As I have moved into the 3rd trimester, pregnancy has definitely gotten more difficult. Not only is it much more uncomfortable as my body is stretched in ways I didn't know were possible, but the diabetes has reared its ugly head. Thanks to all the pregnancy hormones, my numbers have been much more difficult to control, although my diabetes educator says I am still doing great.
At my last OB appointment, the doc saw that my amniotic fluid level was a bit high...actually a "normal" number, but the high end of normal...that, along with the diabetes, puts me at risk for pre-term labor. Also, Ava is a medium sized baby - except for her belly, which is in the 90th percentile! That is due to the diabetes. So, they put me onto a type 2 diabetes oral medication to try to get the numbers down a bit. It does seem to be making a difference, but it also makes my stomach hurt if I take it at the wrong time, so it is a bit of a challenge.
Due to Ava's belly size, the increased fluid level, and the diabetes, I had to start going in for non-stress tests and amniotic fluid level checks once a week. Non-stress tests basically just make sure Ava is doing ok, that her heartrate is increasing/decreasing normally, and also measures contractions. Normally these tests start on high-risk patients at 32 weeks...I started at 28 weeks! The first one was non-eventful and Ava passed with flying colors. My amniotic fluid levels were about the same, so there was no additional reason to be concerned - just continued monitoring and I had to start counting fetal kicks.
Today was my second non-stress test, and Ava again is very, very happy in there! However, this time my fluid level had gone from a 24.2 to 15.4, a significant drop. Basically normal is under 25, but because I am a high risk patient, they want to monitor me more closely if my number is over 20. Nobody could really give me an explanation about why I would have such a significant drop in only a week, especially given that my blood sugars were not as well controlled over the past week due to Thanksgiving, leftovers, and cookie baking :) Higher sugars tends to equal higher fluid levels - diabetics in general are known to have higher fluid levels. However, no one is concerned about the level dropping, and it is now well within the "normal" range, so that is positive!
However, my blood pressure this appointment was borderline high. That might not be so bad except I am normally borderline low! They took my pressure 4 times, and still couldn't get one under 132/84. So now they are watching my blood pressure. Hopefully it was just a one time fluke, but it's a little bit worrying, as high blood pressure is normally the first sign of pre-eclampsia, which would most likely mean bed rest until delivery...YUCK. Good thing Johnny got me a TV for the bedroom for my birthday (early present)...we were thinking I'd need something to entertain me in the event I had a c-section, but I guess it will also come in handy if I am on bedrest! Hopefully this was just a stressful day, and next week will be back to normal.
So, Ms. Ava is doing well, she is VERY active and really likes to kick her Mommy :) They have me doing kick counts, and I need to have 10 in 1 hour. I have 10 in about 7 minutes! More movement = healthy baby is what they keep telling me. As long as she is staying happy in there, I can rest easy knowing that she will be able to stay. I'll be 30 weeks on Friday - only 8 or 9 more to go! Time is flying and at the same time, it seems like February cannot get here fast enough...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
And how was your Christmas Hippo? ;) As good as mine, I hope!!!
ReplyDelete