I'm over 37 weeks along now, and I had another appointment this morning. Everything looks just fine, and the doctor was very happy with my blood sugar numbers. She did surprise me, however, by saying that well-controlled gestational diabetes is the same as not having diabetes at all, so they aren't planning to induce me or anything before 40 weeks (my official due date is Nov. 28). This was a surprise, because with Faith, they did not want me to go past 40 weeks at all, even though everything was well-controlled then too.
It wouldn't really matter, except for a couple of things. First, I have big babies. I did not have GD with Caleb and Jonathan, and they were 9# 5oz and 9# 6oz respectively. So I am expecting at least a 9 pounder here. Anna and Grace were not GD babies, and they were 8# 11oz and 8#13 oz, and Faith, who was a GD baby, was 8# 10oz--right in line with the other girls' weights. Anyhow, all those numbers to say I am not interested in going much over 40 weeks!
Second, my due date is just terrible timing, really. You may not remember what I was posting about last year at the end of November/beginning of December, but I have personal reasons for not wanting to deliver Nov. 26-30. So in my mind, I have been thinking of my due date as more "right after Thanksgiving", and not that in last week of November. But really, with Thanksgiving there is no way to schedule anything except that last week of November, and I really don't want to go into December, for fear of having another big baby. Nine pounders are one thing, but Micah was 10# 8oz--and I definitely do not fancy pushing out another one his size again!!
I have another appointment next Friday. The doctor today said they would do an exam and see what things were looking like at that point, although I'm not seeing her next week, so really who knows what this next person will do, LOL. Then I am going to attempt to schedule another appointment like the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, although it is tricky to schedule one so soon, since I have to see a doctor, not a nurse-prationer or midwife, and appointments fill up quickly. If I could, though, that woul give me one more exam (and hopefully a membrane-stripping), and if I was dilated, then maybe Bob and I would go into L&D sometime Thanksgiving weekend, like we did with Micah, and if they weren't busy, they would probably give me a little bit of pit and put me into active labor. So we'll see how all that works out.
The thing is, I really don't have any hope of going into labor on my own, much less early. I did go into labor on my own with Faith 2 days before the scheduled induction at 40 weeks (and we barely made it to the hospital), but otherwise, the last person I went into labor with on my own was Caleb, #3. Jonathan, #4, was 2 weeks overdue before I was induced with him! There are no tricks that put me into labor, LOL. And my water NEVER breaks on its own!
So I am just continuing my routine and hoping for the best. I'm still exercising twice a day most days, which takes a huge chunk of time and makes me really tired. I do one of my pregnancy workout videos in the morning, and usually Bob and I take a 40 minute walk after dinner. All the exercise does keep my blood sugar numbers low, I've only gained a pound of weight in the last 8 weeks since I was diagnosed, and I sleep well and don't struggle with constipation, LOL. Silver lining . . . I have a chiropractic appointment scheduled for next Wednesday--I want to be well-aligned so the baby can be in a good position. I'm also taking my daily regimen of supplements. I'm up to 4 evening primrose oil capsules a day (promotes cervical softening and dilation), 6 raspberry leaf extract capsules (uterine toning and effective contractions), 4 alfalfa pills (prevents hemorrhaging), and the usual prenatal vitamin and fish oil pills. Hopefully the evening primrose oil in particular will be effective.
In general, I feel pretty good, although I am starting to feel these last few weeks of pregnancy. But to be honest, I'm so busy with co-op and everything else, that it's not like I have time to sit and stew in my discomfort, LOL. We have one more week of Rivendell before Thanksgiving break, so I just have to get through the classes on Tuesday, plus lab on Thursday, and then I'll be home free!! And this past weekend, we really picked up, in part because of the moms' meeting I hosted on Sunday, but also because Wednesday afternoon a lady from church, along with 2 helpers, thoroughly cleaned our house! It looks sooo good--they did such a fantastic job! Now I feel like I can really relax, since everything is so clean, although it will be a struggle to maintain it, with all these little (and big) messmakers around. I also got out the baby boy clothes. We're closer to being ready!
Showing posts with label gestational diabetes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gestational diabetes. Show all posts
Friday, November 09, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Diabetes "Class"
This morning I left home at 7:30 to get to Bethesda for my 9:00 gestational diabetes orientation class. This time it was a little different than it was back when I was pregnant with Faith. Then I went for an entire afternoon, and a whole class of us were talked to by a nurse first, who explained how the testing worked, and then by a nutritionist, who told us how to meal-plan, and what to eat when.
This morning, there were only 2 of us, and the nurse led us off to a small conference room. She passed out the folders of info, and then started talking about how we would need to make an appointment with the nutritionist as well, since she was just a nurse and couldn't really help us with meal-planning. She gave us the phone number, which I dutifully wrote down, and then she got the bright idea that she could call even today and see if we could get in and talk to the lady. So she asked which we would rather do--try for today, or call ourselves and make a different appointment. The other lady was quiet, so I spoke up, "Umm, well, this is my 9th baby, and my 2nd with gestational diabetes, and I still have all my information from the last time the dietician talked with me. I've already been testing my numbers for a week, and things are fine . . . so I really don't want to have to talk to the dietician at all . . ."
The nurse looked at me, shocked ("Your 9th baby?!"), and asked me a few more questions to make sure I actually had my monitor set up and was doing everything I should be doing. Then she looked at me with a puzzled look and said, "Who on earth made you come here today?! I'll just note that you were here, but you don't have to stay!" Woo-hoo!! That was what I was hoping for!
I did have to go back down to the actual OB clinic. I'm testing my blood sugar 4 times a day, but the nurse-practitioner who put in the prescription wrote it for only a jar of 50 test strips (with 3 refills). You can't get refills until about 10 days before the end of the month, because the provider is supposed to be writing the prescription to last a month. Soo, I'll wait while you all do the math . . . but 50 strips, testing 4 times a day, means that bottle will last me about 12 days since I started testing last Wednesday. And the N-P also didn't give a prescription for a big box of lancets, but rather for a box containing 25 lancets plus an extra poker-thing that the lancets go in (you already get one of those, plus 12 lancets, with the actual meter); So--35 lancets, 4 times a day--that's less than 9 days! I've been reusing the lancets, which is a big no-no.
So I went down to talk to the lady at the desk to see if I could speak to the clinic attending doctor and get a new prescription. She took my ID card and disappeared off in the back with it, eventually poking her head back around to ask if I just needed the strips and lancets, or if I also needed medicine. I never actually talked to a doctor, but she came back and told me the presciption was entered in, and I could go to the pharmacy to pick it up. Yay!
But when I picked up the prescription, I was dismayed to find that once again, I only got 1 box of 50 (but with 6 refills this time, LOL). Can doctors not do simple math?!? Well, that will get me to my next appointment, which is Oct. 12, and then I will have to speak very slowly and clearly and explain that if I am testing 4 times a day for 30 days, then I need 120 test strips at a time! I did get a big box of 200 lancets, so I'm good to go there for awhile.
My numbers in general have been really great (they're supposed to be under 105 when I wake up, and under 120 two hours after a meal). I've had pretty much no troubles keeping them low--until Monday and Tuesday. I think it is the stress of co-op! I did have one odd thing happen. This morning, right after I talked to the OB front desk (which made me nervous), it was time to test, since it was 2 hours after my breakfast. I had eaten my usual breakfast of 1/2 c. bran flakes, milk, and a hard-boiled egg. This pretty much always gives me a blood sugar reading of around 97. I NEVER have problems with breakfast! So I test, and my number comes up as 138!! I was flabber-gasted! But I was still feeling flustered from trying to explain everything to the desk lady, so I decided to just sit for a minute and relax, and then test again. So I sat, breathed deeply, looked around, relaxed--for about a minute. I had tested originally at 9:25, and so at 9:27 I retested. My number this time? 100. What in the world?! There's no way my levels are actually fluctuating 38 points in 2 minutes, but what could it be? Who knows?! It did make me wonder if the high number I got after lunch on Tuesday (right before life science, when I realized I had completely forgotten to email notes to Celia for class, which made me flustered) would have been different if I had relaxed for a minute before testing! Weird.
I've ramped up my exercising again. It's been hard to fit it in, but I've been exercising for about 40 minutes in the morning after breakfast, and Bob and I have been taking a 40 minute walk almost every night after dinner. That maternity support belt I bought from Amazon a few weeks ago has been WONDERFUL. It has made such a difference in how comfortable I am with all the walking! We'll see how long I can keep all that exercise up, though. It's very disruptive to the day, especially the morning time. Anna and Grace are definitely not getting very much time spent on their schooling, although sometimes I do stuff with Anna in the evenings. But I'm so tired by the time evening rolls around (no time for naps in the afternoon--must do more school or run errands/get people to appointments!), and that is also when I have to work on biology prep, which is taking a lot of brain power. Oh well--less than 9 more weeks! We're in single digits!
This morning, there were only 2 of us, and the nurse led us off to a small conference room. She passed out the folders of info, and then started talking about how we would need to make an appointment with the nutritionist as well, since she was just a nurse and couldn't really help us with meal-planning. She gave us the phone number, which I dutifully wrote down, and then she got the bright idea that she could call even today and see if we could get in and talk to the lady. So she asked which we would rather do--try for today, or call ourselves and make a different appointment. The other lady was quiet, so I spoke up, "Umm, well, this is my 9th baby, and my 2nd with gestational diabetes, and I still have all my information from the last time the dietician talked with me. I've already been testing my numbers for a week, and things are fine . . . so I really don't want to have to talk to the dietician at all . . ."
The nurse looked at me, shocked ("Your 9th baby?!"), and asked me a few more questions to make sure I actually had my monitor set up and was doing everything I should be doing. Then she looked at me with a puzzled look and said, "Who on earth made you come here today?! I'll just note that you were here, but you don't have to stay!" Woo-hoo!! That was what I was hoping for!
I did have to go back down to the actual OB clinic. I'm testing my blood sugar 4 times a day, but the nurse-practitioner who put in the prescription wrote it for only a jar of 50 test strips (with 3 refills). You can't get refills until about 10 days before the end of the month, because the provider is supposed to be writing the prescription to last a month. Soo, I'll wait while you all do the math . . . but 50 strips, testing 4 times a day, means that bottle will last me about 12 days since I started testing last Wednesday. And the N-P also didn't give a prescription for a big box of lancets, but rather for a box containing 25 lancets plus an extra poker-thing that the lancets go in (you already get one of those, plus 12 lancets, with the actual meter); So--35 lancets, 4 times a day--that's less than 9 days! I've been reusing the lancets, which is a big no-no.
So I went down to talk to the lady at the desk to see if I could speak to the clinic attending doctor and get a new prescription. She took my ID card and disappeared off in the back with it, eventually poking her head back around to ask if I just needed the strips and lancets, or if I also needed medicine. I never actually talked to a doctor, but she came back and told me the presciption was entered in, and I could go to the pharmacy to pick it up. Yay!
But when I picked up the prescription, I was dismayed to find that once again, I only got 1 box of 50 (but with 6 refills this time, LOL). Can doctors not do simple math?!? Well, that will get me to my next appointment, which is Oct. 12, and then I will have to speak very slowly and clearly and explain that if I am testing 4 times a day for 30 days, then I need 120 test strips at a time! I did get a big box of 200 lancets, so I'm good to go there for awhile.
My numbers in general have been really great (they're supposed to be under 105 when I wake up, and under 120 two hours after a meal). I've had pretty much no troubles keeping them low--until Monday and Tuesday. I think it is the stress of co-op! I did have one odd thing happen. This morning, right after I talked to the OB front desk (which made me nervous), it was time to test, since it was 2 hours after my breakfast. I had eaten my usual breakfast of 1/2 c. bran flakes, milk, and a hard-boiled egg. This pretty much always gives me a blood sugar reading of around 97. I NEVER have problems with breakfast! So I test, and my number comes up as 138!! I was flabber-gasted! But I was still feeling flustered from trying to explain everything to the desk lady, so I decided to just sit for a minute and relax, and then test again. So I sat, breathed deeply, looked around, relaxed--for about a minute. I had tested originally at 9:25, and so at 9:27 I retested. My number this time? 100. What in the world?! There's no way my levels are actually fluctuating 38 points in 2 minutes, but what could it be? Who knows?! It did make me wonder if the high number I got after lunch on Tuesday (right before life science, when I realized I had completely forgotten to email notes to Celia for class, which made me flustered) would have been different if I had relaxed for a minute before testing! Weird.
I've ramped up my exercising again. It's been hard to fit it in, but I've been exercising for about 40 minutes in the morning after breakfast, and Bob and I have been taking a 40 minute walk almost every night after dinner. That maternity support belt I bought from Amazon a few weeks ago has been WONDERFUL. It has made such a difference in how comfortable I am with all the walking! We'll see how long I can keep all that exercise up, though. It's very disruptive to the day, especially the morning time. Anna and Grace are definitely not getting very much time spent on their schooling, although sometimes I do stuff with Anna in the evenings. But I'm so tired by the time evening rolls around (no time for naps in the afternoon--must do more school or run errands/get people to appointments!), and that is also when I have to work on biology prep, which is taking a lot of brain power. Oh well--less than 9 more weeks! We're in single digits!
Friday, September 14, 2012
Pregnancy Update
Now I'm 29 weeks and a few days. This morning I took my 3-hour glucose test bright and early at Bethesda. I left at 6:40 and was able to start the test at 7:45, so I made good time. One thing that really frustrated me when I took the test with Faith was that I had to have my blood drawn first for a fasting number, then wait until those results got back, and THEN I could drink the nasty glucola stuff and start the test. That took like an extra 40 minutes! But this time they still drew for a fasting number, but I could drink the stuff right away, so that was much nicer. I was back home around 11:40. At least I got some biology done!
They should call Monday, I expect. I have an old glucose monitor, plus some old test strips, and I have been monitoring my levels occasionally after meals. They have been either on the high side of normal (after breakfast and lunch), or just higher than they should be (dinner), even with exercising, so I am sure I have gestational diabetes again. The only thing that could potentially be off is that the monitor/test strips are several years old, and I can't make sure the monitor is calibrated, because the testing solution was way old and gave wayyyyy wonky readings when I tried test strips with it. But still, I'm expecting a call on Monday. And I'm okay with it, I guess. What I really don't want to do is sit through the 3 hour nutritional orientation thing again!! Oh well. I just hope those aren't offered only on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons or something.
I also called and scheduled my follow-up ultrasound today. It's going to be at 10:30 on Oct. 19. I'll be over 34 weeks then, and the doctors wanted it to be around 32 weeks, but oh well. They were actually the ones who messed things up! You may not remember, but when I had my regular ultrasound (which was early--I was only 17 weeks), my placenta was over my cervix some, so the tech told me I need to have a follow-up ultrasound to see if it moved. She told me to call at 26 weeks to schedule the ultrasound for 32 weeks. So I called a few times. They never answered, but the message said to leave your name, sponser's last 4, etc. and they would call right back. But they never did. So I went to my appointment on Monday, where the nurse practitioner I was seeing told me I needed to schedule this ultrasound! I told her I'd been trying, but no one ever called me back. She said that was because there wasn't actually an order in the system. Someone thought they would just do a quick ultrasound in the exam room, instead of an ultrasound over at prenatal assessment, but when they ran that by the head doc, he said, no, she needs to have a formal ultrasound done, down in the regular radiology department! So the lady put in the order after my appointment, but it had to go through Tricare (?), and I couldn't call until now. And Oct. 19 is the first available slot. Originally I was really not terribly concerned--I assumed the placenta would move--but when the doctor said I needed a formal scan, I will admit to being a trifle more concerned now! We'll see what happens, I guess. No sense worrying about what you can't do anything about!
As far as physical symptoms go, I have already started having the pubic pain that is always so bad for me at the end of pregnancy. I just carry so low, and my abdominal muscles are shot after all these pregnancies (and big babies, LOL)! I found this maternity belt on Amazon. It got good reviews and wasn't too expensive, so I ordered it, and it arrived Wednesday. I love it! It's not too big, so it's comfortable to wear. I especially have been wearing it when I stand up a lot, and when I exercise, and it really has been helping suppport my poor low belly. The pubic pain is much less, which gives me hope for the remaining 10 or 11 weeks!
They should call Monday, I expect. I have an old glucose monitor, plus some old test strips, and I have been monitoring my levels occasionally after meals. They have been either on the high side of normal (after breakfast and lunch), or just higher than they should be (dinner), even with exercising, so I am sure I have gestational diabetes again. The only thing that could potentially be off is that the monitor/test strips are several years old, and I can't make sure the monitor is calibrated, because the testing solution was way old and gave wayyyyy wonky readings when I tried test strips with it. But still, I'm expecting a call on Monday. And I'm okay with it, I guess. What I really don't want to do is sit through the 3 hour nutritional orientation thing again!! Oh well. I just hope those aren't offered only on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons or something.
I also called and scheduled my follow-up ultrasound today. It's going to be at 10:30 on Oct. 19. I'll be over 34 weeks then, and the doctors wanted it to be around 32 weeks, but oh well. They were actually the ones who messed things up! You may not remember, but when I had my regular ultrasound (which was early--I was only 17 weeks), my placenta was over my cervix some, so the tech told me I need to have a follow-up ultrasound to see if it moved. She told me to call at 26 weeks to schedule the ultrasound for 32 weeks. So I called a few times. They never answered, but the message said to leave your name, sponser's last 4, etc. and they would call right back. But they never did. So I went to my appointment on Monday, where the nurse practitioner I was seeing told me I needed to schedule this ultrasound! I told her I'd been trying, but no one ever called me back. She said that was because there wasn't actually an order in the system. Someone thought they would just do a quick ultrasound in the exam room, instead of an ultrasound over at prenatal assessment, but when they ran that by the head doc, he said, no, she needs to have a formal ultrasound done, down in the regular radiology department! So the lady put in the order after my appointment, but it had to go through Tricare (?), and I couldn't call until now. And Oct. 19 is the first available slot. Originally I was really not terribly concerned--I assumed the placenta would move--but when the doctor said I needed a formal scan, I will admit to being a trifle more concerned now! We'll see what happens, I guess. No sense worrying about what you can't do anything about!
As far as physical symptoms go, I have already started having the pubic pain that is always so bad for me at the end of pregnancy. I just carry so low, and my abdominal muscles are shot after all these pregnancies (and big babies, LOL)! I found this maternity belt on Amazon. It got good reviews and wasn't too expensive, so I ordered it, and it arrived Wednesday. I love it! It's not too big, so it's comfortable to wear. I especially have been wearing it when I stand up a lot, and when I exercise, and it really has been helping suppport my poor low belly. The pubic pain is much less, which gives me hope for the remaining 10 or 11 weeks!
Friday, October 29, 2010
I'm Glad That's Over!
I took my 3-hour glucose test this morning. I left the house at 6:30--and got back home after 1:00. A big accident on the Beltway? Something went horridly wrong in the lab? Not at all! Just par for the course!
I arrived at Bethesda at 7:30, where I had to take a number and wait 40 minutes to get my fasting blood drawn. Then (and NNMC is the ONLY lab with this proceedure I have ever gone to), I had to wait until those numbers came back normal before I could drink the glucola and start the 3 hours. So I finally started the test at 9:05, having already been there over an hour and a half.
When I was pregnant with Grace, I also failed my 1 hour one and had to take a 3 hour test. I blogged about my vein worries here, since my right arm had so much vein scarring from my blood clots. But the test went just fine, and so did my 3 hour one with Faith, so I had not even worried a bit about the quality of my veins for this one! I thought those veins had finally repaired themselves or something! Alas, this test did not go so well. I ended up with 7 sticks for 4 draws, and I can tell my arms, especially my right one, are going to be a mass of bruises. I'm not really sure what the problem was since people have been able to draw blood from my right arm these past few years. Not today though. Oh well, they got all the blood they needed, and eventually I was able to leave, LOL.
I did enjoy the nice quiet time, though. I read a book by Adriana Trigliani called Very Valentine. It was not bad--not heavy or anything; just the thing to read when you haven't eaten anything but have swallowed a ton of hummingbird feeder nectar. It was about a girl in NY who was carrying on her grandfather's wedding shoe business (making these special shoes by hand). I really am NOT into shoes in any way, shape, or form, so I couldn't really relate, but the author's descriptions were good.
So now I wait for the results. I remember with Faith the doctor didn't call until over a week later--giving me hope that I had passed. I know now not to get my hopes up! I do have an appointment the day before Thanksgiving, so I will know for sure by then, I guess.
In other somewhat related news, I was finally able to schedule an ultrasound for Dec. 3. I'll be almost 22 weeks, and I don't like to have them that late, but oh well. I had called the radiology number on Monday, and I left a message, just like they instructed--name, sponsor's social, good number to reach you, etc. They said they would call back within 48 hours, but that simply did not happen. So I called again Thursday, getting the same message. I eventually just starting calling them every time I thought of it, and FINALLY I got through to a real person who deigned to talk to me, LOL. She said November was all full, and the December schedule wasn't out yet, but she would "reserve" a spot for me Dec. 3 at 10:00. We'll see how that all works out. I'm not really all that trusting of their ability to keep their word!
I arrived at Bethesda at 7:30, where I had to take a number and wait 40 minutes to get my fasting blood drawn. Then (and NNMC is the ONLY lab with this proceedure I have ever gone to), I had to wait until those numbers came back normal before I could drink the glucola and start the 3 hours. So I finally started the test at 9:05, having already been there over an hour and a half.
When I was pregnant with Grace, I also failed my 1 hour one and had to take a 3 hour test. I blogged about my vein worries here, since my right arm had so much vein scarring from my blood clots. But the test went just fine, and so did my 3 hour one with Faith, so I had not even worried a bit about the quality of my veins for this one! I thought those veins had finally repaired themselves or something! Alas, this test did not go so well. I ended up with 7 sticks for 4 draws, and I can tell my arms, especially my right one, are going to be a mass of bruises. I'm not really sure what the problem was since people have been able to draw blood from my right arm these past few years. Not today though. Oh well, they got all the blood they needed, and eventually I was able to leave, LOL.
I did enjoy the nice quiet time, though. I read a book by Adriana Trigliani called Very Valentine. It was not bad--not heavy or anything; just the thing to read when you haven't eaten anything but have swallowed a ton of hummingbird feeder nectar. It was about a girl in NY who was carrying on her grandfather's wedding shoe business (making these special shoes by hand). I really am NOT into shoes in any way, shape, or form, so I couldn't really relate, but the author's descriptions were good.
So now I wait for the results. I remember with Faith the doctor didn't call until over a week later--giving me hope that I had passed. I know now not to get my hopes up! I do have an appointment the day before Thanksgiving, so I will know for sure by then, I guess.
In other somewhat related news, I was finally able to schedule an ultrasound for Dec. 3. I'll be almost 22 weeks, and I don't like to have them that late, but oh well. I had called the radiology number on Monday, and I left a message, just like they instructed--name, sponsor's social, good number to reach you, etc. They said they would call back within 48 hours, but that simply did not happen. So I called again Thursday, getting the same message. I eventually just starting calling them every time I thought of it, and FINALLY I got through to a real person who deigned to talk to me, LOL. She said November was all full, and the December schedule wasn't out yet, but she would "reserve" a spot for me Dec. 3 at 10:00. We'll see how that all works out. I'm not really all that trusting of their ability to keep their word!
Friday, October 15, 2010
A Prayer Request
I am planning on taking my 3 hour glucose test next Friday. I actually have to call the lab and schedule it, so hopefully that will work. I am not planning on taking it any earlier, LOL. One reason is that I am not sleeping well at night because people keep waking me up. I know from the last time I had ges. diabetes that not getting a full night's sleep really wreaks havoc with my glucose readings, no matter what I eat or how much I exercise. When kids were sick and I was getting up during the night with them, I could eat turkey breast and salad all day, but still have high readings.
But I have only had one full night's sleep since 2 Sundays ago. Grace has been the culprit most times, including 3 times last night (once at 2:00 because she needed to pee and couldn't get her arms back in her sleeper, another at 4:30 where she did her little cry loudly, cough hard, and throw up trick for the first time in 3 nights, and another time at 6:00 because she had a bad dream and was thirsty). There have been a few other random accidents and other disruptions, however, and it is making for a tired and crabby mom. I am sure I will have absolutely no chance of passing a 3 hour test if I can't have a few good nights of sleep.
So that's my prayer request--that somehow people will stop waking me up! What in the world?! They are all normally such good sleepers, and I don't know why they are choosing now to have problems! It feels like an attack, and I am trying not to take it personally, LOL. I guess I will call Monday to try to schedule the test on Friday if the weekend has gone okay as far as sleeping. And if next week is bad, then I will just try to move the test to the following week. Surely this phase will pass soon. I'm praying that, anyway.
But I have only had one full night's sleep since 2 Sundays ago. Grace has been the culprit most times, including 3 times last night (once at 2:00 because she needed to pee and couldn't get her arms back in her sleeper, another at 4:30 where she did her little cry loudly, cough hard, and throw up trick for the first time in 3 nights, and another time at 6:00 because she had a bad dream and was thirsty). There have been a few other random accidents and other disruptions, however, and it is making for a tired and crabby mom. I am sure I will have absolutely no chance of passing a 3 hour test if I can't have a few good nights of sleep.
So that's my prayer request--that somehow people will stop waking me up! What in the world?! They are all normally such good sleepers, and I don't know why they are choosing now to have problems! It feels like an attack, and I am trying not to take it personally, LOL. I guess I will call Monday to try to schedule the test on Friday if the weekend has gone okay as far as sleeping. And if next week is bad, then I will just try to move the test to the following week. Surely this phase will pass soon. I'm praying that, anyway.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Dietetic Freedom
I must say that I have been enjoying the freedom of no longer having gestational diabetes these past few days! No pricking of the finger, no worrying about when I can eat . . . I had cinnamon toast with breakfast! Fruit with lunch! Two servings of pasta with dinner! It's been so nice!
On the other hand, I can honestly say that I felt better when I was following the diet. I've gotten used to the smaller portion sizes, and more carbs make me feel bloated and heavy. Eating protein with snacks, eating smaller amounts more frequently--it all just made me feel more even-keeled. And I am missing the exercise! Even though it took up an inordinate, non-sustainable amount of time, all the time on the treadmill gave me lots of time to myself just to think and to listen to praise music on the Christian radio station. I am looking forward to starting back again, although NOT 3 times a day!
I have decided that I am going to give myself a week of eating whatever I want. That should help me work through all the birthday/ birth day/ Valentine's day cheesecake, chocolates, candy, and other goodies that have appeared in our house over the past week. Then I am going to start back on a modified gestational diabetes diet. By "modified", I mean that I will enjoy eating dessert at Bible study and other special occasions, and not be so totally anal about every serving size. But in general, my strategy will be less carbs and more protein. I do have to go back and have a 2 hour glucose test done in a few weeks (sometime before my 6 week post-partum appointment), to make sure the diabetes has gone away. Hopefully I won't have any problems with that! It's one thing to go on a diet . . . it's another thing to do all that pricking.
On the other hand, I can honestly say that I felt better when I was following the diet. I've gotten used to the smaller portion sizes, and more carbs make me feel bloated and heavy. Eating protein with snacks, eating smaller amounts more frequently--it all just made me feel more even-keeled. And I am missing the exercise! Even though it took up an inordinate, non-sustainable amount of time, all the time on the treadmill gave me lots of time to myself just to think and to listen to praise music on the Christian radio station. I am looking forward to starting back again, although NOT 3 times a day!
I have decided that I am going to give myself a week of eating whatever I want. That should help me work through all the birthday/ birth day/ Valentine's day cheesecake, chocolates, candy, and other goodies that have appeared in our house over the past week. Then I am going to start back on a modified gestational diabetes diet. By "modified", I mean that I will enjoy eating dessert at Bible study and other special occasions, and not be so totally anal about every serving size. But in general, my strategy will be less carbs and more protein. I do have to go back and have a 2 hour glucose test done in a few weeks (sometime before my 6 week post-partum appointment), to make sure the diabetes has gone away. Hopefully I won't have any problems with that! It's one thing to go on a diet . . . it's another thing to do all that pricking.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Diabetes Update
Well, I think I am settling into more of a routine and getting more comfortable with the whole thing. My numbers have been great. My highest was 114 after dinner the first night I checked. Yesterday we had our annual neighborhood Christmas party at our next door neighbor's house. He always puts on a nice spread, but I was very careful to eat mainly protein choices and veggies, but i did have some sugared almonds for dessert. My number after dinner was 106. Then today we had our monthly fellowship meal after church. I followed the same plan--half a piece of chicken breast, a few bites of 3-bean chili, salad, and green bean casserole, with a brownie for dessert--and my number was 101. Yay! Of course, as soon as we got home from both these events, I jumped on the treadmill, which brings me to the exercise part of my regimen.
I have been exercising at least twice a day. Most days I do my big workout on the treadmill in the mornings (at least 40 minutes), although some days I will do a pregnancy workout video. Then after lunch I either do my pregnancy pilates video, or I walk another 20-30 minutes, but this time at a more leisurely stroll. Sometimes we swim after dinner, although it's not like I'm swimming laps, just splashing around the pool with the kids. But I'm still active. Now you might be wondering when in the world I am fitting in over 1 hour of exercise a day. It has become a temporary high priority, so there are things that are not getting done, that's for sure. I'm glad this is December, when I don't have high expectations for doing tons of extra schoolwork, for example. Nathan and Luke are doing math, grammar, and Latin daily, and we are listening to Story of the World CDs in the car. Sometimes we do spelling and memory work, but not always. Caleb and Jonathan get fitted in, but not as regularly as they were. It's funny though--having a little bit of a breather for Jonathan in reading has helped him, and he's become a lot more confident.
With all this exercise, I am burning over 300 extra calories a day. Now remember, the dietician put me on a 1800 calorie/day diet because I was 10-15 pounds overweight when I got pregnant. Well, the first few days of that, I was starving! I think Carri is right--it's just not enough calories, especially with all the exercise. So I took it upon myself to increase my protein. Instead of the "6 almonds" that would be a protein serving for a snack, for example, I would eat a handful. Or have an extra spoonful of peanut butter, or a little more meat at dinner. That has helped. I'm also drinking a ton of milk, which is helping me feel full. Of course, with all this milk and peanut butter, I worry about allergies . . . and this will be an odd-numbered baby, which for us tend to be the allergic ones . . . but oh well, what can you do. I can't deal with anything else right now. I may switch to sunflower seed butter, but I'm not switching to rice or soy milk.
I am thinking that if I keep on this diet after I have the baby, the baby weight (plus the extra 13 pounds!) should melt away! That is a happy thought. But then I wonder if I would be able to keep up my milk supply . . . I guess we'll see. I know I won't be able to keep up this exercise schedule! At some point, real life (and a nursing baby!) will have to take priority!
So now we are preparing to go to my parents' house for Christmas. We'll see how I do with the diet and exercise there. I have an appointment with the doctor on Wednesday, before we leave on Thursday.
I have been exercising at least twice a day. Most days I do my big workout on the treadmill in the mornings (at least 40 minutes), although some days I will do a pregnancy workout video. Then after lunch I either do my pregnancy pilates video, or I walk another 20-30 minutes, but this time at a more leisurely stroll. Sometimes we swim after dinner, although it's not like I'm swimming laps, just splashing around the pool with the kids. But I'm still active. Now you might be wondering when in the world I am fitting in over 1 hour of exercise a day. It has become a temporary high priority, so there are things that are not getting done, that's for sure. I'm glad this is December, when I don't have high expectations for doing tons of extra schoolwork, for example. Nathan and Luke are doing math, grammar, and Latin daily, and we are listening to Story of the World CDs in the car. Sometimes we do spelling and memory work, but not always. Caleb and Jonathan get fitted in, but not as regularly as they were. It's funny though--having a little bit of a breather for Jonathan in reading has helped him, and he's become a lot more confident.
With all this exercise, I am burning over 300 extra calories a day. Now remember, the dietician put me on a 1800 calorie/day diet because I was 10-15 pounds overweight when I got pregnant. Well, the first few days of that, I was starving! I think Carri is right--it's just not enough calories, especially with all the exercise. So I took it upon myself to increase my protein. Instead of the "6 almonds" that would be a protein serving for a snack, for example, I would eat a handful. Or have an extra spoonful of peanut butter, or a little more meat at dinner. That has helped. I'm also drinking a ton of milk, which is helping me feel full. Of course, with all this milk and peanut butter, I worry about allergies . . . and this will be an odd-numbered baby, which for us tend to be the allergic ones . . . but oh well, what can you do. I can't deal with anything else right now. I may switch to sunflower seed butter, but I'm not switching to rice or soy milk.
I am thinking that if I keep on this diet after I have the baby, the baby weight (plus the extra 13 pounds!) should melt away! That is a happy thought. But then I wonder if I would be able to keep up my milk supply . . . I guess we'll see. I know I won't be able to keep up this exercise schedule! At some point, real life (and a nursing baby!) will have to take priority!
So now we are preparing to go to my parents' house for Christmas. We'll see how I do with the diet and exercise there. I have an appointment with the doctor on Wednesday, before we leave on Thursday.
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