Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Catch Up

Wow, it's been a lot longer since I posted last than I intended it to be.  I have been extremely busy and had some things happen that I was very upset about and I didn't think it would make me feel better to put it down, so I held back.  I have a feeling this post will take me several sittings, so I am going with bullets.

 - I failed my one hour, then failed my three hour glucose tests.  I was extremely upset and blaming my sedentary lifestyle and the fact that I love pizza and icecream.  Then, unlike a lot of the websites, the diabetes education people said that marathon runners get gestational diabetes and there is pretty much nothing you can do to keep from having it.
-I knew that people with GD had to follow a strict diet.  I did NOT know that they had to prick their finger 4 times a day to check their blood sugar.  How is this going to work for the girl who passes out with needles?  I am actually handling it alright.  And, the diet isn't that bad. I am eating more food now than ever before.
-We aren't convinced I actually have GD.  I passed out at my second blood draw (the one hour) and I passed the first two tests with extremely good numbers and the second two I was kind of over.  Did you know that a stressful event can mess with the chemicals in your body and affect your blood glucose levels for up to 24 hours?  So, my midwife drew another blood test call an A1C which takes the 6-week average of your levels.  Mine was exactly in the middle of the normal range.  But, because it is a 6-week average, the OB in the office was hesitant to say I don't need to test my blood sugar after meals.  So, we will draw it again in a couple of weeks and see if it is still normal.  If it is normal, I can stop testing and I can not be labeled as having GD.  That would be nice.
-I had my first shower!  It was lots of fun!  It was a couples shower thrown by my sister and cousin and we played lots of games and a lot of my friends from college came as well as some family from my side of the family.  We had a taco bar and cupcakes.  It was great!  The games were sippy cup bowling, guess the number of jelly beans in the jar, and guess the measure of mom-to-be's belly.  My sister ordered t-shirts for my  husband and me, all the people organizing the shower, and as prizes for the games.  They were super cute! 
-TMI ALERT!!!  I am still having issues with constipation.  I am annoyed.  I finally have gotten regular (pardon the pun) in taking Colace.  I have taken it every time I take my other vitamins (morning and evening) since Sunday.  I have finally started going.  I am thankful for my bodily functions to be working again!
-I had another shower this Saturday - it was one that my SIL and MIL threw for me at my MIL's house.  It was my husband's side of the family and some friends from our neighborhood as well as some friends I used to work with. We played some cute games and had a lot of fun!  The games were matching the animal with the gestational period and then she had a card table full of candy and a worksheet with a bunch of pregnancy/baby terms and you had to match the candy to the term. 
-My SIL is gave us her baby bed, which she used with both of her children. We got it this weekend when I had my shower.  We have a small book case from Ikea and a changing table that has drawers and a cabinet.  I believe we will also need a chest of drawers. We are getting everything second hand off Craigslist, when we can.  Finding a chest of drawers is proving harder than we thought.
-We got a rocking chair that was my grandmother's that she gave to my mom when my sister was born reupholstered.  It looks great.  I'll have to post some before and after pics.  I am very pleased that I can use this little family heirloom.  I love this rocking chair because it is the perfect size for me.  My feet touch the floor, so I don't feel like I need an ottoman.  My husband's parents bought us a glider for in the nursery w/ a gliding ottoman, now we have the rocking chair in the bedroom.  We are set.
Rocking Chair "Before"
Rocking Chair "After"



















-I am reading The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.  I also borrowed Dr. Sears' The Breastfeeding Book from a friend at church.  I am determined to breastfeed and hoping that I don't have some of the challenges I see a lot of people having who have gone through infertility, and some people that have not.
-So, I have not really had a lot of weight gain anywhere except my belly during this pregnancy.  However, since I started eating so much food for thie GD diet, I have gained weight in my face.  It is scary.  I need to start getting up and walking around the office more.
-I am still fighting the fear of not taking this baby home.  The baby seems perfect.  I am measuring perfect, the baby is punching, tickling, kicking, hiccupping - all the normal stuff.  But, I have heard so many times that one day someone was at the doctor and the baby was perfect and the next day, the baby had died.  I am just in constant prayer that the Lord will lift this anxiety from me.  I hope that these thoughs do not inhibit my going into labor in any way.

Here are some belly pics.  Just for reference, I will include the first one I took to post on FB at 17 weeks and the ones I took on Saturday before my shower.  I took a fun "overhead" shot today at work and I thought it was funny, so I am including that too.


17 weeks
33 weeks
33 weeks
33 weeks "overhead view"


2 comments:

  1. You are so cute! You should see if there is a families of multiples group in your area, they have a few groups here in WA and their sales are amazing. We scored pretty much all Levi;s clothes, a breast pump, bedding, Bumbo and most recently a little walker toy for great deals. You just have to get there early in the day to get the good stuff and go with a list. I know they have them all over the country.
    I hope you next GT comes back normal.
    I would say for bfeeding, get some lanolin or Motherlove cream (I used them alternating) and use them a lot. The first couple of weeks might be uncomfortable, but it gets easier I promise. I would also look into drop in bfeeding groups in your areas, I went to one at the local hospital where a lactation consultant wold check his latch and weight him before and after to see how mnuch he was eating. It wa a great plac e to get support from other mums and an expert. If you have the info before baby arrives you wont have to worry about finding it when you are sleep deprived and scrambling to get help. I hope it comes easily for you. I had a c0section in the end because levi was in distress and it took a while for my like to come in. We had to supplement him a couple of oz of milk a day fro the first few weeks and I hated it at first and was so worried but it didn't impact his nursing at all and here we are at almost 9 months and hes a champion nurser. I think I would think of formula as an assistant rather than the devil if we ever had another one and I didn't have extra to pump.

    Way too much info, sorry!

    You will do great, baby will be here before you know it!

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  2. Hi Chrissie! Thanks for the comment! I appreciate the advice. I went to see my midwife again yesterday and she suggested that, in addition to the book I am reading, which EVERYONE seems to love and recommend, that I take a lactation class before the baby is born. So, I am looking into that. We are going to be classed out by the time the baby gets here. But, hey, you only have your first baby once!

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