Probiotics saving the day?

33 weeks, 5 days

Another midwife visit today!  So fun, right?  I am strangely energetic today.  OH well, I'll take it.  I've been getting super sleepy lately, an energetic day is nice.

While in NYC, I napped everyday - sometimes for several hours!  Me.  Napping.  Not usually compatible.

So everything is going ok.  I am measuring 31cm and I was hoping for 32cm (which would be a steady 2 cm below target), but midwife wasn't concerned.  It is official, I am carrying on the small side.  Oh well.  I love my belly.  Really love it.

My 3rd backup midwife called in NYC to tell me my iron was low (114) - but my primary midwife is not at all concerned with such a number.  She said above 100 is good.  So I've been having what I've been thinking of as "iron meals" - aka, no dairy in them, since calcium inhibits iron absorption, and then taking an iron pill after (and trying to make sure there is some vitamin C in there as well, to help with absorption).  I think this is probably a good practise from now until birth, so I'll keep it up when possible.  Sometimes its tricky, right?

Also - so since we've been renovating, we've been living at my in-laws/sort of camping at home.  So my no-gluten rules went out the window.  But here's the SURPRISE - there seems to be no trouble.  Usually I have [WARNING: TMI] what I think is a colon spasm in the morning after eating gluten, but everything is hunky dory.  Also I somewhat find a link to gluten and the night crazies - but I've been ok, non-crazy.  And my skin is BETTER than usual.  AND, I've been eating cow dairy and some sugar.  Totally crazy, right?

I think it is because I've been taking some probiotics pretty regularly.  I think I love them.  I can't think of another reason things are going so smoothly.

And SPEAKING of probiotics.  My midwife was saying at 35-36 weeks they'll do the Group B strep swab.  (Well, I clarified - I do it myself in the bathroom).  It is no big deal, I've heard about this.  Everyone has it at one time or another.  It just means you need antibiotics during delivery.  She said this does not preclude a home birth, I can have them by IV at home, that's ok.

But then she looked worried because I am "allergic" to penicillin.  (Had hives when I was about 12, doc said I might be allergic, haven't had penicillin since.)  She said that is the antibiotic they most often use with group B strep, it is most effective.  So she asked if I am taking a probiotic, and I said, "yes, I happen to be" and related the above.  She said, "Good.  Take the maximum.".  Her basic plan is that she doesn't want me to have group B strep because of having to use a different antibiotic, and she feels that loading up on probiotics should do the trick.

I dig it.

This magic pill I am thinking is really helping out, I now get to take double.  And not feel bad for buying another bottle.  It isn't super cheap, but considering how much some probiotics cost, it isn't super expensive.  And MUCH prefer that to being on an IV during labour.

And to think, I totally bought it on a whim because I was at the drugstore and in a "buy-y" mood.  (which doesn't happen too often at the drug store - this is not a place for good value in Canada).  Normally I buy all my vitamins from the upscale hippie shop, but this is just from plain old drugstore.  Cool.