GD Check In 3/31

[ladysif]

Hi ladies! Hope you all had a good week. 

How are your numbers doing? 

Favorite food of this week? 

Vents/concerns/questions? 

What other questions should I ask in this?!  

[ladysif]

How are your numbers doing? I was sassy last night. I had to eat on the run and I know what I can have at a particular restaurant and my numbers will be fine... but they had $1 small strawberry frozen custard sundaes on special. I got it with the intent of taking two bites and bringing it back home to DH/DS to share; yeah, I ate half of it and didn't compensate for that with the rest of my meal. I just kick myself when I do that, I know better! Especially because he was measuring bigger last time.

Favorite food of this week? Hmm. Garlic parmesan shrimp. Homemade tomato veggie soup.

Vents/concerns/questions? Just ticked at myself for blowing it so much lately; the quiche was a big issue last week and I hate to have this many high numbers, even if I can explain them. My brother and SIL had a baby this weekend and I brought them pizza and cupcakes... I think I was projecting.

[sapphyre0702]

How are your numbers doing? Good, morning is my tricky time (nighttime snacks actually make them worse so I go on a fast right after dinner). Had a growth scan last week and baby boy is measuring in the 53% percentile so he has not been getting any extra sugar which makes me really happy.

Favorite Food: everything is not attractive to me lately. It is sad. Well other than the forbidden pizza which is always attractive.

Vents/Concerns/Questions?: I had my 30 week ob appt and an appt with my endocrinologist today and both said in similar patients they like to induce around 39 weeks and maybe 40 if things look really good. My endo acknowledged that the reason for this is based off of old data that looked at risks to babies with mothers that had uncontrolled sugar issues but that it is protocol. I have told myself that I am not going to be scared of the birth process (cause cats do it alone in a basement, right?) But this has left me with lots of questions. I am not googling anything because I don't want to see the onslaught of induction horror stories. So any advice or other experience ladies? I can't change it but I want to be prepared for it.

[laurenlou83]

How are your numbers doing? They've been really good. All my fasting levels have been below 90 (which my Dr recommends). After meals I've only had 2 high numbers and that was after a bagel for breakfast and 2 pieces of pizza for lunch. I knew they would be, but I'm knew to all of this so just kind of testing the waters. Even after those meals it was only 143 and 137 so they weren't too bad! (I test 1hr post meal, so need to be under 140)

Favorite food of this week? Chicken and shrimp kabobs on the grill last night. Yummmm

Vents/concerns/questions? So far I've been able to regulate everything with my diet and it has been 2 weeks. I'm very thankful for all of this and I just hope it continues. My OB said this morning to just "keep doing what I'm doing". I wish that involved eating oreos though...

sapphyre0702, no experience with inductions, FTM here, so I can't really help. I've heard some induction stories from friends that went very smoothly and were not terrifying in the least. Whether you go into labor naturally or are induced, everyone is SO different when it comes to L&D... don't read stories on them! Just want to say GL and trust your doctors and what they think is best for you and LO!

[lunalovegood]

Hello ladies! Hooray for mostly good numbers so far for everyone.

How are your numbers doing? Pretty good this week. I did learn that a different type of bread can completely throw off my numbers though, so I will be sticking to the Costco bread I know works for toast and peanut butter in the morning.

Favorite food of this week? I made Creamy Verde Chicken last night and it was fantastic! I got the hot salsa so it was a little spicy, but very good.

Vents/concerns/questions? I had my first appointment since the GD yesterday and my doctor was happy with my numbers so far. I did lose some weight from a month ago, but that is to be expected by cutting so many carbs. As of right now she is not doing any additional ultrasounds or tests unless my numbers get out of control and I need insulin. But my fundal height measurement was 34cm yesterday and I am 30 weeks, so that is a little concerning to me, but she seems fine with it.

sapphyre0702 good idea not googling any induction stories. I have heard stories on both ends of the spectrum and it is best to not worry about it. That being said, this is my 5th baby and I stil have total freak out moments about giving birth so it is totally normal to be a little scared.

[sapphyre0702]

Thanks lunalovegood (love the name btw) and laurenlou83! I am going to continue not googling and living in my precious (possibly delusional) world of happiness and not being scared.

[ladysif]

Glad everyone is having a good week!

sapphyre0702, I was induced with DS1 because of GD. Their rule was that I couldn't go more than 1 week overdue and they induced me the evening of 40 weeks 5 days. I was not on insulin. At that point they said the risk would start to get higher so it was their recommendation and I was fine with it since I was overdue already.

I'm with a different practice this time for insurance reasons. One of their doctors who is not my primary tried telling me I'd be induced at 38 weeks as their general practice; I shot her down rather testily; she's lucky I held in the "hell no." I asked my primary at the next appointment, letting her know I wasn't okay with that. My primary said that is their rule if the mom is on insulin, but for diet-controlled they allow to go to term if all looks well. I pushed and said I was fine going overdue with Henry and she said she'd approve me to be a week overdue, barring any other issues that come up in the meantime, and wrote it in my file as such. (Obviously if things go differently I'll do it whenever they say is medically necessary.)

I'm hoping things can happen without induction this time. With DS1 I did start to have some very irregular contractions at 40 weeks 3 days but nothing major, and I was only 50% effaced and the teensiest bit possible dilated.

I talked to the doctor first about the induction techniques they recommended, then went home and did my own research. I wanted to avoid the pitocin, so we started with a foley bulb with the idea that I'd come back early the next morning and they'd start pitocin if things weren't progressing. It was uncomfortable, but bearable. They put it in at 4 p.m. and we were back in the hospital at 11:30 p.m. and I was 6 cm dilated. It was supposed to fall out on its own around 4 cm or something like that, but the doctor filled it pretty full so they just deflated it to take it out. No pitocin - things progressed after that.

Induction stories are crazy different and the reasons for needing one are wildly varied, too. It will depend SO much on how prepared your own body is; mine was thankfully starting a little, I think, because of having the couple days of odd contractions beforehand, but I definitely think it would have been rougher if they'd induced me earlier. I was careful to do kick counts pretty regularly in those overdue days.

If I do have to be induced again, I will opt for the foley bulb again since it worked last time and it is a mechanical form of induction, so to speak, as opposed to medicated.

It won't hurt at all to ask - seems with high risk patients and inductions, we have to advocate for ourselves. See what they say about going to term or a little overdue.

[kimberlyandthor2014]

How are your numbers doing?
-my numbers are mostly great. I do notice a trend on Thursdays that my fasting is high, for no apparent reason. Only seems to happen on Thursday mornings though.

Favorite food of this week?
-sopressata salami with goat cheese and cucumbers. I can't seem to get enough

Vents/concerns/questions?
-I've just had enough! I watch my mom (who just got diagnosed with type II, 3 weeks ago, and her guidelines are sooooo much more lenient than ours. Why is this???

What other questions should I ask in this?!
-what food are we salivating for after delivery?
I have a huge stash of Easter candy waiting for me. And I can't wait to eat lots of pizza without fear.

[gilder40]

How are your numbers doing? Awesome! My doctor is really pleased. He also told me my glucose stuff wasn't too bad, they just mostly wanted to monitor my blood sugar because of my high blood pressure. If I developed full on gestational diabetes, it could lead to lots of potential problems.

Favorite food of this week? I'm loving my English muffins with egg and cheese for breakfast. Although, I am totally craving some poptarts.

Vents/concerns/questions? None really. I'm going to be bad this afternoon. It's Easter party day at school, and my students have ice cream sundaes with their general education classes and peers. I'm so having some ice cream.

[kimberlyandthor2014]

sapphyre0702,

I also had GD with my previous pregnancy, and I did have a few arguments with my OB, but she was a total douche (which I didn't find out until towards the end with all of this.) They did an ultrasound at 37 weeks and she told me my baby was already over 10 pounds, so by delivery she could be up to 12 or 13 pounds and that I would be scheduling a C-Section for delivery. I told her absolutely no way, now how. I was certainly okay with going to a c-section if there were complications during delivery, but I knew that most of those evaluations can be way off on baby's size (that was 10 years ago, not sure if sizing is more accurate these days I will check it out!). She fought with me for the next two weeks and even called me a horrible mother and told me I was being selfish. I knew inside that there was just no reason to give in, I could just feel that waiting was the right thing to do. So that is my biggest advice. Listen to yourself, and take the advice of your doctors but get a second opinion if something doesn't feel right. The other doctor in the practice told me to relax and trust myself, he said there was absolutely no need to jump the gun with a c-section as ultrasounds are notoriously off at predicting birth weight. This gave me the reassurance I needed as an FTM to listen to my intuition. My daughter was born vaginally at 40 weeks, and she only weighed 8lbs, 2oz. 

So, I stood firm and at 40 weeks I went in for an induction. It actually went very well, despite my crappy OB, because I had wonderful nurses. I checked in at 5pm and at some point they applied cervadil (can't remember what time) and I went to sleep. The plan was to start pitocin in the morning. Sometime around midnight one of the nurses told me I was having contractions and she showed me on the monitor I didn't even feel them. By morning (about 6am) I was in good labor and there was no need for pitocin, which I am very thankful for. My daughter was born at 1:52pm that afternoon. We had no complications at all from the induction (only from the epidural but that's a story for another day lol).

Though I would prefer to go into labor naturally, and I do worry about the possible complications from inducing, I'm hoping it goes similarly well this time around. My OB this time is wonderful and she is more than willing to work with me on my needs and desires around childbirth. She would like to check me around 38weeks and induce if my cervix looks ready and ripe, but she has let me know that it is up to me, ultimately. I would prefer to wait closer to my actual due date as long as everything looks good and healthy. ladysif, I knew nothing about foley bulbs when I had my daughter, but I would love to bring this up with my OB as a possible option as opposed to chemical prostaglandins. I also plan on having as much sex as possible in those last weeks since semen is a natural prostaglandin. DH will be absolutely thrilled to provide this for me lol (sorry if TMI!). I've also read some of Ina May Gaskins' advice on natural nudging along of labor, so I will be applying as much of those techniques as possible as well. I would so LOVE to have that "Honey, it's time!" moment this time around. We shall see.

tl;dr Induction is not ideal, but it doesn't have to be horrible either. Trust yourself enough to get a second opinion if something doesn't feel right or sit right with you.

[ladysif]

My post-delivery, eat in the hospital as soon as I can get my hands on them foods are as follows:

chocolate chip bagel with lots of cream cheese
pizza
a marble cake from a local bakery I love (this might have to wait until we're home)
chocolate milkshake
chocolate croissant, any kind of pastry really at this point!

[kimberlyandthor2014]

The hospital I'm delivering in has an Au Bon Pain on the first floor, and DH is all over the double fudge chocolate cupcakes AND the red velvet cupcakes they have there. It's his first directive after meeting his son

[mabillon]

Lol, I just posted on the long thread about check ins (after thinking I'd scrolled through enough posts)! So glad this exists!

Just started testing yesterday but my numbers have been really good! My doc wants me to test 2 hours after meals and with one exception, I've been back to the low 90s or below by then (max is 120). The exception was this afternoon when I indulged half a peanut butter candy bar. Still only 106 though!

I am loving real sugar in my coffee again (abstained until I got a monitor) and craving a big Italian sub. It will be my first meal after delivery, accompanied by a milkshake I don't have to share!

My bent is that I've had trouble getting enough blood for a testing strip and wasted a ton while pricking myself a lot. This afternoon i tried a mini tourniquet with a hair band and it worked well so I hope it continues to do the trick. I've always had poor circulation but this has been crazy.

[kimberlyandthor2014]

Apr 1, 2015 18:25:48 GMT -5 mabillon said:

Lol, I just posted on the long thread about check ins (after thinking I'd scrolled through enough posts)! So glad this exists!

Just started testing yesterday but my numbers have been really good! My doc wants me to test 2 hours after meals and with one exception, I've been back to the low 90s or below by then (max is 120). The exception was this afternoon when I indulged half a peanut butter candy bar. Still only 106 though!

I am loving real sugar in my coffee again (abstained until I got a monitor) and craving a big Italian sub. It will be my first meal after delivery, accompanied by a milkshake I don't have to share!

My bent is that I've had trouble getting enough blood for a testing strip and wasted a ton while pricking myself a lot. This afternoon i tried a mini tourniquet with a hair band and it worked well so I hope it continues to do the trick. I've always had poor circulation but this has been crazy.

Hi! Welcome to our little club and oh yeah italian subs! I am salivating now...
Does your pricker have a dial that you can turn up a bit? Sometimes that helps, too, but it stabs a bit deeper so hurts a bit more.

[mabillon]

Apr 1, 2015 18:44:37 GMT -5 kimberlyandthor2014 said:

Apr 1, 2015 18:25:48 GMT -5 mabillon said:

Lol, I just posted on the long thread about check ins (after thinking I'd scrolled through enough posts)! So glad this exists!

Just started testing yesterday but my numbers have been really good! My doc wants me to test 2 hours after meals and with one exception, I've been back to the low 90s or below by then (max is 120). The exception was this afternoon when I indulged half a peanut butter candy bar. Still only 106 though!

I am loving real sugar in my coffee again (abstained until I got a monitor) and craving a big Italian sub. It will be my first meal after delivery, accompanied by a milkshake I don't have to share!

My bent is that I've had trouble getting enough blood for a testing strip and wasted a ton while pricking myself a lot. This afternoon i tried a mini tourniquet with a hair band and it worked well so I hope it continues to do the trick. I've always had poor circulation but this has been crazy.

Hi! Welcome to our little club and oh yeah italian subs! I am salivating now...
Does your pricker have a dial that you can turn up a bit? Sometimes that helps, too, but it stabs a bit deeper so hurts a bit more.

Thanks for the welcome! Yup, I had the dial turned but no difference. I have no fear of the needle or pain...after IVF I have become super comfortable with needles! My rubber band trick nailed the draws on the first time twice tonight so I'm happy.

[kimberlyandthor2014]

That's good! Wasting strips sucks so bad! They are expensive!