It was Tuesday. I woke up knowing that I would be a mom before the day was over. I had to be at the hospital by 6:00am. I had arranged for my father to take me in and my husband would stay at home with the dogs until I called him when I was settled in my room. I just really didn't want them to be alone all day so I wanted him home with them as long as possible.
I got up and showered. I had heard that being induced is really painful so I was just hoping that my water would break and I would start having contractions on my own. But nothing happened. My dad picked me up at about 5:30am and we drove to the hospital. I was pretty calm though my heart was beating really fast. The car ride was a little awkward. Just a lot of small talk. I was trying not to think about the pain that I was going to be in shortly.
We arrived at the hospital and I checked in at the desk. I was shown to the delivery room which I had seen before when we toured the hospital. They had me change into a gown, took some blood and an IV was started. By this time I was not even worried about the needles. I started to feel extremely nauseous and thought I was going to be sick. I had been laying on my back so they had me turn to my side and I felt better. I had monitors strapped around my belly, just like my non-stress test monitors. One was to track the fetal heart-rate and one was to track my contractions. It showed that I was having contractions but I couldn't feel them at all. Once I was settled into the bed, they let my dad in and we just sat there. We pretended to watch a news program on TV. I didn't really want to talk. He held my hand.
Every few minutes a nurse would come in and do something - check the monitors, take my blood pressure, move things around. And every time they came in, they asked what my pain level was. There was a chart of faces, smiley faces to frowing faces, numbered one through ten. One being no pain with a very smiley face and ten being the most pain with a very frowny face. I kept telling them that I was at a zero unless you counted my hand where an IV was sticking out. I thought that I would be able to go through this without an epidural because I was obviously handling this better than any woman in the history of the world. I couldn't believe that I was having contractions every 4 to 5 minutes and didn't even feel them.
They started the pitocin and I was sure that any moment I would be in excrutiating pain. But I wasn't. And I waited.
I had told my husband to get to the hospital around 8am. That was when they would break my water. But he showed up around 6:30am. He wanted to be with me. My mother showed up around the same time and we all just sat in the room and waited.
The doctor checked me and I was only 2cm dilated. I had been 2cm dilated for a couple of weeks so I was nervous that the labor wouldn't progress. So I waited.
My mother and father went to get something to eat and my husband and I sat together. I didn't leave the bed. Everyone kept asking me if I wanted ice chips but I didn't want them and I didn't understand why women eat them. Maybe I would want them later...
Monday, July 14, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
It's time...
I had been planning to work up until the last possible day. I was concerned about getting my short-term disability and my vacation coordinated so I would be able to be off with my baby until the end of the year and get paid for the whole time. Now that I was getting closer, I was sure that I would be able to do that without any problem.
My doctor said that they can approve leave starting at 38 weeks unless there is a medical reason to do so earlier. I had just found out that I would be induced the following week and I kind of wanted a couple of days to relax and make sure everything was in place. I decided to start my leave the Thursday before. That would give me 5 full days before my new baby arrived.
I didn't really do anything major for those 5 days. I was pushing my anxiety to the back of my mind and focusing on other things. I was actually surprised at how active I was. I don't know why but I was expecting to be in bed and unable to get up and around for the last couple of days. But I went about my life as if I was only 25 weeks pregnant.
I was also thinking that I might go into labor on my own. I had been 1-2cm dilated for a couple of weeks and thought that meant that labor was imminent. But it wasn't and I didn't. I just had to wait until my induction date.
The anxiety is hard to describe. I was anxious and nervous and excited the couple of days before my wedding. It was kind of like that but also very different. I had lived with my husband before we got married so there wasn't going to be a huge lifestyle change after we married. But with a baby, everything as I knew it would be 100% different. And the pain. I couldn't stop thinking about the pain. When I got married there was minimal pain.
So I waited and I reflected and I got myself mentally ready. I was holding up pretty well on the outside until the night before my induction. I was sad that I wouldn't be home with my dogs and husband for a few days. I was scared that I would have an empty feeling once the baby was out of my body. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to bond with the baby. I was scared that something would happen to me or the baby during childbirth. I was scared that my life would never be the same and that I would hate my new life. I was scared that I would do something wrong. I was scared of the labor. I was scared of everything. I had most of these fears at some point throughout my pregnancy but the event seemed so far away that I didn't really worry about it. But now it was here. In a couple of hours I would be thrown into all of my fears. So that night before my induction, I broke down a little and cried. I let it all out and I actually felt better. Then I settled down for the last good night's sleep that I would have for a while.
My doctor said that they can approve leave starting at 38 weeks unless there is a medical reason to do so earlier. I had just found out that I would be induced the following week and I kind of wanted a couple of days to relax and make sure everything was in place. I decided to start my leave the Thursday before. That would give me 5 full days before my new baby arrived.
I didn't really do anything major for those 5 days. I was pushing my anxiety to the back of my mind and focusing on other things. I was actually surprised at how active I was. I don't know why but I was expecting to be in bed and unable to get up and around for the last couple of days. But I went about my life as if I was only 25 weeks pregnant.
I was also thinking that I might go into labor on my own. I had been 1-2cm dilated for a couple of weeks and thought that meant that labor was imminent. But it wasn't and I didn't. I just had to wait until my induction date.
The anxiety is hard to describe. I was anxious and nervous and excited the couple of days before my wedding. It was kind of like that but also very different. I had lived with my husband before we got married so there wasn't going to be a huge lifestyle change after we married. But with a baby, everything as I knew it would be 100% different. And the pain. I couldn't stop thinking about the pain. When I got married there was minimal pain.
So I waited and I reflected and I got myself mentally ready. I was holding up pretty well on the outside until the night before my induction. I was sad that I wouldn't be home with my dogs and husband for a few days. I was scared that I would have an empty feeling once the baby was out of my body. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to bond with the baby. I was scared that something would happen to me or the baby during childbirth. I was scared that my life would never be the same and that I would hate my new life. I was scared that I would do something wrong. I was scared of the labor. I was scared of everything. I had most of these fears at some point throughout my pregnancy but the event seemed so far away that I didn't really worry about it. But now it was here. In a couple of hours I would be thrown into all of my fears. So that night before my induction, I broke down a little and cried. I let it all out and I actually felt better. Then I settled down for the last good night's sleep that I would have for a while.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Now I am starting to get scared...
Well, I felt like I was getting really close to giving birth. I started feeling that I was going to go into labor any moment starting in my 7th month. I didn't have any contractions, wasn't dilated, wasn't having any labor symptoms. But I just knew that at any second it would start. I guess I was just getting anxious.
But the weeks dragged on and no baby. And I realized that I did have some fears about labor. I was afraid that my water would break when I was in public - at work, at the grocery store, at the post office, while pumping gas... I was also scared about the pain of contractions. No one had been able to describe exactly what contractions felt like and how bad the pain gets. I was pretty sure I had a low tolerance for pain. When my dogs step on my foot, it hurts to the point where I have to grab my foot and rub out the pain. The same thing happens to my husband and he goes on with his life. I was worried about leaving my dogs while I was going through hours of labor. I didn't know who I was going to get to check on them because everyone I was close to would be at the hospital. I was worred that I would forget to do something and then I would go into labor and it would be too late. I was worried that I wouldn't have everything squared away at work before I went into labor. I was worried that something would happen to me or the baby during the delivery. I was worried about everything. I started to feel that I wasn't ready. Even though I wanted to meet this baby, I wanted more time. And the problem with labor is that you never know when it is going to happen so you have to be prepared. I wasn't feeling prepared at all. I knew that I had everything done and ready but there was that nagging feeling that I was not thinking of something very important.
Then I went to the doctor around my 36th week. This was a regular OBGYN appointment, nothing out of the ordinary. The doctor told me I was 1cm dilated! I thought I would be able to feel when I dilated. But here I was, starting to dilate and I had no idea. I thought for sure that this was it and I would be having the baby in a couple of days.
Week 37 came and went with no change. I was still 1cm dilated and no closer to labor than I was the previous week.
Week 38 came and I had my doctor appointment. The doctor told me then that they were going to induce me the following Tuesday. Because of my gestational diabetes they wanted to get the baby out and said there was no value in waiting the extra week. I was told to go to the hospital on October 30th at 6am and I would have my baby that day.
You would think that knowing the date that I was going to give birth would alleviate some of my fears. Well it did take care of the fears of the unknown - like when and where would I go into labor. But I was almost more scared knowing the when and where. I guess I was just scared period and my fears just shifted. So now all I had to do was not think about it for a week. Yeah right!
But the weeks dragged on and no baby. And I realized that I did have some fears about labor. I was afraid that my water would break when I was in public - at work, at the grocery store, at the post office, while pumping gas... I was also scared about the pain of contractions. No one had been able to describe exactly what contractions felt like and how bad the pain gets. I was pretty sure I had a low tolerance for pain. When my dogs step on my foot, it hurts to the point where I have to grab my foot and rub out the pain. The same thing happens to my husband and he goes on with his life. I was worried about leaving my dogs while I was going through hours of labor. I didn't know who I was going to get to check on them because everyone I was close to would be at the hospital. I was worred that I would forget to do something and then I would go into labor and it would be too late. I was worried that I wouldn't have everything squared away at work before I went into labor. I was worried that something would happen to me or the baby during the delivery. I was worried about everything. I started to feel that I wasn't ready. Even though I wanted to meet this baby, I wanted more time. And the problem with labor is that you never know when it is going to happen so you have to be prepared. I wasn't feeling prepared at all. I knew that I had everything done and ready but there was that nagging feeling that I was not thinking of something very important.
Then I went to the doctor around my 36th week. This was a regular OBGYN appointment, nothing out of the ordinary. The doctor told me I was 1cm dilated! I thought I would be able to feel when I dilated. But here I was, starting to dilate and I had no idea. I thought for sure that this was it and I would be having the baby in a couple of days.
Week 37 came and went with no change. I was still 1cm dilated and no closer to labor than I was the previous week.
Week 38 came and I had my doctor appointment. The doctor told me then that they were going to induce me the following Tuesday. Because of my gestational diabetes they wanted to get the baby out and said there was no value in waiting the extra week. I was told to go to the hospital on October 30th at 6am and I would have my baby that day.
You would think that knowing the date that I was going to give birth would alleviate some of my fears. Well it did take care of the fears of the unknown - like when and where would I go into labor. But I was almost more scared knowing the when and where. I guess I was just scared period and my fears just shifted. So now all I had to do was not think about it for a week. Yeah right!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
More tests...
Not only did I have to test my blood sugars several times a day, and had to eat more food on a daily basis than I have ever eaten before, but now I also had to go for a weekly non-stress test. Apparently the baby had to be monitored to see how well he would handle contractions when I went into labor. I was thinking that I was going to have to be hooked up to machines and run on a treadmill, etc.
But, the tests consisted of a sonogram and monitoring the baby's heartbeat. I was not happy about having to go to the hospital every week for this test, on top of the weekly specialists visits and the OBGYN visits. But I was excited that I was going to get to see my baby every week.
The hospital has one of those 4D ultrasound machines. They actually have the best equipment in the area which is why my doctor sent me there for these tests. And with the flip of a switch, they were able to switch from the regular ultrasound to the 4D. It was amazing. A friend of mine had the 4D image taken and when her son was born he looked exactly like the picture. I wanted to see my son's face so bad. Unfortunately he didn't want me to see him until he was able to look at me too. He hid his face at every single appointment. His hand were covering his face the entire time. They had me cough, laugh, wiggle, move around just to make him move his hands. They pushed on my belly and jiggled it. And he didn't budge. I started drinking orange juice before each appointment because that always seemed to make him move. But his hands were fastened in place over his face. I started to worry that something was wrong with his hands or arms. I thought that he wasn't physically able to move them away from his face. One day, he moved them briefly and they were able to get a 4D photo of a partial view of his face. The angle was off and it looked like his nose took up his whole face. I worried about his nose. I would love him, big nose and all but I wondered where he inherited it from. But at least I got a glimpse of him.
After the sonogram I was taken into a room and had to sit in a nice comfy chair. Monitors were strapped to my bulging belly - one to monitor my contractions if I was having any and one to monitor the baby's heartbeat. Then I just had to sit back and wait. They were looking for an acceleration of the baby's heartbeat when I had a contraction and a deceleration when the contraction was over. They had to wait for 3 good spikes of the heartbeat. For most of the appointments I was waiting forever. He just didn't want to cooperate. I would do anything I could to get his little heartbeat to spike. Just like for the sonogram, I would cough and laugh and talk and wiggle. They even brought out this device that looked like an electric shaver and zapped my belly. It just made a vibrating, rumbling noise. Eventually they got what they needed and I would go on to work.
Who knew being pregnant would be so much work! As long as the baby was ok, I would have done it every day if necessary. You do what you have to do when you are completely and totally responsible for someone else.
But, the tests consisted of a sonogram and monitoring the baby's heartbeat. I was not happy about having to go to the hospital every week for this test, on top of the weekly specialists visits and the OBGYN visits. But I was excited that I was going to get to see my baby every week.
The hospital has one of those 4D ultrasound machines. They actually have the best equipment in the area which is why my doctor sent me there for these tests. And with the flip of a switch, they were able to switch from the regular ultrasound to the 4D. It was amazing. A friend of mine had the 4D image taken and when her son was born he looked exactly like the picture. I wanted to see my son's face so bad. Unfortunately he didn't want me to see him until he was able to look at me too. He hid his face at every single appointment. His hand were covering his face the entire time. They had me cough, laugh, wiggle, move around just to make him move his hands. They pushed on my belly and jiggled it. And he didn't budge. I started drinking orange juice before each appointment because that always seemed to make him move. But his hands were fastened in place over his face. I started to worry that something was wrong with his hands or arms. I thought that he wasn't physically able to move them away from his face. One day, he moved them briefly and they were able to get a 4D photo of a partial view of his face. The angle was off and it looked like his nose took up his whole face. I worried about his nose. I would love him, big nose and all but I wondered where he inherited it from. But at least I got a glimpse of him.
After the sonogram I was taken into a room and had to sit in a nice comfy chair. Monitors were strapped to my bulging belly - one to monitor my contractions if I was having any and one to monitor the baby's heartbeat. Then I just had to sit back and wait. They were looking for an acceleration of the baby's heartbeat when I had a contraction and a deceleration when the contraction was over. They had to wait for 3 good spikes of the heartbeat. For most of the appointments I was waiting forever. He just didn't want to cooperate. I would do anything I could to get his little heartbeat to spike. Just like for the sonogram, I would cough and laugh and talk and wiggle. They even brought out this device that looked like an electric shaver and zapped my belly. It just made a vibrating, rumbling noise. Eventually they got what they needed and I would go on to work.
Who knew being pregnant would be so much work! As long as the baby was ok, I would have done it every day if necessary. You do what you have to do when you are completely and totally responsible for someone else.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Baby shower...
It was time for my baby shower. Yeah! I hate showers, especially my own. Ok, so I don't really hate showers. I do hate public speaking and being the honoree of a shower is basically a test in public speaking. I don't care if the guests were related to me or my husband. I don't like all attention on me and I feel awkward accepting gifts in front of the person giving it to me. But my mother and godmother threw a very lovely shower and everyone brought wonderful and useful gifts.
The shower was at a very good restaurant in the area and I had helped plan the menu several weeks beforehand. We had breaded chicken, a couple different types of pasta, salads, veggies and potatoes. I realized when I got there that I couldn't really eat much of it because of my new disease. What I was able to eat was delicious.
One thing that I dread about showers are the stupid games that you are forced to participate in. I didn't want any games but there were a couple of unique ideas so we decided to give them a try.
Game #1 - Play-Doh babies - Each guest is given a tiny tub of Play-Doh and a paper plate. They put their name on the back of the paper plate and used the Play-Doh to make a baby. I thought that people would be annoyed that they had to do this but everyone really seemed to enjoy it. Then all of the paper plates were displayed on a table and the mom-to-be (me) had to choose a winner. The winning baby was adorable and very well made. But I should have had a prize for most creative too. Some were really graphic and anatomically correct. One even showed the birth process with the baby crowning. It was great!
Game #2 - Message in a diaper - This wasn't really a game but it was a cute idea. We got a pack of diapers and a bunch of permanent markers. We took envelope labels and stuck them to the diapers. Each guest wrote a message to the dad-to-be on one of the diapers. The thought was that the dad should be changing the diapers and he could read words of wisdom from all of the ladies. All of the diapers are put back into the pack and not to be read until the you are changing the baby. But my husband and I peeked. The messages were so funny and so heartwarming. I loved it.
Then of course I had to stand in front of everyone and open my gifts. I had to act surprised knowing that most people purchased things from a registry where I had already picked my own gifts. I was actually surprised by the number of people who bought things outside of the registry though. Just really thoughtful gifts. I wish I could be more thoughtful when buying gifts for people because it really means a lot. I actually got pretty much everything I needed. And my mother (first time grandmother) went out and bought everything else from the registry anyway.
All in all, the shower was a great success - even though I couldn't have any cake!
The shower was at a very good restaurant in the area and I had helped plan the menu several weeks beforehand. We had breaded chicken, a couple different types of pasta, salads, veggies and potatoes. I realized when I got there that I couldn't really eat much of it because of my new disease. What I was able to eat was delicious.
One thing that I dread about showers are the stupid games that you are forced to participate in. I didn't want any games but there were a couple of unique ideas so we decided to give them a try.
Game #1 - Play-Doh babies - Each guest is given a tiny tub of Play-Doh and a paper plate. They put their name on the back of the paper plate and used the Play-Doh to make a baby. I thought that people would be annoyed that they had to do this but everyone really seemed to enjoy it. Then all of the paper plates were displayed on a table and the mom-to-be (me) had to choose a winner. The winning baby was adorable and very well made. But I should have had a prize for most creative too. Some were really graphic and anatomically correct. One even showed the birth process with the baby crowning. It was great!
Game #2 - Message in a diaper - This wasn't really a game but it was a cute idea. We got a pack of diapers and a bunch of permanent markers. We took envelope labels and stuck them to the diapers. Each guest wrote a message to the dad-to-be on one of the diapers. The thought was that the dad should be changing the diapers and he could read words of wisdom from all of the ladies. All of the diapers are put back into the pack and not to be read until the you are changing the baby. But my husband and I peeked. The messages were so funny and so heartwarming. I loved it.
Then of course I had to stand in front of everyone and open my gifts. I had to act surprised knowing that most people purchased things from a registry where I had already picked my own gifts. I was actually surprised by the number of people who bought things outside of the registry though. Just really thoughtful gifts. I wish I could be more thoughtful when buying gifts for people because it really means a lot. I actually got pretty much everything I needed. And my mother (first time grandmother) went out and bought everything else from the registry anyway.
All in all, the shower was a great success - even though I couldn't have any cake!
Monday, July 7, 2008
New meal plan...
Now that I had been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I had to get in gear and figure out how I was going to manage my diet and testing my blood.
My diet plan consisted of very specific types of foods and very specific times for eating. Up to this point I had been eating cereal and a banana for breakfast. I rarely ate breakfast at all before I was pregnant so just eating in the morning was a change. I could no longer eat the sugary cereals and even the banana was questionable. For breakfast I was supposed to eat 1-2 proteins, 1 carb, 1 fruit, 1 milk and 1 fat. For instance, my usual breakfast menu was:
1-2 proteins = 1-2 eggs
1 carb = 1 piece of toast
1 fruit = 1/2 cup of orange juice
1 milk = 1 glass of milk
1 fat = little butter for my toast
I had this day in and day out for weeks. Then 2 hours after breakfast I needed a snack of 1 fruit. For lunch it was protein, carbs, veggies, milk, and fat. I would buy frozen hamburger patties, stick them in the microwave and eat without a bun. I don't think the hamburger was fit for human consumption. I ate them because they had high protein but they were the consistency of hockey pucks. I could barely chew them. Two hours later I needed a protein snack, usually a south beach diet granola bar. Two hours later, my dinner was pretty much the same as lunch, though I never had the hamburger patties for dinner. I took the time to actually make something when I got home from work. Then I needed a nighttime snack which usually was either a hard boiled egg or a piece of cheese and a tiny bowl of sugar free ice cream.
The combinations of food that I ate would probably normally make my stomach churn. But I didn't care if the food tasted ok together, I just cared that I met all of the requirements. I literally thought about food all day long. What was I going to eat next? Is it time to eat again? I felt like I was eating constantly. The point was to keep a steady stream of food coming into my body so my blood sugar didn't drop or increase dramatically. I could hardly eat all of the food I was supposed to eat. It took me several weeks to get used to this new way of eating. And I lost weight. By not eating carbs or sugars, I started losing some pounds which is great if you're not pregnant. It was definitely hard to find a balance.
In addition to stuffing my face constantly I had to test my blood. My first test of the day was after 8 hours of fasting before I ate anything. Then I would eat. I would have to wait 2 hours without eating anything and test again. Then I could have my snack. Then after my lunch, I had to wait 2 hours without eating, test again. Then snack. Then after dinner, 2 hours of fasting and then test. Then snack. But i had to be careful that the snack wasn't too late because I needed a full 8 hours of not eating or drinking so I could test in the morning.
Most of my readings were fine and within the ranges that were allowed. Some were really high though and I quickly learned that I couldn't eat peanut butter or any frozen packaged meal. Those seemed to make my sugars skyrocket.
It was a pain but I was able to manage the diabetes with diet alone and I didn't have to take any insulin which was a huge relief. But as I said before, it took something away from the pregnancy experience because I was always worried about food and it took a lot of effort. You always feel empathy and compassion for those that are dealing with a disease on a daily basis but you don't really know how difficult it is until you walk in their shoes. I feel like I had the opportunity to walk in the shoes of a diabetic and I have a whole new respect for what they have to go through. My ordeal only lasted until the baby was delivered but they have to deal with it for a lifetime.
My diet plan consisted of very specific types of foods and very specific times for eating. Up to this point I had been eating cereal and a banana for breakfast. I rarely ate breakfast at all before I was pregnant so just eating in the morning was a change. I could no longer eat the sugary cereals and even the banana was questionable. For breakfast I was supposed to eat 1-2 proteins, 1 carb, 1 fruit, 1 milk and 1 fat. For instance, my usual breakfast menu was:
1-2 proteins = 1-2 eggs
1 carb = 1 piece of toast
1 fruit = 1/2 cup of orange juice
1 milk = 1 glass of milk
1 fat = little butter for my toast
I had this day in and day out for weeks. Then 2 hours after breakfast I needed a snack of 1 fruit. For lunch it was protein, carbs, veggies, milk, and fat. I would buy frozen hamburger patties, stick them in the microwave and eat without a bun. I don't think the hamburger was fit for human consumption. I ate them because they had high protein but they were the consistency of hockey pucks. I could barely chew them. Two hours later I needed a protein snack, usually a south beach diet granola bar. Two hours later, my dinner was pretty much the same as lunch, though I never had the hamburger patties for dinner. I took the time to actually make something when I got home from work. Then I needed a nighttime snack which usually was either a hard boiled egg or a piece of cheese and a tiny bowl of sugar free ice cream.
The combinations of food that I ate would probably normally make my stomach churn. But I didn't care if the food tasted ok together, I just cared that I met all of the requirements. I literally thought about food all day long. What was I going to eat next? Is it time to eat again? I felt like I was eating constantly. The point was to keep a steady stream of food coming into my body so my blood sugar didn't drop or increase dramatically. I could hardly eat all of the food I was supposed to eat. It took me several weeks to get used to this new way of eating. And I lost weight. By not eating carbs or sugars, I started losing some pounds which is great if you're not pregnant. It was definitely hard to find a balance.
In addition to stuffing my face constantly I had to test my blood. My first test of the day was after 8 hours of fasting before I ate anything. Then I would eat. I would have to wait 2 hours without eating anything and test again. Then I could have my snack. Then after my lunch, I had to wait 2 hours without eating, test again. Then snack. Then after dinner, 2 hours of fasting and then test. Then snack. But i had to be careful that the snack wasn't too late because I needed a full 8 hours of not eating or drinking so I could test in the morning.
Most of my readings were fine and within the ranges that were allowed. Some were really high though and I quickly learned that I couldn't eat peanut butter or any frozen packaged meal. Those seemed to make my sugars skyrocket.
It was a pain but I was able to manage the diabetes with diet alone and I didn't have to take any insulin which was a huge relief. But as I said before, it took something away from the pregnancy experience because I was always worried about food and it took a lot of effort. You always feel empathy and compassion for those that are dealing with a disease on a daily basis but you don't really know how difficult it is until you walk in their shoes. I feel like I had the opportunity to walk in the shoes of a diabetic and I have a whole new respect for what they have to go through. My ordeal only lasted until the baby was delivered but they have to deal with it for a lifetime.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Glucose testing - Part 3...
I finished my 3-hour glucose test and was so glad it was over. I thought I could sit back and relax because I honestly didn't think I had anything wrong with me. A couple of days later I get an envelope in the mail from my doctor's office. In the envelope was a single sheet of paper from a notepad handwritten from the doctor. It said, "Your glucose testing indicates that you have gestational diabetes. Please contact the office and make an appointment immediately. Signed - scribble, scribble."
I was devastated. I didn't even know anything about gestational diabetes. All I could think of was that my baby would be harmed and that I would have to give myself shots of insulin. Not good for my needle phobia. I called the office, shaking. I made the appointment for the next day. I was anxious for the appointment so I could find out what was going to happen but I was also dreading it. Sometimes not knowing seems like it would be better. But I knew this condition could impact the baby so I couldn't wallow in my denial for very long.
The next day I went to the doctor. My heart was pounding and I was on the verge of tears the entire time I was waiting in the waiting room. I was called into the little room and the nurse took my blood pressure. It was really high. Obviously it was because I was nervous but this caused concern because I had always had a very normal blood pressure. The doctor came in and talked to me and showed me the results of the testing. My readings were actually only borderline. They didn't seem excessive but because the numbers came out on the wrong side of the border, I had gestational diabetes. What was going to happen to the baby, to me?
Well, women with gestational diabetes cannot process sugars very well because the hormones don't allow the body the produce and use insulin. This is all because of the placenta. And the glucose carries over through to the baby through the placenta. This can cause very big babies. The baby gets bigger more quickly than normal but the lungs and other organs/systems don't develop any quicker. So you can have a 9-lb baby 3 weeks from your due date. Big babies cause complications during labor and delivery and injuries for big babies are more common (like a broken shoulder or collarbone). All very scary stuff.
So how do I treat this condition? I was sent to a specialist. There they had someone talk to me about diet and gave me a chart of what I was allowed to eat and when I was supposed to eat. I was also given a glucose monitor. Great, more needles. I was to test my blood 4 times a day and see the specialist every 2 weeks. The monitor tracks the readings so they would be able to tell if I was controlling my sugars with diet or if I would need insulin as well.
I left the appointment with the specialist and just cried for a while. This put a damper on the pregnancy and I didn't think I would be able to enjoy the rest of it.
Oh well. Time to stop feeling sorry for myself and start doing everything I could to make sure my baby was ok. I started to feel the magnitude of the fact that I was responsible for someone else.
I was devastated. I didn't even know anything about gestational diabetes. All I could think of was that my baby would be harmed and that I would have to give myself shots of insulin. Not good for my needle phobia. I called the office, shaking. I made the appointment for the next day. I was anxious for the appointment so I could find out what was going to happen but I was also dreading it. Sometimes not knowing seems like it would be better. But I knew this condition could impact the baby so I couldn't wallow in my denial for very long.
The next day I went to the doctor. My heart was pounding and I was on the verge of tears the entire time I was waiting in the waiting room. I was called into the little room and the nurse took my blood pressure. It was really high. Obviously it was because I was nervous but this caused concern because I had always had a very normal blood pressure. The doctor came in and talked to me and showed me the results of the testing. My readings were actually only borderline. They didn't seem excessive but because the numbers came out on the wrong side of the border, I had gestational diabetes. What was going to happen to the baby, to me?
Well, women with gestational diabetes cannot process sugars very well because the hormones don't allow the body the produce and use insulin. This is all because of the placenta. And the glucose carries over through to the baby through the placenta. This can cause very big babies. The baby gets bigger more quickly than normal but the lungs and other organs/systems don't develop any quicker. So you can have a 9-lb baby 3 weeks from your due date. Big babies cause complications during labor and delivery and injuries for big babies are more common (like a broken shoulder or collarbone). All very scary stuff.
So how do I treat this condition? I was sent to a specialist. There they had someone talk to me about diet and gave me a chart of what I was allowed to eat and when I was supposed to eat. I was also given a glucose monitor. Great, more needles. I was to test my blood 4 times a day and see the specialist every 2 weeks. The monitor tracks the readings so they would be able to tell if I was controlling my sugars with diet or if I would need insulin as well.
I left the appointment with the specialist and just cried for a while. This put a damper on the pregnancy and I didn't think I would be able to enjoy the rest of it.
Oh well. Time to stop feeling sorry for myself and start doing everything I could to make sure my baby was ok. I started to feel the magnitude of the fact that I was responsible for someone else.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Glucose testing - Part 2...
I failed my 1 hour glucose test. I finally scheduled my 3-hour test. As much as I was dreading it, it had to be done. The only time I could get an appointment was in the middle of the day and I had to go to work first. I fasted from the night before so I hadn't had anything to eat all morning. As a pregnant person, this made me pretty miserable. My apologies to my co-workers.
I left work for my appointment and went to the lab. They drew blood first. Now at this point, I am almost getting used to the needles. I didn't like it, but I didn't get all worked up while they tied up my arm. I couldn't watch while they did it but I didn't think I was going to die either. I was very proud of myself. Then I drank the orange liquid. Keep in mind that I still have not had any food and I was STARVING. The liquid curbed my hunger momentarily. Then I had to sit and wait for an hour. I was told not to leave the office.
About 45 minutes into the first hour, I started getting shaky. I stuck it out and they finally called me for my next blood test.
This time was a little worse. I was cranky and I just wanted to get it over with. But they couldn't get a good vein. They stuck me twice on one arm and had to switch to the other. Now I was grossed out. They got their vial of blood and I had to drink my orange cocktail once again. And I had to wait another hour.
Test number 3. This time they stuck me once and couldn't get a vein so they went to the hand. They got their blood and gave me my drink. I honestly didn't know how I didn't pass out at this point. I just kept thinking - "Only sixty more minutes". The worst part was that all of the magazines in the office were from 2 years ago. And I had forgotten a book so I was stuck reading old garbage. When that hour was done, I got my last blood test. They didn't even attempt my arm and just took it from my hand.
Now I had to wait for the results. I knew about 500 women that were pregnant around the same time I was. It was probably closer to 10 but that is still a lot. Almost 1/2 of them had to go for the 3-hour test and none of then failed it. So I was optimistic. Really I was just thankful that there wasn't a 6-hour test! To be continued...
I left work for my appointment and went to the lab. They drew blood first. Now at this point, I am almost getting used to the needles. I didn't like it, but I didn't get all worked up while they tied up my arm. I couldn't watch while they did it but I didn't think I was going to die either. I was very proud of myself. Then I drank the orange liquid. Keep in mind that I still have not had any food and I was STARVING. The liquid curbed my hunger momentarily. Then I had to sit and wait for an hour. I was told not to leave the office.
About 45 minutes into the first hour, I started getting shaky. I stuck it out and they finally called me for my next blood test.
This time was a little worse. I was cranky and I just wanted to get it over with. But they couldn't get a good vein. They stuck me twice on one arm and had to switch to the other. Now I was grossed out. They got their vial of blood and I had to drink my orange cocktail once again. And I had to wait another hour.
Test number 3. This time they stuck me once and couldn't get a vein so they went to the hand. They got their blood and gave me my drink. I honestly didn't know how I didn't pass out at this point. I just kept thinking - "Only sixty more minutes". The worst part was that all of the magazines in the office were from 2 years ago. And I had forgotten a book so I was stuck reading old garbage. When that hour was done, I got my last blood test. They didn't even attempt my arm and just took it from my hand.
Now I had to wait for the results. I knew about 500 women that were pregnant around the same time I was. It was probably closer to 10 but that is still a lot. Almost 1/2 of them had to go for the 3-hour test and none of then failed it. So I was optimistic. Really I was just thankful that there wasn't a 6-hour test! To be continued...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
