my-speck

i'm pregnant and it's going to be a rollercoaster

sore but otherwise all is well. And you’re endocrinologically all-ok based on my results too. June 1, 2009

Filed under: pregnancy — rakster @ 1:47 pm
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Hello Speck!

Well, apart from the aches and pains increasing at a rapid rate over the past few days, all is going well.  We went for a visit to the endocrinologist this morning, and the blood results from last week are back in.  Summary:

  • Hashimoto is behaving well with my levels all good.  So you’re all good too.   I have to keep taking the medication at a slightly lowered dosage for four months after you’re born and then hopefully we can cut it out again.   So all levels of antibodies etc and the hormone itself are well within the normal range.
  • My red blood count is totally right up to the top of normal again after taking the iron supplements, so I’ll just stick with those and you’ll have enough.  Again, have to keep on it for a while after you come to cope with the blood I’ll lose and what not;
  • My haemoglobin levels are also back up to normal so all happy there;
  • My cholesterol is up but that’s cause of you and all should be good after you’re born;
  • And I am officially a lot fatter than when we started this whole process.  However, according to the endocrinologist, I look particularly healthy, energetic and good for someone who is nearly 37 weeks pregnant.  I.e. I didn’t labour into her office looking exhausted and swaying like a buffalo from side to side (that is my read between the lines on what she said).   She was quite surprised.  So after the last visit when she freaked me out about how much weight I had put on she said it was all fine, that I was obviously fit and healthly before getting pregnant and there was a lot of weight in my boobs etc, and some people just put on more weight.   And I was probably one of those people.  And as long as I stay away from junk food during breastfeeding, it should all come off.  Apparently breastfeeding is the only proven way to lose the stubborn and relatively intransient weight around the hips and thighs, according to her.  Its the one time it might move when generally it just stays put.   Good-oh, I’ve never really had fat hips, so I was a bit worried about that.  Anyway.  We’ll see how it goes.
  • And, last but definitely not least, my blood pressure is still very very good.  I.e. its the same as my normal blood pressure.  So she said that this late in the pregnancy it would be very rare for me to develop pre-eclampsia now – the blood pressure would generally be slightly elevated already.   Which it isn’t.  So yay.  More good signs for your impending arrival.

Your dad is officially sick of my complaining though.  I had a pretty sore weekend.  My hands and arms are really painful from the carpal tunnel (doctor said there is nothing to do about this).  My hands look very swollen like a little ogre’s hands.   Fat fingers.   They are now hurting all day and I can’t do things like brush my teeth where I have to grip the toothbrush.   Washing up is a bit hard too.   I’ve been trying to convince your dad this means I can’t wash up anymore but he doesn’t seem to be buying it.   In addition, my pelvis ache has worsened so now when I sit still for 10 minutes or try to lift my legs I get pretty bad shooting pains through the pelvic area, and I’m really stiff.  I’ve been going for walks, which helps, but still gets stiff when doing other stuff.  Rolling around on the fitball instead of sitting in a chair helps with that.  We went to the park yesterday for your cousin’s 2nd birthday and my hips and pelvis just locked up each time I sat down and getting up and off the picnic blanket was really hard!   And the reflux is bad too.  All day now, even when I haven’t eaten.  The doctor gave me some pills today which will she says will ‘make me a new person’ in two days time with respect to the reflux.  So I’m going to take them!  Yay.   So yes, I complain a little out aloud and your dad is over it.  But he doesn’t have to carry you about yet, so I just keep telling him to make soothing noises and deal with it.  So far, he’s doing pretty well (its only the grimaces that give his real thoughts away).

Enough about me.  Your new rocker arrived today too – yay! Its gorgeous and looks totally comfortable and fun and adjusts to lots of positions.  Hope you like it.   Good present.  It goes totally flat and totally upright and all configurations in the middle.  In fact, I think we could tip you upside down with feet higher than head if you really wanted.  You’ll have to let us know how it is.

your awesome giraffe rocker

your awesome giraffe rocker

so you’ll be able to rock-on like us 🙂

bad joke.

love you

mum

 

glucose tests aren't fun and helpful advice from the local greek blood-testing community April 7, 2009

Filed under: baby stuff,healthcare,pregnancy — rakster @ 9:50 am
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Hello Speck!

You’re bum-up this morning. Your dad says good morning or has a chat most days and he has a bit of a feel to see where you are, and it seems like your bum was right above my belly button, just to my right this morning. So a slightly different position to normal, as your head was to the left rather than the right. But you’re still sleeping as yet.

Feeling pretty good today. I had the dreaded glucose test yesterday, and it wasn’t pleasant, as expected. For some reason the endocrinologist wanted me to do the full two-hour test right off the bat, so it involves waking up in the morning, not eating and then traipsing off to the blood collection centre for two and a half hours. I went down to Annerley.

As there are a bunch of tests that you need to take when you’re fasting, it was peak-hour down there, and the local greek community was out in force. I caused a bit of a rucus as although I arrived fourth in queue, as I had an appointment, they slotted me in second. Between the old greek man who was really impatient and in a hurry, and his wife, who was quite happy to gossip and chat. There was a bit of confusion as the lady behind the counter had to explain what I was there for and why I was going first. So, all my medical history in the open, it was time for the opinions and advice to flow. Interrupted of course by short stints while everyone had their blood taken (including me), but carried on seamlessly between these interruptions. So, apparently: I look healthy; I am having a boy, because I’m all out in front, and other things that I’ve forgotten again; I’m lucky that I don’t have red swelling and pigmentation around my ankles, don’t you know that some of the women there had it and it just never went away (close inspection and umming and ahhing required at this point); its unusual that I don’t have the linea nigrea (or the black line of hair or whatever it is between my navel and pubis) – but I do have very white skin, so perhaps that’s ok (luckily no-one wanted to inspect my navel to verify my claims here); oh, and the book you have to buy is “women’s weekly food for kids” or something like that which tells you what to feed your baby up to the age of kindy, even including birthday cakes to age five (my son – presumably now a man in his forties – still loves his broccoli and everyone asks me how I did it – you just start at an early age); the general consensus is that glucose tests are stupid and make you feel very sick, apparently you can fake it by just drinking a coke and then having the test; and overall I just need good luck. Oh, and the last helpful piece of advice: now, when you are at home with your baby and your husband, everyone will have some advice for you, so make sure you don’t offend them, and listen, but you just do what you think is the best thing, won’t you now… 🙂 This all in a combination of English with simultaneous translation and broadcast into Greek for two of the older women there whose English wasn’t up to the banter.

That was the highlight of the morning. After I actually gave the blood and drank the approx 500ml of glucose solution (which tasted much like five lemonades packed into a single can) I was fine for about half an hour. After which point the nausea kicked-in and I felt alternately like vomiting or pooing for the next hour and a half. And as the collection place was so small, there were only two collection ‘rooms’ and a bed only in one. And I was allowed one glass of water to sip for the whole time. I managed to get into the bed for a while after the waiting room cleared, but all in all sitting in a hard seat in a dingy little reception area while waiting for two hours to pass and feeling like death warmed up just really isn’t my idea of fun. All for you, baby. So now its just a wait for the results, which might take until tomorrow.

Hope its all good. As I said, today is great, no tests and I feel fine! I start antenatal active-birthing yoga tonight. Heard mixed reports about the place I’m going – sounds like it will be a little too chakra-centred for my usual preferred style, but looking forward meeting some women in the area who are due around the same time…

Love you
mum