Almost 34 Weeks!

Time for a pregnancy update!

This pregnancy has been rough.  Shwew!  Gestational diabetes has been a sanctifying experience.  The highest my blood sugar has been is 199.  They want me to stay under 120.  The first time it was 199 was because had the Maple Nut Blondie Sundae at Applebee's.  The second time was because I had a cup of sugar free pudding.  My second highest blood sugar was because I had barbecue sauce.

That kind of thing just makes me mad.  If I knew sugar free pudding (which is actually recommended on my diet) would cause a 199 blood sugar, I would have eaten another brownie sundae.

Other than that, I've figured out a few tricks on my diet.  First of all, I can't follow their schedule for me.  If I eat breakfast at a normal time for me (8:30), my sugar doesn't spike at all in the morning.  Second, a few cookies in the afternoon doesn't bother me.  Third, which I put a finally test on today with the pudding, I can NOT have dairy products like pudding or yogurt.  Cheese seems to be harmless.

In other news, I am having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions, which I've hardly ever experienced before.  A lot of low back, leg and pelvic pain and pressure.  Stuff that I never had before.  I wonder if this baby could come early?

Next week I think I'm going to have an ultrasound and exam to see if I'm dilated (fat chance) and test for Strep B.  Please pray that our baby is not considered "too large," and is not born with low blood sugar.  Both are risks of GD but neither one is too serious.  I also feel that he is in a strange position, which doesn't matter too much since I'm having a c-section anyway, but is kind of painful right now.

More info about my gestational diabetes schedule

My Aunt Cheryl's comment made me realize that you guys don't know what my schedule is right now.  Okay, this is fun...

7:00 am  Wake up, check ketone levels, check blood sugar level with the blood glucose monitor (a finger prick)
7:30 am  Eat breakfast:  2 starches, 1 oz. protein, non-starchy vegetables always an option
9:30 am  Check blood glucose level
10:00 am  Eat Snack  1 starch, 1 protein
12:30 pm  Eat Lunch:  2 starches, 1 fruit, 3 oz. protein
2:30 pm  Check blood glucose level
3:00 pm  Eat Snack:  1 starch, 1 oz. protein
5:30 pm  Eat Dinner:  3 starches, 1 fruit, 3 oz. protein
7:30 pm  Check blood glucose level
10:30 pm  Eat Snack:  2 starches, 1 oz. protein

So far I think I need to cut back on the starches they've told me above especially in the morning, have MORE protein, no dairy, no fruit.  My ketone levels being messed up means I need more calories, so I'm going to buy a bunch of bacon tomorrow and just start putting it on everything I guess (not everything but you know :)) It seems pretty jacked up to me but I'm going to try it and hopefully I'll get some kind of fruit back in there somehow.

Crystal was so right.  This is really hard with two little ones to take care of.  In some ways it's good--I haven't "cared for myself" so much in a long time!  I could have done without the sinus infection on top of it though.  Plus I have had a lot of RA stuff to do, a bunch of homework for my SWI class, teaching Cubbies which is always such a pleasure every Wednesday since August, getting some type of order to our house in prep. for baby Owen, etc. etc.  I can't wait to have the baby.  I may have my hands full as people say to me so often now, but...maybe I'll get more rest!  My chances of more rest after May 21st are looking pretty high right now.

The positives of this pregnancy:  The baby is really low, which is painful for the hips but makes it easier to breathe.  I have also not been depressed at all through this pregnancy or had suicidal thoughts or anything, although that may change in the next week or so!

Thank you all for your kind words.  We will get this figured out, I'm sure!

Fed up with gestational diabetes, seriously.

Please pray for me if you think of it this week.  I am absolutely fed up with gestational diabetes.  The diet continues to not work.  My blood sugar is totally random.  The only safe thing to eat, it seems, is nuts and maybe carrots.  Can man live on nuts and carrots alone?

Other times I can eat cookies or things that should cause it to spike and lo and behold, it's fine.  Why am I eating cookies when I'm not supposed to?  I figure I may as well because it doesn't seem to make one bit of difference how disciplined I am.  This whole thing is. really. stupid.

Last night I went to bed early because I am sick.  I probably have a sinus infection paired with some dreadful allergies.  But since I didn't eat for about ten hours, my body went into "ketosis," which is caused by not eating enough.  And I'm supposed to "call my doctor if my ketone levels are high."  I have to test my ketone levels every morning by peeing on a strip.  So I don't really know what that means for me--if it's dangerous to be in ketosis or not.  But it's hard to eat the incredible amount of food they want me to eat when I don't feel well, especially at 7:30 in the morning and 10:30 at night.  I went to bed before ten last night.  Goodness, I had to...I was miserable and knew it would be a rough night.

I need to snack at some point in the middle of the night, I think.  I just haven't done that yet.  I guess I've just been so thirsty and have a sore throat during the night (since I can't breathe through my nose) that eating is very unappealing during the night.  Did I mention I can't smell anything?  Which means I also can't taste anything.  I haven't showered in three days either, so I probably smell.  Our house probably stinks too.

And, I think this diet is causing me to eat too much salt.  Pickles and peanuts are "free" foods so I've been eating those more than usual.  Salted nuts :)  Now I have three canker sores in my mouth.  Canker sores are nothing much to complain about, I know, but sheesh.  I just can't catch a break.

Gestational Diabetes

This past Monday, the head nurse of my doctor's office called to tell me that I have gestational diabetes.  I already guessed I had it because I was feeling so bad, especially after breakfast and lunch.  By bad I mean I mean I would begin to feel very weak, light headed, dizzy and as though I may faint.  I actually taught Maryn how to call John on my phone and run across the hall to the neighbors if I should fall and not be able to respond.

On Wednesday, I went to a class with a nutritionist and a nurse to learn how to eat and how to check my blood sugar.  They gave me a blood glucose monitor, strips to begin testing, and I got a prescription for more.  I also had to get ketone strips to test my urine every morning before I eat.

On Wednesday and Thursday I followed the diet closely they gave me, but I continued to feel awful and my blood sugar was just a bit high a few times.  Then I messed up one time and had barbecue sauce, which made my sugar super skyrocket (174, and they want me no higher than 120).

Yesterday I cut back on starches and was feeling so much better, but my sugar was a little high.  Today, I ate the same things for breakfast and my sugar was really, really high.  I've felt awful all morning.  Allergies are really bad right now too, so ALL of  us are feeling bad.  The kids are tired, grouchy, and fighting with each other all the time, sometimes while I lay nearly comatose on a sugar high.

So right now I'm just frustrated.  Obviously I need to make some changes.  I'm going to try to cut out eating yogurt, and I got some tips from a friend who had it whose nutritionist told her some different things, like no yogurt at dinner or after.  Also I think I will have my nighttime snack earlier, and then have a snack at some point in the middle of the night--like a few pretzels.

I can have NO, no, NO dessert type foods like cakes, cookies, pie, etc.  It hasn't been too hard for me.  The hardest thing has been not popping food into my mouth whenever I see leftovers on my kids' plates, or a cookie here and there, etc.  I can see how terribly difficult it is to be on a diet with children living in the house.

But really if I'm still going to feel bad AND I am having a c-section anyway, why not just eat a cookie now and then?  Well, because high blood sugar for me could mean low blood sugar for our baby and I know I need to do what's best for him. But sometimes I want to eat a cookie just for spite.