Monthly Archive for May, 2008

ICP - and lemon

Published
by
twinutero
on May 26, 2008
in Pregnancy
. 0 Comments

ICP is intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. It’s a condition that can develop in the mother when bile flow within the liver is blocked. It usually occurs in the third trimester and the main symptom is intense itching. ICP is not dangerous for the mother but can be very dangerous, even fatal, for the baby. Early delivery is usually recommended. ICP occurs more frequently in multiple births, and is likely to recur in subsequent pregnancies.

I was diagnosed with ICP in my first pregnancy with Thomas. At about 35 weeks gestation, I started scratching. I would scratch my palms, lower legs and feet all day – and sometimes during the night to the point of bleeding. My doctor did not think there was a problem, but I (as patients do) researched online and made my own diagnosis of ICP. That was confirmed with blood tests.

As a result, Thomas was induced at 40 weeks. It was his “due date” but he was clearly not ready to greet the world. The induction was long - long - and very painful. I don’t think it was the best for Thomas or for me (or my husband who helped us through it). Failing to induce, however, could have been much, much worse.

Because ICP is recurrent and more likely in multiple pregnancies, I expected its return when carrying Alex and Jon. Sure enough, at the beginning of the third trimester, I started to itch and was diagnosed with early ICP. I was doing all I could to prevent pre-term delivery of the twins and I did not want ICP to result in another induction.

So I started drinking fresh lemon juice every morning. This is a naturopathic treatment for the liver in general. I figured it couldn’t hurt for ICP either. Every morning before eating or drinking anything else, I’d squeeze a full lemon into a glass and add about an inch of water, and down it. I’d wait an hour before eating.

There’s no medical evidence for this treatment (that I know of) but my weekly blood tests showed that my liver function had improved. In fact, my bile acid and liver enzyme levels returned to normal. The nurse commented that she never before seen such a reversal.

With all symptoms gone, I let up on the lemon juice. ICP returned. I went back on the lemon juice and managed to keep ICP in check until 38 and a half weeks when the twins were born.

To emphasize, I have no proof that lemon juice stalls ICP, and it is definitely not a substitute for medical attention. But as my nurse said, it can’t hurt and if it helps so much the better for you and your baby.

Check these links for more information.
Itchy Moms
Mayo Clinic

This week in South Africa

Published
by
twinutero
on May 23, 2008
in South Africa
. 0 Comments

It’s impossible to write from South Africa this week and not comment on the violence that has flared in the country.

When we arrived in South Africa last January, the people I met were friendly and welcoming. Those same people, however, were surprised and curious as to why a Canadian family would move to South Africa, when so many South Africans were looking to emigrate to Canada and elsewhere.

That exodus seems much more likely now. And, of course, thousands of immigrants are fleeing.

I’ve only lived here four months and I don’t get out much, but based on the people I’ve talked to, frustration in this country is chronic. Frustration that life for everyone isn’t better. People seem worried about the future, especially for their children, and are unsettled by political and social uncertainty – a feeling that anything can happen. Yet everyone says, with a shake of their head, what a beautiful country this is.

People I’ve spoken to this week are deeply, profoundly disturbed by the violence. There’s much discussion of root causes and possible solutions but also a consensus that nothing excuses violence.

So I’m adding my voice to countless who condemn violence, apathy and intolerance. And if I’m on edge about the safety of my family, my heart goes out to all mothers in more vulnerable places this week.

Mother-writing forum

Published
by
twinutero
on May 16, 2008
in Blogging & writing
. 0 Comments

My posts may be (even more) erratic for the next few weeks as I am taking an online mother-writing workshop through Motherverse.

Telling stories

Published
by
twinutero
on May 7, 2008
in Blogging & writing and Learning & play
. 0 Comments

We’ve been reading to our kids since birth. They all love a good story.

Thomas, now three-and-a-half, often requests elaborate, original stories before bed. “I want you to tell me the story of Mr. Jeremy Fisher [Beatrix Potter] and Thomas [the tank engine] carrying cheese and chips and apples-without-seeds to the party.”

A ploy to delay sleep or a genuine interest in convoluted narrative? Both I think.

Recently, we began asking Thomas to tell the stories. This is a natural progression but was also inspired by Tikatok, a site where kids can self-publish books, and by Stone Soup, a magazine written entirely by children.

He resisted at first, even though he tells tales to and about his trains all day. After a few tries, though, he was into it. All of his stories center around trains, usually trains carrying sweets or trains having terrible crashes. Or both.

We’ve also tried our own low-tech, three-year-old friendly version of Tikatok. Thomas pastes magazine pictures somewhat randomly into folded paper. I then ask him to tell a story about the series of pictures, and I write down his words.

This has been great insight into my preschooler’s imagination. On one hand, anything can happen, and any series of pictures can be a story. There’s no right or wrong (at least logically). On the other hand, it seems there are a few strict rules of his own making.

He goes to preschool on the “Polar Express” for instance. The train picks him up and drops him off at the station. The conductor drives the train. So one day I asked Thomas if the conductor could make him a ham sandwich when we arrived at the station.

“Noooo! You’re not the conductor. You’re Mommy.”

“Okay. Can Mommy make you a ham sandwich?”

“Yes, after the conductor brings us to the station.”

Keeps me on my toes.

Simplicity - with twins

Published
by
twinutero
on May 1, 2008
in Coping
. 1 Comment

Parenting is complicated business and there are lots of useful tips to maintain simplicity (like this one from Zen Habits).

Parenting multiples, however, extends beyond complexity into utter chaos. We have three purveyors of entropy roaming the house, two toddlers and a preschooler. It’s extreme parenting at times, and the ultimate challenge to leading a simple life.

So here are ten things I’ve learned in the past two years. Some of these are easy and we did them long ago. Others are long-term projects to which (in case you think we’re impossibly together) we still aspire.

1. Decide what’s non-negotiable. Parenting several small children means rationing your time and attention. You can’t be everywhere and you can’t fight every battle. Decide and teach what will not be tolerated – ever – and what is expected – always. For us, violence and whining are never tolerated; please, thank-you and eating at the table are always expected. We teach other things of course, but are willing to let them go if a more urgent need arises.

2. Create no-go zones. Reserve a spot in the house that is off limits to the kids, a spot where you can safely keep papers on the desk or store half-made projects without little hands stirring the pot. Equally important, reserve a place in the day or week that is also child-free. Space to read, run and restore – even half an hour – is crucial to everyone’s wellbeing.

3. Create safe zones. Childproofing makes life smoother and safer. In addition to the standard gates and bolts, create a small area that is completely bomb-proof for times when you absolutely must take a shower, dash to the basement or make an urgent phone call. We used the cribs when the twins were babies (playpens would also do). Later, we gated one bedroom and bolted the furniture to the wall. I could have a quick shower, kids within earshot, and know they were safe.

4. Buy alike. Not always possible but worth considering when buying toys or other treats. Kids inevitably want what’s in the hands of another child. Buying three of a kind curtails fighting and simplifies shopping.

5. Teach social skills. Buy alike, yes, but also emphasize sharing and cooperative play. Constant bickering will wear you down. It’s hard to avoid completely, but the sooner kids have the words to ask their turn, the patience to wait, and the ingenuity to find an alternative, the greater the space for peace to seep through your day.

6. Eat in one place. Most mess is created at mealtime. Keep it under control by eating in one place – the table. It’s like camping in bear territory: containing food simplifies clean-up and averts disaster. We’ve also learned that benches, rather than individual chairs, work well for several small children. They’re easy to climb into, hard to fall out of, can’t be tipped over, and catch most chunks and drips before they hit the floor.

7. Lower expectations of family outings. Don’t plan a busy morning of errands with a car full of toddlers. It’s just not worth it. Consolidate shopping into one trip. Likewise with “fun” outings to the park, aquarium or beach. The risk of a meltdown is directly proportional to the number of children and the proximity to nap time. Go, have fun, come home.

8. Walk. This is the easiest and most relaxing activity with infant twins. Get a good, all-season stroller and make walking a daily ritual. The babies will likely sleep and you get a little quiet and fresh air. Things get a little (okay, infinitely) more complex when the kids abandon the stroller for tricycles, but it’s still possible – and occasionally it’s worth it.

9. Get a good shoulder bag. Obvious or ridiculous, depending on your disposition, but getting out of the house is far easier when you have everything in one bag – and you know where that bag is hanging. I have a courier-style bag/purse. It can be carried hands-free (you need both hands with twins), is impervious to juice spills, and can’t be opened by curious toddlers.

10. Stay healthy. Unless you’re blessed with lots of extra help, there’s little time off when parenting multiples. It’s tiring on a good day, exhausting if the kids are sick, and downright hellish if you’re sick. This has been the toughest lesson for me: Take care of yourself.