Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Healing Power of Having a Baby?

When I was about 26, I started having really bad stomach acid issues. I tried to live with it by taking Zantac for a while, unfortunately that didn’t help. My chest felt tight all the time and I was always uncomfortable. Then came that Friday night I went out drinking with friends. I woke up in the middle of the night stumbling toward the bathroom, completely sober. I threw up acid about 5 times that night. I gargled regularly with Listerine to get the taste out. But nothing could get rid of the burning in my throat. That Monday, I made an appointment with the doctor.

Turned out, I had a high concentration of acid in my stomach. It would get worse the more stressed out I was. At the age of 26, I got on my first daily medication for a life long condition.

When I got pregnant with Z, it’s not hard to imagine that my acid reflux went crazy. I NEEDED to be on the medication in order to function. Even though I was no longer drinking coffee or alcohol. Being pregnant just made it necessary. AND still, I was popping the TUMS regularly.

Once Z was born, I was going to switch to a different type of medication that was approved for nursing mothers. I couldn’t get the medication right away and realized that my stomach wasn’t really bothering me much. I figured I’d make sure I grabbed it soon but wouldn’t start taking it till my acid got out of control.

Sixteen months later, I am still not on any medication for my acid reflux. Granted, I don’t drink (never drank much before either) or smoke anymore (I smoked a bit before I had Z), but I do drink coffee, eat tomatoes regularly, and LOVE me some onions. So the question is, has having a baby put my put my body into synch in some way, or was my 3 or 4 cigarettes a day making that much of a difference to my stomach acid?

I mean I’m still stressed out so it can’t be the fact that I have no stress. Maybe it’s because I laugh so much now too? Maybe the smiling happy baby that gives me hugs, kisses, and snuggles off sets any stress I have now? Or maybe it’s the fact that I have to take him outside everyday and spend time in the sun?

Not sure what it is. But whatever it is, I’m happy to be off the meds for at least one thing!

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2 Comments:

Blogger Dipali said...

I'm really glad that your acid-it-y (you ever hear an Indian say acidity?) is gone!! Here are my 2 cents. Doctors can give you what the condition is like right now. They can tell you that in most cases it will get worse. They cannot tell you what's going to happen to you specifically. This is because every individual is different but there is no scientific way to guess at what differences will make what outcome 100% of the time.

So in short -- thank God :o) I truly believe in, and have witnessed, the healing powers of God. I too was the world's worst skeptic at one point not too long ago ;o)

9:32 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Seriously pregnancy changes your body. I believe that 100%..

1:31 PM  

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