31 weeks 5 days

We had another appointment today, this time with the perinatologist. I cannot express how much I adore Sam. He really is a fantastic doctor and his bedside manner is wonderful.

So far, things are going pretty good. Blood pressure is within acceptable levels. No sugar or protein in my urine. He's not concerned about my blood sugars AT ALL. And didn't say a word about my cinnamon roll, or brownie notes. In fact, we laughed about it. "Back away from me, I am eating the damn brownie!!" LOL

I did have to toss out my old bottle of insulin and start using a new one. I think that has helped to lower my fasting numbers a little bit. The other bottle was more than a month old. I don't know if they 'go bad' but it seemed like my numbers were remaining elevated, but came down again as soon as I switched bottles, which is kind of weird, but maybe that's normal. I don't have anyone to ask, so I don't know.

The baby is doing GREAT. He's measuring 3lbs 10oz via ultrasound, which is the 29th percentile, which is totally acceptable and within baby's normal range for this pregnancy anyway. This puts him at approximately 6lbs 10oz at 38 weeks, which is what we are now aiming for at this point in the game.

I've booked the remainder of my appointments out for the pregnancy for the most part. I will be having an amniocentesis done at the end of August, two days before my 37 week mark, so that we can check baby's lung development.

Baring any further complications, we are aiming for that 38 week point. He said it was perfectly safe for us to go to that point, which is literally the only time that we have available to have this baby, without forcing me to be in labor ALONE. Being alone to have this baby is literally one of my biggest fears. Without someone to watch the other kids, that is what would happen. If we were able to take baby out at 37 weeks, and lung development wasn't an issue, we 'could' do that. However, because of my mother's previously arranged plans, she has a very narrow window of opportunity to be here for us, from out of state, to take care of the other kids so that I'm NOT alone during the labor and delivery. It's better for us to push the pregnancy another week, if we can, for lung development, and to assure my not delivering alone. Something that has caused an extreme amount of anxiety for me, not to mention countless tears.

So the plan, at this point, is to take baby out some time between Sept 6th and Sept 9th. We are keeping our fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly between now and then. Personally, I'm NOT worried about delivering early. I have yet to go into labor on my own, or have my water break on it's own either. My last pregnancy was the exception. My midwife stripped my membranes and then I started leaking, but wasn't aware of it until two days later, when they brought me in for the induction and she asked me if I'd been leaking and I told her I thought it was PEE!!!

We are not at all concerned about the baby getting 'TOO BIG' at that point in the pregnancy....even though mother's with diabetes or gestational diabetes run the risk of having babies in the 10lb range. Given baby's current size, there's just not a concern that he will get anywhere NEAR 9lbs, which, for me, would mean a c-section. There's just no other way around it. My pelvis literally cannot accommodate a baby of that size. 6 1/2 to 7 1/2lbs is perfectly do'able for us.

The ultrasound (BPP - Biophysical profile and NST - Non-Stress Test) went REALLY well. Baby was SO active that she had a hard time getting the readings for his heart and his cord because he kept moving and then it would blip off. She said they would have been much more concerned if he was moving LESS! He is going to be a busy little guy, that's for sure.

Here's a couple of 3D pictures. He looks just like Matty, that's for sure. I can't wait to kiss those little cheekies.

24 weeks 4 days

24 weeks. Viability. We have achieved viability. It's a milestone that every expectant mother anticipates meeting. Some never achieve it, and many are born shortly after. Every day counts.

That is kind of where we are right now. Every single day matters.

This week my perinatologist increased my insulin dosage to 12 units of insulin per night. It has worked wonderfully, and I'm now within the acceptable range that they want me to be with my fasting numbers.

I was also put on a second medication for my blood pressure and taken off of the first medication due to an allergic reaction. The biggest side effect of this medication is the dizziness that it causes. I woke up this morning at 3AM to the WORST case of the spins that I have EVER experienced. Put yourself on the spaceship ride that is at the fair, called The Gravitron and ride it for several hours. I literally did not have the ability to roll over in bed and make it to the bathroom by myself it was so bad. Thankfully the intensity of the spins have worn off some and things are more or less just swaying back and forth now rather than full on spinning. Although, it did NOT help the nausea that I experienced this morning. I'm supposed to give it through the weekend, and if it doesn't go away, they are going to try me on a third medication.

I had an 'anatomy scan' today. Basically it's like a regular ultrasound, only a little more in-depth. The doctor wanted to look at each of baby's fingers and toes and do complete measurements again.

The BEST news we have, is that the baby's heart is still looking great.

The baby is still very tiny though. He is still measuring about two weeks behind. His weight is 1lb 5oz, which puts him in the 25th percentile. The largest we can hope for him to get is approximately 7 1/2 lbs, but probably closer to 6 1/2. This is a little unsettling for me, and I was worried that there was something that I had done, but the doctor just reassured me that he was still within normal range, even though he was tiny, and that nothing I have done, or haven't done, could have caused him to be so tiny. I have ALWAYS had big babies. My smallest baby was 8lbs 6ozs. Everyone else was bigger than that. It feels WRONG for him to be tiny.

We want to keep baby in the 25th percentile. If, during my next scan, he is at all below the 25th, we will worry about growth restriction and other things that could possibly be going on.

My target right now is 34 weeks. That is the point we would like to achieve at the least. Ideally, I will make it to 36 or 38 weeks.

The situation with my blood pressure right now is much more concerning than my diabetes. I was told, straight up, that I have about a 1 in 3 chance of developing pre-eclampsia due to my pre-existing conditions. Right now, my blood pressure can be stabilized with medication. The headaches are moderate, my swelling is minimal, and my 24 hour urine collection was 159 for protein and that doesn't get concerning until we are nearing the 300 level, which is grounds for an immediate c-section, no matter where you are in your pregnancy.

I'm currently seeing my perinatologist every two weeks, and my ob/gyn once a month. The further along I get, or however worse my condition becomes, I will be seeing doctors more and more regularly. Within the next month, I will be seeing someone once a week. Nearing the end of my pregnancy, I will be seeing someone probably 3 times a week.

Mentally, I am still pretty content with knowing all of this information. Knowing the statistics. Knowing the risk factors. Knowing the consequences of premature birth. It makes me sad knowing there is not much that I can do, but at the same time, I'm still really grateful that we have the best doctor that we could possibly have right now. And he's not afraid to answer the VERY tough questions that I sometimes present to him. I can be a difficult person to deal with, and it's hard to be put on the spot sometimes, especially when you are dealing with an emotional pregnant woman to boot and don't really know what to expect from her LOL

22 weeks 4 days

I had my second visit with the perinatologist two days ago.

I stabilized my weight for two weeks, and actually gained one pound, but I'm really not going to count it, because I'm pretty sure that in two more weeks, it will be gone again LOL

All my lab work that the perinatologist had done, including my 24 hour urine, came back great.

My blood pressure is under observation now. Since the babydaddy has high blood pressure, we have a machine at the house. I will be taking my blood pressures twice a day for the next two weeks, and bringing the results in to the perinatologist when I go back in. When I was there, my BP was in the 140/95 range.  Some of my home tests have been SUBSTANTIALLY higher than that. 180/98 and even 191/101.

Today in the OB's office, it was 133/98 (any first number over 140 is suspect, and any second number 90 and above is suspect according to the standards for pregnancy). So even though my first number had dropped some, my second number was still considered high. I'm also dumping protien in my urine and have the accompanying headaches. Which basically signals pre-eclampsia, but they don't like to actually diagnose it until the third trimester. The third trimester technically begins at 26 weeks. Anything that begins between the 20th and 32nd week is considered 'early onset'. Most likely, they will not try and medicate me for the high blood pressure. They will put me on bedrest, monitor me more closely and make me do 24 hour urine's once a week or so to monitor the protien.

The perinatologists wants me to have another ultrasound in two weeks (June 2nd). I will have my first Non-stress test (NST) at 32 weeks. I also need to have an EKG done on my heart, and have an eye exam done to make sure that having diabetes hasn't damaged my heart or my eyes during my pregnancy.

I was also told that I will be induced some time between my 36th and 38th week, depending on when my cervix is ready. I walked around dialated to 4cms for a month prior to my induction with my last baby at 39 weeks, so most likely they will be taking the baby around my 36th week and he will end up in the NICU for a little while to make sure he's okay. Which means all the stuff that goes along with that. Like steroid injections for the baby to make sure his lungs are developed in utero before they deliver me.

If my blood pressure insists on continuing to be an issue, and I have to be on bedrest, and being on bedrest does not help my blood pressure levels, I could end up on hospital bedrest, or having an even earlier delivery than at 36weeks. Considering the fact that I've had four babies before this one, and as well versed as I am via experience and research, I am aware of most of the consequences this could have on our baby. The only cure for pregnancy related high blood pressure is DELIVERY. The survival rate for girls born premature is much better than for boys born premature, as well as the consequences. They can't quite explain it, but it's the way it is. I won't bore you with any more of the morbid details, it is what it is, but I have every intention on keeping this baby right where he belongs at least until that 36 week mark.

That is what is going on with baby and I right now. We are just taking it one day at a time.

Oh, and we have a name, but we aren't telling. :-p

10 DAYS!!!

I am currently 10 weeks and 1 day into my pregnancy today.

It has been two weeks since my last OB appointment. I have lost three pounds in that time. Bringing me down a total of 34lbs from my long running pre-pregnancy weight.

I got a letter from my doctor today to put in my carry-on, stating my pregnancy due date and my diabetic status so that I don't have any problems carrying my testing supplies (or a healthy snack) on the plane when we fly to Austin, TX in 10 days.

(TEN DAYS. OMFG. I cannot believe how fast all of this is happening!!!)

The doctor has prescribed me some medication that I need to pick up tomorrow, an anti-nausea med and some heartburn medication for our trip, just in case I need it. (I am already needing it. Stomach acid=Breakfast of Champions!!!) She also confirmed for me that I am allowed to take benadryl, which is a huge relief for me because it does a great job in helping me sleep!!

She has also ordered a 24 hour urine collect, because I'm dumping protein into my urine already. The same thing happened during my last pregnancy, but I'm trying not to get too concerned about it.

We checked the heartbeat via ultrasound to confirm that baby is still viable. I couldn't see the monitor but she said everything was good.

I will spend a few days next week calling around to a few OB clinics in Austin to try and find someone that will take my insurance. Hopefully it is a mostly painless process.

I still cannot believe that it's only 10 days before we are in Texas and looking for a place to live. Keep your fingers crossed that we find something inexpensive and still in a nice area!!!