Here’s what we found out at the OB this morning:
I will have to have Non-stress tests, but in my OB’s office, not the hospital, which is lovely.
We’re having another ultrasound next week Monday - followed by another OB appointment.
I have to be on insulin, they were very surprised I wasn’t already seeing as how my OB ordered that I be on it starting last week when I met with the specialist, and I asked the specialist this question but she said I’d be sent back to her if insulin was needed, well duh.
Tomorrow I learn how to administer insulin (twice daily) and then I meet with the dietitian.
I am not high risk and neither is the baby - they’re very confident that once my blood sugars stabilize (with insulin) that this pregnancy will progress normally and healthily. THANK GOD.
I will not have to have the amniocentesis test done.
I’m 34 weeks pregnant and measuring at 37 weeks - they’re not worried about this because it’s a second pregnancy and my uterus has already been stretched out. They are watching his growth very carefully.
I’ll try to write something having absolutely nothing to do with blood sugar, insulin or diabetes next and I’m hoping to throw up another list of Etsy wonders soon. Lets take a little break from all this medical, pregnancy jargon.
posted on March 31, 2008| 1:40 PM EST
I love bread. I love pasta. I love carbs. Carbs are not my friend with gestational diabetes and I need to find a way to reduce them in my diet not only now but for life so I don’t give myself Type-2 diabetes later on or fall back into this mess with another pregnancy. (my blood sugar levels haven’t been staying in the safe range with just monitoring diet and exercise, I’ll most likely have to by on insulin …)
Here’s some links I’ve found and recipes I’m going to try …
Low carb bread recipes
Low carb pancakes
Low carb breakfast ideas
Tuna salad I love tuna salad!
I’ll keep looking and experimenting, but again - please pass on your favorite recipes or health conscience cooking tips.
posted on March 30, 2008| 9:36 PM EST
My first doctors appointment having to do with gestational diabetes was this morning. I met with a diabetic specialist and it went really well.
Pretty much we talked about what Gestational Diabetes means for me, what it is and what it does - we went through a lot of literature and then she taught me how to operate my glucose monitor. I have to check my blood sugar 4 times a day - when I get up in the morning and then one hour after every meal. I also have to check my blood sugar if I’m feeling hyperglycemic … which lovingly enough I already had to do this afternoon. And that entails 2 additional blood sugar pokes to make sure my blood sugar is rising after I’ve had something to eat or drink that’s a fast acting insulin food … like orange juice or a few hard candies such as lifesavers.
I’m looking for diabetic friendly recipes so feel free to point me in that direction or share some from your recipe index with me. Nothing with sugar substitutes though, they are from the devil, I will not eat them.
A few of the not so fun things I heard today were that I’m at a pretty high risk of having type 2 diabetes ALREADY. They’re checking my blood often to see if they can determine this. I have a doctors appointment on Monday with my OB and I’m hoping to get some more insight as to why and what this all means. I failed the glucose tolerance test with such furvor that I guess we’re ruling everything out, which is good. But I hate to hear those words. I do not want to have type 2 Diabetes.
The only factor that even fits our bill of health with this pregnancy and my developing gestational diabetes is the miscarriage we had last May. Every other factor is a big ZERO on the ranking sheet. So hopefully the type-2 stuff is just that, stuff, talk, worries … nothing concrete.
I meet with a dietitian on Tuesday to plan my meals and really get into the nitty gritty of what to stay away from, etc - but for now I have some generalizations to work with. Fruit, which I love and eat often, is something I have to be careful with because of the natural sugars. I can’t have fruit in the morning or cereal, really - and this is going to be hard. But not too bad. I can do it. I can pretty much eat all the vegetables I want, which is awesome. I eat an entire bag of brussel sprouts for lunch some times - I love veggies. So thats good news.
Breads and things are good - I just have to watch quantity and type of flour/sugar content. And protein is my friend also.
I’ll probably have to see my OB more often and also go into the hospital for Non-stress tests as frequent as once a week, where they monitor the baby’s movements and his heart rate. We might have another ultrasound, depending on how I measure to watch his size and all of this could result in (worse case scenario) delivering him before his due date or taking him by c-section. I might have to have that amniotic sac test to see if the baby’s lungs are developed also. All things we hope to find out on Monday and further doctor’s appointments.
So - lots of information, which is wonderful - and lots of things to watch for. I’m very healthy otherwise, which is a huge plus and all the people we’ve met with so far have been beyond helpful and wonderful. We’re feeling very at ease about all of this. Please pray for minimum complications and a healthy delivery. And also that I don’t have or will develop the Type-2 diabetes.
posted on March 28, 2008| 1:01 PM EST
Tomorrow morning is the big day of the first apt for all this gestational diabetes stuff. It doesn’t feel like such a scary word anymore, I guess making me live with the knowledge for a week without doing a thing about it is … a good thing? Who knows. But either way, I’m excited to get some information tomorrow and hopefully one of these appointments I’ll find out how big they all really think this little guy is. Because, um … have you seen my profile? It’s a little ridiculous, I know.
When my grandparents were visiting here (for the week or so preceding Easter) my Grandma so lovingly told me that I wasn’t allowed to get bigger. (excuse me as I clear my throat for this one) Really. Thanks Granny. At 32 1/2 weeks pregnant I’m going to STOP EATING and hope that does the trick. I realize it’s been like 4 1/2 decades since she’s been pregnant - but it hasn’t been that long since she’s been face to face with tact, now has it? I love her, dearly and to death - but some times the things people think are ok to say to me really just make me want to slap them. With as much love as they delivered their token of affection my way.
But all is good. Now when someone tells me how UNBELIEVABLY HUGE I am I’ll just look at them and say - oh Thank you, I have the baby sugar blood, you know, that thing that MAKES YOU BIGGER and then I’ll maybe add this little gem - At least I know when my stomach will be flat again … ehum. (Read: SHUT UP!)
I’ll make that one a T-shirt. This is a good idea. I’ll sell it on Etsy to all the preggo’s out there living in the same water retained pain as me.
Today was a very awesome day in my book though, I had 4 of my friends who are all pregnant over this morning and we took some photos together. My mom has a similar picture like this of her lamaze class when one of my siblings was a baby and I’ve always thought that was the best thing ever. Feel free to draw the conclusion that I’ve been mental for longer than we all think, I know how that just sounded. But still. I’ve always wanted to do that, too, and today I got to.
There are quite a few other pregnant women I know right now also - it’s kind of exploding in our area and if I could figure out how to get them ALL together for a photo, I probably would. But I have a bake sale to do in a few weeks and baby to birth in a few more so I’m guessing all these ideas I keep having are just to keep me busy in the mean time, you know, because sitting still requires work.
posted on March 27, 2008| 6:03 PM EST
I finally got my appointments for the diabetic stuff - Friday morning and next Tue I’ll be meeting with some specialist to learn how to stay on the safe side of blood sugar for the next 6 weeks.
Good news.
posted on March 26, 2008| 9:36 AM EST