What a Week!

It has been quite a long and frustrating week for me. Luckily, it is slowly getting better and easier.

After last Thursday's three hour glucose tolerance test, I had to wait for the results. I wasn't expecting to receive the results until Monday, but I got a call on Friday from my doctor. The news was not the greatest. I do indeed have gestational diabetes.

My doctor wanted to see me as soon as possible and for me to start testing my blood glucose levels at home with a glucose monitor. She told me that she sent a request to my pharmacy and to go get it, because she needed to know my blood glucose levels by my next appointment. Well, needless to say when I went to go pick it up, the pharmacy told me they needed her to call them back and give them a specific brand before they could fill the request. Well, unfortunately to say this turned into a HUGE fiasco with the doctor, the pharmacy and the insurance company.

I had a follow up appointment on Tuesday with my doctor, and she ended up giving me a glucose meter they had in the office. The issues finally got solved, but not before I had a complete breakdown from frustration, from dealing with the doctor, pharmacy and insurance company not all being on the same page and being yanked around by all of them.

On Wednesday I went to a class for diabetes during pregnancy and met with a nutritionist. The class was very informative and I feel better about the whole thing now. Now that I am more informed about what I should be eating and what I should be avoiding, I feel like I can do this. I can deal with this. I just need to take it one day at a time. It is going to be hard giving up my favorites like ice cream and even fruit at certain times; however, it's not forever.

Since my doctor now considers this pregnancy high risk, Kaylee and I will be more closely monitored. I was told to expect to have a LOT more appointments from now on. I am already seeing this. I was supposed to see my doctor every two weeks for regular OB appointments, but looking at my calender, I have had four appointments just in the last two weeks. And this will continue. I have another appointment next week. So at this point I am seeing the doctor at LEAST once a week. Starting at 36 weeks I will have appointments twice a week for ultrasounds and non stress tests, to make sure Kaylee is not growing too fast. If she is, then I may have to be scheduled to have an induction or a cesarean section early. But we will cross that path when we get to it.

Update on Kaylee -

~~~~~~~~

Kaylee is around 15 1/2 inches long and weighs about 2.75 to 3 pounds already!

Her brain can now control body temperature and primitive rhythmic breathing (although her lungs are not yet fully developed). Also, her brain is continuing to grow billions of neurons, ready to make new connections with everything she sees, feels, touches, or hears. She is becoming increasingly sensitive to changes in light, sound, taste, and smell and is already developing her preferences and dislikes for particular tastes and odors. She may be a picky eater before she even comes out of the womb!

Our little girl has arduously managed to accumulate enough baby fat to account for nearly 3.5% of her overall body weight. Yeah, compared to we adults, it’s not a lot, but when they’re little like that, it's certainly a healthy (and warming) accomplishment in its way.

At this stage a baby's eyes are almost always blue and can distinguish bright sunlight or artificial light through the uterine wall.

Her wrinkled skin is smoothing out as more fat is deposited under the skin surface. This fat, called white fat, is different from the earlier brown fat that she accumulated. Brown fat is necessary for body temperature regulation while white fat (the fat mom has) actually serves as an energy source. Which explains why your Energizer baby feels so, well, energized!

Space in Kaylee's living quarters is now at a premium, so I'll be feeling jabs and pokes from elbows and knees mostly. But those kicks will be more vigorous than before (and also less erratic) because she is stronger and excitedly responding to all sorts of stimuli—movement, sounds, light, and that candy bar I ate half an hour ago (if I were allowed to eat such things).