Ah, the third trimester, finally! I've been looking forward to being here for so long! I can feel baby kicks throughout the day and know that we'll get to meet our sweet baby girl soon enough! Of course, the rush of hormones, emotions, and lack of sleep make for some fun times around here, but I wouldn't change it at all.
I've been a little quiet here for a week or so because I've been trying my best to process everything. Of course, we all know that I'm considered high-risk and I've been seeing the MFM since the beginning. I was recently diagnosed with gestational diabetes again and I'm on insulin four times per day. In addition to that news, we went in for a regular cervical check and to see if they could get all of the pictures of our baby that they weren't able to get the last time. As the tech was measuring, we noticed that she was still measuring a little behind. No big deal, right?
When the doctor came in they explained that not only is she measuring small (25th%), but her abdominal circumference has dropped in the last three weeks. Umm, what?! We knew it was measuring smaller than the rest of her so I upped my protein and we prayed. He told us it went from being 9th% three weeks ago to <5th baby="" better="" concerning.="" get="" growing="" i="" is="" need="" p="" this="" time...which="" to="" told.="" was="" we="" what="">
Basically it comes down to a few possibilities with the first being since my GD numbers were a little high, maybe that's the cause for lack of growth. Simple fix...up the insulin and monitor my numbers carefully. It could also be placental failure in general that may or may not be related to GD. It happens sometimes and you're monitored closely until delivery. The third option is that because I had a previous pregnancy where he measured small, it could be genetic. In this case, they still monitor, but they're less concerned overall since we have seen a healthy baby as a result.
In addition to the small baby news, we were told that my cervix is measuring short and funneling when stressed which is not good at this point. They have me taking progesterone suppositories as well as doing FFN tests for preterm labor at every appointment to see if I'm going to need steroid shots to boost her lungs in case she does come too early.
As you can see, it's been a heck of a week! We've been trying to process all of it the best we can knowing that we can deliver early if she's not picking up her growth or I go into preterm labor. I know the goal is 34-37 weeks right now, but we won't have more answers until our next appointment on June 5th.
It's been exhausting on my end and I'm now having to add in 60g of protein every day to try to get her growth up. Fortunately, he has me drink two protein shakes per day for that, but it's all been a little crazy over here!
Praying that our little girl makes it to full term and is healthy with no complications. We're doing everything we can over here so it's up to God at this point.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Monday, May 11, 2015
Weekly To-Do List
Here's my list (one day late) for this week and last week's list and how I did.
Last Week
-Clean the floors. Pretty sure I did this Monday of last week. I also vacuumed and swept another day as well, but didn't get around to mopping again.
-Clean the bathrooms. I did the tub, shower, mirrors in both bathrooms and the vanity in another as well. Toilets still need to be done.
-Wipe kitchen countertops and dining room table. Monday!
-Put away the clean laundry. My mil and husband helped with this, but it's all put away except for one towel load and one blanket load which I plan on doing this morning.
-Make the bed at least 2 times. I think I made the bed almost every day last week! My husband does weekend duty, but I know I did more than 2 days!
-Do 1 load of laundry start to finish each day. Since we were SO behind on laundry, I enlisted my mil to help get us caught up so last Thursday we tackled everything except for a load of clothes, towels, and blankets (which we did this weekend)! And yesterday we started the 1 load of laundry start to finish so we shouldn't get so far behind.
This Week
-Keep up with laundry.
-Clean floors.
-Start prepping baby girl's clothes. (I want to have everything done by mid-June)
-Call insurance company (Ugh. I hate doing that, but it has to be done and I've been calling them a lot lately).
-Work on puzzles with Matthew.
Last Week
-Clean the bathrooms. I did the tub, shower, mirrors in both bathrooms and the vanity in another as well. Toilets still need to be done.
-
-
-
-
This Week
-Keep up with laundry.
-Clean floors.
-Start prepping baby girl's clothes. (I want to have everything done by mid-June)
-Call insurance company (Ugh. I hate doing that, but it has to be done and I've been calling them a lot lately).
-Work on puzzles with Matthew.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Gestational Diabetes Take 2!
Last pregnancy, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes (GD) at the end of my second trimester. I wasn't really all that shock, but I was in denial. After all, I have PCOS which causes some insulin resistance so I was already at a higher risk. Then add in the fact that I am heavier than ideal and you have a recipe for GD.
With my history of GD from the last pregnancy, they were super cautious this time around. My A1c was "borderline" and just .1 above normal range! I had brought it down through diet and exercise quite a few points right before we found out we were pregnant so I was thrilled! They immediately sent me over to the MFM and had me talk to the diabetic educator. I was told to check my numbers 4x/day for two weeks and email them weekly to her. She would go over it and see how they looked.
At first I was super disappointed. Seriously? I'm not even out of my first trimester and I'm already having to count carbs/protein and do finger pricks all day...WHY?! I can be slightly dramatic at times, but it is what it is. I ordered a new meter through my insurance company and started testing. I was a little upset to learn that their values are even more strict than my last MFM. Don't they know it's hard enough to control your blood sugars if you have an issue? Oh well, I tested and my numbers came back well in range!
Since I had been doing so well, they decided to let me check just twice per day! When those numbers continued to be in range, they had me just check my fastings every other day until they determined I no longer needed to be monitored. I was SO excited! I stopped checking and was told my OB would do a 1 hour glucose test at the normal time and we'd go from there.
I decided to do some "spot checks" with my fasting numbers along the way. Every few weeks I would check just to see what they were. I could see a steady increase in the numbers, but didn't think too much of it just yet. Then, yesterday I decided to do another check and was not happy to see a 104. I knew I had a problem at this point and that was so discouraging. I decided to go ahead and test after 1 hour to see if it was just a problem with my fasting number or overall. My after breakfast number was 23 points higher than what they wanted! So, I made the decision to check after lunch and the same thing happened again. I called in to the educator and my OB so we could get started and get an official diagnosis before the glucose test.
I now have an official diagnosis and have been monitoring for just over a day. I know it's not the end of the world, but GD has a way of messing with your emotions. Numbers can be deceiving and you can eat the exact same thing one day and be well in range and the next it can be high! I'm trying not to get discouraged and just deal with it.
There is a little bit of silver lining though! Now that I have GD and will likely be on insulin based on my fastings alone if nothing else, we know that our little girl will be here no later than mid-August! They won't let me go past 39 weeks with medication and that means that my mom and sister will get to meet our baby and get to spend time with her! For this, I am really grateful even if that means 14 weeks of checking numbers and watching everything I eat all day, every day.
With my history of GD from the last pregnancy, they were super cautious this time around. My A1c was "borderline" and just .1 above normal range! I had brought it down through diet and exercise quite a few points right before we found out we were pregnant so I was thrilled! They immediately sent me over to the MFM and had me talk to the diabetic educator. I was told to check my numbers 4x/day for two weeks and email them weekly to her. She would go over it and see how they looked.
At first I was super disappointed. Seriously? I'm not even out of my first trimester and I'm already having to count carbs/protein and do finger pricks all day...WHY?! I can be slightly dramatic at times, but it is what it is. I ordered a new meter through my insurance company and started testing. I was a little upset to learn that their values are even more strict than my last MFM. Don't they know it's hard enough to control your blood sugars if you have an issue? Oh well, I tested and my numbers came back well in range!
Since I had been doing so well, they decided to let me check just twice per day! When those numbers continued to be in range, they had me just check my fastings every other day until they determined I no longer needed to be monitored. I was SO excited! I stopped checking and was told my OB would do a 1 hour glucose test at the normal time and we'd go from there.
I decided to do some "spot checks" with my fasting numbers along the way. Every few weeks I would check just to see what they were. I could see a steady increase in the numbers, but didn't think too much of it just yet. Then, yesterday I decided to do another check and was not happy to see a 104. I knew I had a problem at this point and that was so discouraging. I decided to go ahead and test after 1 hour to see if it was just a problem with my fasting number or overall. My after breakfast number was 23 points higher than what they wanted! So, I made the decision to check after lunch and the same thing happened again. I called in to the educator and my OB so we could get started and get an official diagnosis before the glucose test.
I now have an official diagnosis and have been monitoring for just over a day. I know it's not the end of the world, but GD has a way of messing with your emotions. Numbers can be deceiving and you can eat the exact same thing one day and be well in range and the next it can be high! I'm trying not to get discouraged and just deal with it.
There is a little bit of silver lining though! Now that I have GD and will likely be on insulin based on my fastings alone if nothing else, we know that our little girl will be here no later than mid-August! They won't let me go past 39 weeks with medication and that means that my mom and sister will get to meet our baby and get to spend time with her! For this, I am really grateful even if that means 14 weeks of checking numbers and watching everything I eat all day, every day.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Weekly To Do List
Here's my list (one day late) for this week and last week's list and how I did.
Last Week
-Finish pressing and sewing baby girl's quilt blocks (at least to the half-way pinwheel part). Not only did I do this much, but I finished ALL of the blocks, laid them out, and have them stacked in rows to be sewn together!
-Keep up with cloth diaper laundry (mainly putting it away after it's dried). This was better than previous weeks, but I still have to work on it.
-Make a meal plan and use it. We stuck with every day except for one when we forgot to take meat out of the freezer!
-Make the bed at least two days this week (seriously, I don't make the bed EVER unless I change the sheets). I made the bed twice in one day...does that count?
-Eat more protein. (I've slacked the past couple of days and need to really get on it per the doctor's request). This was 50/50 depending on the day, but I'm still working on it.
This Week
-Clean the floors. Seriously, it's been too long and I can't handle it.
-Clean the bathrooms.
-Wipe kitchen countertops and dining room table.
-Put away the clean laundry...is this never-ending for anyone else?
-Make the bed at least 2 times.
-Do 1 load of laundry start to finish each day.
Yes, this week has a lot of cleaning on my list, but honestly, it needs to be done and if I don't get to it, usually my husband doesn't have time either.
Last Week
-
-Keep up with cloth diaper laundry (mainly putting it away after it's dried). This was better than previous weeks, but I still have to work on it.
-Make the bed at least two days this week (seriously, I don't make the bed EVER unless I change the sheets). I made the bed twice in one day...does that count?
-Eat more protein. (I've slacked the past couple of days and need to really get on it per the doctor's request). This was 50/50 depending on the day, but I'm still working on it.
This Week
-Clean the floors. Seriously, it's been too long and I can't handle it.
-Clean the bathrooms.
-Wipe kitchen countertops and dining room table.
-Put away the clean laundry...is this never-ending for anyone else?
-Make the bed at least 2 times.
-Do 1 load of laundry start to finish each day.
Yes, this week has a lot of cleaning on my list, but honestly, it needs to be done and if I don't get to it, usually my husband doesn't have time either.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Weekly To-Do List
I've been inspired by my friend, Kerri, to write down and see what my weekly goals are. It's something that I often want to do, but really don't actually get done. So, without further adieu...
This Week
-Finish pressing and sewing baby girl's quilt blocks (at least to the half-way pinwheel part).
-Keep up with cloth diaper laundry (mainly putting it away after it's dried).
-Make a meal plan and use it.
-Make the bed at least two days this week (seriously, I don't make the bed EVER unless I change the sheets).
-Eat more protein. (I've slacked the past couple of days and need to really get on it per the doctor's request).
It's not much, but I want to start with something small and not overwhelm myself. I'm pretty excited to actually have a to-do list and try to get some things done!
This Week
-Finish pressing and sewing baby girl's quilt blocks (at least to the half-way pinwheel part).
-Keep up with cloth diaper laundry (mainly putting it away after it's dried).
-Make a meal plan and use it.
-Make the bed at least two days this week (seriously, I don't make the bed EVER unless I change the sheets).
-Eat more protein. (I've slacked the past couple of days and need to really get on it per the doctor's request).
It's not much, but I want to start with something small and not overwhelm myself. I'm pretty excited to actually have a to-do list and try to get some things done!
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
22 Weeks with Baby #2
Wow, we are more than half-way through this pregnancy and it seriously blows my mind. We've had two anatomy scans so far and everything is looking good! She's a little stubborn though and they can't seem to get all of the pictures they would like at one time so we get to check on her again at our next appointment with the specialist!
I've been receiving weekly progesterone shots now for the past month and only have about fourteen left! They're definitely not fun or exciting, but whatever helps baby girl make it to full term is what we're working on. I also get regular checks to make sure I'm not dilating and so far everything looks good which I'm super happy with!
My hips have been killing me a lot lately and the lower back pain has started with occasional pelvic pain. I've been seeing my chiropractor weekly and that's been helpful as well as I'm going to start getting a prenatal massage monthly (?) as long as things continue to be so uncomfortable.
I don't have gestational diabetes yet, but I suspect when the check me next time I will. I have a higher risk for it and with PCOS you have some insulin resistance so it's just a recipe to have it happen at some point. I'm definitely not looking forward to the diet and possible insulin, but whatever it takes is what we'll do!
I have been told I do need to up my protein since her stomach is measuring smaller than the rest of her body. They're not concerned and said that it could just be that I have small babies, but they would like to see if we can get her to put on a little bit of weight in the next few weeks either way. Protein drinks will be my friend for a while.
Other than that, we've finally decided on a name and I'm just so excited to not have to think about it or worry about it anymore. It was so stressful to not have a name and nothing just felt right for the longest time so that's been a huge relief!
I've been receiving weekly progesterone shots now for the past month and only have about fourteen left! They're definitely not fun or exciting, but whatever helps baby girl make it to full term is what we're working on. I also get regular checks to make sure I'm not dilating and so far everything looks good which I'm super happy with!
My hips have been killing me a lot lately and the lower back pain has started with occasional pelvic pain. I've been seeing my chiropractor weekly and that's been helpful as well as I'm going to start getting a prenatal massage monthly (?) as long as things continue to be so uncomfortable.
I don't have gestational diabetes yet, but I suspect when the check me next time I will. I have a higher risk for it and with PCOS you have some insulin resistance so it's just a recipe to have it happen at some point. I'm definitely not looking forward to the diet and possible insulin, but whatever it takes is what we'll do!
I have been told I do need to up my protein since her stomach is measuring smaller than the rest of her body. They're not concerned and said that it could just be that I have small babies, but they would like to see if we can get her to put on a little bit of weight in the next few weeks either way. Protein drinks will be my friend for a while.
Other than that, we've finally decided on a name and I'm just so excited to not have to think about it or worry about it anymore. It was so stressful to not have a name and nothing just felt right for the longest time so that's been a huge relief!
Monday, March 30, 2015
It's a GIRL!!!
I know I haven't written a lot about this pregnancy (mainly because I haven't been sitting down to blog a ton lately), but we are just about halfway through and I thought it was time for an update!
Baby Reese #2 has been confirmed now (multiple times) to be a GIRL! We are beyond excited to be able to experience all of the wonderful differences between our little guy and this little lady. My husband is really hoping for a daddy's girl and I'm looking forward to all things girly! Matthew still has no idea what's going on and that's ok. We figure that he'll get it in time.
Our little girl is doing well and there hasn't been any drama this time around which we are SO thankful for. We have some extra precautions that the doctors are taking due to having a late pre-term last time, but I'll go into that in another post. Today we had our anatomy scan and every thing looks good, but they were unable to get a good picture of a couple of things so we get to repeat it in a month! I'm definitely not sad to get to see her again.
I've been feeling a lot of movements the past couple of days consistently and that's been great. The movements certainly can't be felt from the outside yet, but I can't wait to be able to have Phil and Matthew feel the baby move too. Our cat just loves snuggling with me even more now and is very insistent on being on or next to my belly.
I'm showing quite a bit already and I definitely don't mind it. The hip pain comes and goes, but that's to be expected. I tend to get pretty uncomfortable carrying and holding our little guy so he's just going to have to work with me for a while and we'll be working on his patience.
We are definitely still praying for a healthy baby and mom this time around and would love to have as many prayers as we can get! We're doing well and we pray it continues.
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