GD Update (36/almost 37 Weeks)

Another week down and another to go...

Here it is Week 36 and 6 days and I am so ready to have this little guy! I did want to take a moment and update you all on my GD (Gestational Diabetes) journey so far! I have to say the last 3 weeks have been even bigger challenges, and even more information! I wanted to say how it really shocked me, once I announced I had GD, how many people messaged me or commented saying they had it, and started to give me valuable information! I was frustrated a little too, because even with the good you get the bad; and  I had nasty messages from some people who were basically saying I was eating all the wrong food, and drinking the wrong drinks. Its a hard balancing act when you have a one year old, and to find that extra time to make his meals, his drinks, change him, clean him, play with him, educate him; and then make and eat all the correct food and drinks for yourself! Yeah thats a challenge.

Jared at 34 Weeks, yes thats a foot in his face!

Well, anyways... the last three weeks. Geesh, lets start where I left off last time. Last time I was talking about how I had to do a food log for the week to avoid taking the 2nd pill of my medicine. I believe that was week 33. Well, after a week, my numbers were still TOO high, and my fluid in my uterus was at a larger amount then my Dr. would have liked. After all that hard work, doing what I thought was healthy, correct, and the right way; I still had to take the 2nd pill a day. I was crushed. I was so good about not taking medicines or drinking coffee with my first, and now I am a coffee drinker (once a day, as we shouldn't have any more then that while pregnant), I am now taking 2 pills for my GD a day and I often take tylenol for bad headaches. I just feel like I am letting this little guy down some how.

34 Weeks

Now with my heart broken because I need to take the medicine twice a day, I had to tell my husband the news too. It was so hard to look him in the eyes and say "My body isn't doing what it needs to do, so I am failing for our son, now I have to take the medicine twice a day and on top of that the fluid I have is too much and could harm our childs health". Yeah, not exactly what every Dad wants to hear. Its hard to be this Mom who is giving life to a baby, and your body just wont work correctly. Its like your doing everything you can, but its failing you in so many ways. Its a daily internal struggle that I think only a GD mom would understand. This is my childs health, my growing baby, the baby I want to have naturally (that might not happen), the baby I want to hold in my arms right after birth (that might not happen), and so many other things.

35 Weeks Pregnant

Yes, its true. I was told that because my fluid was at a large amount I might have to be induced if my son was measuring large. Especially, if I wanted to have a vaginal birth and NOT a c-section. Trust me after several surgeries I am all for vaginal, no c-section if I can avoid it at all costs. Well, thats not even the worst news, I was told at my 34 week appointment that the 36 week appointment will be a very important one and that my husband should tag along. I was going to have an ultrasound that would measure the baby, measure the fluid in my belly and check on everything going on. This was a huge appointment because it could mean if Jared was measuring too big, the Dr. would want to do an amniocenteses test and check the lungs to see if he could be induced. Yes if he is too big, and ready to come out, then his lungs needed to be checked for their ability to function on the outside world, then if needed steroids and then induction. WHAT? This little man could be here in 2-3 weeks if this is true... um now I am scared! I went home from my 34 week appointment with my head in my hands, confused, exhausted and sick to my stomach.

35 Weeks and some days!

35 Weeks was not even a big deal. Too much fluid, sugar levels suck, but keep working on it. I also had blood work done which is a normal thing. I went home, and began my weekend as normal. I woke up the following Saturday after my 35 week appointment and felt miserable. I felt like a truck had hit me; my head hurt, I had a head cold and felt like I could sleep all day. I was dizzy when I stood, my eyes hurt with the light, and all I wanted to do was lay down or sleep. Thankfully, my husband stepped in and took over watching Brian most of the day and also cleaned the house as much as he could. I love when he does that! I ended up in bed most of the weekend, blowing my nose 24-7, and taking as little amount of tylenol as I could stand... Monday came, and I had a missed call on my phone, as I was putting my son down for a nap. I called the number back, informed them they had called, and sure enough my blood work had come back with an extreme low number of platelet counts. With my first pregnancy I had this as well. Now this time my platelet count was down to 113 thousand. Not too low, but low enough to be of concern. I simply was going to repeat the blood drawing/blood test at my next appointment and see how that looked. This low of a count would explain the extreme fatigue, the dizziness and the headaches. It all was making sense now.

Jared at 35 Weeks and some days!

36 Week appointment had arrived... Oh my goodness, I was a nervous wreck. I just needed to know what was going on and I just wanted to know now. The past week I had been having more and more Braxton Hicks, back and hip pain, as well as feeling just blah or ucky. To me, those were my signs of possible labor around the corner. Well, after the long ultrasound, and the long wait in the waiting room and doctors room I finally had a doctor in front of me. Here it was, the moment I had been waiting for for two weeks. This information was the most important information I was going to hear and it would be the information that would either give us a day when Jared was going to be here or give us the positive news that we could still have him naturally.

Jared at 36 weeks and some days!

The doctor started with my platelet count and how I now have gestational thrombocytopenia. Its a fancy word for you have a low platelet count during pregnancy! Tell me something new... I was okay with this information as I had it with my first and just took iron to help make myself feel better. However, I wasn't going to be giving iron that day, I first had to repeat the blood work. Thats frustrating, another week of feeling like a slug, bummer. Then the news, the real news. Jared was measuring at 7 pounds, and that was just in the range of a NORMAL baby size at that stage! Oh yes, thank goodness. Jared is not measuring large, he is right on track. I still have a large amount of fluid, but because Jared is looking healthy the amniocenteses test is out, which means steroids is out, and so is; yes, the induction!!!! I could go home, and attempt to get this labor started, and do this all the normal, old fashion, and healthy way! I was on cloud 9!!! My husband and I then got my blood work done again, set up our next week appointment and headed out the door with smiles on our faces!

The end result was exactly what we could hope for. Even though my belly is full of fluid, my son is healthy, measuring normal and not too big, and we could attempt to have him normal like any other pregnancy! Now its time to walk, bounce on my ball, and do my squats! Baby Jared is good to go, so now I am too! Lets do this!

The past few days all we have done is walk, walk, walk. I have been sitting on my ball as much as I can and doing my squats as daily as I can remember to do them! I really hope to see Jared with in the next week or two. Hopefully no longer then that. I honestly am not sure how much more fluid I can carry around, as my back and hips are killing me, but I am totally happy with it because it just means more pressure and hopefully my water will break this time!

Its the, almost, end of my story, and we are on a high note... lets hope we end this pregnancy with a happy blast of positivity! Come on Jared, were all waiting!

Happy Friday,
Sarah
(P.S. My birthday is tomorrow!!! Just more exciting news!)

Pregnancy Post!!! My Gestational Diabetes (not so fun) Adventure!

Here I am sitting in my bed relaxing and thinking about my day. I spent about 2 hours at the Dr.'s office for a bunch of tests. What for you ask? Well, I have Gestation Diabetes (GD)! Let me give you a little background so you all can catch up!

When you are pregnant, at around 24 weeks you have to take whats called a glucose test. Its super easy; show up, drink a very sugary drink, wait an hour and get your blood drawn. When I did the test with my first child it tasted like orange sunkist on crack, and this time i got fruit punch on crack! I did what all the woman do, drank my drink, and got my blood drawn. I then proceeded to wait for the phone call from my Dr., but I never received one. So, I simply said to myself "I passed". However, something bothered me about it and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Oh well, move on, and thats what I did.

I went back 4 weeks later at 28 weeks and had a great appointment, and wasn't even told anything about my glucose test (again, I thought I passed). I met again at 30 weeks, and thats where the beans finally were spilled. I had GD! I was shocked when the Dr. came into my room and said "So, somehow you slipped through the cracks and you were not informed that you have GD. Well, now that we have caught it, you are now being told you have it." My eyes teared up, my face got hot, my body wanted to run, but my brain told me to sit there, and listen. I asked what happened, and she just simply replied that "I somehow was not caught, that someone forgot to call me, and that SOMEHOW at my last appointment even the Dr. didn't catch it."

30 Weeks Pregnant, now with GD

I calmed myself down as I knew there was a lot of information and questions about to go back and forth between the Dr. and I. I spent what felt like an hour in the room talking to her about; checking my blood glucose/sugar levels, about what to eat, when to eat, when to check my numbers, what were good, what were bad, and how to stay active and stay healthy. I was overwhelmed with anxiety, anger, frustration, confusion, sadness, and so many other emotions all at once. I set up my weekly appointment and proceeded to head home. I cried the entire way home.

I can remember saying "why me?", "they tell me now, after I dug a 6 week hole", "what do I have to change?" I was by far a tiny fish in a huge ocean of new information and challenges. I did not have GD with my first (although, I look back and wonder if I did). I just had to suck it up, and fight this fight. Like all moms, we adjust, learn, and eventually succeed!

The past 3 weeks my life has changed some, and hasn't changed in other areas. I try to walk as much as I can, even if it means to the mailbox and back! I try to stay away from sodas, as much as I crave those coke icees. I try to snack on 6 small meals, and not 3 large ones, but with a one year old that can be a challenge. I measure my blood sugar 5 times a day (which is just a prick of the finger). I recall the first time I did that test, and how I used 3 different test strips, just to get a reading! I even read the instructions, with little help! I eventually figured it out and now I am like an old pro at it.

My kit to test my blood sugar levels!

The Dr. appointments are now weekly instead of biweekly as they would be if I wasn't GD. I get an ultrasound to measure the baby and placenta once a month. I get an ultrasound the rest of the month to measure the fluid inside my uterus to make sure I don't have too much or too little. As both can be bad for the little one! I get a stress test, which is basically you are hooked up to a monitor thats connected to two straps that go around your giant belly, and it tracks the movement and heart beat. You simply push a button every time you feel the baby move, and then the information is reviewed by the doctor. Movement is great, the babies heart beat shouldn't drop or rise drastically, and the baby shouldn't stop moving for LONG periods of time. I do a stress test, as far as I can tell, every week now!

This past week, at my 32 week appointment I was told I needed medicine to help get my sugar levels under control. I was devastated. However, like all patience I take the medicine and hope for the best. I started the medicine, and by the first afternoon I was shaking, confused, sweating, faint feeling, and weak in the knees. I asked a friend what to do and she said eat something. Sure enough, after some peanut butter toast I felt normal again. The second day I took it, even though I was so scared to, I did anyways, and had an even worse spell. I had something to eat, but it seemed to take longer to get back to normal. Then I called the on call nurse and asked her what to do, she said give it another day. I tried, and it all happened again. I skipped the 4th day as I just couldn't handle it anymore. I then waited until the 5th day when my husband was home all day and could help me watch our son. This way I could watch what I was doing, and track my levels even better. I did great, no shaking, no weakness. The only symptom I had was slight dizziness. By my appointment (33 weeks) I felt decent on my medicine. I am not going to say I woke up jumping for joy to take the medicine, but I could manage myself during the day now. When I saw the Dr. for my 33 week appointment, she said the words I didn't want to hear. "I think you need to take the medicine twice a day!"

Oh no, this wasn't happening again was it. I can't go through even more ups and downs like I am some crack addict. I just couldn't. My husband has been against me taking the medicine from day one, so I simply said, "please, is there anything else we can do?" I just really didn't want the second round of medicine. She suggested a food log. Okay, I could attempt that. A food log with my testing, and once a day medicine. I can try this. At most, I do this for a week and she will let me know if I can continue with one pill or if I need to go to two. I will start my food logging tomorrow, and I will have to hold myself accountable for everything now! Lots of walking, lots of water, and lots of protein balanced with fruits and veggies.

So, thats my GD story so far. Ill be sure to keep you all up to date as I go along these next few weeks. I just hope I don't have to take any more medicine!

Ill keep you updated weekly if possible. I hope my story can help those that are dealing with this or just newly GD patience! Chin up, we all can survive this and do amazing things!

Stay Strong,
Sarah