32 Weeks

It has been a rough weekend.  I think my hormones have finally kicked in or something.  I've cried a lot the past two days.  I had a mini argument with my mom after she insulted me; someone I was in love with got married yesterday; I have mixed feelings about SD2; I am having a hard time with the diabetes.  It all built up and came crashing down. I spent much of the day in bed playing on my phone and trying to nap, hoping to relax and lower my stress level.  Now it's Sunday night and the start of the work week.  I hope I'm feeling alright tomorrow.

Last week I rearranged Montana's room and helped her clean it and sort her toys, then later that same night SD2 came over.  Around midnight when I settled in bed I started having contractions--real contractions, not just Braxton Hicks.  They were sporadic, some five minutes apart, some less often, and lasted about three hours.  I didn't worry too much about it because I wasn't spotting and it didn't last all night, but it was very  uncomfortable.  Since then I've only had Braxton Hicks, so I hope the real ones stay away at least another month.

I had my first appointment with the diabetes doctor during the week, and it went well.  I saw a nurse, a student doctor, and then who will now be my regular GD doctor, and they all said I did fantastic.  My numbers were on target, except two high readings, so they were pleased.  Since then I have had a few high readings that I can't explain, so I'm not sure what will happen at my next appointment.  They did say, however, that as the baby grows my readings may also increase.

I bought the baby's dresser this weekend.  What a pain in the ass that thing was!  I spent four hours putting it together.  I was very frustrated, but it is finished.  I bought some Pooh Bear stickers to decorate it since it is just a plain brown dresser, so it looks pretty cute!  Here is the finished product:

There are stickers on the sides and top as well, and since I still had some leftover I added them to the wall behind the crib.  My room is very Winnie-the-Pooh now!  My mom surprised me yesterday with some cute clothes, a Pooh stuffy, a Pooh sleeper, and a Pooh towel plus cloths.  Everything is washed and in the dresser.  I'm basically ready for this baby now! 


This week I will see Dr. J., start packing my hospital bag (Nemo's is done) and that's about it. 

Symptoms:

• Emotional/depressed
• Braxton Hicks
• Contractions
• Leg cramps
• Acne
• Back ache
• Belly button is ready to pop

Glucose Averages:

1. Before breakfast (Target <5.3) : 4.7
2. Before lunch (Target < 5.3) : 4.12
3. Before dinner (Target < 5.3) : 4.16
4. After dinner (Target < 7.8) : 7.37

31 Weeks

Single digit countdown baby!! Only nine weeks to go!  It's really hitting me now, I get teary once in a while just thinking how close it is!

I had an appointment this week with Dr. J., and it was pretty neat; she had a student doctor come in to see me first, and she handed the Doppler to Montana and let her find the heartbeat!  She found it right away, it was really amazing.  The heart rate was 145 bpm.  Dr. J. came in and measured the fundal height, which was 33-34 cm, so I'm still measuring 2-3 weeks ahead.  I haven't gained any weight in the past two weeks, which is pretty crazy to me!  I have definitely grown, both fundally (is that a word?) and waist-wise, but I just haven't packed on any pounds lately.  The total for 30 weeks is 12 pounds--wow!

I also had an appointment at the diabetes clinic, and it went better than I expected.  It was 2.5 hours long, and I took Montana with me, so she learned a lot!  I met with a nurse/dietician first to give her all my information, get weighed on their scale, let me know what the class would be about.  Then was the class.  We learned what gestational diabetes is, how it effects us, what will happen after birth (hopefully the diabetes disappears.)  I was given a diabetes "pack," it has the meter, testing strips, and needles.  We did a practice poke, which didn't hurt the way I thought it would!  I have to test four times a day, and I also have to test my urine in the morning to make sure my bedtime snack was enough to feed baby.  We were given a booklet with meal ideas, good/bad foods, and guidelines on how many carbohydrates to eat per meal.  At the end of each week I need to average out my sugar levels, so I will include that in each blog.  This week the average will only be from Thursday to Sunday, and next weekend I will redo it to include the weekdays.

Montana and I had to skip swimming this week because I did some cleaning and had steady Braxton Hicks for a few hours, so I didn't want to take the chance that they would increase.  I'm hoping to go swimming this week.

SD2 came over, and I told him I am just a few weeks away from giving birth now (I don't think I'll be 'in the mood' much at the end) and was hoping to meet twice a week, so we'll see.

Tonight we had my birthday dinner, which worried me when it came to checking my sugars, but even with the (diabetes-friendly) cake, everything was perfect!  That was a relief.  The family gave me gifts which included maternity clothes (yay!!!)  and a couple baby gowns.  They are so cute!  I can't wait to have Nemo here to wear them.

This week I have another appointment at the diabetes clinic to look over my menu for the past week, and my sugar levels.  I will be weighed also to make sure I didn't lose any weight on the new diet.  I'll have these appointments probably every two weeks, so it'll be a busy summer for sure.

Symptoms:

• Acne (back with a vengeance)
• Braxton Hicks
• Contractions/cramps
• Backache
• Easily tired
• Baby movement is starting to hurt!
• Belly button is flat
• Frequent urination (try 24/7)

Cravings:

• Pop
• Coffee

Glucose Averages:

1. Before breakfast (Target <5.3) : 4.35
2. Before lunch (Target < 5.3) :  4.1
3. Before dinner (Target < 5.3) : 3.73
4. After dinner (Target < 7.8) : 7.1

30 Weeks

The good news:  I've made it to 30 weeks!  This was a goal for me because I am on a message board where it seems so many babies have decided to come early.  I wanted to make it to 30 weeks at the very least, so now I can relax--but hopefully Nemo will wait another six weeks or more to come.

The bad news:  I have gestational diabetes.  I got a call from my doctor's office--on my birthday of all days!--to let me know I needed to come in as soon as possible because my sugars were really high.  I was pretty worried after that phone call, and it put a damper on my day.  I celebrated anyway, and had lunch and cake at work one last time.  I'm 30 now!

I went to the doctor the next day, and found out that I'm actually only borderline diabetic.  My chart looked like this:

Sugars must be < 5.1 :  Patient is 5.1
Sugars must be < 8.5 :  Patient is 8.5

There was another sugar level, but I cannot remember what it was.

So it's not as serious as I thought after the phone call, but because I'm on the border I have to go to a diabetes clinic this week and next.  Dr. J. gave me a list of foods to avoid, and sample meals, but it's too hard to follow without specifics, so I'm just cutting down on what I eat and cutting out the major things like cake, ice cream, etc. 

Also on my birthday, Montana became a big sister for the second time, this time to a girl.  So she now has an almost-three-year-old brother, and a newborn sister.  I admit I'm having a hard time dealing with it, because her dad gave her her very first sibling, her first brother, and now her first sister.  It may be silly, but it is what it is.  Nemo will be the tie breaker. 

I am starting to get the unbearable leg cramps that come with the third trimester.  I remember them clearly with Montana, but I think this time it is worse.  My leg is still sore after two days, which makes it hard to walk, get up from the couch, etc.  Like it isn't hard enough already! 

Nemo seems to be moving less these days, as s/he runs out of room, which is easier on me, but when s/he does stretch--yowzah!  It is starting to become painful and uncomfortable, this baby is quite big.  I am hoping with diet I can keep it from growing too large.  My belly is huge, much bigger than last time.  When I take a picture again I will post the comparison here.

I am going to the bathroom even more these days, which can be blamed on the diabetes.  No fun! 

This week I have my regular OB appointment with Dr. J., and then a two-and-a-half hour appointment with the diabetes clinic.  I cannot wait until this baby comes!

Symptoms:

• Frequent urination
• Increased discharge
• Leg cramps
• Braxton Hicks
• Acne
• Vivid dreams
• Back ache
• Increased colostrum
• Darker areolas/nipples

Cravings:

• Fruit
• Pop

29 Weeks

Well, it was another stressful week.  I went to the doctor on Thursday, and found out that I failed my gestational diabetes one hour test.  I had a feeling I might, so it wasn't a huge surprise, but it was a huge disappointment.  I now have to go for a two hour test, after fasting for eight hours.  To me, that is a nightmare.  If I don't eat, the tech can't find a vein, which leads to poking, and wooziness, sickness, torture.  For this test, they will be poking me three times:  As soon as I get there, one hour after the drink, and two hours after the drink.  I am scared.

I decided to go Saturday to get it over with, and it was a disaster.  I went to the lab closest to me, the same one I went to for my one hour test, and it was packed--no surprise, it always is.  I took a number, and sat for over half an hour before my number was called.  I went to the counter to give my requisition, and the man said, "Oh, we can't do this today, we close at 2:00."  At this point it was about 12:20.  I told him I'd hadn't eaten in 12 hours, and that I'd been waiting for over half an hour, and now I had to go home?  He was unsympathetic.  I wanted to throw something at him.  I didn't have a choice, I had to leave, so I cried all the way home.  Being without food, and the stress just got to me.  I've decided to go Monday to MY lab, which is at my doctor's office, and is never busy.  They know me there, I'll be more relaxed.  I'll miss work, but I am not going back to the other lab just because they're open on weekends.  So that is tomorrow, and of course I'm nervous again, although not as much knowing it'll be at my regular lab.

Also at the doctor, I found out that my uterus has grown one cm, and I have gained one pound, since my appointment two weeks prior.  Not bad!!  I'm still measuring three weeks ahead, but maybe I'm catching up to uterine size.  The heart rate was 156 bpm, quite high for this baby!  Dr. J. had been pushing and prodding before checking the heart, so Nemo was a bit excited.  She was teaching a student doctor how to find the baby's head and back.

Nemo is feeling more alien-like these days, I often have a big foot sticking out at my belly button, and then the baby drags it across the top of my uterus--it's so weird!!

I have been feeling more and more pregnant in the past week or so; my belly feels very large, and my sides feel about to split because I'm not big enough to support the sides, so I often lay down.  I'm worried about the rest of the pregnancy, if I am this large already.  In the last couple weeks I've grown 1.5 inches around.  I'm having a hard time standing, walking, and sitting.  I'm hoping the growth will slow down a bit now.  It is getting harder to work, so that worries me too, as I need enough hours to qualify for maternity leave.

I took Montana swimming again, and it was just as wonderful as the first time.  I so look forward to getting in the water, and wish I could stay forever!  Look at this picture:

Doesn't that look like Heaven?  I can't wait until it's time to go again this week!

This week I'll be going for my two hour test, as I mentioned, and my birthday is in a few days.  I'll be 30--eek!  So, it will be an interesting week!

Symptoms:

• Sore sides/belly ache
• Backache
• Headaches
• Overheating
• Acne--especially on my lower back
• Difficulty walking and standing
• Emotional
• Healthy sex drive, as always!
• Baby movement
• Braxton Hicks
• Pink tinged cm after going to the washroom

Cravings:

• Fruit
• Nachos

28 Weeks

Well, hello, third trimester!  I have been anxiously awaiting you!  I am now in the home stretch, with just twelve weeks to go!

I have had a tiring week.  I didn't sleep well between waking to pee every half hour and fighting the cats to stay out of the crib.  SD2 came over Tuesday night, which was amazing, of course, but once I settled down to sleep I started having menstrual cramps in my back, and Braxton Hicks in my front.  I managed to sleep through it, and the next day the cramps were better, but I still had BH frequently.  I took it easy at work, and drank lots of water.

 My female cat, Bear, hasn't been sleeping in my room lately, she is only interested in running outside.  I forced her to come to bed Wednesday night, and she went right to the crib.  I sprayed her with water, and she ran away.  I awoke at 5 a.m. to her throwing up, which is normal for her.  However, I realized that she was in the crib throwing up.  She managed to throw up all over Montana's new Build-a-Bear, which was wearing baby clothes, and also got a bit of the car seat.  I was livid.  Bear survived, lucky for her, but I do not want her in there anymore.

Thursday night I took Montana swimming, and that was incredible.  It felt amazing on my belly, and my whole body.  It relaxed me beyond belief--I have never felt so relaxed.  I slept wonderfully that night, and into the afternoon.  I think I will be doing that often!

Friday afternoon, after I finally got out of bed after my swim-coma, and went for my gestational diabetes test.  Yuck!  They took two vials right off the bat, then I had to drink the torturous sugar-filled gag-inducer, wait an hour, and then they took one more vial.  I am praying I pass, because I do not want to do that again!

The weekend has been good, still having BH but nothing serious.  Nemo is starting to stick out feet when I have my hands resting on my belly, which is amusing!  Baby is getting very strong.  I just hope s/he stays in another couple months!

Symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Very frequent urination
• Menstrual cramps
• Braxton Hicks
• Low energy
• Backache
• Increased breast leaking

Cravings:

• Pop
• Fruit