Muslim Cysters - Winter Wonderland...

[DiamondInTheRough]

Umm Sulaym, masha'Allah all the best on the remainder of your pg. Insha'Allah you'll have a happy and healthy baby in your arms very soon.

maroon, it seems like your IL's are here more often than not, haha! Enjoy!

NHA, I've been feeling the blues lately as well. Actually, probably the worst I've ever felt them. I first started having anxiety attacks during my pg with DS2, and I've kept them in control for ages, but I had one the other night. I've had a lot going on with extended friends, family, etc. We just learned last night that my husband's cousin lost his 5 year old son to medical complications and I couldn't sleep all night. I'm usually the strong one in the family, the one that everybody turns to, so I have a hard time reaching out to people for this reason. My whole life, I've been the one to suck it up and put on a strong face. Insha'Allah it will pass soon for the both of us. I'm a list maker so if I can write it down, I can somehow make it better - that's just the way my brain works. Maybe try it yourself, write out all the things that are bothering you in one column, and a possible solution/time line in another column. ((hugs))

[maroon22]

Diamond...ur right about the inlaws lol...but the more kids i have the more appreciative i am for the extra help... im so sorry about ur cousins son....i cant even imagine what its like to lose a 5 yr old but subhannallah hes straight to junnah... may Allah swt make it easy on ur cousin and the whole family....and for you inshallah

[NHA]

Maroon - JzakhAllah khaiyr for that, InshaAllah hoping this passes quickly.

Diamond - I'm so sorry t hear of the loss, May Allah make this easy for the whole family Ameen. Oh gosh my anxiety seems to creep up every 12 months or so, however after ds i thought I was doing fine until now! I start getting anxious feeling before bed which keeps me awake, and thats how I was feeling. Then I started trying to keep my self busy, and I started clearing out this storage room we have. I painted it, then had to repaint, I didn;t do my research and thought bleach in paint ws fine. Anywy it sort of triggered everything off, I started having panic attacks about the 'chemicals' I mixed, then I realised some paints have ammonia and that made it worse. I kept telling myself I feel fine so InshaAllah no harm done, but then the thoughts of 'yes but there could be damage' started, eventully i was panicking because I thought i bet ds got some of those fumes into his lungs too (he wasn't in the room but was in the house)...SubhanAllah these thoughts have been going round and round in my head, and honestly a few times I've actually thought I'm going mad...it'll go from ive harmd my lungs, and then I'll think no because I would be in pain, and as soon as I dismiss that its but ds must have been effected...it's been s difficult trying to get rid of these thoughts. I've been on forums where people have written the reactions theyve had to ammonia and bleach to make myself feel better, I think yeah that didn't happen to me (i.e. no coughing, just eyes and nose irritated and slight irritation in throat), so surely if it was bad I would have been gasping for breath! Anyway I'm really sorry to rant all this on here, I spend my waking hours trying to rationalise everything, but as soon as I wake I'm upset and crying already! Making dua this passes soon InshaAllah

[maroon22]

Nha- (hugs) i can deff see how that could trigger things off..inshallah it will pass soon...keep making dua

[DiamondInTheRough]

NHA, I can understand your worry as well. But trust me, the body has a defence mechanism, and you did not cause any serious or permanent harm for yourself or your son. Like you said, the results would have been immediate and alhamdulillah, nothing unexpected happened. Even around regular "unscented" paint, my eyes water and my nose runs. I think everything is ok, insha'Allah. ((hugs))

[NHA]

JazakhAllah khaiyr maroon and diamond. I feel like I'm going crazy, I've had depression and anxiety before, but this time I just can't shake it off! I keep getting really upset for doing something so stupid, I feel low all the time, to the point that I'm waking up feeling really down. It's like I can't shake this thought out of my head, yesterday I read about swiming pools to try help calm myself down and how you get chlorine and chloramine there too (obv controlled), and I thought surely that's all I may have exposed myself and everyone too...but honestly sisters I really do feel like I'm losing my marbles, I don't even know what to do! It's nearly two weeks since I did this, and I'm still trying to get over it...I think because I've been thinking so much about it i have a sore throat (it feels as though I've made this symptom come if that makes sense). I keep getting upset with why didn't i read up on this stuff, I never knew latex paints had ammonia...I'm sort of really really angry with myself, really upset, I feel like staying in bed. When dh doesnt understand and gets a little annoyed i go to bed, close my eyes and stay there for a little while until I can face everything again!

[mahjab]

Salaam sisters! all this talk about anxiety reminds me of myself. I don't think I have attacks as such, but I lose sleep over little things. My sleep is very easily affected by what goes on in my life. I'm also a super sensitive person and I get stressed quickly. Do you guys have that little dua book called "Fortress of the Muslim"? There are duas for anxiety in there.

So I/m on Level 2 of the 30 day shred, but I missed three days. I've lost one pound. I'm trying too keep away from sweets but these days my sinus pain is so annoying and I've been drinking hot cocoa because the warm drink makes me feel better. It's so hard to lose weight

[maroon22]

Nha...i went through pp depression and it really is difficult to get through the days..what helped me was getting out of the house...i started taking my son to play group and for baby signing classes...just getting out of the house did wonders for me...but i agree with the others...if indeed the chemicals were to affect you, you probably would have major symptoms...also the exposure was probably quite minimal as u only did the closet and not the entire house.may .allah make it easy for u inshallah

[Motivatedshi]

Salam wa alaikum sisters,

May I join this thread? Im Muslim, Iranian-American, 26, name is Shi, Live in Michigan..... I recently found out i am naturally pregnant after 4 years of trying to conceive hamdallah. I was pregnant once before but miscarried, but hamdallah for everything. I plan to visit this thread regularly, it seems as many of you know each other very well and your backgrounds. I would love a quick intro to each and everyone of you if you do not mind.

[maroon22]

Welcome shi...congrats on ur pregnancy..inshallah it will be a healthy and happy one!

Ive been on the thread for the past 8 years! Wow lol thats a long time! Im annovulatory but by gods grace have 3 children now...its been a long journey but has been faith strenghthening

[mahjab]

Salaam shi...mabrook on your pregnancy! May Allah make it a successful, healthy one inshaAllah.

i've been posting for about four or five years, I think! I've found this thread to be extremely supportive and helpful throughout my hard times. I pray Allah blesses all the sisters with the best of deen and happiness inshaAllah. i got married in 2003 but didn't try ttc until 2008 for many personal reasons. After two IUIs and two mini IVFs, Allah granted me a baby girl mashaAllah. Just making dua for her sibling now because I don't want her to be alone. I am an only child and it's a difficult thing to go through. I don't want her to be in the same situation. I've found that the best way to deal with difficult situations is to increase ibadah through prayer, dua, etc. It's productive and you get reward!

[Motivatedshi]

MashAllah, thank you for the quick intro. Maroon, wow three children is a huge blessing hamdallah, do you want more in the future? Mahjab, congrats on your baby girl mashallah, inshallah allah grants your duahs for a second one. I have been praying for a baby for many years now, and Im so thankful to Allah (swt) that he has blessed me with a chance at it. My husband is more excited than I am My husband can drive me crazy about so many things, but alhamdallah he was always so understanding and supportive throughout the infertility struggles and my first miscarriage. Please make duah for me that this pregnancy produced a healthy and happy baby inshAllah. Im about 9 weeks along, so only less than a month until im out of my first trimester inshallah. I feel like such a bad cop when it comes to my husbands excitement over wanting to already buy baby stuff.... he actually bought a crib yesterday, and it made me feel very nervous.... inshallah Khair. I would love to have 3 or 4 kids altogether god willing.... but we all know god is the best of all planners

[DiamondInTheRough]

Asalaamu Alaikum Shi! Welcome to the thread, and mabrouk on your pg! I have a Lebanese/Syrian background. I have 2 children masha'Allah, and one loss, alhamdulillah. I've been chatting with these amazing sister-cysters since I joined SC. Close to a decade now, subhan'Allah.

eta: Oops, timing.

[Motivatedshi]

Salam Diamond. My best and closest friend is Syrian. Wow a decade! That is awsome mashallah. Im needing some advise... my OB said that if I want to do Testing for any abnormalities I have to let her know in the next few day.... Im thinking about not doing the testing for downs syndrome or any of the others at all... I mean Im pretty sure it is Haram to abort a baby, even if you know they do have abormalities right? Did any of you ladies do the testing... and what was your reasoning/results? InshAllah khair, and I hope all turns out well.. There are sooo man things that takes over your mind when you are pregnant subhanallah, just praying that god gives me peace of mind inshallah

[DiamondInTheRough]

Shi - Islamically you can abort if the pg poses a life-threatening risk to the mother, or if there is something so severely wrong with the baby that it would cause unbearable pain/suffering after birth. While things like Down Syndrome are very challenging, they aren't considered an acceptable reason to abort. Having said that, I personally did do the testing because I wanted to be as prepared as possible for anything down the road. I think it's a personal choice to do the testing, you don't have to if you don't want to. It does cause some stress for people, especially if their screen comes back at a higher risk for certain things. Also, keep in mind the screening tests for a few things compared to the countless genetic mutations that could occur without warning. Pg is a risk no matter how you look at it, no matter how much you prepare - it's taking a chance in life. Alhamdulillah that we understand that as much as children are a blessing, they are also a test. Not everyone will have perfect health and it's how we deal with that and grow as people that will be the ultimate reward. Similarly, not everyone does well financially, or in marriage, or in character - these are all things we face and try to grow from.