Week 32 Prenatal Appointment
I had my weekly prenatal appointment today with Dr. Chasteney. As I’d suspected I would, I’ve chosen him as my favorite doctor in the practice. Not only does he refer to me by name when I see him, he also takes his time to explain things to me. Also, I think I am most compatible with his personality because he is lively, outgoing and funny.
So anyway, at this week’s appointment I was informed that I failed my 3-hour glucose tolerance test. Translation: I have Gestational Diabetes. My levels were as follows: Fasting - 90; 1 hour - 254; 2 hour - 211; 3 hour - 139. Yeah, pretty bad. I was bummed, of course, but Dr. Chasteney was not too worried about it. Per protocol, I’ve been assigned a Registered Dietician to go over my diet and also a Registered Nurse to show me how to use a glucometer and also to go over my new diagnosis with me. I already know how to use a glucometer so I really don’t need the nurse for that, but I wouldn’t mind her going over G.D. with me. I’m supposed to check my glucose levels for a week (6x/day!!!!) and then Dr. Chasteney and I will talk further about the plan for me when I see him again next Friday. He doesn’t think I’ll need insulin injections, but he does think I’ll need to be started on an oral hypoglycemic ie. glyburide.
Besides the G.D., we also discussed my return to work tentatively scheduled for April 11. Yes, we could use the extra income, and yes, being at home all the time is making me sick. But the reality is, my pregnancy-related discomfort has really increased. These days, it is harder and harder for me to get up from a sitting/lying position. Everything below my chest aches or cramps. When I’ve been standing for too long (more than 15 minutes), I get really crampy in my abdomen and buttocks area. And really, how am I supposed to follow this new diabetic diet and also make sure I stay well-hydrated during the day at work? In my unit, you take a break when you can, not when you would like or need to. Also, you can forget about drinking water because guess what? A potty break is sometimes really just not possible. It sounds like I’m making excuses for not wanting to return to work. It’s really not that. The only real fear I have is that I’d be sacrificing Avery’s health just for that job. And when I look at it that way, the tug-of-war in my head disappears and everything becomes crystal clear.
Lastly, we talked about how my pregnancy is progressing. Avery is measuring 1 week ahead based on my belly measurement. Yep, he’s a biggun! As a matter of fact, he already weighed 4 pounds at my 31 week ultrasound. Just to give everyone an idea, normal babies are this weight at the beginning of 33 weeks. My perinatologist said that if I carry Avery to term, he’ll be more than likely be 8.5 - 9 pounds. OUCH!
Tags: Pregnancy