Update Number Next. . .

I had a doctor's appointment this past Monday. Pretty standard stuff, except for the glucose screening. For those of you fortunate enough to have not had the experience, I'll excplain.

The nurse hands you a beverage. "Mm," you think, "orange soda." Then you sip, and discovered it's like orange soda with extra sugar stirred in, and the bubbles taken out. Not a taste treat. An hour after you finish, someone will take a blood sample to see if your body correctly processed the extra sugars, or no.

I'm a no. My glucose level after an hour was 151. Not dangerously high, to be sure, but the normal range is 77-120. (I know--I asked.)

This did not surprise me AT ALL. I've been telling the doctors since I started this pregnant journey that I expect to be gestationally diabetic. They have tried to persuade me that I could be wrong, that it happens all-l-l the time for one pregnancy to be GDM and subsequent, not. I started telling them three months ago that that's fine, but I'm going to follow a diabetic eating plan just the same. "Well, if you want to, ok, but it's really not necessary. . ."

Since I failed the one-hour screen, I am now scheduled for a three-hour screen. On this day, I will drink even more sugary orange "soda" and have blood drawn after one, two, and three hours. When I fail two of the three, I will be officially GDM.

I learned in my last pregnancy that, if my sugar is high, drinking lots of water and exercising will help to lower it. I am almost tempted to "cheat" the test and intentionally lower my glucose. However, as in everything else, cheaters only cheat themselves. It's still a tempting thought, but not a practical one.

GDM does not automatically mean a complicated pregnancy or delivery. It means I will need to pay strict attention to what I eat and when, as well as routinely checking my glucose levels on a home monitor. There is the potentional for complications, the most well-known and widely feared being a reall-ll-lly large baby. My firstborn was 8lb 4oz, which is perfectly normal and standard. I have talked with other GDM mothers who birthed 10lb bundles of joy. This is a consequence of high maternal glucose levels. By keeping my blood sugars within operating parameters, I expect to manage just fine.

Once I have an official GDM diagnosis, I plan to meet with a dietician to go over an individualized food plan. It seems wiser than operating on a seven year old plan based on what I remember from the last time. I'm confident I can handle this as well--or maybe even better--than I did before.

In other news. . .we have an ultrasound scheduled for this coming Thursday morning. I don't necessarily expect them to see the gender. It's only week 18, after all. But, as an "Advanced Maternal Age" patient, there will be more medically-necessary ultrasounds. GDM will also increase the medical necessity of more frequent sonograms. So if we don't know Polliwog's gender Thursday, there will be probably be other chances to find out.

We went camping with the Cub Scouts last weekend. It was a good way to see just how much camping I can handle. The campsite is 15 minutes from the house, and I planned an exit strategy: if I couldn't handle it, I'd go home and sleep in my bed. But it was fine. The tents were Boy Scout issue, with cots inside. Compared to the trip we took in November, this was the Hilton.

Today, we're going to Carowinds. I had a heart-to-heart with my doctor, to make sure I understood what I am permitted to ride. . .and what I am not. Not only are roller coasters out, but so are things that shake. Dr. D. said the "no pregnant women" signs are accurate, and need to be followed. (I could have just obeyed the signs, I suppose, but I like to understand why the rules are what they are. That way, I don't persuade myself that one little roller coaster can't hurt. . .) Thankfully, Eric's tall enough to ride alone, so it should be all right.

And. . .that's all I got for now.
I'll try to post Thursday night, but it's hard to always find time.