs of my life that snacks dont even touch I have to get alot of food down me to make them go. Because I am trying to eat well thats a heck of alot of food and yeah its just depressing when you dont have the desire to actually eat it. Thanks in advance for any shared experiences or advice x

Just to add if you suspect water op, read up on pitting edema. If you press your thumb into your ankle, leave it pressed hard for five seconds and you still have a indent when you remove your thumb, you need urgent care while pregnant.

ChanFirstTimer86 can you tell us what medication you take including self medicating.

The laxatives could be making your IBS and dehydration worse - are they prescribed and taken according to a set schedule or do you self medicate?

You mention having bought medication online before including unprescribed thyroid medication - you might be taking something causing the symptoms you're experiencing (or a combination that's contraindicated).

Don't forget that any psychopharmacological / mental health medication could be interacting with off the shelf medication or things you might have bought online to help with your constipation or IBS.

Obviously you don't have to tell us here especially if you're concerned about anyone working out who you are, but you need to be honest with a doctor (or indeed a lead pharmacist at the local pharmacy) and get someone with professional knowledge to review all the medication you take and whether any of them shouldn't be taken together.

Additionally I know it sounds stupid but are you sure the pain is hunger and not other digestive pain? Eating so regularly both day and night may be causing a vicious cycle of digestive distress especially given you have a digestive disorder already.

@minipie

I agree I would be looking for reasons why you have such hunger when you’re eating a lot, it may well be something underlying

Good luck

I dont have this kind of hunger normally though its not all the time?

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

ChanFirstTimer86 can you tell us what medication you take including self medicating.

The laxatives could be making your IBS and dehydration worse - are they prescribed and taken according to a set schedule or do you self medicate?

You mention having bought medication online before including unprescribed thyroid medication - you might be taking something causing the symptoms you're experiencing (or a combination that's contraindicated).

Don't forget that any psychopharmacological / mental health medication could be interacting with off the shelf medication or things you might have bought online to help with your constipation or IBS.

Obviously you don't have to tell us here especially if you're concerned about anyone working out who you are, but you need to be honest with a doctor (or indeed a lead pharmacist at the local pharmacy) and get someone with professional knowledge to review all the medication you take and whether any of them shouldn't be taken together.

Additionally I know it sounds stupid but are you sure the pain is hunger and not other digestive pain? Eating so regularly both day and night may be causing a vicious cycle of digestive distress especially given you have a digestive disorder already.

I am on opiod based pain medication notorious for constipation plus pregnancy causes it too. I am on perscribed laxatives an osmotic one (laxido) 1 or 2 sachets a day when needed. I take a bulk forming laxative (fiber gel) 2 x a day and I take a stimulant laxative (forgot the name its in pill form 2 a day) I have been prescribed these I have to take them because even taking all these I struggle to pass a decent BM I pass crappy ones most days. I dont pass some days at all. And some days I pass an absolute whopper that blocks the toilet. I am also on asprin prescribed for my high BMI to help prevent preclampsia. Plus my opoid painkillers. I took t3 years ago I wouldnt take anything thats a proper medication whilst im pregnant unless I was meant to. I personally take for pregnancy collagen supplements to help with the stretchmarks and vaginal tearing. I take krill oil to help with my knees.

i forgot to mention as well to help with the accelerated IBS symptoms I take colpomint? those slow release peppermint oil capsules. Everything Ive taken OTC is natural no medications as such

@ragged

I don't understand how OP can have 3 stone of water weight when she barely drinks anything.

Measure how much you wee each day, OP. You like keeping track. Huge Yogurt pot is handy for capture. Just weigh it to track, 1 g = 1 ml.

how do you do 10k steps in exercise out of home (that's 2 hours of walking) if you need 30 wees/day -- do you have a lot of favourite bushes?

yes thats how long my walking took me. I can hold my bladder like any normal person except for latch key incontinance the minute i get near my front door I start to wee myself. I urinate before I leave and then hold it in until I get back. I have never gone longer than 4 hours without urinating and I cannot go the whole night either. My mum and grandma have been with me today since I got back from the hospital about 1pm until now at 18:25 and ive been toilet about 8 times. I dont do full streams my morning wee is about 10 seconds but my ex would do a morning wee after sleeping all night that would last about 40 seconds a really strong stream like a proper bladder but I could never pee like that. Sometimes I can feel my bladder isnt empty i keep squeezing little dribbles come out but not enough give it 10 minutes and ill do another pathetic stream

@IncessantNameChanger

I'm surprised your not consultant lead.

I'm not diabetic but I check my blood sugars occasionally as I'm just under pre diabetic. You would be surprised what each food group does to your blood sugars.

Gestational diabetes needs to be a consideration but you will be checked for that routinely anyway.

Another thing to read up on is pre eclampsia as that's a factor with a high BMI.

I'm obese too but I didnt put on any weight except water when pg. I weighed exactly what I did pre pg 24 hours after giving birth with all four. I had very small babies due to my blood pressure. I did put two stone on in two weeks but I was 30 plus weeks and had (unknown to me) pre eclampsia. My organs where failing.

It wouldnt be that for you as it's way to soon to get pre eclampsia but excessive water retention isnt normal in pregnancy

as my grandad was diabetic type 1 ive done the finger test many times no problems. And yes keep getting checked for sugars and proteins in urine. I have no problems bought to my attention yet and I always have normal blood pressure

@IncessantNameChanger

Just to add if you suspect water op, read up on pitting edema. If you press your thumb into your ankle, leave it pressed hard for five seconds and you still have a indent when you remove your thumb, you need urgent care while pregnant.

my sister says I dont have ankles anymore lol ive just done that test it didnt stay dented

@Mabelface

Hiya, crossed wires, I think! My mother had the gnawing hunger you have for years, also with horrendous ibs. She was diagnosed late in life with coeliac disease and went on to develop t2. It's not unusual for both to go hand in hand. Sorry for the confusion.

develop t2 you mean type 2 diabetes? im determined to get everything sorted once n for all. I have just lived with it all my whole life but being pregnant has made it very hard. The dehydration is horrendous ive just drank a pint of water and my mouth is absolutely bone dry

Does the doctor who prescribed your opiods and laxatives know that you're pregnant? Neither opioids nor stimulant laxatives aren't usually prescribed to pregnant women. Osmotic laxitives obviously can cause bloating and dehydration as well as potentially kidney problems.

A medication review in view of your pregnancy and symptoms seems wise.

its definitely hunger pangs 90% of the time it doesnt go until I fill my stomach. Occasionally yes I definitely do have digestive discomfort too but the pain that gets me up at 4am is hunger

Peppermint oil can also cause kidney failure and isn't advised in pregnancy.

You'd usually have protein in your urine with kidney failure so hopefully that's not the cause of your water retention, but you need to write down everything you take - including natural, herbal medicine - and get an urgent pregnancy medication review.

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

Does the doctor who prescribed your opiods and laxatives know that you're pregnant? Neither opioids nor stimulant laxatives aren't usually prescribed to pregnant women. Osmotic laxitives obviously can cause bloating and dehydration as well as potentially kidney problems.

A medication review in view of your pregnancy and symptoms seems wise.

I was on the opoid medication before pregnancy coming off could have caused opoid withdrawal in my fetus and killed it. I started reducing once over 12 weeks but only abit because my chronic pain was allover and im on a low enough amount to not affect my baby. They wouldnt have gave it me if I wasnt already on it. A student dr prescribed me my laxatives she checked with the appropriate people if she was allowed before she did. I had to take them because I was having BMs so big and hard that I would have to put on a latex glove to pull it apart inside my rectum because it was days worth clumped together. I have a fissure from the hard stools that tore the lining. Its only a light stimulant one I am one and its ok for pregnancy docusate its called you cant take ducolax etc

@ragged

I don't understand how OP can have 3 stone of water weight when she barely drinks anything.

Measure how much you wee each day, OP. You like keeping track. Huge Yogurt pot is handy for capture. Just weigh it to track, 1 g = 1 ml.

how do you do 10k steps in exercise out of home (that's 2 hours of walking) if you need 30 wees/day -- do you have a lot of favourite bushes?

plus its 30 wees a day and night its a weird pattern I pee every 10 minutes after like a pint or two then like every 30 mins to a hour if I drink abit more water because im dehydrated I pee pathetic little tinkles every 10 minutes until its finally had enough and that will keep me up. I literally will get 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep max and then ill pee even without a single drop of water (say Im being lazy and staying in bed) like once a hour or 2 tops eventhough not drinking or eating its crazy

You're drinking several pints a day of water?

i drink about 4 pints of liquid a day thats it

@ragged

You're drinking several pints a day of water?

i dont drink them all in one go spread out sometimes only 2 pints i will only drink more if im excessively dehydrated its not enough to urinate that much.

I've not read everything so someone may have mentioned this. Have you thought about acid reflux with regards to the constantly feeling hungry ?

@shellbelle3

I've not read everything so someone may have mentioned this. Have you thought about acid reflux with regards to the constantly feeling hungry ?

i barely get it ive had it before but very rare the hunger started when i got to 6 weeks pregnant im now 18 and its still strong

I don't get on with oats at all. They make me bloaty and then starving very soon after eating them. They also give me constipation. Might be worth tweaking your diet while you wait for more help.

But acid reflux can have many symptoms it's not just indigestion. You wouldn't necessarily know you had it and the only symptom can be hunger pangs especially during the night because when you are laid down your stomach acid is more likely to rise.

i drink about 4 pints of liquid a day thats it

That isn't a small amount to drink daily.
4 x 20 oz pints = 80 oz pints.
NHS suggests 34 oz for a woman (daily).

You can use this calculator to see that even at pregnant & 121 kg you aren't advised to drink more than 86 oz/day (fluids).

What is the dietician recommending you do?

3 stone is 19kg…that would be 19L of water retention so the same amount of water as one of those huge water cool barrels. So I don’t think so.
Neither are you retaining 19kg of poo OP.
You are putting on weight because you are consuming more calories than you are using. I don’t care if the www told you to eat 2460 - the evidence would indicate that this is way too much.
It’s a shame that you didn’t get all of your health issues and medications a bit more under control before ttc but please try and see a Dr to get a more comprehensive plan in place.

Oops forgot the image.

Sorry but you saying you drink lots and have always needed to go to the loo several times during the night even as a kid. Have you ever been tested for diabetes inspidus? It's not the same as regular diabetes as its nothing to do with sugar but mimics some of the main symptoms of diabetes (hence it's name literally meaning fake diabetes). It's when your pitruirty gland is malfunctioning and doesn't give the signal to create the right hormones that monitor liquid balance hence being constantly thirsty and needing to pee all the time.

Just something to look into