August 13, 2009

Pregnancy Update 11

Hi all!

So I went to another MW appt. I am not very thrilled with some of the results of the appointment... but I will get to that in a bit.

My gestational age is 32wk and 2 days at the time of the appointment. I have lost another pound since my last appointment 2 weeks ago. My urine is negative for both protein and glucose. My Blood pressure is AWESOME at 110/64. We got a good listen to our little baby's heart rate. It was just clipping along at about 140 beats per minute. Then the MW measured my fundus height and it was 35 cm. This is a growth of 2 cm in 2 weeks which is right on target. Baby is growing as he should be and all seems to be well. Oh and baby is head down still! Which is awesome news!

A week or so ago I was having more "practice" contractions than I thought was necessary. So my MW wanted to make sure I did not have a bladder or UTI infection. Sometimes these type of infections can cause contractions and cramping. So I went to my regular Drs office and had my urine tested. It is clear and fine. So my MW decided she should come and check my cervix to make sure I am not making changes to my cervix. She came by my house and checked me. My cervix is long and closed and firm. After checking that my MW thinks that my contractions are probably a combination of dehydration and the heat. Also they could be that this is my 4th baby and my uterus needs extra "practice" contractions to keep it *tone* for giving birth. LOL! At any rate I was instructed to drink more water and keep cool. Also the MW instructed me to take a vitamin suppliment called Magneseium. Mag is a smooth muscle relaxer, so it will help my uterus relax and not be so cranky. The good news is that the Mag and more water has helped keep the contractions to a minimum.

I also had my Glucose tolerance test (GTT) done. Basically that means that I fast overnight, first thing in the morning dink the Glucose drink, and then 1 hr later the MW draws my blood to see how my blood sugar levels are. It is a screening test to see if I have Gestational Dibetes (GD). I was slightly worried because the drink made me really sick and I felt weak and shaky. Today I called the MW to get my test results from the GTT and she sadly told me I "failed" the test. The blood sugar level should be 130 or under. Mine was 154. YUCK!

So I have 2 options at this point to determine if I actually have GD.

Option 1 - Take the 3hr GTT. Which involves fasting drinking the drink again and getting blood drawn at 1 -2 and 3 hr marks. If 2 of the 3 blood sugar levels are high that gives me a "fail" and a diagnosis of GD.

Option 2 - is to try to get "Real life" blood sugar readings. I would get a glucose meter and test my blood sugars 4 x per day. Once first thing in the morning, and then I would test 2 hrs after each meal, breakfast lunch dinner. These would give "real life" blood sugar levels instead of a "glucose overload" like the GTT is. MW would look at my readings and determine if my levels indicate GD or not.

So I have decided to do Option 2. Even though it is more finger pokes, at least it is "real life" eating and not a sugary drink that makes me very sick. I think Option 2 is actually more of an acurrate representation of what my body is doing as far as sugar levels.

The other issue of course is that I have already been previously diagnosed with Insulin Resistance related to my PCOS. I am on Metformin to help my body process glucose more easily. At this point I take my Metformin all at once. 3 500mg tablets for a total of 1500 mg at one time. And because of the intestinal problems it has given me I also take it at night. This method has worked to maintain my PCOS issues and I ws able to concieve and stay pregnant, but at this point perhaps I need to change that. So I have a call into my Endocrinologist Dr that has been managing my PCOS and insulin resistance as well as my thyroid to ask if I should instead take 1 500mg pill with EACH MEAL instead of all at once in one 1500 mg dose. His nurse called me back today and said Dr will review results and call me back tomorrow with an answer.

So at this point I am in a holding pattern waiting to see what my Endo Dr has to say and also whether my Ins will cover a glucose meter and how I go about getting one. I doubt these issues will be figured out until beginning of next week.

So until such time as I have an answer, I think I will just cut back on my carbs and re-read my "insulin resistance diet" book and reacquaint myself with the linking and balancing of foods it teaches. Since this is healthy for me regardless of whether I have GD or not and it IS the diet I will be put on if I do have GD I figure I should just go back on it. I should probably just commit to the "diet" as a new lifestyle of eating for life. Having Insulin resistance and GD puts me at a HUGE risk to develope full blown dibetes later in life.

Sigh. Sometimes it really sucks to be a grown up.

So on a lighter note.... I got my hair cut and colored today! You can see pictures of before and after here.

Also it is time for the latest in my belly pictures. I have also had 2 belly paintings done but I will post those tomorrow maybe. It is late and I am tired. So here are the 32 week belly pictures!
you can also see the week by week comparison on the right side bar>>>>>>>>.

32 weeks pregnant

No comments: