33 week check up

I had my 33 week check up with my midwife this last Friday afternoon. Since about 27 weeks, we've been meeting every 2 weeks. My appointment was supposed to be Thursday, but my midwife had to reschedule due to another baby being born a few hours earlier. It was the 3rd one in a week! Plus another one was born  Saturday night! Very exciting.


The check up went great. We talked about nutrition, trouble sleeping, postpartum fears, future appointments, the upcoming Group B Strep test, etc. The baby was very active for the entire appointment. Probably because I was sitting and relaxing for a while. The heart beat sounded great, I measured at 34.5cm, and the baby is positioned head down. I asked if she could tell how about how much the baby would weigh when she was born. She predicted about the same as Tucker, which was 7 lbs 2 oz. Everything looks great!


I recently discovered that I have gestational diabetes with this pregnancy. What a bummer! After doing a couple urine glucose tests and a few days of the glucose monitor, it was confirmed.


"Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that starts or is first diagnosed during pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones can block insulin from doing its job." "When this happens, glucose levels may increase in a pregnant woman's blood." Usually, glucose levels will go back to normal a few weeks after the baby is born.


What am I going to do? Gestational Diabetes can usually be maintained by improving your diet and exercise and avoid any harm to the baby. I'm lucky enough to have a midwife who knows a lot about nutrition. I think she even has a degree in it. We've been working together to help improve my glucose levels, by keeping track of what I eat and adding some exercise each day.


I have to limit not only sugary sweets(little to nothing), but also carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, and other grains. Even fruit, which even though has natural sugar...is still sugar and can make my glucose levels sky rocket! If I do eat grains, they need to be whole grains; which we pretty much have always eaten anyway. No sugary/nutrition-less Wonderbread in this house, EVER! For example, instead of having a turkey sandwich on 2 slices of whole wheat bread, I'll either have it in a 1/2 pita pocket or a 1/2 spinach wrap. It's half the carbs! I am a chip lover, I have to admit. So it looks like I'll have to be limiting those as well. So far, I've been replacing chips with nuts. Also, very little fast food/dining out.


In the long run, I'm really glad I did the Gestational Diabetes test. It was depressing at first, but its pushed me into living a healthier lifestyle. It will not only help maintain glucose levels in this pregnancy, but positively impact the health of my family and I throughout our entire lives. 


A couple things she suggested to help me, was a cookbook called, "Feeding the Whole Family" and also to watch the documentary "The Weight of the Nation". I'm looking into both. I've always been interested in nutrition, but this is just another boost to get going!


The next appointment is our home visit! Very exciting! I've been in baby prep mode for a few weeks now. This week I plan to make "Energy Bites" for the birth and after, make my own Witch Hazel ice pack pads, and also make a casserole dish to freeze for the postpartum days.

Pregnancy Questionnaire

How far along? 34 weeks
Due date: August 30th, 2012
Baby #? 2nd child
Symptoms? Braxton Hicks contractions, VERY frequent urination, trouble sleeping, sore varicose veins, easily fatigued, sore feet, etc.
Fetal Movement? Yes! But as my midwife said, it's more like Tai Chi instead of Karate :)
Cravings? This is hard because of the GD diagnosis. I've always loved turkey wraps, so I guess I'll say that.
Gender of baby: GIRL!
Doctor or Midwife: Certified Nurse Midwife
Hospital or home birth? Planned home birth
Mood? "Nesting". Emotional ups and downs. Easily stressed.
Looking forward to: Getting all the baby prep done so I can feel more at ease. Also, our baby girl could be here in as little as 3 weeks!