opening gifts @ baby shower

38 weeks...

I know that the "D-day" is just around the corner and could be anytime now, but it seems like I haven't crossed out a bunch of baby stuff off of my to-buy-lists yet. I have a few things that I needed to get and others can wait until we found out about baby's gender. Having baby's gender "a surprise" sure is driving me crazy. A lot of baby sales have passed and I missed a few great sales online--one thing I never let slipped my hands! I still need baby bedding, baby's bath items and a couple of sleepers and footsies, toys, and baby books. And the rest of color blues or pinks can follow. I'm so glad that baby was showered with gifts on my baby shower a month ago, we were gifted with things our little prince/princess really needs. Baby's nursery room is not up yet, well not for a while, as we are still in the middle of renovation. But not to worry, mommy got everything all squared away, all I need to do is wait until the house is done and we could all move back in.

This waiting game seems like it's forever, I can't wait to see my little munchkin and hold him/her in my arms. Waiting for 9 months to be over is really a long time!

 

Dealing with Gestational Diabetes

I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes on my 27 weeks. I did a glucose screening test on my 25 week, where I failed by the way. And with the 3-hour glucose tolerance test, I was pretty confident I will pass it, but was shocked to see my sky-rocketing results. I initially thought it's ok, brushing the idea off, thought all I have to do is change my diet. But noooooooo! My OB prescribed me to get a blood glucose monitor and have my blood sugar checked 4 times a day! --as soon as I get up and after every meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner). I have to prick my finger 4x a day!! I hate needles, and I hate to see blood coming out of my body, be a cut, wound or even a bruise. But this is part of the package that I have to deal with, being pregnant. On the brighter side, I will surely be watching what I eat, making it healthy for me and the baby.

my blood sugar kit

For the first two weeks, I followed the diet sheet my OB gave me, like say for breakfast, I have to eat 2 kinds of carbs and 1 protein, and so on. Needless to say, I was experimenting on food, I eat what food gives me a lower b/s result. I was blind guessing. Thus explains my sugar spikes at least once or twice a day. And add a lack of discipline on my part. I didn't like an overnight change, before I'm enjoying food that I love, splurge on my cravings, and one day I have to give them all up. 

On my 29th week appointment, my OB checked on my progress. She was not happy with my blood sugar elevations, and she told me she would put me on medicine if don't follow a strict diet. So gave me sample recipes for snacks and meals, things that worked for her, since she had gestational diabetes on her two pregnancies. She gave me one week to really eat what I should be eating religiously and go back see her again. I don't want any medicine, so that was a wake up call for me.

I also vented about my GD, frustrated about an elevated result on my first day of strict diet, via Facebook. And one of my friends replied and offered to give me tips. She called me and found out that she was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. She gave me tips and recipes as to what to eat. She motivated and inspired me to go and do what I should do. She told me my motivation should be that I'm doing this so my gestational diabetes wouldn't go permanent or getting diabetes later in life and (2) for a healthy baby. Thanks Lynne!

So far, these are the foods that gives me low blood sugar results:

Breakfast - 3-4 strips of pork bacon or low sodium turkey bacon

                   1-2 scrambled eggs (I sometimes put cheese for variety)

                   1 glass of whole milk (I sometimes put a sugar-free Hershey chocolate syrup, for different 

                        taste)

Lunch -      Anything fried/grilled/baked meat - porkchop, chicken, beef (if frying, take the fats off)

                   1 cup of fresh or frozen vegetables (especially brocolli, cabbage, cauliflower, green beans)

                   1/2 cup of basmati rice (I'm a rice person, but I limit my rice intake to once or twice a week  
                        only, and basmati rice is the only one that worked for me)

Dinner -     Same thing as lunch, but smaller serving. More veggies the better.
                   Spaghetti, (use low carb pasta, and limit spaghetti noodles to one serving only)

                   

Snacks-      peanuts (unsalted or low sodium)

                   cheddar cheese cubes

                   sugar-free jello, mixed with cottage cheese and mandarin oranges-in water syrup (limit fruits 

                        though.. this recipe is a kicker!)

                   corn chips, with melted cheese as dipping sauce (limit serving though)

                   fruits! (apples is the only one that worked for me)

                   low carb tortilla, with cheese or meat
                   ICE CREAM!! yes we can have it!, try Blue Bunny-no sugar added-Splenda.. I love Bunny
                        Tracks and Banana Split

I have more recipes to share, to post later. Just remember eat quality food, junk foods are a no-nos. Try  to eat smaller but frequent meals. Never skip a meal, never eat late and wait until you're hungry to eat, it makes your blood sugar elevate more. Don't get frustrated, just remember you would only do these temporarily, as gestational diabetes is a pregnancy-related condition. Try to plan your meals ahead of time, so you won't be spending  time thinking what to eat or cook.

And most of all, do this for yourself and for your baby. Cheers!

                   

          

25 weeks - Glucose screening test & Ultrasound

25 weeks

I just had my glucose screen test and ultrasound last Tuesday (06/14/11). I got my ultrasound first. It's been a month since that last time we saw our baby, husband and I are excited to see her/him again. And good news, from baby's growth percentile from last week of April's ultrasound of 36%, is now 54%!! She/he now weighs exactly 2 pounds, which is great doc said. That means the baby is right on track, growth size. Relieved that baby don't have intrauterine growth restriction condition, being one of the side effects of me having a placenta previa. Talk about that, the placenta hasn't move upward yet, it's in the same place as before, hmm.

Our little munchkin - 25 weeks

We are so glad that we had the chance to see baby in 3D as well. My husband was asking the ultrasound technician if it's worth getting the 3D done, since our baby moves, turns and wiggles a LOT, especially when she/he knew she's/he's being watched (we have a camera-shy baby!). And she said it really depends on what time of day when baby's not that active. And with that, she showed us how 3D should look like, oh I so love her! And the profile above is the best shot she can give me, baby's covering her/his face with her/his hand and legs. Isn't our little munchkin so precious?? Oh I love you baby. Baby got my nose and forehead, and got daddy's lips, and feet!

Glucose screening test. I drank this sweet 50g orange liquid, almost tastes like soda, but more syrupy. It tasted like Royal tru-orange soda pop back in Philippines, but this one is more concentrated, hence, the after-taste stays longer on your tongue minutes after drinking it. It not that bad actually. After that, I waited for an hour for blood drawing.

After an hour, the lab lady prick my finger to get blood sample to test my sugar and iron. Iron is great BUT my sugar is 153, way over than 134 normal maximum level. Yep, I failed. I was too confident that I would pass this one, oh I feel so bummed failing on this one. So with is, I'm going back for my 3-hour glucose tolerance test next week. Fasting, what fun, not!

It was a great day!

My trip to urgent care @ 24 weeks

1st pic- enjoying the best choco milkshake ever!

(This is a late post as I'm already 26 weeks today 06/16/11.)

So I had an urgent care run @ 24 weeks. 

I was out and about on a hot Saturday with my mother-in-law, I thought it would be fine for me to go out despite the unfriendly weather, since we can make the car as cold as ice if we wanted to. So we went to Home Depot and grabbed some few things, after that I ordered some chinese food for me to eat when I get home, and got us Bojangles biscuits to get us by. On our way, mom thought we'd go to flea market which is just along the main street, 2 miles away from where I live. And since I need some few things, I said yeah, why not. 

Halfway through shopping, I felt the need to go to the bathroom (the feeling of it's urgent, I need to go now) so I was on my way to get her to tell her we need to go, I suddenly felt dizzy, and everything around me is getting black. I felt heavier like I'm going to fall off my knees. MIL grabbed me and we went on to get a chair. Yeah, I almost passed out. I was having cold sweats, was breathing heavily, and felt so weak. I panicked that there could be something wrong with the baby, I started crying.

I never fainted pre or while pregnant, so it alarmed me so much. So MIL decided we'd go to nearest urgent care and have me checked out. She called my husband, who's at work, to meet us at the hospital. When we got to the hospital, I thought I was feeling better, but not! I walked 10 steps going for the door, when I almost  fall off. My knees were so weak, I have no strength to walk at all. MIL got me a wheelchair, and Dave wheeled me inside. 

Long story short, laying at a hospital bed with my husband sitting next to me, doc and nurse came in to check me out, did my vitals, took EKG, took blood and urine sample and the dreadful IV insertion on my arm! I hate IV, this is what I'm most scared about with this whole pregnancy, that I'll be hooked up with it. The nurse did a great job though. I told Dave, this is like a dry run for the big day, the good side (somehow) of this emergency is I get to experience the preparation what's like on baby's birthday. I never been hospitalized so I don't know how it's going to be. The doc came back and said he won't do a fetal monitoring as advised by my OB doc since I don't experience any cramping. Later he came with an ultrasound machine. Yep, saw baby again! And felt relieved and he/she is very fine, and doc even said he/she's like boxing inside my tummy. 

So, diagnosis? I was dehydrated! Apparently the amount of water I'm taking wasn't enough for my body, and the being outside under a hot weather just made it worse. Also I realized the flea market that we went to, wasn't that ventilated as there are some parts of the store that's hot.

I was advised to drink a gallon a day, sounds a lot but yeah. My OB doc said there's no such thing as enough water, as the baby needs it as well. I forgot the main rule, I eat/drink for two now.

Baby's Ultrasound at 17 weeks!

..It was a magical feeling, overwhelming, unreal, I was in awe...I'm seeing my baby for the very first time! 


Today is the day, a big day for me and Dave. That day really made everything official. Before I have this room for --what-if-I-miscarry?, what-if-something-happens?, what-if-this-pregnancy-will-break-my-heart-again? I really was not trusting or holding on anything, I pray everyday that the baby stays. And today, all those questions were washed off by him/her. Did I mentioned that we decided not to found out the gender? yea, Team Green we are! Anyway, the ultrasound tech who accommodated us was very chatty yet friendly, I never really paid attention to her talking, I was just amazed with what I'm seeing. The baby's moving, perfect, looking healthy. And beside me I see my husband in all wide grin, he looked like he was blushing, very happy man.

Our little munchkin

She showed us baby's brain, kidneys, limbs, fingers, nose, lips, spine, and that little heart beating 168bpm. She said I need to go back for repeat scan since she had a hard time examining baby's spine and arteries in his/her heart. And she said baby was uncooperative, he/she turned around on the middle of the scan. Good thing she was able to save the above pic and another one. She only gave us 3 pictures, and the rest are for my OB doc to see.

Talking to my doc, she said baby's measuring 17w4d and weighs 7oz. about a size of a steak she joked. All major organs are healthy, but I really do need another ultrasound so the tech can really look closely on baby's spine and heart. I knew something's coming, I was just waiting for it. And then she said, baby has SUA-single umbilical cord. Meaning baby only has one artery and one vein umbilical cord instead of a normal set of two arteries and one vein. Having said that, the baby may suffer from intrauterine growth, heart or kidney complications or other minor fetal abnormalities. And the odds are about 22%, according to the study. Now that freaked Dave out, BIG time, I was just calm and collected. She explained everything that may or may not happen, the baby might have low birth weight or I could have pre-term labor, or baby can be just normal as everyone's. So with that, she referred me for a repeat ultrasound to examine the cord, arteries and the bloodflow, just to be safe and sure that everything is doing fine. She said with baby's length and weight, we're on 38% percentile of majority of pregnancy, so we are on right track.

The hospital she referred will schedule me within two weeks from now. I'm sure going to get a call if not this Thursday, because of the Easter weekend, it could be Monday. I hope and pray the baby's fine and that I'll have a full-term healthy pregnancy.

Until then, we'll let you know, please include us in your prayers.

Pregnancy rant

Let me use this space to vent. I love being pregnant, I'm 13 weeks today. Yep, a graduate of first trimester!! Things have been hard for me, pregnancy-wise. I have a long list of things I hate and don't want to eat, sadly, those are used to be my favorites. I love cooking, but still hates to be in the kitchen--but I'm progressing, there are few nights that I was able to pull off a decent dinner for me and my husband. There's constant gagging and worse, throwing up--yeah, the wonders of morning afternoon evening sickness!! Sometimes I just don't want to eat at all, scared that I would just feel sick after a few bites. I end up being frustrated and always wish my mom's here. She'd take care of me I know, oh and her cooking! I wish Philippines is just bus ride away, but not in this world. My husband has been so supportive from day 1, he would always bring me home some fruits--which he calls some "bonus" for me. Last night, he got me a rocky road ice cream, two watermelons, and an Aveeno bodywash. I feel so babied. I love being pregnant, but I hope the morning sickness, fatigue and food aversion will go away soon. I miss eating. I miss food.

Wordless Wednesday: Positive Home Pregnancy Tests

For this Wednesday, I would like to share my positive home pregnancy tests. As you all know, husband and I are expecting our first bundle of joy. We can't be more excited, every time I would think that a little baby will be coming out in this world soon and will be calling me "Mommy".  I'm so grateful that we were blessed with this miracle. And I'm honored that husband and I are going to be parents.

As soon as we started trying to conceive, I have equipped myself with home pregnancy tests. I was so eager to find out if I got pregnant or not. Most of the time, I just think I will get pregnant or I am pregnant. I'm very optimistic with this past months we were trying. Too much hope and expectation sure could break someone's heart, and I had some share of that.

With this January cycle, I thought my chance was gone when it hits 12dpo (days past ovulation) when I still got a negative on my pee test. I told myself, hmm, there's another tomorrow, I'm going to test again. To my surprise, a very faint line showed up the next day, and faint line but darker than the previous one on day 14, and a darker line on day 15.

Of course peeing-on-the-sticks didn't end on day 15. I went crazy and bought more, and tested again. I only stopped on my birthday, when I got a test line darker than the control line. I think it's God saying, 'Ok, you had enough, how many positive tests do you need, so you'd believe me?'..lol

That's all folks. I'm happy and over the moon!

It's confirmed: I'm 5 weeks/1day pregnant!

I just went to my first OB clinic visit yesterday for a urine pregnancy test. I called in Thursday and requested for a blood test to have them check my hcg beta, like I just had two months ago, but the unfriendly receptionist said this is what I just need, a urine test, for now. For me, I think it's useless since I've been peeing-on-a-stick (using home pregnancy tests) and it all came positive. And they're going to use the same thing, aren't they? She said their doctors don't trust home pregnancy tests, and so I said ok, (I won't argue then). I was just worried that my BFP would turn to BFN again, and I wanted to make sure I have everything covered. Getting pregnant is not easy as I thought.

Dave weren't able to go this visit, he should be at work at 11, so mom-in-law and I went ahead. She was very excited to find out. And as for me, I was calm and collected as I can be, for I knew it's going to be positive anyway. But when we got to the clinic, doubts sets in. Again, worried that what if after all the positive HPTs, it's another flanking negative again? So I gave the lab lady my pee-in-a-cup, and after a few mins of waiting, she showed me the result.

It's POSITIVE!

I was ecstatic. And I think I blushed. I was so happy it's confirmed. Finally it's official. She took out this number wheel thingy, and cross checked my LMP to a number, and told me, my estimated due date(EDD) is Sept. 24th! I'm 5days/1day pregnant! yay!

I'm a PREGNANT Birthday girl!

Yes, I just got the most wonderful gift on my birthday, and the best wedding anniversary for me and husband too for this month, God answered our prayers!... yes, I'M PREGNANT!

I found out about this wonderful news at 13dpo (January 10th), but I didn't believed my eyes seeing a very faint line on my pregnancy test. I tested again the next day, and sure is the line went a little darker, yet still faint. I told Dave about it, and he himself saw that 2nd line, that should say something huh?. On January 12th, I tested again. The line was darker enough for anyone to see that there is two lines. The next day, 13th, the day that were leaving for Florida, I POAS again, using First Response brand this time, and there it was, two pink lines! I am overjoyed, but we don't want to keep our hopes up (again) until we see my OB-GYN and get the news confirmed next week.

But you know what? this time, it really feels different. I really feel pregnant. I'm having symptoms that a pregnant woman normally experience-- sore bo*bs, increased appetite (I eat like a pig!), heartburn, fatigue, cramping (everyday for me, is that normal?) and there were two instances that I was nauseous.

So, I'm sorry that we chose not to break the news right away, we really wanted to wait until next week, but I don't see that happening--I myself can't hold it that long! I'm the happiest birthday girl! We'll update again as soon as I get back to North Carolina!

Love my little pregnancy ticker!