Serena

I can count on one hand the times I've had indigestion and heartburn, but for the last 5 days, I have had it every night. And not just a little bit, but really bad, can't sleep, feel like someone is squeezing my chest bad. I would have thought I was having a heart attack if I wasn't so burpy. I can control it, but the first two nights I had nothing for it because I never have heartburn, but the next day I went out and bought tums, mylanta, gas X, Peptobismal, etc.

The only thing I can think of that is causing it is I'm on Prozac, but have been on it for 3 months, so I doubt it would cause it starting just 5 days ago and it is a really LOW dose of it, like 10 ml, and I haven't taken it yet tonight and the heartburn is here again. Night time is when it hits, and it is not just because I'm laying down because I started to feel it today on our walk tonight. I've changed my diet, drank a ton of water, etc, but it hits every night since Sunday night. Pregnancy keeps coming to mind, I'm on the pill but the prozac messed with my periods and I haven't had a period for 3 months. Preggo test was negative, but who knows when I would have my period since I haven't had one for so long. What else could it be though?

I went in for a 2 month check up after starting Prozac and my only concern was that my period was nonexistent. She then told me that taking Prozac at the same time as my birth control can make it less effective. Anyone else had issues with this? Let's just say I'm very fertile and now freaking out a little bit. I'm ok with having another baby (though I'm a bit stressed out with chasing a preschooler and toddler around thus the prescription for Prozac) but I also don't want to be on Prozac or my birth control if I am pregnant so I think I'm going to take a preggo test every week or so just to make sure.

I started taking Prozac a little over a month ago. My period was supposed to start Monday (I'm on the pill and it is like clockwork usually for me), but AF didn't come till Wednesday morning, and when it did, it only lasted the morning then disappeared. Thursday morning there was just a little bit. And no cramping and that is usually horrible. 2 weeks ago I had the WORST cramps, I wore a pad just in case but there wasn't any period (there shouldn't have been, I wasn't due, but the cramps freaked me out.) Anyone else experience this while on Prozac or a similar antidepressant? I might take a preggo test tomorrow morning to rule it out, but it is highly unlikely that the culprit is pregnancy.

So I asked this yesterday, but no answers so I'm trying again and having no luck in Women's Health so trying it in the preggo section. I think I have an ovarian cyst but it could also be possible pregnancy (married for 10 years, have two young children.) I have had symptoms for the last month or two that are now starting to make me think something is going on. I have been cramping on and off for about two months, had a VERY heavy and long period beginning of January, a one day period at the beginning of February but I cramped horribly like it was a heavy period, I'm on a pill and I only had irregular periods when I first started the pill. Sex has hurt for the last two months and I bleed sometimes afterwards (which has never happened before.) 2 weeks ago horrible back pain started, I just assumed it was related to a car accident I had a couple years ago, but it isn't going away like it usually does. And now nausea has hit, I can't eat anything without getting nauseous and having to get away from the food fast. Called the doctor today, going to get an ultrasound to check for cysts on Wednesday and they asked me take a home preggo test tomorrow. But of course, I'm worrying now, even thinking about taking the preggo test tonight but would prefer to wait till the morning to give it the best chance for accuracy (but if I am pregnant, I'm guessing around 6 weeks if you don't count my last period as a real period.) I really think it must be something else though because I'm on the pill and I would think there would have been no period if I had been pregnant. Anyone else have ovarian cysts and had similar symptoms? The nausea doesn't come with sharp pain, just every time I start eating. I'll even be able to take a couple bites before it makes me want to throw up and I can do all the cooking prep without a bit of nausea which makes me think something might be pushing on my tummy that is causing it to get nauseous. My pants are also slightly tighter than before (but that could be from all that Valentine's candy.) It is a minor difference though, just one notch on the belt. Thank you!!!

So last month, around the end of January early February I had a 1 day period. I just blamed it on the pills because the previous month I had a heavier period. But now I'm nauseous whenever I eat anything. I haven't thrown up but even the smell of food is setting me off and I have to leave the room. I didn't think anything about the short period, but now I'm kind of questioning it. I have had two children previously and with both my pregnancies with them I was nauseous at 6 weeks along but both times the nausea was horrible, I couldn't eat anything without throwing up. I can eat right now, but afterwards I have to get out of the room because the smell then gets to me. I did have a little mishap and took one pill late around mid January because we had a bad snow storm/ice storm and lost power and my routine was thrown off. And now I'm looking back at some other symptoms I've had that I didn't think anything of then; like leg cramps, cramping all month, frequent urination, lower back pain, and I'm kind of freaking out. So not ready for another one, my little boy isn't even 2 and he is so busy. Do I just wait it out 8 or so days for my period to show up or do I go out and buy a test tomorrow? The only pill I take right now is my birth control pill. Is it horrible to take the pill when you are pregnant (especially 6 weeks or so.) If I am pregnant, I'm sure I wouldn't be the first to take the pill while pregnant accidentally.

My son just turned 22 months old and still does not talk very much. He says Mama, Dada, Go, and Ow. He also had other words/sayings but they have disappeared. He used to say car, ready set go, kitty, love "ya", up but he doesn't say those words anymore. Other than that he is a normal, intelligent child who was ahead of most children in his developmental stages. He signs for us for things he wants, when asked questions, he can point, he knows all the names of the characters off of cars when asked to point, but he is just not really talking that much. Doctor says he shows no signs of autism (which was my thought) and is actually very social other than talking. Should I be concerned? I have tried bribing him and even withholding the toy he wants if I know he can say it (like car) but it hasn't worked and I feel bad for doing it. My daughter who is now 4 was speaking short sentences by now. And he started speaking Mama and Dada fairly early with meaning behind them. He also can tell me letter sounds (which watching Starfall.com, he doesn't know them on his own) and can say almost all the letter sounds but a couple like z (but he tries, it just comes out with a k sound.) Thank you :)

Last night my daughter had the chills but otherwise was fine. I took her temperature and she was a burning 103, she's never had a temperature higher than 100 before. She was tired and had really red cheeks but other than that seemed perfectly healthy. I dosed her with tylenol and waited two hours, the temp only went down 1/2 a degree. So I gave her motrin and it went down to 99.5 after awhile and her cheeks weren't red anymore. Next morning she was great. Kept her home just in case so she didn't expose the bug to anyone else. I'd like to know what she had, but the big concern is I'm hosting a baby shower in a couple days at our house where the newborn baby will be here. I don't want to expose him to something scary. Don't really want to call the doctor to find out what she "had" when she's perfectly healthy now. Unless what she could have had could be contagious.

Last night my daughter had the chills but otherwise was fine. I took her temperature and she was a burning 103, she's never had a temperature higher than 100 before. She was tired and had really red cheeks but other than that seemed perfectly healthy. I dosed her with tylenol and waited two hours, the temp only went down 1/2 a degree. So I gave her motrin and it went down to 99.5 after awhile and her cheeks weren't red anymore. Next morning she was great. Kept her home just in case so she didn't expose the bug to anyone else. I'd like to know what she had, but the big concern is I'm hosting a baby shower in a couple days at our house where the newborn baby will be here. I don't want to expose him to something scary. Don't really want to call the doctor to find out what she "had" when she's perfectly healthy now. Unless what she could have had could be contagious.

I have had three major negative life events in my life that have caused mild depression, one where I had to break up with a long time boyfriend, the other two were when my Grandma passed away. Good reasons to be depressed. My reaction to both of these were insomnia and I didn't eat. I would lose 10-20 lbs depending on how long the depression lasted, but never saught any help because they were good reasons to be depressed.

This week I had a small event but I have spiraled into the same depression, which I haven't had in 5 years. I had to have a tooth extracted because of a failed 20 year root canal. I knew it was coming, my dentist warned me of it two years ago. Yeah it's a bummer, but I am taking it really hard. I am not sleeping, I am not eating, and I'm crying all the time. I would love to lose some weight, but having two small children I can't cope with the lack of energy that comes with the lack of appetite. I'm thinking of trying out St. Johns but I remember there was something bad about it (maybe it was I was just not supposed to take it when I was preggos...)

So 11 days ago, I got some stomach bug or something and was vomiting and had diarrhea. The next morning my period started, figured it was because I threw up my pill. I continued to take the pills. I'm on day 10 of this period now (still not feeling totally myself yet from the stomach bug either.) It has also been a strange period. It will be brown and clotty, then red follows. Just as I think that the period is over, brown clots show up again and red follows. Thought I was done yesterday and low and behold, it shows up again. Now I haven't had a period since March (it's August) but I was breastfeeding and saw a doctor about it. I have had some spotting for a day or two on the blank pills. Is this a period because my body needed one and it hadn't gotten back to regular from my last breastfeeding in March? Is the vomiting and diarrhea the cause of the period or the other way around? I am going to contact my doctor tomorrow if I am still having a period but feel silly calling over a period issue. I have taken multiple preggo tests since March(when you don't have a period you kind of freak out at every preggo like symptom), but not for at least a month. Thank you for any advice, any similar experiences, etc.

We are constantly getting fined $100 for the smallest complaint from our homeowner association. This latest one was during a particularly wet week (we live in Seattle) and they believed that we needed to mow the strip of yard between the sidewalk and the street. We mow every week unless the grass is so wet that it is near impossible. We've been fined before for not weeding a bed (because we generally spray weed killer but we had planned on laying down a sprinkler system and adding sod there and I had just had a baby that month.) We are seriously SICK of being harassed by our HOA for small little issues. Our yard looks nice, we take care of our house, but we get fines constantly. What can I do? The article they keep stating in their CC&Rs is so general...that the landscape should be well kept, clean, and sanitary. I believe this is more the case of a power hungry HOA. Any advice? I headed up the landscaping committee until last year when I had my son, not because I enjoyed it, but because I felt that there needed to be a voice of reason.

I had my period back in March when my son turned a year old. It was a regular period, heavy period.

Now nothing, but I cramp like I'm having a period and I am honestly tired of wearing a pad for three months "just in case." I am still breastfeeding, but not very much. I pump twice at work and sometimes can get my son to breastfeed at night and sometimes in the morning, but he has started refusing the breast.

My OBGYN checked me back in May for my annual and she told me not a big deal but my cervix was soft and most likely my period was going to start that day or the next. Nope. Nothing.

I'm nauseous and tired but that could mean nothing at all. Doctor gave me a urine pregnancy test back in early May and it was negative. I took a home pregnancy test last weekend and it was negative so I doubt I'm pregnant. Just frustrated...any advice. Is this normal?

Last week I was having strong painful contractions. My doctor measured me and I was 2 cm, 70% effaced, and station -1. She told me it wasn't going to be much longer. I had also been on medicine to keep from going into early labor and was taken off them on March 9th. Things were progressing nicely, was contracting regularly, not close enough to go to the hospital but they were painful and 10 minutes usually apart. I even got to 5 minutes apart but when I moved they stopped so I figured those ones weren't real. Got checked again a week later, no progression. Now they've slowed down to maybe one every 20 minutes. I'm so frustrated. I feel like baby's head got stuck in the pelvis or something is causing contractions to stop. Have another appointment Tuesday and will ask. Thought I'd have baby by now.

I'm on week 5 of progesterone shots to keep me from going into pre-term labor. The first three shots I had no reaction, they hurt no more than a shot would and had no reactions and they got rid of my pre-term contractions. I thought this was a miracle drug. Last week I got a shot and noticed 3 days later there was a bump the size of a pea and it really itched. I itched it so much that I made a rash on my thigh. Told the nurse about it and she seemed to think it was unrelated (though I told her the bump is at the exact location of the injection site.) So she gave me another shot this Tuesday and Tuesday night my whole hip BURNED, I took a bath and it helped a lot, but when I got out of the bath the burning returned. Last shot didn't burn at all. By morning the burning only was there if I put a lot of weight on this side of my body. The next day I noticed it being itchy again and now on Friday I have a welt about 2-3 inches long and it is itching like crazy. I have been very good about not itching it and I also have been applying Benedryl lotion to it. I took a bath tonight, didn't help but ice pack is helping a lot. Honestly, I would go through this pain if it's going to keep my baby boy inside till he's ready, but I don't think this is normal. The first three shots I had no problem with at all, and this is the only one that has hurt so bad, so it's baffling me.

I've always liked the name Jude, but a lot of people have strong opinions about it. What do you think of the name? I don't mind hearing positives and negatives. I'm on the fence about the name so won't feel offended. Both my husband and I have ancestory in England, Scotland, and Ireland. We are hoping to find a name from one of those regions that wouldn't sound too odd in America.

We are celebrating my hubbies 30th birthday today and had planned to go with a bunch of friends to a pumpkin path and corn maze. But it is pouring buckets outside so we've had to change the celebration to be at our house. I'm cleaning the house but need some ideas that I can quickly put together between cleaning and shopping to celebrate my hubbies b-day. It's not a huge group coming. I was originally going to move it to a go-kart track (indoor) but there are several children coming and wives that wouldn't have had very much fun there. Any ideas for me? Nothing that takes a lot of planning.

I'm 16 weeks pregnant and we were talking about those lovely prenatal vitamins. My mother-in-law told me that her doctor has prescribed a glass of wine a day for my sister-in-law who is 11 weeks pregnant because she has a low iron count. I think this is ridiculous. First off, they haven't measured my iron levels yet in pregnancy and I'm further along than my she is. And in my last pregnancy I was prescribed an extra iron supplement along with my prenatals because my iron was low. Why would any doctor in their right mind tell a woman to drink alcohol in pregnancy, especially for something so easily curable such as a low iron count? Has anyone else been told this or is my sister-in-law just making excuses for why she may be drinking in pregnancy?

This is my second pregnancy and I'm expanding like crazy. Any movements or even sitting up too long cause me to have cramping on either side. I've been assured they are just round ligament pains. I'm wondering if anyone has found any pregnancy safe remedies to help dull the cramps some. Tomorrow I start teaching Kindergarten and I'm so nervous about keeping up with 24 little 5 year olds and giving myself some relief from the cramps.

Thank you for any advice.

I've been so lazy lately. I've been taking naps when my daughter sleeps (which will have to stop soon because I'm a teacher and will be at work.) I'm so sick that I seem to focus in only on that and don't want to do anything else. I'm exhausted like I've been running a marathon but have done nothing at all. Our house is a disaster but feel frustrated because I know as soon as I clean it, we will mess it up again. So I have no motivation. Any suggestions? When will this get better? Just watching people do anything exhausting in itself makes me tired and nauseous thinking about it.

I just don't know what to do with my hair. I have so much of it. If I leave it down it just looks like a big mane. So I put it in a ponytail or braid everyday. I don't have time in the morning to do anything fancy to it because I'm pregnant and spend my whole morning right now throwing up in the toilet and getting my 2 year old ready. I look horrible in short hair so haircut above the shoulders doesn't work for me. I also have never had any luck with layering, it never looks right. Any suggestions?