This message was self-deleted by its author

[laundry_queen]

269. Agree with everything you say

every pregnancy of mine (4 total) caused massive changes in my body. I have a C-section scar that was poorly done and mutilated my stomach and has caused me a lot of grief and body issues. My bladder isn't the same. I had severe reactions to the IV a few times and my whole hand blistered and the skin peeled off (that's fun to deal with while trying to nurse a baby). Back and hip issues that never went away. The usual too...stretch marks everywhere, lots of swelling so that my feet and hands hurt to move, one pregnancy had 9 month long morning sickness. My first labor was so traumatic I was told I likely had PTSD from it. Then I had PPD with my second baby which caught me by surprise. That's not something that's easy to deal with. It was more difficult to deal with on a daily basis at the time than the PTSD, but I got over it more quickly. The PTSD still follows me around.

Even seemingly minor things add up. I have a really strong gag reflex now, something I never had until my first bout with morning sickness. I've talked to other women who had the same thing happen. After baby #3 I suddenly developed 13 cavities in my teeth. I was previously cavity free, had never had a single one in my life, always had straight teeth, no braces etc. I was horrified when the dentist asked me if I was bulimic. The mystery was solved with baby #4 when I felt like I always had acid in the back of my throat and I had even more morning sickness than baby#3 (the 9 months of sickness baby, lol). My doctor said it was likely GERD and gave me some meds. Never had another day of morning sickness after that. So pregnancy induced GERD caused massive decay in my teeth. I was also unable to regain my abdominal strength after my first C-section, which is a big deal for me because I have asthma and cough a lot, and get bronchitis a lot and now coughing is less efficient and needs more effort. I developed migraines with baby #2 that never did go away. There are just so many little things with each pregnancy that have impacted me in the long term.

Anyway, after what I went through with my first baby, how I was treated, the labor, botched c/s, ptsd, I agree forcing someone to go through that all when they don't want to is absolutely, without a doubt, barbaric. I'm lucky that I wanted my children very badly so I just dealt with what was thrown at me, because I knew I had signed up for it and it was worth it for me because I wanted children. I cannot, ever, imagine doing all that involuntarily. The very thought makes me ill.