I love numbers like 33, 333, 22, 222, 11, 111. They have been showing up in my life since I got pregnant. So much so, that I noticed the pattern and looked up what it meant. Here is some information on seeing repetitive numbers. I used to see them repeated 111, 222, 333, 444, 555, all the way through 999, but now it’s more only 111 through 555. I just say there’s a higher power watching over me during this time and this is the way the universe is communicating to me. I used to be freaked out about how many times I saw these numbers – once or twice every hour all day until bedtime, however now I am comforted by it.
I’ve been pretty lucky so far in the fact that I haven’t had to deal with too many bad symptoms of pregnancy. I’m in my third trimester and have had minimal swelling. The worst has been at the end of the day, I have some sock lines, but thank god no cankles yet. My right hand has been tingly all day for the past three or four days. I believe it is pregnancy induced carpal tunnel, information can be found here. The past couple nights my hips have been hurting again. That hormone Relaxin must be in overdrive again, like in the second semester for a week or two. The pubic bone should be separating and the hip bones widening in order for baby to come down and begin her decent. The pain goes away eventually, or at least I hope it will this time too. I toss and turn all night trying to find a comfortable position. I had a lot of perineum pain last week, it felt like a charley horse in the girly parts. I touched that muscle and it was super super tight, like it would just pull apart any second. I thought “how the hell am I supposed to relax this muscle enough not to tear when birthing?” I looked online and found women with the same issues, it just meant baby is getting a bit lower and causing some pressure on the girly parts.
I took an Epsom Salt bath about three days in a row, that helped with the pain a lot. Then sexual relations helps keep everything loose down there, it massages the perineum (sorry, TMI, but it all comes with the package). We’re going to start with the real perineum massage around 37 weeks to start loosening the area. Ugh, I know, it’s gross, but it’s better than having a giant tear in your va-jay-jay, right? Anywho, not many other symptoms going on. I starting taking Glyburide about a week ago, it has pushed my numbers from 130’s to 80’s and 90’s in the morning. I hope they’re frickin’ satisified.
My appointment yesterday went well. I am measuring 34 cm on the fundus (pubic bone to top of uterus) and I am 33 weeks three days along, so the measurement is pretty much right on track. Next week they want me to start the Non-Stress Test, which is when you sit for 20 minutes in the office strapped to a belt that measures the baby’s heart beat and movements. Sounds like a ton of fun to me, NOT. I really don’t think it is necessary this early. I am going to suggest to them to wait two more weeks because there is no need. I am measuring great, blood pressure is great, weight gain is great, baby’s movement is great, the only thing they are concerned about is the gestational diabetes. Actually, to tell you a little secret, if I don’t remind them what the appointment is for each time, they forget and never ask. It’s like they don’t write this stuff down. The nurse actually told me yesterday “make sure you remember to tell them next week to start your non-stress tests”. Well, sorry I won’t because I believe if it’s that important then they should write it in the file and remember it themselves. Right?
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Tea Parties and Diaper Demos
Last weekend, my Aunt and Sister held a tea party baby shower for me at the Hilltop Inn. They have full tea service, where we got to try a couple different teas, enjoyed home made scones with jam and cream and little finger sandwiches and sweets. It was so delicious. I had NEVER had scones like that, especially with the jam and cream. My friend Adrienne was in town visiting from Portland, ME and she pointed out this cream at a specialty cheese store here in town. I think it was called Devonshire cream. I have to get some for Christmas day morning. I have this yummy pastry I'm going to bake and I think it will go perfect with it.
Anywho, back to the party. We all dressed up like proper english ladies. Here are a few fotos.
The table was all set. I would love to get a tea set, there is one in northern Germany called "Rot Dresmer". It is a very popular tea set that many families use there. You wouldn't think it, but northern Germany is pretty well known for their teas and service too.
Check out that hat! Hil hand sewed tiny pacifiers and pink clothes pins all over it. There was even a big button that said 'Mom to Be'. It was sooooo sweet. Hil has this nack for putting together parties, she even remembered a trash bag for the wrapping paper and scissors.
We got some very awesome gifts. Much needed since we pretty much had close to nothing, I hate to say it, but thank god for baby showers. I'm feeling a bit more prepared and better now. The cute little outfits and socks are just adorable, plus the stroller and breast feeding gift sets are so essential. It's awesome everyone is so loving and supportive. Thanks to all! :)
Then last Wednesday Dan and I attended a diaper demo. If anyone is thinking of doing cloth diapers, I would strongly recommend a diaper class. A local woman who owns Living Earth Babies holds this class once a month. Seriously check out her website if you have any questions about cloth diapers. She was awesome, she went through all types of cloth.
From the chinese three fold. This is just a sized piece of quilted cloth, folded and held together with a snappy. Then a plastic type of diaper cover would go over it. Here's a foto of the cloth and the snappy:
To the fitted or pocket diapers. They are a diaper cover, which has an opening that you can slip in a cloth pad. These are good for when baby is more mobile.
Then there's the all-in-ones, which is the diaper cover with the cloth already inside of it. There is a pocket for an extra insert for naps and evenings. Some are also size adjustable, which is nice because then we could use them for a longer time.
Dan and I are still deciding what will be best for us. We were thinking of doing the chinese three fold for the newborn to about 20 lbs and then maybe go onto something like this:
It's by Gro Baby, it is a one size diaper with a pocket for an insert. They are adjustable and easy to use. There is also a nice kit you can get that includes almost everything you will need to get started.
Cloth diapers are so different from my Mom's era of babies in the seventies and early eighties. They are now easier to use and there is a TON to choose from. Accessories are going to make it easier and more convenient for us to use too, such as the toilet sprayer and the wet bags to carry the diapers in. I'll need to be carrying them from the daycare because our child care center does allow and encourages cloth diapers.
Well, that was just a sampling of what we learned. We're still going through all of the information. For one thing, using cloth diapers saves money and no, it is not that expensive to wash. We have an energy saving washer and we will line dry once the weather is nice and warmer. It is estimated that for one child, you will do cloth diaper laundry every three days, that is definitely doable. We are thinking of doing cloth wipes too, but we'll see about that.
To all a lovely holiday week,
La Sirena and her little tadpole
Anywho, back to the party. We all dressed up like proper english ladies. Here are a few fotos.
The table was all set. I would love to get a tea set, there is one in northern Germany called "Rot Dresmer". It is a very popular tea set that many families use there. You wouldn't think it, but northern Germany is pretty well known for their teas and service too.
Check out that hat! Hil hand sewed tiny pacifiers and pink clothes pins all over it. There was even a big button that said 'Mom to Be'. It was sooooo sweet. Hil has this nack for putting together parties, she even remembered a trash bag for the wrapping paper and scissors.
We got some very awesome gifts. Much needed since we pretty much had close to nothing, I hate to say it, but thank god for baby showers. I'm feeling a bit more prepared and better now. The cute little outfits and socks are just adorable, plus the stroller and breast feeding gift sets are so essential. It's awesome everyone is so loving and supportive. Thanks to all! :)Then last Wednesday Dan and I attended a diaper demo. If anyone is thinking of doing cloth diapers, I would strongly recommend a diaper class. A local woman who owns Living Earth Babies holds this class once a month. Seriously check out her website if you have any questions about cloth diapers. She was awesome, she went through all types of cloth.
From the chinese three fold. This is just a sized piece of quilted cloth, folded and held together with a snappy. Then a plastic type of diaper cover would go over it. Here's a foto of the cloth and the snappy:
To the fitted or pocket diapers. They are a diaper cover, which has an opening that you can slip in a cloth pad. These are good for when baby is more mobile.
Then there's the all-in-ones, which is the diaper cover with the cloth already inside of it. There is a pocket for an extra insert for naps and evenings. Some are also size adjustable, which is nice because then we could use them for a longer time.
Dan and I are still deciding what will be best for us. We were thinking of doing the chinese three fold for the newborn to about 20 lbs and then maybe go onto something like this:
It's by Gro Baby, it is a one size diaper with a pocket for an insert. They are adjustable and easy to use. There is also a nice kit you can get that includes almost everything you will need to get started.Cloth diapers are so different from my Mom's era of babies in the seventies and early eighties. They are now easier to use and there is a TON to choose from. Accessories are going to make it easier and more convenient for us to use too, such as the toilet sprayer and the wet bags to carry the diapers in. I'll need to be carrying them from the daycare because our child care center does allow and encourages cloth diapers.
Well, that was just a sampling of what we learned. We're still going through all of the information. For one thing, using cloth diapers saves money and no, it is not that expensive to wash. We have an energy saving washer and we will line dry once the weather is nice and warmer. It is estimated that for one child, you will do cloth diaper laundry every three days, that is definitely doable. We are thinking of doing cloth wipes too, but we'll see about that.
To all a lovely holiday week,
La Sirena and her little tadpole
Monday, December 14, 2009
31 Weeks
31 weeks and counting. Here is some fun information and a 3D picture. Baby should be about 16 inches long and weigh about 3.5 – 4 lbs now. The lungs are the only organ that is underdeveloped and needs these next 9 weeks in the womb to become mature. I’ve been feeling pretty good, a little less tired since I quit exercising in the morning. It made my blood sugar numbers go up a little in the morning, but at 8 months pregnant, I was so exhausted working out two times a day I had to cut it down. I don’t even do that when I’m not carrying a baby! Mentally it has helped me too, even though I’m a little worried about the blood sugars in the morning.
The GD nurse said to add more carbs to dinner and snack, along with a little more protein and then a glass of milk in the middle of the night. I did that, but it made the numbers go up a little, which I thought was weird. So I am back to just eating my regular amount of carbs for dinner and late night snack and I am skipping the 3:30am milk. It brought the numbers down 10 points. So weird that it fluctuates so much. I tend the eat about the same thing, but the numbers fluctuate so much.
Saturday I thought the blood sugar would go crazy with the baby shower tea party food. There was a lot of white flour and sugars, but they stayed within normal range. I have my next doctor’s appointment this Friday. I know she will want to put me on that pill, which I am nervous about because there really hasn’t been a lot of studies done to support and advise what the long term effects will be on mother and baby. They used to just put the mom on insulin shots, but now this oral pill is available. They know short term it seems to be ‘ok’. My main concern is baby’s blood sugar once she is born, it could be really low because of this pill, which then they would give her glucose water or formula right away if my milk doesn’t come in. But milk doesn’t come in until about 2 – 3 days after the birth. I would hope the colosterum would suffice (which is a liquid that comes in before the milk), but we’ll see. I’ll talk to them about it on Friday.
Tadpole has been swimming around pretty good in there. She has her days though where she is more active than others. Some days she’ll just do a few movements after meals and at bedtime, and then other days she seems to want to try out for the gymnastics team. I thought she should be moving all the time everyday, but that’s not the case. Babies also have moods, good days and bad days, just like us when we have a lot of energy as opposed to low energy. We’re going to be scheduling a third ultrasound for around 37 weeks, to track her growth because of this diabetes thing. I’ll have to pay 30% out of pocket, but it’s worth it. I would like to see what she looks like at that point……..
La Sirena and the little tadpole
The GD nurse said to add more carbs to dinner and snack, along with a little more protein and then a glass of milk in the middle of the night. I did that, but it made the numbers go up a little, which I thought was weird. So I am back to just eating my regular amount of carbs for dinner and late night snack and I am skipping the 3:30am milk. It brought the numbers down 10 points. So weird that it fluctuates so much. I tend the eat about the same thing, but the numbers fluctuate so much.
Saturday I thought the blood sugar would go crazy with the baby shower tea party food. There was a lot of white flour and sugars, but they stayed within normal range. I have my next doctor’s appointment this Friday. I know she will want to put me on that pill, which I am nervous about because there really hasn’t been a lot of studies done to support and advise what the long term effects will be on mother and baby. They used to just put the mom on insulin shots, but now this oral pill is available. They know short term it seems to be ‘ok’. My main concern is baby’s blood sugar once she is born, it could be really low because of this pill, which then they would give her glucose water or formula right away if my milk doesn’t come in. But milk doesn’t come in until about 2 – 3 days after the birth. I would hope the colosterum would suffice (which is a liquid that comes in before the milk), but we’ll see. I’ll talk to them about it on Friday.
Tadpole has been swimming around pretty good in there. She has her days though where she is more active than others. Some days she’ll just do a few movements after meals and at bedtime, and then other days she seems to want to try out for the gymnastics team. I thought she should be moving all the time everyday, but that’s not the case. Babies also have moods, good days and bad days, just like us when we have a lot of energy as opposed to low energy. We’re going to be scheduling a third ultrasound for around 37 weeks, to track her growth because of this diabetes thing. I’ll have to pay 30% out of pocket, but it’s worth it. I would like to see what she looks like at that point……..
La Sirena and the little tadpole
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
30 Week Update
10 Weeks and counting, I hit a milestone this week – 30 weeks! Here is some information on 30 weeks, I love the 3D picture they have, plus here is some info on the American Pregnancy Association Website for 30 weeks. Dan and I finished taking down the wallpaper and painting the hallway, dining room, living room and foyer this past weekend. We’re going to decorate for Christmas this coming weekend. My friend Jackie said I am nesting, but really I don’t feel like that yet. The ‘baby’s room’ is a mess, it still looks like a guest room, which it partially is. I’m thinking come Christmas time, mom will be here and then we can get some stuff in order. We need to get a dresser to start storing stuff because the things that we have been given are currently stacked in the co-sleeper bassinet and in a tote in the closet. I would like for the room to be a bit more cuter, if you know what I mean. I would also like to maybe get a glider, we’ll be checking Craigslist for some options soon.
It has been unbearably cold here, hasn’t gotten above 10 degrees in weeks. This is unseasonably cold for here, usually it ranges from 40 – 45 degrees, but this cold snap just won’t go away. I love the cold, but tt makes it really hard to go outside for a walk, so I’ve been doing the elliptical. Last week I was super on schedule, elliptical in the morning and then at night, but come the weekend and finishing painting, Sunday I just ran out of steam. I was wasted tired, I took an hour and a half nap and Dan finished the ceiling painting and hung everything. I felt like a tired blob, just sitting on the couch watching. Oh well. Then Monday no exercise, I was so tired I went into the hallway lounge at work and took a power nap for 10 minutes. It was so worth it!! I wish we were wealthy, then I could go to part time and have time to rest. But no, it’s been long drives through snow and freezing cold to get to work. Blah, the drives are what are taking so much more of my time, usually it’s only 30 minutes each way, but with the snow and slick roads, it’s taking about 45 – 60 minutes.
Update on the diabetes, I can’t get my morning numbers down to under 100. I’ve done what they’ve asked, added more carbs to dinner, bigger snack and more carbs at night before bed, glass of milk in the middle of the night, 30 minutes of exercise in the morning and at night. Ugh! That number is so annoying, it ranges from 110 – 140. The other numbers are fine they said, it’s just the morning one. Because since a person is fasting at night, not having anything to eat from say 9:30pm until 6:30am, the number should be low because there is no food in your system. However in a diabetic, the body gets confused and the liver kicks in to make up for the sugars that it thinks should be coming in – therefore high numbers in the morning.
I just wish I knew if this truly was such a huge deal because I know they are going to want me to go on that Glyburide pill. Do the benefits really outweigh the risks? What are the risks? I spoke with my diabete’s educators and they said many pregnant woman have taken this pill and it is fine, however I tried to look up studies that have been done and I can’t find any. I only found a couple that were done in rats and it effected the baby’s bones. I also read that the baby could be born with dangerously low blood sugar and would have to have sugar water IV. Which this also effects the mom, because it makes my blood sugar really low, I have to carry snacks around all of the time. Geesh. I don’t want that at all. I haven’t really heard any benefits other than keeping the baby at a healthy weight to be able to vaginally birth it. But baby is not considered ‘massive’ at this point. My fundus is measuring right on schedule – 30 cm – 30 weeks I don’t know, it’s all so confusing.
Ten more weeks, feeling pretty good other than a little more tired and actually had some nausea lately. It’s almost like the first trimester symptoms want to come back. Oh gosh, I hope not…..
La Sirena and the little tadpole
It has been unbearably cold here, hasn’t gotten above 10 degrees in weeks. This is unseasonably cold for here, usually it ranges from 40 – 45 degrees, but this cold snap just won’t go away. I love the cold, but tt makes it really hard to go outside for a walk, so I’ve been doing the elliptical. Last week I was super on schedule, elliptical in the morning and then at night, but come the weekend and finishing painting, Sunday I just ran out of steam. I was wasted tired, I took an hour and a half nap and Dan finished the ceiling painting and hung everything. I felt like a tired blob, just sitting on the couch watching. Oh well. Then Monday no exercise, I was so tired I went into the hallway lounge at work and took a power nap for 10 minutes. It was so worth it!! I wish we were wealthy, then I could go to part time and have time to rest. But no, it’s been long drives through snow and freezing cold to get to work. Blah, the drives are what are taking so much more of my time, usually it’s only 30 minutes each way, but with the snow and slick roads, it’s taking about 45 – 60 minutes.
Update on the diabetes, I can’t get my morning numbers down to under 100. I’ve done what they’ve asked, added more carbs to dinner, bigger snack and more carbs at night before bed, glass of milk in the middle of the night, 30 minutes of exercise in the morning and at night. Ugh! That number is so annoying, it ranges from 110 – 140. The other numbers are fine they said, it’s just the morning one. Because since a person is fasting at night, not having anything to eat from say 9:30pm until 6:30am, the number should be low because there is no food in your system. However in a diabetic, the body gets confused and the liver kicks in to make up for the sugars that it thinks should be coming in – therefore high numbers in the morning.
I just wish I knew if this truly was such a huge deal because I know they are going to want me to go on that Glyburide pill. Do the benefits really outweigh the risks? What are the risks? I spoke with my diabete’s educators and they said many pregnant woman have taken this pill and it is fine, however I tried to look up studies that have been done and I can’t find any. I only found a couple that were done in rats and it effected the baby’s bones. I also read that the baby could be born with dangerously low blood sugar and would have to have sugar water IV. Which this also effects the mom, because it makes my blood sugar really low, I have to carry snacks around all of the time. Geesh. I don’t want that at all. I haven’t really heard any benefits other than keeping the baby at a healthy weight to be able to vaginally birth it. But baby is not considered ‘massive’ at this point. My fundus is measuring right on schedule – 30 cm – 30 weeks I don’t know, it’s all so confusing.
Ten more weeks, feeling pretty good other than a little more tired and actually had some nausea lately. It’s almost like the first trimester symptoms want to come back. Oh gosh, I hope not…..
La Sirena and the little tadpole
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