They say all good things must come to an end, and the world’s easiest pregnancy (mine) is about to come to an end. Or should I say, it has come to an end. I can no longer sleep on my stomach. And I kind of want to die.

For most pregnant women, or women who have been pregnant, this is probably laughable — particularly since this is, hands down, the worst symptom I’ve had to deal with thus far in my four and a half months of being pregnant.

But what those women don’t understand is: I can be a horrible human being without sleep.

It happened over Thanksgiving weekend — at my in-laws’ in Illinois, no less, a place I rarely get a good night’s sleep. when I laid down on my stomach to go bed, something felt … off. I chalked it up to the fact that, lately, not a moment goes by when I don’t feel like I have to pee. so, I went to the bathroom, and when I returned to bed and assumed my position, same thing. the night before then was the last time I slept.

I look like hell. I feel like hell. I’m not sure if it’s allergies, but I appear to have a slight cold coming on, as well. Damn weakened immune system. And now, when I lie in bed at night, the only thing I can think of is: How the hell am I going to make it another four and a half months without sleep? I need sleep. it is truly the one thing on this earth I cannot do without. Take my food, take my water, hell, take my freedom. just don’t take away my sleep.

Last night, I tried wedging a pillow behind my back, so I wouldn’t roll over. the only thing that did was make it feel like I had a pillow digging into my back. then I tried taking that same pillow and hugging it between my arms and legs. it was a little better, but not much.

Then there’s my husband and my dog. both lying peacefully on their backs, snoring their irritating little heads off, taunting me with their non-pregnant bodies. I currently dislike them.

So, bottom line here is: help! I don’t know what to do. I was so enjoying being the kind of pregnant woman I always wanted to be — laid back and unencumbered by “symptoms.” Will I ever have that back? is there anybody in the entire world who loves sleeping on their stomach as much as me? Who’s been pregnant? And managed to sleep during that time? I need your precious guidance right now, dear people, because, for the love of God, I cannot go another night — let alone another month — without sleep.

How did you sleep while you were pregnant?

Image via Frank de Kleine/Flickr

Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) is a possible complication of fertility medication that is prescribed to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs during one cycle. When OHSS shows up, it is most likely to happen during the follicle stimulating phase of treatment, but it can also begin after a woman is already pregnant in some cases. Symptoms of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome range from mild to severe, and can include diarrhea, abdominal pain, chest pain, and shortness of breath. What are the risk factors?

The symptoms of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome are mild, and pass within two weeks in the majority of cases. any woman taking follicle stimulating medications, usually in preparation for a cycle of IVF, can develop OHSS. But there are some risk factors that increase the odds of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome. Young women undergoing fertility treatments and have many follicles, for instance, have a bigger chance of ending up with this complication. and women who suffer from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) are at particular risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome.

Those women with lots of follicles have also been shown to have higher instances of developing Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome, and those who are underweight or have a low Body Mass Index are likewise at a larger risk. Twin or multiples pregnancies are associated with OHSS, as well as women who already suffered from it before.

If that sounds scary, it might help to note that OHSS is mild and has no long-term consequences in the majority of cases. With all those risk factors, still only one or two percent of women undergoing fertility treatments that require ovarian stimulation develop OHSS. most cases of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome require no treatment, though they are closely monitored. Symptoms will most likely clear up within a week or two of the first sign of OHSS.

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Tags: OHSS risks, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome fertility treatment

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 at 7:46 pm and is filed under fertility drugs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.