Stomach measuring in at between 7 and 8 months of pregnancy this morning. I found some information explaining how to determine approximate length of pregnancy by measuring the size of the uterus. I have not been using this method before. I’ve just been guessing but it looks like I’ve been guessing correctly. Also found this graphical illustration that helps make the measuring a little easier.
“Fundal height by gestational age” by Derivative by Mikael Häggström from original by Ulysse2121 – File:Pregnancy uterus height.jpg, in turn using a picture of a statue of Aphrodite. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Right now my uterus is pushed up to about between weeks 32 and 36. It’s extremely uncomfortable and has made it very difficult to function. I did get some relief staying off solids for 5 days but it wasn’t significant. At most a drop midway between 28 weeks and 32 weeks. I have been expecting and eagerly anticipating my cycle. I usually get some relief once my cycle ends. My uterus will go down to between 24 and 28 weeks which has until now seemed to be the average size of my uterus when I’m not actively trying to shrink the fibroids.
There is a major difference in how you feel with a 5 to 6 month fibroid belly versus how you feel with a 7 – 8 month fibroid belly.
The condition of my fibroids right now is the same as what it was back in 2010 when my stomach was so large they put me on show at the clinic bringing in multiple people to gawk at me. I think it was in November 2010. I could be off on the year; but that was a turning point for me; and I went on a mission and was able to get my stomach down significantly by December 2011. Here I am posing in an animal print dress in December 2011. The pose makes my stomach appear flatter than it actually was; but I had gotten my stomach down to where my uterus was below my belly button instead of below my breast where it had been.
At this point in time I was not doing any fasting or avoiding solid foods. I hadn’t made any drastic diet changes that I can recall. I was using apple cider vinegar with baking soda and then later apple cider vinegar with baking soda in addition to blackstrap molasses. I’ll have to go back into my archives to double check on whether or not I had done anything different diet wise but I can’t recall doing anything special. I briefly tried eating a lot of raw broccoli but I don’t think that lasted very long. I’ve never really consumed a lot of red meat anyway but I certainly had not cut out meat or dairy or anything in particular that I can recall.
At some point I went back to my usual way of doing things and my uterus made its way back above my belly button. It fluctuated between 24 weeks – 32 weeks so that I was always looking between 5 – 7 months pregnant. Then I did that 14 day fast in July 2012 and got it below my belly button again. And as I look through my photos I can see that I’ve done a pretty good job since 2012 in keeping things under control. My stomach has consistently gotten quite large around the time of my cycle and I have had an occasional bad spell but for the most part I have managed to keep things down from that 28 – 36 week mark until now.
Much as I don’t like to admit it, the one major difference is my weight. I am the biggest right now that I’ve been since July 2012. I’m still fitting in my clothes but I’m about 10 pounds heavier. And it appears that 10 pounds make a big difference where the fibroids are concerned.
Another factor is my fitness. Although I still workout regularly I have been working out differently. I have been taking it a little easier on myself because I just don’t have the interest in putting myself through the torture that constitutes hour long sessions of aerobic exercising. Not factoring the occasional spell of laziness I have always religiously worked-out since I was a teenager; but I have never ever loved the process. It has always been a chore unless I was dancing or out running. I was working out more between 2011 and early 2014 than I have been working out in recent months. I’ve basically just been maintaining fitness these last few month. I’ve been getting enough exercise to keep things toned; but I haven’t been exercising hard enough to burn off anything that might otherwise stick.
All things considered I am not in the worst place possible. Just that the fibroids are back to the 32 – 36 week mark. They’ve been there for a little while. I thought it was just my cycle coming up and it might be that. I’ll have to take a measure once that comes and goes. But the 10 pounds isn’t such a bad thing. It’s still smaller than I was in the above photo in the animal print dress when I was able to get my stomach down significantly. In fact here is a picture of me in the same animal print dress taken in October 2012 when I was nearly back to what was my normal size before this whole adventure started. As you can see my stomach was flatter in the first picture so it’s not necessarily the case that your size determines your success with shrinking your fibroids.
I think what I want to focus on right now is just getting my uterus to the 24 week mark or under. I’ll drop the pounds in the process so I won’t worry about that too much. Fitness wise I feel good about my condition. I have a little extra fat but nothing that can really constitute excess. I don’t think I need to change anything in the workout department. Just maybe try not to skip too many days in a row. I do definitely need to get back on track with meditating. But overall I think I have more to feel positive about than negative. At least I know that I don’t have to live with this discomfort of having my uterus measuring the same as that of a woman at 8 months of pregnancy. I have to go back to doing what worked and I have to find a way to stick with it.
So I’m back on the tonic ( apple cider vinegar + baking soda + blackstrap molasses + a new ingredient pomegranate concentrate)
And I will continue to try to limit my consumption of solid food.
I will try to meditate more often.
And I will continue to maintain my fitness. I don’t think I need to change much here. Just keep up with what I’m doing. I see no need to work out as religiously and obsessively as I used to when I was trying to stay a size zero. My goal is to be strong and healthy.
