Well, that should bring you up-to-speed on this pregnancy as it stands today. There are a few things I wanted to touch on that didn’t really fit into the previous posts, so here they are now:
Cravings:
I have been SO LUCKY with cravings – especially considering my diabetes! My biggest cravings have been protein (especially salmon and eggs) and fruit (especially apples)! I do crave salt from time to time, and chocolate of course (but that was a pre-pregnancy craving too), but it’s this healthy stuff that really makes my mouth water! This has been especially good as I was trying to get my A1C back down and my bloodsugar back under control, and now when I’m trying to maintain that control!
Doctors’ Appointments:
Obviously pregnancy involves a lot of doctors’ appointments. So does diabetes. As can be expected, pregnancy PLUS diabetes, involves a LOT of appointments! This is my pregnancy-related roster of health-care professionals:
1. Family doctor: I saw him to get the initial pregnancy test, but then he passed me off to the OB and said he doesn’t need to see me about anything else pregnancy-related.
2. OB: I see him once a month for now – but will see him more frequently later in the pregnancy.
3. Ultrasounds: My first one was at week 19. Starting at week 24 I will be having “regular” fetal assessments. I don’t know exactly what they mean by “regular” yet.
4. Endocrinologist: I see her once a month for now, but in another couple of months I will start to see her every 2 weeks, and then every week when I get closer to the end of the pregnancy.
5. Certified Diabetes Educator (i.e. Michelle): I have been seeing her once a month too, but this is actually sort of on an “as-needed” basis. We communicate a lot via email too and she’s great at helping me problem-solve as I adjust to my changing insulin needs.
6. Dietician: I’ve only seen her once so far. Because she was happy with my diet I likely won’t go back unless I have concerns at some point. If she wasn’t happy with my diet, I’d be going back more frequently.
7. Ophthalmologist: I see him once every trimester. In 2007 I was diagnosed with, and treated for, proliferative retinopathy in both eyes, so he wants to keep a close eye on me (pardon the pun). The same growth hormones that run rampant in my body to help the baby grow can also cause vascular growth in my eyes, which is NOT what we want. So far so good, though! No changes noted!
8. Registered Massage Therapist: I see her every two weeks to help me deal with the aches and pains that come with my changing body, including my lower back and my knees (as well as a chronic shoulder problem that goes back well before my pregnancy).
Thankfully my boss is VERY understanding about all my appointments as a good number of them happen on work hours! Also, most of them are within a 3-block radius of my office building, so that makes the appointments nice and quick!
The Pump and the CGMS:
I won’t go on and on here, but I just wanted to reiterate how much of a help the pump and CGMS have been for me during the pregnancy. I am positive that I would not have been able to maintain the tight control that is required during pregnancy if I wasn’t on the pump/CGMS. That doesn’t mean that this is necessarily the “only way” for all pregnant women, but for me…I wouldn’t consider going back. There are adjustments to make between pre-pregnancy pumping and pregnancy pumping (e.g. I had to change the type of infusion set I was using, and I’ll have to work with some alternate sites eventually to keep my abdomen clear in case I need a C-Section), but in all it was a pretty easy transition to make, and well worth it.
Baby Stuff:
Totally non-diabetes related, but I just wanted to say how much fun I’m having accumulating baby stuff! It’s not cheap, so the more you can get used, the better. We were able to buy a number of things used, and we’re getting some used items for free! The rest we’ve bought on some really good sales! Our basements is now full of stuff that’s just waiting to be used – crib, high chair, swing, stroller, jolly jumper, etc., etc. So much fun!
Being Pregnant:
In spite of some of the frustrations (e.g. nausea, bloodsugar gymnastics, etc.), I LOVE being pregnant! It is such an amazing experience! To know that there is a little human growing inside of me, and totally dependant on me, is really something else! I can hardly wait to meet my little one!
And that’s all for now! I will do my best to update this blog on a regular basis. In the meantime, as I said in my initial post, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have (either through comments on the blog or through the email address in my profile)! Even if you have personal questions – give me a try, I might surprise you. If I’m not comfortable answering, I’ll let you know but I won’t hold it against you! I understand that diabetes and pregnancy is a tricky and sensitive subject, and if I can help clarify anything for anyone…especially to put your mind at ease about something…then I really want to be able to do that!
More soon!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
WEEK 20 - MEETING THE DOULA AND FEELING THE BABY MOVE!
During week 20 we met with our doula for the first time. She is very nice and gave us a lot of good information. We'll have 2-3 more meetings with her yet before the baby is born. It's great to be able to ask her diabetes-related questions (remember, she's Type 1 diabetic too). I feel GREAT about working with her!
Also during week 20 I was finally quite sure that I was feeling the baby move! He/she tends to be active in the early afternoon and in the later evening (just before I go to bed). I’m looking forward to being able to feel these movements even more!
Also during week 20 I was finally quite sure that I was feeling the baby move! He/she tends to be active in the early afternoon and in the later evening (just before I go to bed). I’m looking forward to being able to feel these movements even more!
WEEK 19 - FIRST ULTRASOUND!
This was Ultrasound Week! Yay! We got to see the baby and it was amazing! He/she is a very active baby, and I think I will be feeling a LOT of movement once I can really start to feel it! The baby was kicking and flailing and turning and moving his/her head so much that the technician had some trouble taking all the measurements she needed to! (We may have our hands full when our active baby joins us "on the outside".)
Our technician was excellent and very friendly. She was so nice and answered all our questions and took us on a little baby-tour. We got to see him/her from all angles, and she pointed out his/her organs to us, and even his/her little beating heart (you can see all four ventricles pumping)! Technology is truly amazing!
We weren't able to talk to a doctor about the results when we were there, but the technician assured us that one of the doctors there would be reviewing the results when we were gone and that the results would also be sent to my OB. She did mention, however, that the baby was measuring a bit small. She said the measurements were consistent with a baby of about 17 weeks, not 19 weeks. So...we may be a bit off on the conception date (and, as a result, the due date). We were really pretty sure about the date, but there's always a chance that we're wrong.
I also had an appointment with my endocrinologist this week and spoke with her about the effect of diabetes on the size of the baby. She said that, while diabetics' babies tend to be bigger, some can be smaller too...but that the unusually small ones are typically those belonging to diabetics who are smokers (which I am not) or who have very bad control (which I do not). She really didn't seem to think the size was a diabetes issue, nor did she seem to think it was anything to be concerned about. She said she thinks everything's going well from a diabetes perspective and she's happy with my control (of course with constant "tweaking" necessary as the pregnancy changes my insulin needs).
I also had an appointment with my endocrinologist this week and spoke with her about the effect of diabetes on the size of the baby. She said that, while diabetics' babies tend to be bigger, some can be smaller too...but that the unusually small ones are typically those belonging to diabetics who are smokers (which I am not) or who have very bad control (which I do not). She really didn't seem to think the size was a diabetes issue, nor did she seem to think it was anything to be concerned about. She said she thinks everything's going well from a diabetes perspective and she's happy with my control (of course with constant "tweaking" necessary as the pregnancy changes my insulin needs).
Here’s my 20-week picture! Look! I look pregnant!!!!!
WEEK 18 - ACHES AND PAINS, MATERNITY CLOTHES, AND BACK TO THE OB
During week 18 I was able to further reduce my Diclectin for nausea. Unfortunately it was around this time that my lower back also started to get a bit sore and my knee swelled up for some unknown reason (most likely related to my joints loosening with the pregnancy). This made it even more difficult to get exercise than previously.
This was the week where I stopped trying to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes and went out and bought some maternity clothes. I was pretty impressed with Motherhood Maternity. I was able to get some nice clothes there at VERY reasonable prices! Maternity clothes today are NOT like your mother’s maternity clothes…they’re pretty cute! And I have to say – they’re also pretty comfortable. I’ve warned my family not to be surprised if I wear maternity pants to Christmas dinner next year! :)
During this week I had my second appointment with my OB. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat again, which was great :) We also found out that, during my regular fetal assessments starting around week 24, we will find out the gender of the baby (which we have wanted to know). Other than that, there was nothing significant that came out of this appointment. Everything was progressing as it should be!
This was the week where I stopped trying to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes and went out and bought some maternity clothes. I was pretty impressed with Motherhood Maternity. I was able to get some nice clothes there at VERY reasonable prices! Maternity clothes today are NOT like your mother’s maternity clothes…they’re pretty cute! And I have to say – they’re also pretty comfortable. I’ve warned my family not to be surprised if I wear maternity pants to Christmas dinner next year! :)
During this week I had my second appointment with my OB. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat again, which was great :) We also found out that, during my regular fetal assessments starting around week 24, we will find out the gender of the baby (which we have wanted to know). Other than that, there was nothing significant that came out of this appointment. Everything was progressing as it should be!
WEEK 16 - CHRISTMAS!
The holiday season was great! I was feeling really good (for the most part) and much more energetic than in the 1st trimester. My appetite was rather...hearty...which is good right around Christmas, I guess. :) I finally started gaining weight, and while on Christmas break, I "popped" and started looking quite pregnant! Managing my bloodsugar was a challenge (as being diabetic at Christmas always is), but with a lot of monitoring, lots of bolusing for food, and lots of compensating for exercise (even a walk in the snow drops my bloodsugar a LOT more now than it did pre-pregnancy), I made it through relatively unscathed! My husband and I definitely enjoyed our last Christmas with no baby, but are REALLY looking forward to next Christmas with a new baby! So exciting!
During this week I also tried pre-natal yoga. Keeping active has been a bit of a challenge for me because I had such low energy-levels during the first part of the pregnancy, and so little time between my work schedule and my increased sleep schedule! I enjoyed the yoga, but found it a bit hard to adjust to compared to the yoga I’m used to. (There are a lot of variations in poses to keep both me and the baby safe and comfortable.) Walking has been the best exercise for me for the most part (when it hasn’t been too cold out). Many women find that they can keep quite active during pregnancy if they’ve been active before they get pregnant, but some (like me), do find their energy levels greatly reduced, particularly during the 1st trimester. (Plus, I generally find it much more difficult to be active in winter than in summer, so that’s not helping either.) The best advice is to do what you can…and the further I get in my pregnancy, the more I find I’m able to do.
During this week I also tried pre-natal yoga. Keeping active has been a bit of a challenge for me because I had such low energy-levels during the first part of the pregnancy, and so little time between my work schedule and my increased sleep schedule! I enjoyed the yoga, but found it a bit hard to adjust to compared to the yoga I’m used to. (There are a lot of variations in poses to keep both me and the baby safe and comfortable.) Walking has been the best exercise for me for the most part (when it hasn’t been too cold out). Many women find that they can keep quite active during pregnancy if they’ve been active before they get pregnant, but some (like me), do find their energy levels greatly reduced, particularly during the 1st trimester. (Plus, I generally find it much more difficult to be active in winter than in summer, so that’s not helping either.) The best advice is to do what you can…and the further I get in my pregnancy, the more I find I’m able to do.
WEEK 15 - MORE APPOINTMENTS
Week 15 was fairly uneventful. I saw my endocrinologist during this week, as well as my CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator – or Michelle, as some of you know her). My A1C had come down significantly since my last appointment a month ago, which was really good to see. At this point my bloodsugars were also starting to drop, though. The high trends of the 1st trimester became low trends of the 2nd trimester. This, oddly, is the reverse of what most women experience, which just goes to show that pregnancy does NOT affect all diabetics the same way! There are no hard and fast rules about what to expect – it’s all about close monitoring and being flexible about making changes when they’re needed.
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