I'd like help ascertaining whether I'm A) an awkward patient that every dr/midwife dreads or B) I'm being let down by the system (or C - both!).
To me, this isn't 'normal' for pregnancy:
Regular waking at 1am/2am - normal, ok (had insomnia with DS1) - pounding heart (it's the heart that wakes me up), followed by a shortness of breath and a burst of adrenaline, so I feel I need to stand up and move (I know - sounds odd). Loss of blood pressure after a few minutes - legs go cold and I need to lie down. Vomiting. Don't sleep for the rest of the night because heart continues to pound.
I could handle those episodes. But the next day I feel like I've got the most incredible hangover: it's not just tiredness (that I can handle), its brain fog/confusion and a feeling like my body is on fire from the inside. I cannot work, or do much apart from sit on a sofa on days like that.
These episodes have been happening throughout the pregnancy. First I thought it was just first trimester weirdness, but then it got worse - not better. They were happening 5/7 days, now a bit less (2 or 3), but they're starting to happen during the day too (the weird loss of blood pressure/vomming episodes and feeling about to faint).
I have been going for successive blood tests. I was anaemic (according to GP, midwife said usual for pregnancy - erm, does that really make it ok then) - but iron tablets prescribed by GP have got my levels back up. The GP can see signs of significant inflammation in the body (and I've had other weird bloods results re size of cells) so has referred me to haemotology - again, midwife says that it's normal for pregnancy so nothing's wrong. One time, the lab results returned with a host of !!!!!! alert marks on it - just got told it was all normal for pregnancy (what's the point in doing the tests then)...
Every time I see the midwife I feel like I'm expected to get on with something that - to be honest, if I wasn't in a freelance situation where I control my own work load - would have pretty much got me fired by now. Just because I don't tick the iron box (or now don't) or any other boxes (I also have low thyroid function, but she says within hospital range, but not according to the British Thyroid UK information OR nice guidelines) As it is I am badly behind on my work load and facing financial loss because of it.
This is really impacting on my life and health and I am not going to be able to cope with this and a newborn at the same time. I just want some support and what I hear when I get told it's just 'one of those things' is basically - 'we don't want to do anything apart from the most basic of investigations.' GP is being understanding but he says there are limits to what he can do (i.e. he can't get me an urgent appointment with anyone) and I need to insist on it from the midwives.
Finally, I snapped. After being told that - once again - that I was absolutely fine, I've insisted on a referral to obstetric consultant. I fear that I was too abrupt and pushy - she certainly doesn't like me now, but I didn't know what else to do. I just feel so fed up.
My gut instinct is that it's not directly pregnancy related. I feel that this is a sulfite allergy that I've developed (as elimination diet has certainly helped reduce the instances and I feel like my body is having an immune response to something) but midwife and GP look at me as if I'm completely and utterly nuts. And I'm not looking forward to being told that I'm fine by the consultant, but at least it's a start.
Honestly, I can put up with a good deal health wise and battle through. I wouldn't be this concerned about it if it wasn't pretty horrible to go through. AIBU?