29th Week Pregnancy

It's been a roller coaster ride this week. My emotions are up and down. It's hard to be in sane. But for the sake of the baby and I have to think positive, I am trying so hard not to let all this negativity around affects me. Friday's check up with baby was not so good news. Though his been so active and all, but his growth has been consistent to fall on the lower scale. I wish there is a miracle that could happen and he will have his growth spurt but as of this yet he never have one. Someday, I wish there will be.

Despite all of that, baby is very smart to make me feel better. If I ask him something, he would response in his own ways. I love my baby. No matter what, I hope he will come to full term. 37 week is my goal. I hope God will listen to me.

28th week Pregnant - It's A Milestone!

I'm so glad I have reached to this point. No bleeding, no contraction, no water broke, baby is kicking and punching. His still in my womb. I would want him to reach to full term term at least 34 weeks. I am praying so hard day by day that God will hear our prayer and that he may continue to bless us to give us the opportunity for the baby to be in my womb as long as it's needed.

I did everything I can from eating good and having enough rest. Hubby is very supportive of me all the way. I am thankful his there all the time. I have no one else to turn to but ourselves. Having to get to this week, is a miracle and a blessing. I am thankful each day.

My next appointment will be this coming Thursday. Every week is a different story but I am hoping for every positive test I can get. I don't want to think negatively on the situation. This is already a blessing and come what may whatever it takes, God give us our baby to fulfill his promise to us. Having a baby is a wonderful feeling to have. I never been this so happy in my life.

First Nutritionist Appointment

I had my appointment last week on Wednesday. I haven't said anything about it because for me I was really perfectly doing normal. Aside from the eating a lot and more lol.. Well, actually the carb monitoring did help me feeling so normal and energetic. I don't feel hungry again and the heartburn does go away.

I came to the appointment at 3pm. I was on time and the nutritionist was on time too. She's very nice. Reviewed all my measurements and what kind of food I was eating. She said I am doing good but have to take more carbs. My total average is 101 and they want to go up as 106. Hmm, more carbs and good for the baby. Having to eat is really a struggle. I am not used to eating 6x a day. But if it's good for the baby, then have to watch it then.

So here's the plan:

Carbs budget:
Breakfast - 30 carbs
Snacks - 30 carbs
Lunch - 45 carbs
Snacks - 30 carbs
Dinner - 45 carbs
Snacks - 30 carbs

There is a food guide that the facility gave us doing the orientation. So have to watch on certain foods and how I could only take. Actually, it gives me an idea of a good balance diet. Since I have been doing it, there's so much improvement on my body.

Also, after every meal you have to walk 15-20 minutes. I don't walk when I eat snacks. Only on the big meals. I walked more on the evening after dinner. Sometimes, I can't eat the after dinner snacks because hubby and I ate late. So to compensate the snack loss, I take the time so consume it during the afternoon or early evening before getting a big portion for dinner. It does work for me though.

Here's my typical

Breakfast:
2 Hard boiled eggs
1-2 Slice Wheat Bread
1 Tbsp Cheese spread
2 Turkey Bacon or Ham or Turkey Patty
(no milk and fruits - not good for bfast)

Snacks:
1 Slice bread with 1 Tbsp cheese spread or peanut butter and 1c Fat Free Milk Organic
or
1 small apple with peanut butter and 1c Milk
or
Any fruit, 9 pcs of peanuts, 5 saltine crackers and 2 slices of cheese

Lunch:
2 slice of wheat bread, protein ( chicken or ham or whatever is leftover meat from dinner ), lettuce salad with light dressing, 1c fruits, 1/2 milk

Snacks:
Peanut butter with 1/2 slice bread, fruits
or
chicken with slice bread, 1/2 c jicama, and fruits and peanuts
(do this twice in the afternoon, just mixing up it and maybe eating less if im not hungry just to fill up some carbs)

Dinner:
veges with protein, slice bread and fruits

My next appointment will be on July 30. My schedule is so hectic these days. Have to keep on watching my calendar for doc appointment.

By the way, the Betamethasone shot did wacked my sugar level. I went as high as 152 on my second shot. But I think it's tolerable. It went down but my fasting is still a little high above my normal. If it won't go down tomorrow, I will email my nutritionist on that if it's okay.

Betamethasone Shot

I went for an appointment on Friday for my Biophysical Checkup of the baby. So happy that baby is very responsive and so active. It took the technician so easily without telling him to move and such because prior to the time schedule his been kicking and punching. I am so glad that it went out fast.

I saw another Dr. which I haven't seen before. That's just the bad thing with the Maternal Fetal Medicine Department is that you will never know who's going to be the doctor on duty. We wanted to see the previous doctor who went through our file more detailed but I guess it's just the way how the office runs. Have to tolerate the doctor that is on duty. But so far, the doctor who reviewed my baby was nice. She even have the time to discuss to us what's really going on and what the concern was all about. She told us, that my placenta is in the normal stage restriction but above the normal of 75%. Mine does run on the 87%. They want to observe how this restriction would go on. In the normal scale, pregnant woman with a normal flow runs in the 50-75%. Mine does go over above it. If it happens, that mine does run on the 90's, I will be hospitalized for monitoring. I am praying so hard that day wouldn't come and that hopefully with God's miracle power he could heal my placenta and it will be running to normal so baby can get all the nutrients he can get and grow more.

Anyway, I was supposed to have a Betamethasone shot at 5pm in the hospital. The doctor at the facility courteously move and arrange to have the shot done instead at their facility and arrange another shot at the hospital the next day. It really saved us the time. So we waited for another 30 minutes until the nurse can get all the concoction ready for the shot. Then I was called in, go to a small room sat down and hubby was there on my left seating with just an ordinary chair. There's the NST machine too to monitor the baby's movement and heartbeat. This machine will give all facts how the baby is doing. If they baby wouldn't move for the next 20 minutes, it's a red flag so they have to watch on it. They nurse administer the shot on my left butt check, sounds fancy! She's a very good nurse. I felt the pinch but the medicine didn't really burn like I was expecting. Rubbed my butt and I was done. Then I just laid there for 20 minutes until the machine can run down some numbers on the baby. After the session, baby passed with no problem and heartbeat average of 140bmp. Hubby and I prayed so hard that his going to be fine and he did.

The next day, I went to the hospital before 4pm. Checked in to the front desk and the nurse had a few questions because I didn't went directly to them yesterday because the doctor the previous day changed our plan so we have to file some paperwork from the hospital. Hubby did all the filing out information and I just affixed my signature. The nurse then put to an exam room and laid in bed. Strapped me with the band to monitor baby and contraction. Will be doing another NST again. Minutes passed she came back to give me the 2nd Betamethasone shot. It went to my right check butt. Damn, it hurts. She was fast but hurt like hell. Only just a few seconds, after that it went away. It's not the same kind of pain I used to have with Menopur. That was painful.

She left for a few minutes and came back with some questions on the paper document. Answer all there is for them to know. She then asked me if I want water or something and yeah of course I want one. That butt shot is painful lol.. She came back and then left for another 15 minutes. Then when the times up for 20 minutes, she read the findings and baby passed. We went home so happy!

Severe IUGR with Gestational Diabetes (27 weeks Pregnant)

After the devastated appointment, still take the time to take a souvenir shot for the day!

My precious baby is diagnosed with severe IUGR last week. My primary OB confirmed about the test result that happened last week so she want to make sure that we understood everything what is going on. It is hard to believe that after all I've done, there's just a question mark why the baby's growth is very low. There was no evidence of placenta issue based on the doppler. What my OB said that after the baby is born, they will send to pathology the placenta to see why and how it affected the baby's growth. But for now, all we have is a mystery. His growing but falling to the normal scale. His down to 3.5% percentile. Last month was on 10% so it's a bit of a drastic change and they advised for steriod shot to prepare for his lung in case of early delivery.

I wasn't crying anymore to hear this news nor read about it. Because, I already accepted the fact that there's something wrong with his growth. Along the way, we don't know where it come from but as long as his okay down there and no sign of distress, he can stay as much as he want to. But if his falling more and more, they will take him out in any point and in any time. I haven't packed my hospital bag. I have no crib. I just have his normal clothes which if his going to be a preemie wont fit him very good. 

Hubby and I discussed that we should prepare now in the next 2 weeks. There's much to do in the house and to get rid of. I don't know when is the day it's going to happen. I could deliver my baby soon. I wish and pray that his going to be okay and grow if it's his right time. 

Aside from my baby's growth problem, I have my own problem to deal with my gestational diabetes. I am put on a diet now to observe how my carb intake will do to my body. I have 3 spike for this week. I will see my nutritionist tomorrow and look at how I have been eating. Today's appointment I am 133.5. I lost 1.5 for this month. I cut away sweets and lower my carbs so that could be the reason. 

I don't know what's going to happen. I am excited at the same time devastated and sad that this is what's happening. Even if I am going through all this, I am happy that I have a baby boy who will be just fine. 

Gestational Diabetes Class

I had attended the Gestational Diabetes class today. I went to the facility 10 minutes before the time schedule. I walked in to check in and paid $20 for my copay. The front desk gave me a sheet to fill out, and completed it for few minutes. I saw maybe 10-15 other patient and our teacher called us to get in to the conference room.

There were 2 person conducted the class. One who taught all about the specific of why and what happening to a pregnant woman after 24 weeks and the other one who specialized on what food and what not to eat or avoid. It took 2 1/2 hour which I was expecting more than that. But anyway, there are many information about the disease and I would say it enlighten me.

Having both parents who has diabetes makes me realize now, that it's important for me to take care of my body. The teacher mentioned that if a mother's pancreas has been overworked when she was pregnant to produce more insulin, it could affect the baby's life in the future. If the mother has too much sugar in the blood stream, it will spread all over the body and it does could affect the baby's weight and somehow can affect their own pancreas. In some point, if the baby's pancreas has been overworked while still in the womb, in later life at age 42 could have diabetes. I wonder if my mom already has diabetes when she was pregnant of me. I knew that she was diagnosed with diabetes in her late 40's. It just puzzled me whether she already has it and maybe I have been affected with her condition.

That being said, I really need to make a drastic change to my eating lifestyle. I don't want to get diabetes. I want my pancreas to be healthy and normal. I don't want to have diabetes for the rest of my life. If this what I'm having is just happen because I'm pregnant I will be so happy to do everything I can to stop from having Type 2 diabetes after  pregnant.

It's a lot to take when I have so many sweet cravings for the past year. Difficult not to crave all the good stuff. I wonder when I will be able to taste all that goodness again LOL.. But anyway, for now I have to take care of myself first so I won't affect my baby. His been through a lot already and I don't want to be another cause of his problems. We don't see any big problem yet but I hope this journey will have a happy ending with a natural vaginal delivery at full term.

Towards the end of the class, the teacher distributed our measuring kit to test for the next week. Tried and tested right there and then and my blood sugar level was good. I am sure I am fine since I have been watching my carbs in take for the past week. I will going to meet a follow up one on one next week to see how my ratings are. The teacher said, this week will be a trial and error on what food that will work on our body. Crossing my fingers that I could dial it in right soon!

26 week Pregnant

So much stuff going on, gestational diabetes meaning eating a well balanced diet. It's hard to follow what other people are doing. I don't have my own set of meal plans yet. I haven't attended a class yet. In a day or two, I will know the most accurate overview of the disease and what plans to take in the next coming months.

I had a hard time coping with having the disease. Well, genetically both my parents has both. Eventually, in later life I could probably have diabetes but I wasn't expecting it to be this kind of early especially have so much complications of my pregnancy already. I didn't anticipate it actually but it dawned on me that yeah this is it. I have to take it in.

For the past week, I have a struggle of what to eat. I am ending up so hungry. I feel like I don't eat enough and my food intake is not balanced at all. Just for the past day or two, I found this blogger online and saw the post about her meal plan. I tried to copy it and starting today, I feel some change on my body. I hope this can make it work. Every body is different and so it's always trial and error about the food and what kind.

Heartburn is also my draw back. It's so hard for me to feel normal. I always have it everyday. Maybe, I don't walk enough. Doc only recommended 3o minutes a day. I tried to do more, but my contraction does bother me. So it's really difficult to do more. I am just glad the contraction goes slow now. It wasn't as active like the 2 weeks previously where the pain was so unbearable.

I am have been sleeping past 10 now. It's really good and that means I could have more energy. I also could nap in the afternoon because I only work part time now. It really help my body and I feel like the baby too.

About my baby's excitement, well there was one morning when he was awake. I was still on bed trying to feel his movement and kicks. I experimented to tap my belly once and twice or thrice if he can respond. He did. I was so impressed.. Hubby noticed me while doing it and it was his first time to feel the baby's kicks. He was so happy. Even at 26 weeks, my baby is very responsive. His such a good boy.

I am looking forward for my next appointment this coming Friday. I hope the doc will be happy again and if she's happy hubby and I won't worry anything.

25 Weeks Pregnant

With a positive ultrasound yesterday, my mood has been good. Though it's busy at work with just a very limited 4 hours of work, I try whatever I can to make up for the hours lost. It's not easy to handle and manage my time but if the call center is low I am able to do the rest of my job. Anyway, so much blah with work. It has nothing to do with being pregnant but it has something to do with my contraction which somehow working less did help me.

I sent an email to Dr. D yesterday for the reduction of hours I was doing at work. I told her about the disability claim I had filed and she wanted me to ask my primary ob since her office doesn't process. Even if she did write the letter for me, my primary OB will be the one to process it. So I have to email my doc today or later and so she could reply to me tomorrow since it's her day off today.

As for today, at night baby was awake at 2 and 5am. It's hard to sleep when his kicking, punching and moving inside while I am trying to get more sleep but I am happy that I know his practicing his reflexes. Baby is doing a good job and we always tell him that his good.

Summary for the week, well everything's seem fine. Weight did change a little bit. I was sugar crazy and so now I have gestational diabetes. Dang! I have to take classes and see the nutritionist and do whatever it takes to control my sugar level. And you're talking about pricking your fingers everyday maybe 4x a day. Grrrh! I already hate needles and blood but I have to do it because I don't want to harm myself nor the baby. Forget all the yummy food from now.

Health wise, I have more energy because I am not stressed out. I am glad not working full time gives me the chance to relax my mind and body.

As for today's pictorial..