Fifth Prenatal Appointment and MacDougall Baby Shower

On Wednesday I had my fifth prenatal appointment at the Bryn Mawr Birth Center. For this 28 week appointment, I had to drink about 5 ounces of a special glucose drink and then have my blood drawn to check my glucose tolerance and whether I might have gestational diabestes. Our appointment was with a new midwife, Kathy, who was very kind and she actually had been the mid-wife on-call who called my back in Arizona to help answer my questions about whether I could take Airborne to try and ward off a cold or not. We got to listen to the heartbeat and she measured my fundus (I think I heard her say 26 inches but I could be off) and for the first time she felt my belly for the position of the baby. According to Kathy's best guess after palpating my belly, she guessed that Sophie's head was down and toward the lower right of my belly and her feet or her bum were up in the top left of my belly. This would explain how Jim and I were able to sit on the couch the other night and see my stomach moving like an alien in the top left corner (feet, her bum?) while simultanesously feeling her move in the lower right. Anyway, then Kathy drew my blood and said it was fairly unlikely that it would come back positive but if it did, they'd call me. If negative, they wouldn't call and would see me in two weeks. Yep, that's right! I've moved from appointments every four weeks to appointments every two weeks now!! WOW!

Well, last night when Jim and I got home from work, there was a message from Kathy that the test came back positive. This was very disappointing. Now, I have to go in for a full blown three hour glucose tolerance test to see if in fact I do have gestational diabetes. The test involves me fasting the night before and then going in to have my blood drawn four times. Once when I arrive and then every hour for three hours upon drinking a glucose solution. If that test comes back positive, it means I have gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is actually one of the most common pregnancy complications affecting 2-4 percent of all pregnant women. If I have it, it will be treated with a no-sugar, no-carb diet and excercise unless it's very bad in which case, might need to give myself insulin (either by shot or pill). Gestational diabetes, if left untreated, can cause large ("fat") babies which result in other possible complications to the baby. In most cases, gestational diabetes goes away after delivery yet women who have gestational diabetes are 50% more likely to develop Type II Diabetes or adult onset diabetes later.

We're of course really hoping that I do not have it but we won't know until after I get the glucose tolerance test done. Jim thinks the glucose screen might have come back high because of what I ate that day (two clementines and four multi-grain blueberry waffles with butter and syrup). I was home sick that day and so don't normally eat waffles in the middle of the week but I guess the carbs and the sugar from the fruit (which I was doubling up on because I felt so lousy) and the syrup - not to mention the glucose drink - may have been the cause. Let's hope!!

On a more positive note, I've been late in posting about Sophie's first trip to see the MacDougall side of the family in Arizona this Christmas. Jim, Sophie and I flew out to Arizona for the holidays to visit with my Grandmom and Grandpop MacDougall and my Dad, step-mom Kathy, and step-sister Lacey and my aunt Joyce and her family. We had a lovely visit with one big set-back in that my Grandpop went into the hospital on my birthday, two days into our visit. He did not get out again until the night before we left but thankfully, he is ok now. Sophie also was thrown her very first baby shower by my aunt and step-mom and Grandmom and it was so much fun and such a neat surprise. We played a game (guess the baby food) and each person was asked to give their advise for the new parents. It just was so wonderful! And, Sophie got so many cute things already. Here are some photos of the family playing the guess the baby food game (believe it or not peaches smelled the worst - like rotten meat!) and all the adorable and thoughtful presents she was given.