I had to write that last post being true to my feelings last week, but yesterday things got a little better!
We had a brunch and seminar about registering at Babies R Us yesterday. It was lots of good info and we won a few prizes. Woo! Among other things, there is some great info for anyone who lives far away from us.
***If you choose an item from our registry, you can call the Babies R Us here in town and pay over the phone. They will contact us and hold the item. This way you do not have to pay any shipping! Once again, we're registry #47265930, which can be found at www.babiesrus.com. Their phone number is 520-748-8697. ***
We also added a bunch of stuff to our registry, including a ton of toys. That way if you're more interested in fun stuff rather than practical stuff you should be all set :). We also get a deal on stuff that we end up having to buy ourselves after the baby is born, so we went a little scanner-gun crazy. Clothes are also still totally fantastic! Basics made for hot weather, especially in sizes 3 months and larger are great. It's hard to register for specifics because their stock rotates so frequently, we're just leaving it up to you to pick something cute :).
The anxiety reducing part of the day was when we bought our 'play yard'! It's a fancy name for a playpen (apprarently the latter is offensive and reminiscent of a jail cell or something). The fantastic part about it is that it includes a bassinet portion, and it's where we're planning on having the Pea sleep at first, in our room. So now the Pea has a bed! Woo! It also has an elevated changing table portion which will make midnight diaper changes easier both by location and being easy on our backs. I'll try to remember to get a pic when we take belly pictures this next week. We also had some coupons and got some more small diapers and baby wipes, as well as baby Tylenol, diaper cream and that gas relief stuff. Now I feel much more prepared. Phew.
I am so lucky to have an understanding husband. I totally get that my anxiety is absolutely irrational. It's hormones and nesting and whatever, and I KNOW that it's silly but I can't help it. We have to get a playpen /sometime/ so Brian was very supportive of getting it now. And letting me set it up. Hee. It was actually really easy and it fits in our room, though it's a little bigger than I pictured it. I probably won't leave it set up, but I wanted a few nights to make sure I wasn't going to kill myself on it in the middle of the night. So far so good!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Weeks 30-31 June 8-14 and 15-21
Week 31 was extremely busy, which is why I never got around to writing up week 30. So, once again, a quick 2-week post :).
Week 30 was fairly average, without any really major developments. Brian has been working somewhat shortened days which means he has more time at home (at least a little) which is fantastic. As you saw, I got a call that my glucose test came back normally and that was a really big deal. The temperatures continue to soar here, which means that I do less and less and still manage to get hotter and hotter (somehow). The Pea keeps getting bigger all the time, and stronger too. He is definitely capable of causing discomfort if he really pushes in particular places. He doesn't seem to like it very well when I lay on my right side this week, and he kicks the heck right out of me if I do. It's like, "Hey mom, I don't like that! MOVE!" Or more likely, 'hey house-thing I swim around in,' since that's about all I am to him at this point :).
I went to a seminar on base, which was decent. It is designed to be taken at the beginning of the pregnancy, but I forgot all about it, so I was the only really pregnant person there. The nutritionist brightly chirped, "OK ladies, let's all come weigh in!" If looks could kill I think she would at least be injured. I was like, um... no. And of course, she couldn't MAKE me so we just skipped that part. I'm sure the intent is to keep up with the expectant moms and help them make good nutritional choices as they get farther along (and gain a million pounds), but let's face it, I'm sort of past that point. The rest of it was pretty good, including a talk by the family advocacy nurse, who gave us some good freebies. She also does a babycare class which I signed up for, and she's a lactation consultant who makes free house calls. I have no idea how she actually manages to DO that, but it's an Air Force thing. Really I guess there are quite a few things I don't take advantage of. At any rate, good info and her number is on my fridge!
I didn't keep very good track of my weight this week, but as I'll relate in the next paragraph, I went to the doctor and he said I had gained 3 pounds over the last 2 weeks. Whatever that means.
Week 31:
First off, doctor's appointment! It went well as usual. I gained a little more than last time, but it's all good. According to my scale I gained 25 lbs by the end of week 31. I'm basically 'on schedule' but I'll be at the upper end of 'normal' by the time I'm done I'm sure. The Pea's heartrate was going strong at 146 (they usually fluctuate a lot but his has been between 145 and 155 every time he's been checked). I'm at 32cm, so only 1 cm ahead of where I should be this week. Really I think that I'm supposed to be at 31cm at the END of this week so... I dunno. At any rate I'm huge :). I told the doc I didn't have any questions but I was starting to get a little worried about actually getting this kid out of me. He said when he starts doing weekly exams and pelvic checks at 36 weeks we'll re-evaluate and see. If he's super big (or seems that way) we might end up having to induce a little early. I'd rather not be induced, but I'd rather be induced than end up with a C-section or a problem due to a baby too big for me to deliver. All the craziness! Also, he felt around and he thinks the Pea is head down now, which is really great. Especially considering the fact that he's not really changing position anymore. He seems to roll back and forth, kick/punch a little and PUSH a LOT, but it's not the rolly swirly movements he used to do so much. So, all good news there!
Wednesday I did that jewelry party. That meant that I spent Mon-Wed cleaning, buying snack food, calling people to remind them, etc. It was EXHAUSTING. The party itself was sort of fun, but it was totally chaotic. Between the babies that came, my dogs, my birds, and my too-social friends, it was just... well, chaos! Also the advisor got a flat tire on her way here so she was totally frazzled, and a few people had to leave early. All in all, I didn't end up with many orders, but to be totally honest, I'm just glad it's over. Isn't that terrible? No more hosting parties for me!
On the plus side again, I got a free necklace and my house is clean! Whee! Brian was super helpful and did all the outside stuff PLUS the vacuuming and he folded some laundry too. He is the best.
I slept pretty much all day Thursday and nursed really sore feet until Friday. It's nuts how much every little thing takes out of me. My back is persistently painful now, though it's mid-back not lower back pain. Riding in the car is the WORST. Luckily lounging in my bed or on the couch I can usually find a comfy position so it's not too bad. With the temps soaring up to 110 this week I'm starting to have my first signs of swelling, but it's just a little in my hands and feet. As usual, not bad at all and I'm grateful.
I'm starting to get really anxious about silly little things being ready. I guess it's partly that whole nesting thing. Brian's planning on taking some extra time off around July 4th, with the plan to get the nursery painted. Sometime around then we should be getting our nursery furniture (the crib ended up on backorder again, so they're just going to deliver it all at the same time). Hopefully that will help! I'm sure I'm going to keep feeling this way until I finish up my classes (July 18th I think?) and have my baby shower (July 22) and then finish buying at least the basics that we don't receive as gifts. Yikes. Another month of driving Brian crazy I guess! Poor guy.
I am definitely still enjoying the sensations of having my baby inside of me, and I still feel like I will really miss it. At the same time, I'm getting more and more excited about meeting him, seeing him, holding him in my arms. As the physical discomforts increase and the excitement about actually having the baby follow suit, the balance is starting to tip toward me being ready for D-day to get here. Still, we need to aim for at LEAST 4 more weeks so he can be baked all the way, so I'm not jumping the gun too much. To be honest though, more and more people have said that there's no way I'm going to make it to August 17th, and several have commented that they think my due date might be off. Yikes again. I guess we'll see!
Week 30 was fairly average, without any really major developments. Brian has been working somewhat shortened days which means he has more time at home (at least a little) which is fantastic. As you saw, I got a call that my glucose test came back normally and that was a really big deal. The temperatures continue to soar here, which means that I do less and less and still manage to get hotter and hotter (somehow). The Pea keeps getting bigger all the time, and stronger too. He is definitely capable of causing discomfort if he really pushes in particular places. He doesn't seem to like it very well when I lay on my right side this week, and he kicks the heck right out of me if I do. It's like, "Hey mom, I don't like that! MOVE!" Or more likely, 'hey house-thing I swim around in,' since that's about all I am to him at this point :).
I went to a seminar on base, which was decent. It is designed to be taken at the beginning of the pregnancy, but I forgot all about it, so I was the only really pregnant person there. The nutritionist brightly chirped, "OK ladies, let's all come weigh in!" If looks could kill I think she would at least be injured. I was like, um... no. And of course, she couldn't MAKE me so we just skipped that part. I'm sure the intent is to keep up with the expectant moms and help them make good nutritional choices as they get farther along (and gain a million pounds), but let's face it, I'm sort of past that point. The rest of it was pretty good, including a talk by the family advocacy nurse, who gave us some good freebies. She also does a babycare class which I signed up for, and she's a lactation consultant who makes free house calls. I have no idea how she actually manages to DO that, but it's an Air Force thing. Really I guess there are quite a few things I don't take advantage of. At any rate, good info and her number is on my fridge!
I didn't keep very good track of my weight this week, but as I'll relate in the next paragraph, I went to the doctor and he said I had gained 3 pounds over the last 2 weeks. Whatever that means.
Week 31:
First off, doctor's appointment! It went well as usual. I gained a little more than last time, but it's all good. According to my scale I gained 25 lbs by the end of week 31. I'm basically 'on schedule' but I'll be at the upper end of 'normal' by the time I'm done I'm sure. The Pea's heartrate was going strong at 146 (they usually fluctuate a lot but his has been between 145 and 155 every time he's been checked). I'm at 32cm, so only 1 cm ahead of where I should be this week. Really I think that I'm supposed to be at 31cm at the END of this week so... I dunno. At any rate I'm huge :). I told the doc I didn't have any questions but I was starting to get a little worried about actually getting this kid out of me. He said when he starts doing weekly exams and pelvic checks at 36 weeks we'll re-evaluate and see. If he's super big (or seems that way) we might end up having to induce a little early. I'd rather not be induced, but I'd rather be induced than end up with a C-section or a problem due to a baby too big for me to deliver. All the craziness! Also, he felt around and he thinks the Pea is head down now, which is really great. Especially considering the fact that he's not really changing position anymore. He seems to roll back and forth, kick/punch a little and PUSH a LOT, but it's not the rolly swirly movements he used to do so much. So, all good news there!
Wednesday I did that jewelry party. That meant that I spent Mon-Wed cleaning, buying snack food, calling people to remind them, etc. It was EXHAUSTING. The party itself was sort of fun, but it was totally chaotic. Between the babies that came, my dogs, my birds, and my too-social friends, it was just... well, chaos! Also the advisor got a flat tire on her way here so she was totally frazzled, and a few people had to leave early. All in all, I didn't end up with many orders, but to be totally honest, I'm just glad it's over. Isn't that terrible? No more hosting parties for me!
On the plus side again, I got a free necklace and my house is clean! Whee! Brian was super helpful and did all the outside stuff PLUS the vacuuming and he folded some laundry too. He is the best.
I slept pretty much all day Thursday and nursed really sore feet until Friday. It's nuts how much every little thing takes out of me. My back is persistently painful now, though it's mid-back not lower back pain. Riding in the car is the WORST. Luckily lounging in my bed or on the couch I can usually find a comfy position so it's not too bad. With the temps soaring up to 110 this week I'm starting to have my first signs of swelling, but it's just a little in my hands and feet. As usual, not bad at all and I'm grateful.
I'm starting to get really anxious about silly little things being ready. I guess it's partly that whole nesting thing. Brian's planning on taking some extra time off around July 4th, with the plan to get the nursery painted. Sometime around then we should be getting our nursery furniture (the crib ended up on backorder again, so they're just going to deliver it all at the same time). Hopefully that will help! I'm sure I'm going to keep feeling this way until I finish up my classes (July 18th I think?) and have my baby shower (July 22) and then finish buying at least the basics that we don't receive as gifts. Yikes. Another month of driving Brian crazy I guess! Poor guy.
I am definitely still enjoying the sensations of having my baby inside of me, and I still feel like I will really miss it. At the same time, I'm getting more and more excited about meeting him, seeing him, holding him in my arms. As the physical discomforts increase and the excitement about actually having the baby follow suit, the balance is starting to tip toward me being ready for D-day to get here. Still, we need to aim for at LEAST 4 more weeks so he can be baked all the way, so I'm not jumping the gun too much. To be honest though, more and more people have said that there's no way I'm going to make it to August 17th, and several have commented that they think my due date might be off. Yikes again. I guess we'll see!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Week 29 Pictures!
Pictures, as promised!
First, a front on shot. Brian took these, so the angle is realistic. I am getting huge.
Next, a side view.
And finally, just for old time's sake. This is me at 12 weeks. Hee! Seriously, I am already wearing maternity pants and feeling like I have a 'bump'. Little did I know!
First, a front on shot. Brian took these, so the angle is realistic. I am getting huge.
Next, a side view.
And finally, just for old time's sake. This is me at 12 weeks. Hee! Seriously, I am already wearing maternity pants and feeling like I have a 'bump'. Little did I know!
All is well!
Big news! The doctor's office called, without me even needing to check in with them. This second round of testing came back totally normal, and I officially do NOT have gestational diabetes!
I have talked to a few different people this week who had the exact same thing happen - slightly elevated glucose followed by a totally normal 3 hour test. Still, it had me pretty freaked out until I heard the results. I think I'm going to try to eat a little less sugar just as a matter of principle. It's better for me anyhow!
I have talked to a few different people this week who had the exact same thing happen - slightly elevated glucose followed by a totally normal 3 hour test. Still, it had me pretty freaked out until I heard the results. I think I'm going to try to eat a little less sugar just as a matter of principle. It's better for me anyhow!
Week 29: June 1-7
Brian came home on Friday, which of course was great. I can't imagine him being gone for months at a time - I miss him so much after just a few days. I'm going to pull a Scarlett O'Hara and say "I can't think about that today, I'll think about that tomorrow." You all know how that goes. Goodness knows that I have enough going on in my head with this whole baby thing! Suffice it to say, it's nice to have him home.
On Sunday we went and toured the hospital where we'll be delivering. When I picked the hospital it was based mostly on a few people recommending it. There are 3 main hospitals here in town, and I actually had at least one person mention each hospital. St Joe's (where we are going) had the added benefit of being closer and I had been there a few times so I knew where it was. Done! Now that time has gone on and I've learned more I am SO GLAD I chose this place. I am sure they are all just fine, and different places have different benefits, but so many of the things I view as important are not only possible, but encouraged at this facility.
- Fantastic staff. All of their nurses are qualified to teach, and many are certified lactation consultants. Having experienced the one ER visit I know they are quick, compassionate and professional as well. They also have a triage staff that will answer questions on the phone, which is great.
- One LDRP room. That stands for labor, delivery, recovery postpartum. It basically means that once I get settled I won't have to move to another room for any part of my stay. Of course, if a C section is necessary that will happen in an OR. Also they do have an area on another floor that is only for postpartum moms and if the baby and I are both in tiptop shape I might have the opportunity to go up there. Mostly it's just very quiet because there isn't the hustle and bustle of folks having baby up there.
- Couplet care. Or at least, that's what they call it. It means that unless there's a problem, the baby is only in the nursery for brief procedures and spends all the rest of the time with me. They even do the initial bath and everything under a warmer in the room. If I ask for a break they'll take him for a while, but it's not like a nursery full of babies, even at night. I had read about this and was planning on requesting "rooming in" but it's not just an option, it's how they do things at this hospital. Fantastic!
- Breastfeeding support. This is something that's very important to me, and to them! I don't have to make a point of requesting no bottles or pacifiers for the baby, that's automatically howt hey work. They also have lactation consultants at least until the evening every day, ready to help out. Plus a lot of the other nurses have experience in this area.
- A dedicated anesthesiologist. There is someone on the floor 24/7 who does epidurals and C sections, and nothing else. They give epidurals for 80% of their deliveries, and I think I mentioned some of their thoughts on the subject in a previous post. I'm pretty sure we're going this route and it's great to know we don't have to wait for someone who's on call, even in the middle of the night.
-Low staff to patient ratios. In fact, I'll have a nurse all to myself all through my delivery, which will only change if I labor over a shift change. She'll stay with me for a few hours after delivery, then I'll have postpartum nurse. They each see 4 patients, so that's still a really low ratio.
- Private room! This is the only hospital in town that guarantees a private room through the whole process. That includes postpartum. No room sharing! Part of this is that Brian will be able to stay the night if he'd like, and they provide a cot for him which is great.
- 48 hour standard stay. That's 2 days AFTER the delivery, not 2 days from the time I'm admitted. It's more if needed (like with a C section), but that's a nice buffer for the nurses to help us get our heads together and for me to not have to do anything but heal and get to know the Pea.
The facilities are nice, though a bit old when it comes to decor. They're building a new birthing center, but we're a little early for that :). All of their technology/medical stuff looks fantastic, it's just the decorations that are pretty 80s.
That was the big news for the week. I am feeling like I'm growing visibly every few days, and the Pea feels like he's taking up more and more room in there. He still gives a kick/punch every now and again but the majority of his motions are more like pushes and rolls, and sometimes he just LEANS against my stomach until there's a big hard bump.
I've also been having Braxton-Hicks contractions pretty regularly. Well... irregularly but more frequently. Every few days I'll have a few of them, and some of them are even sort of uncomfortable. For a little while I was worried that I wouldn't know if it was actually false labor, but they are very sporadic and they go away, so that's a good sign that they're nothing much!
I'm at +21 pounds now, no more dropping back to +20 that I've noticed. Even if I gain a pound a week I'll still be at around 30-35 pounds which is just right. Maybe I won't cut back on sugar TOO much. :)
On Sunday we went and toured the hospital where we'll be delivering. When I picked the hospital it was based mostly on a few people recommending it. There are 3 main hospitals here in town, and I actually had at least one person mention each hospital. St Joe's (where we are going) had the added benefit of being closer and I had been there a few times so I knew where it was. Done! Now that time has gone on and I've learned more I am SO GLAD I chose this place. I am sure they are all just fine, and different places have different benefits, but so many of the things I view as important are not only possible, but encouraged at this facility.
- Fantastic staff. All of their nurses are qualified to teach, and many are certified lactation consultants. Having experienced the one ER visit I know they are quick, compassionate and professional as well. They also have a triage staff that will answer questions on the phone, which is great.
- One LDRP room. That stands for labor, delivery, recovery postpartum. It basically means that once I get settled I won't have to move to another room for any part of my stay. Of course, if a C section is necessary that will happen in an OR. Also they do have an area on another floor that is only for postpartum moms and if the baby and I are both in tiptop shape I might have the opportunity to go up there. Mostly it's just very quiet because there isn't the hustle and bustle of folks having baby up there.
- Couplet care. Or at least, that's what they call it. It means that unless there's a problem, the baby is only in the nursery for brief procedures and spends all the rest of the time with me. They even do the initial bath and everything under a warmer in the room. If I ask for a break they'll take him for a while, but it's not like a nursery full of babies, even at night. I had read about this and was planning on requesting "rooming in" but it's not just an option, it's how they do things at this hospital. Fantastic!
- Breastfeeding support. This is something that's very important to me, and to them! I don't have to make a point of requesting no bottles or pacifiers for the baby, that's automatically howt hey work. They also have lactation consultants at least until the evening every day, ready to help out. Plus a lot of the other nurses have experience in this area.
- A dedicated anesthesiologist. There is someone on the floor 24/7 who does epidurals and C sections, and nothing else. They give epidurals for 80% of their deliveries, and I think I mentioned some of their thoughts on the subject in a previous post. I'm pretty sure we're going this route and it's great to know we don't have to wait for someone who's on call, even in the middle of the night.
-Low staff to patient ratios. In fact, I'll have a nurse all to myself all through my delivery, which will only change if I labor over a shift change. She'll stay with me for a few hours after delivery, then I'll have postpartum nurse. They each see 4 patients, so that's still a really low ratio.
- Private room! This is the only hospital in town that guarantees a private room through the whole process. That includes postpartum. No room sharing! Part of this is that Brian will be able to stay the night if he'd like, and they provide a cot for him which is great.
- 48 hour standard stay. That's 2 days AFTER the delivery, not 2 days from the time I'm admitted. It's more if needed (like with a C section), but that's a nice buffer for the nurses to help us get our heads together and for me to not have to do anything but heal and get to know the Pea.
The facilities are nice, though a bit old when it comes to decor. They're building a new birthing center, but we're a little early for that :). All of their technology/medical stuff looks fantastic, it's just the decorations that are pretty 80s.
That was the big news for the week. I am feeling like I'm growing visibly every few days, and the Pea feels like he's taking up more and more room in there. He still gives a kick/punch every now and again but the majority of his motions are more like pushes and rolls, and sometimes he just LEANS against my stomach until there's a big hard bump.
I've also been having Braxton-Hicks contractions pretty regularly. Well... irregularly but more frequently. Every few days I'll have a few of them, and some of them are even sort of uncomfortable. For a little while I was worried that I wouldn't know if it was actually false labor, but they are very sporadic and they go away, so that's a good sign that they're nothing much!
I'm at +21 pounds now, no more dropping back to +20 that I've noticed. Even if I gain a pound a week I'll still be at around 30-35 pounds which is just right. Maybe I won't cut back on sugar TOO much. :)
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Doctor Update
It's a midweek update! It would include pictures because Brian took some last night, but he took the camera to work with him. I figured I'd just upload pics and make this post tonight, but I forgot that he's working late. So I guess the pictures will go with my usual week post instead :). They are coming!
I went to the doctor on Monday for my first 'every 2 weeks' appointment. To my great relief and utmost happiness, there was not a gown on the examining table! For those of you who don't know, that is The Sign(TM) that a pelvic exam is on the way. You do not want to have to change clothes at these appointments, it leads to things that are not fun. I am not sure when they start doing these regularly again but I think it's not until the last month. I guess we'll see.
Instead, we had our usual measure and listen to the heartbeat type of appointment. My blood pressure is good, the Pea's heartbeat sounded great, and while I am 29 weeks along, I am once again 2cm ahead of the mark with a belly that measures 31cm. The doc says this is totally fine, it just means I'm probably going to have a big baby. Um, yay? Combine this with the fact that I just found out a high school friend just had a 10lb baby girl a few days ago and I am... a little nervous. What about the tiny little 5 1/2 lb babies... like me? I want one of those, please. Thanks. I have gained 1 pound since my appointment 2 weeks ago, according to them. It fluctuates a lot lately, but I think that's about right.
The only point of possibly less good news went something like this:
Dr: Did you do your three hour already?
Me: *blank look*
Dr: Did they tell you about the three hour? Did they tell you about your one hour?
Me: *totally baffled look* Ummm...
Dr: I guess not! Well, you failed your one hour glucose test, so you have to do a fasting 3 hour one [lots of explaining].
What does this mean? It means that the high end of the normal range in the glucose resistance tests is 140 and mine was a 149. Thankfully that's pretty marginal, but it means more testing. Basically I had to fast after 8pm, go in at 8am, have a fasting blood sample drawn, drink the orange sugar stuff (only twice as concentrated) and then have more blood drawn at 1, 2, and 3 hours. If I 'fail' this test it means I have gestational diabetes.
It's one of the most common problems pregnant women have, and there is a ton of diabetes in my family so I suppose I should not be surprised. It's generally (especially with such a low 'score') manageable with diet and exercise, and checking your blood sugar at least 4 times a day. Even with treatment it tends to make really big babies - the universe is out to get me, I swear! On the positive side, doctors know this so many will schedule you to be induced a little early, and my family will definitely be able to be here if we have a date scheduled. Of course, that is all assuming I do have it, and I am hanging on and just believing that I don't.
*** WARNING! THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS A LOT OF WHINING ***
So! I ate dinner Monday night and ended up dozing off and missing my planned quick snack before 8pm. I wasn't really hungry anyhow. By 10:30 and bedtime I was really hungry and wanted my usual snack, and of course the mental side of things makes it much worse. I had to get up pretty early after a night of active PeaBaby half awakeness, and I was STARVING. Let's all remember this is not usual person starving either, it is 'cranky pregnant lady I could eat a whole cow if the baby were not squishing my stomach sideways' starving. So I drive to the doctor feeling exhausted, anxious, hungry and actually a little light headed. See? Low blood sugar. Seriously. At this point I'm mostly nervous about 4 consecutive blood draws, which in my case usually means like 8 or 12 sticks and blown veins and bruising. Other than that, did I mention I'm starving? Little did I know that these 2 things were to be the least of my worries.
The phlebotomist is the same woman who did my last test, and she remembers me, which leads her to start out with a butterfly catheter/needle. Hooray! She is really good, and although I still hate the whole process she actually got every single stick on the FIRST TRY with no fishing around. She is officially my hero. She gives me the orange junk to drink, which I have to do in 5 minutes and gives me the same cautions as last time. No walking around, no going outside, drink only small sips of water and wait at least 30 minutes before drinking anything. She tells me I can use the bathroom. Um... good because otherwise my bladder would explode! And again, it will make me really sleepy, the baby might be active and if I throw up we have to cancel and do this again another day. Swell. Last time I had no problems getting the stuff down and honestly felt just fine other than when the doctor was pushing on my stomach looking for the heartbeat. This time I just have to sit around and read - no exam, so I'm thinking it'll be cake.
Ha! It was really pretty awful. I was completely nauseous from the time I started until like, 4 that afternoon. I didn't throw up but it was sheer force of will at times. I had this horrid headache that just got worse and lingered until I slept last night. Perhaps worst of all I was SO TIRED! Like, I could barely keep my eyes open and my head hurt and my stomach was upset and I was in an uncomfortable waiting room chair trying to read and not think about the next blood draw. I don't want to seem overly dramatic, but that was not a very pleasant experience to say the least. Add in the other woman doing a three hour who brought her son - probably 16-18 months old, and absolutely NOTHING for him to do. Oh, and she gave him Gatorade in a bottle, M&Ms and then later a sucker. So now we have a hyper, sugar filled, bored out of his head toddler screaming his head off to entertain himself. Lovely. I was already cranky, I admit that was part of it, but I think it's the first time since my maternal juices started flowing that I wanted to shout "Will you PLEASE shut that kid up? And in case you were wondering, toys or books or SOMETHING would have been a good idea. And Gatorade is NOT good for little guys, AND he should be out of bottles and into sippy cups by now AND FOR GOODNESS SAKE STOP FEEDING HIM SUGAR. At least until you get him out of my vicinity." So yeah, *ahem* I was cranky. :)
I survived though, and managed to eat little bits through the afternoon and slept for hours. Brian brought me dinner and then I had cereal later in the night and finally felt a bit more like myself. He says I didn't seem cranky but I think he might have been worried that I would breathe fire and fry him crispy if he accepted my apology. I feel much better today! Phew. I warned you there would be whining!
We should have results in 2-7 days per the phlebotomist, but since they didn't call me with results last time (I was told they would call if it were abnormal) I'm going to check in on Monday. All your positive non-diabetes thoughts are appreciated!
I went to the doctor on Monday for my first 'every 2 weeks' appointment. To my great relief and utmost happiness, there was not a gown on the examining table! For those of you who don't know, that is The Sign(TM) that a pelvic exam is on the way. You do not want to have to change clothes at these appointments, it leads to things that are not fun. I am not sure when they start doing these regularly again but I think it's not until the last month. I guess we'll see.
Instead, we had our usual measure and listen to the heartbeat type of appointment. My blood pressure is good, the Pea's heartbeat sounded great, and while I am 29 weeks along, I am once again 2cm ahead of the mark with a belly that measures 31cm. The doc says this is totally fine, it just means I'm probably going to have a big baby. Um, yay? Combine this with the fact that I just found out a high school friend just had a 10lb baby girl a few days ago and I am... a little nervous. What about the tiny little 5 1/2 lb babies... like me? I want one of those, please. Thanks. I have gained 1 pound since my appointment 2 weeks ago, according to them. It fluctuates a lot lately, but I think that's about right.
The only point of possibly less good news went something like this:
Dr: Did you do your three hour already?
Me: *blank look*
Dr: Did they tell you about the three hour? Did they tell you about your one hour?
Me: *totally baffled look* Ummm...
Dr: I guess not! Well, you failed your one hour glucose test, so you have to do a fasting 3 hour one [lots of explaining].
What does this mean? It means that the high end of the normal range in the glucose resistance tests is 140 and mine was a 149. Thankfully that's pretty marginal, but it means more testing. Basically I had to fast after 8pm, go in at 8am, have a fasting blood sample drawn, drink the orange sugar stuff (only twice as concentrated) and then have more blood drawn at 1, 2, and 3 hours. If I 'fail' this test it means I have gestational diabetes.
It's one of the most common problems pregnant women have, and there is a ton of diabetes in my family so I suppose I should not be surprised. It's generally (especially with such a low 'score') manageable with diet and exercise, and checking your blood sugar at least 4 times a day. Even with treatment it tends to make really big babies - the universe is out to get me, I swear! On the positive side, doctors know this so many will schedule you to be induced a little early, and my family will definitely be able to be here if we have a date scheduled. Of course, that is all assuming I do have it, and I am hanging on and just believing that I don't.
*** WARNING! THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS A LOT OF WHINING ***
So! I ate dinner Monday night and ended up dozing off and missing my planned quick snack before 8pm. I wasn't really hungry anyhow. By 10:30 and bedtime I was really hungry and wanted my usual snack, and of course the mental side of things makes it much worse. I had to get up pretty early after a night of active PeaBaby half awakeness, and I was STARVING. Let's all remember this is not usual person starving either, it is 'cranky pregnant lady I could eat a whole cow if the baby were not squishing my stomach sideways' starving. So I drive to the doctor feeling exhausted, anxious, hungry and actually a little light headed. See? Low blood sugar. Seriously. At this point I'm mostly nervous about 4 consecutive blood draws, which in my case usually means like 8 or 12 sticks and blown veins and bruising. Other than that, did I mention I'm starving? Little did I know that these 2 things were to be the least of my worries.
The phlebotomist is the same woman who did my last test, and she remembers me, which leads her to start out with a butterfly catheter/needle. Hooray! She is really good, and although I still hate the whole process she actually got every single stick on the FIRST TRY with no fishing around. She is officially my hero. She gives me the orange junk to drink, which I have to do in 5 minutes and gives me the same cautions as last time. No walking around, no going outside, drink only small sips of water and wait at least 30 minutes before drinking anything. She tells me I can use the bathroom. Um... good because otherwise my bladder would explode! And again, it will make me really sleepy, the baby might be active and if I throw up we have to cancel and do this again another day. Swell. Last time I had no problems getting the stuff down and honestly felt just fine other than when the doctor was pushing on my stomach looking for the heartbeat. This time I just have to sit around and read - no exam, so I'm thinking it'll be cake.
Ha! It was really pretty awful. I was completely nauseous from the time I started until like, 4 that afternoon. I didn't throw up but it was sheer force of will at times. I had this horrid headache that just got worse and lingered until I slept last night. Perhaps worst of all I was SO TIRED! Like, I could barely keep my eyes open and my head hurt and my stomach was upset and I was in an uncomfortable waiting room chair trying to read and not think about the next blood draw. I don't want to seem overly dramatic, but that was not a very pleasant experience to say the least. Add in the other woman doing a three hour who brought her son - probably 16-18 months old, and absolutely NOTHING for him to do. Oh, and she gave him Gatorade in a bottle, M&Ms and then later a sucker. So now we have a hyper, sugar filled, bored out of his head toddler screaming his head off to entertain himself. Lovely. I was already cranky, I admit that was part of it, but I think it's the first time since my maternal juices started flowing that I wanted to shout "Will you PLEASE shut that kid up? And in case you were wondering, toys or books or SOMETHING would have been a good idea. And Gatorade is NOT good for little guys, AND he should be out of bottles and into sippy cups by now AND FOR GOODNESS SAKE STOP FEEDING HIM SUGAR. At least until you get him out of my vicinity." So yeah, *ahem* I was cranky. :)
I survived though, and managed to eat little bits through the afternoon and slept for hours. Brian brought me dinner and then I had cereal later in the night and finally felt a bit more like myself. He says I didn't seem cranky but I think he might have been worried that I would breathe fire and fry him crispy if he accepted my apology. I feel much better today! Phew. I warned you there would be whining!
We should have results in 2-7 days per the phlebotomist, but since they didn't call me with results last time (I was told they would call if it were abnormal) I'm going to check in on Monday. All your positive non-diabetes thoughts are appreciated!
Monday, June 4, 2007
Week 28: May 25-31
First big news, for those of you have inquired or would just like the chance to join in the spoiling of the PeaBaby, we went and registered at Babies R Us this week! It's amazing how much 'stuff' that place has, and what an easy process registering was. If you are pregnant (or get pregnant at some point) and want to do a registry, I highly recommend them! Our info can be found here and a search for my first and last name and state brings us right up! I'm a little hesitant to post that info here since it does show our first and last names and city for all the internet to see, but if you're interested and can't find it just comment and I'll email you :). Oh, you can also search by my maiden name if that helps. We really appreciate it, and let's be honest, it's fun to by baby stuff! Giftcards, books, toys and all sorts of clothes are fantastic too, but I didn't register for them specifically because half the fun is picking out something you think is cute!
So! Oh my gosh, I'm 7 months pregnant. For some reason I can't quite articulate, this milestone has been marked "very pregnant" in my head since I found out I was pregnant. In my head it has been the point where I would really be huge and it would be June and HOT and I would probably start to be really miserable. Good news and bad news! I've had some really miserable points all along the way, by no means confined to any one stage, month, week or even day. And really, I'm not miserable at all right now! So hooray! On the bad-ish side it IS really hot, and getting hotter all the time. Lucky for me I have A/C and a pool so I'm doing alright, but I have been informed I need to be drinking twice as much as normally recommended because women go into the hospital for dehydration (which causes decreased fetal movement) all the time in these months. Also, it can cause premature birth! So even though I feel like I already drink quite a bit I'm trying to increase my intake even more, and I think we may need to get a TV in the bathroom. Thank goodness for DVR (like Tivo) that allows me to pause, or I'd never get through a single show! I also have to be a little careful about being outside too long, because I have noticed headaches and/or feeling a little dizzy when it's too much. This isn't just being pregnant, because Brian's experienced it too, and I remember it all too well from summers past. Still, it's just now hitting 100 degrees and usually things aren't too bad until 110 or so. Bleh.
On the positive side, I'm still really enjoying being pregnant. The Pea is really active which is tons of fun, I feel like we bond more and more every day, and while I can't wait to meet him I know I'm going to miss being pregnant when I'm done. I'm fortunate enough to be at home so if I have a bad day I just nap more. Speaking of napping more, this whole third trimester thing is in full swing and I am pretty exhausted all the time, even worse than my first trimester. Luckily, when I have energy I really do have energy, and naps seem to help, which is much better than feeling sluggish and icky all the time. I do have good days and bad of course, and the heartburn stuff is getting a little worse, but still handleable. All my joints are starting to get loose and I'm getting pretty big, so I'm having some back pain as things shift, but I got the name of a chiropractor who works with our insurance so I'm going to look into that and maybe it will help!
Our 5th anniversary is May 31st - five whole years! Sometimes it seems like we've been together forever, and sometimes it seems like just yesterday I was hoping for that sparkly ring. I think we make a pretty fantastic pair and I'm lucky to have such a great guy to be my partner in this next phase of our adventure. I think all in all the timing (although not something I can take credit for) worked out pretty well! As usual, Brian wasn't here for the actual day, but we celebrated the weekend before. We got a great deal from a group of nice restaurants here in town in honor of Memorial Day. That and gifts from both sets of parents, and we ended up with an amazing meal at one of the town's best restaurants including appetizers and desserts. Thanks mom and dad and Brian's mom!
I also had a pretty social week (for me) including a jewelry party at a friend's house. If you've never heard of Lia Sophia jewelry you should check them out. They're a direct selling company so you can't just purchase things online, but I am having a party of my own on June 20th so if you see something you just gotta have let me know and I bet we can work something out! They have some gorgeous pieces, and have been featured in "O" and some other press lately. PLUS Paris Hilton regularly wears items from their red carpet line! Fancy. :)
I had lunch with a woman who recently married a guy Brian went through RTU (training in his current airplane) with. They just moved back a few weeks ago, and it was fun to get to know her a little better. Look at me, out and about!
I'm still gaining slow but steady, and officially had a day where I was +21 pounds, though it's dropped back to +20 every other day this week.
On June 5th I have another OB appt, we'll see what they say. Ooh, and we had a tour of our hospital's labor and delivery area, though technically that is part of Week 29, so that's something for you to look forward to! Or something :).
Also, Brian promised he would take pictures tomorrow (6/6) so there will be a mid-week update in the next few days!
So! Oh my gosh, I'm 7 months pregnant. For some reason I can't quite articulate, this milestone has been marked "very pregnant" in my head since I found out I was pregnant. In my head it has been the point where I would really be huge and it would be June and HOT and I would probably start to be really miserable. Good news and bad news! I've had some really miserable points all along the way, by no means confined to any one stage, month, week or even day. And really, I'm not miserable at all right now! So hooray! On the bad-ish side it IS really hot, and getting hotter all the time. Lucky for me I have A/C and a pool so I'm doing alright, but I have been informed I need to be drinking twice as much as normally recommended because women go into the hospital for dehydration (which causes decreased fetal movement) all the time in these months. Also, it can cause premature birth! So even though I feel like I already drink quite a bit I'm trying to increase my intake even more, and I think we may need to get a TV in the bathroom. Thank goodness for DVR (like Tivo) that allows me to pause, or I'd never get through a single show! I also have to be a little careful about being outside too long, because I have noticed headaches and/or feeling a little dizzy when it's too much. This isn't just being pregnant, because Brian's experienced it too, and I remember it all too well from summers past. Still, it's just now hitting 100 degrees and usually things aren't too bad until 110 or so. Bleh.
On the positive side, I'm still really enjoying being pregnant. The Pea is really active which is tons of fun, I feel like we bond more and more every day, and while I can't wait to meet him I know I'm going to miss being pregnant when I'm done. I'm fortunate enough to be at home so if I have a bad day I just nap more. Speaking of napping more, this whole third trimester thing is in full swing and I am pretty exhausted all the time, even worse than my first trimester. Luckily, when I have energy I really do have energy, and naps seem to help, which is much better than feeling sluggish and icky all the time. I do have good days and bad of course, and the heartburn stuff is getting a little worse, but still handleable. All my joints are starting to get loose and I'm getting pretty big, so I'm having some back pain as things shift, but I got the name of a chiropractor who works with our insurance so I'm going to look into that and maybe it will help!
Our 5th anniversary is May 31st - five whole years! Sometimes it seems like we've been together forever, and sometimes it seems like just yesterday I was hoping for that sparkly ring. I think we make a pretty fantastic pair and I'm lucky to have such a great guy to be my partner in this next phase of our adventure. I think all in all the timing (although not something I can take credit for) worked out pretty well! As usual, Brian wasn't here for the actual day, but we celebrated the weekend before. We got a great deal from a group of nice restaurants here in town in honor of Memorial Day. That and gifts from both sets of parents, and we ended up with an amazing meal at one of the town's best restaurants including appetizers and desserts. Thanks mom and dad and Brian's mom!
I also had a pretty social week (for me) including a jewelry party at a friend's house. If you've never heard of Lia Sophia jewelry you should check them out. They're a direct selling company so you can't just purchase things online, but I am having a party of my own on June 20th so if you see something you just gotta have let me know and I bet we can work something out! They have some gorgeous pieces, and have been featured in "O" and some other press lately. PLUS Paris Hilton regularly wears items from their red carpet line! Fancy. :)
I had lunch with a woman who recently married a guy Brian went through RTU (training in his current airplane) with. They just moved back a few weeks ago, and it was fun to get to know her a little better. Look at me, out and about!
I'm still gaining slow but steady, and officially had a day where I was +21 pounds, though it's dropped back to +20 every other day this week.
On June 5th I have another OB appt, we'll see what they say. Ooh, and we had a tour of our hospital's labor and delivery area, though technically that is part of Week 29, so that's something for you to look forward to! Or something :).
Also, Brian promised he would take pictures tomorrow (6/6) so there will be a mid-week update in the next few days!
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