December 3rd - 38 Weeks and 1 day

Today we went in for our normal non-stress test appointment. Being as it was the last appointment before we thought I would be induced, we took the opportunity to ask a bunch of questions. We wanted to know things like how the induction would work, when would then induce us and how long we could expect to be in the hospital. In the process of asking these questions, I happen to mention that my blood sugars are running low again and I still have not gotten an answer as to what this means for the placenta.

My mid-wife decided that she needed to get to the bottom of this and went to talk to the doctor. They both agreed that they needed to talk to the specialist and verify some of the information. Once she returned, she told us that we needed to go to the specialist’s office immediately for some additional testing. We learned they would perform an ultra sound to make sure the baby is ok, then most likely an amnio to test her lung development and then decide if they were going to induce.

This was a total surprise. Being as I have had this same blood sugar issue for the last few weeks, I was shocked by this chain of events. However, we did as we were told and went in. Once we got there, they proceeded exactly as planned. A very quick ultra sound followed by the amnio. We were then told that because I am 38 weeks, and as long as her lungs were fully developed, there was not reason to wait another week to induce and they would just induce me tonight. They said that while my low blood sugars were not concrete evidence that something was wrong, it was definitely suggestive. Being as she is fully developed, it makes more sense to have her out then to wait to see if something goes wrong.

It takes a few hours for them to process the amnio results. Its now 8:04pm on Friday night and we are anxiously waiting for the call to learn if we are heading to the hospital. If we get the call that her lungs are mature then I will have Cervidil inserted tonight to prepare my cervix for labor and then tomorrow then will start the Pitocin. We are very nervous and anxious to get the news. We are all packed, just ate and ordered some Chinese food and are trying hard to not watch the time tick by.

I think we are going in tonight. I was fairly certain most of the day that we would be going to the hospital tonight but once Andy opened his fortune cookie I knew for sure. His fortune read “You will have fun trying something different this weekend. ” Now the next surprise it to tell everyone her name.

Here are hopefully the final two pictures of me pregnant. They were taken 12/3/2010 at 8:22pm

November 22nd - 36 Weeks and 5 days

Ok, quick update on my adventures yesterday. I woke up early and headed, headache in tow, to my 7:45 am doctor’s appointment. I told the Dr about the headaches and she immediately sent me over to the hospital. Her worry was that I had preeclampsia and she wanted me to have some additional testing.

To be honest, I don’t know much, but I know my body and going to the hospital seemed like over kill but I went to be sure baby was ok. I checked into the Labor and Delivery observation unit where they hooked me up to a blood pressure machine, a fetal heart monitor, and took some blood. I was happy they were covering their basis but I honestly just wanted them to give me something for my headache.

Finally they gave some Tylenol. We sat in the hospital for 2-3 hours and at the end of it all the blood tests, my blood pressure and the baby are all perfectly fine. In fact my blood pressure was in the lower part of the normal range and both the doctor and the nurses said that the baby was looking beautiful. I would have spent two days in the hospital just to hear that.

Unfortunately, no one had an explanation for my headache. The doctor really believes that my sever insomnia is at the root. She prescribed a sleeping pill and told my not to be shy about taking one. I am not crazy about putting something in my body that could get to the baby but she assured me it is safe.

I finally took the sleeping pill at 9pm last night and slept until 8am!! I feel like a new person. One or two nights like that I will definitely have enough energy for labor. The headache is not completely gone but I have not taken and Tylenol yet so hopefully one more night of good sleep and I will be back to normal. 

November 21st - 36 Weeks and 4 days

Its 4am on Monday morning and I am awake with one of the worst headaches I have ever experienced. I though I would take this opportunity and update what’s been going on over the last few days.

It all started on Saturday when I met a friend, who also happens to be pregnant, to do some shopping for last minute baby necessities. We went to two baby stores and had a good time. While we were at the second store, my belly started to feel really heavy. As all women with have been pregnant know, this is a fairly common feeling. I just figured it was a typical pregnancy symptom and went on with my day.

Next, we headed to get a late lunch and unfortunately, I ate way too much. By the time the meal was over I was in pain from being so full. I had that really full, bloated, totally uncomfortable feeling. I just assumed that it would pass as the meal digested.

My next stop of the day was to meet another friend to do some Christmas shopping. We met at a store and began walking around. I realized at this point that I was having contractions. I guess my discomfort was written all over my face because my friend happened to ask if I was ok. At this point my response was “I’m not sure” and I began to take note of my symptoms. My belly was still feeling heavy and was still really uncomfortably full. I happen to take note at this time that it had been almost three hours since lunch and yet I was still SO uncomfortable. I decided to head home

Once at home, the symptoms only intensified. My contractions, while they were never painful, were becoming so intense that Andy and I decided we needed to pack our hospital bag and call the midwife. Here is what the midwife told me. She said early labor and active labor are two totally different things. Early labor can happen for a day or so and go away and I could still be pregnant for another two weeks. On the other hand, she said this could all intensify, the contractions could become painful and closer together and tonight could be the night we have the baby. She said she didn’t want me to go to the hospital until we knew for sure. Well, my discomfort did not leave and at 2am I was on my hands and knees on the living room floor trying to get comfortable.

I should probably explain what I was feeling. Like I said, I was having intense contractions but they were very inconsistent. I would have three that were 5 minutes apart and then nothing for 45 minutes. While never painful, they were just intense. I was also experiencing lower back pain, feelings of an upset stomach, and cramping in my lower abdomen. To top it off, the baby was wide awake and ready to party. I don’t know if the hours of contractions had upset her or what but she was moving like crazy.

Finally at about 2:30am I feel asleep on the couch. My symptoms were beginning to subside and while I was up every two hours trying to get comfortable, I was not in as much discomfort. By 10am the next morning, completely exhausted and desperately needing some sleep, I was feeling almost back to normal. It was the strangest thing. The contractions were gone and so were all of the symptoms.

Yesterday, I got a new symptom. This headache!! All the others were gone but what was left was this terrible headache. I finally broke down yesterday afternoon and took some Tylenol which only helped for a little while. By the time dinner rolled around, my head was killing me. I took some more Tylenol and called the midwife again. She said while headaches in pregnancy are definitely something to be worried about, she was happy to hear that the Tylenol was at least helping some and she thought maybe it had more to do with my lack of sleep. If I wanted to go to the hospital, she could give some narcotics for the pain or I could wait until my Monday morning doctor’s appointment.

I had no interest in going to the hospital or taking narcotics for that matter. I went to bed at about 10pm last night and slept until 3am. Its now 4:30am, my head is killing me and I am counting down the hours until my 7:45am doctors appointment. I am actually headed to the specialist so they can do their monthly ultrasound to measure the baby’s growth. I am hoping to get two things out of this visit. The first are some really great new ultra sound pictures of the baby and the second is some answers to what the heck is going on with my head.

November 18th - 36 Weeks and 0 days

Please note - the red marks on my hip are not stretch marks. :) They are from my insulin pump. I would not put these pictures up if they were stretch marks or any other lovely pregnancy marking.

Today I am 36 weeks pregnant!My appointments this week left me feeling different then I have in the past weeks. At the Specialist on Monday, we had our usual test where they score the baby. She scored an 8/8 and the doctor told me that I have nothing to worry about at this time. After having months of worrying, this was a nice change. With all the possible things that could have gone wrong due to my diabetes and regular pregnancy complications, this appointment marked the safe zone. I have made it past the point where the baby would be really sick if I was to deliver early and now I can actually wish her to come. This was an amazing feeling.

Last week, when I was just 35 weeks, the regular OB checked my cervix to see if I was dilating. Not only was I not dilating but my cervix was very think and the baby was still very high. They recommended I start taking Evening Primrose oil in a pill form. The Midwifes believe it can help to soften the cervix and help the body prepare for labor. Starting last Sunday, I began taking 1500mg twice a day. I has amazed when I started feeling some contractions. They have been coming on and off for the last few days and while they are certainly nothing intense, they are there.

At today’s appointment with the OB, the Midwife checked my cervix and told me that it was thinning and I was dilated ½ cm. Now I know ½ a cm is not much but I swear the Primrose is working. I have only been on it for 4 days and already there is a change. Starting at 37 weeks, which happens to fall on Thanksgiving, I can increase the dosage. My hope is that when I up the dose, the baby will come during week 38. This way she will fully mature and yet I wont have to be induced at week 39. I guess we will have to wait and see when Miss Massingill decided to make her grand arrival.

Speaking of her arrival, I want to share what people have been saying to me. Just as a reminder, my due date is December 16th but since they don’t let diabetics go to 40 weeks they will induce me on December 9th if I am still pregnant. Andy has been saying for a while now that he thinks I will go into labor on Thanksgiving. I think that he just wants her to be born on Thanksgiving because he is dying to watch a Cowboy game with his daughter. I was telling all of this to Robin Cheney and her response was something along the lines of “I was kinda thinking the same thing.” Ok, so two people think that next week is the magic week. I thought all of this was coincidence until I went for a massage on Tuesday. As I was leaving, I was talking to massage therapist and saying that I was not sure when I would be back because I didn’t know when the baby would come. As I was finishing up my conversation with her, the girl behind the counter, who I have never seen or talked to, interrupted our conversation by saying “I think she is coming on Black Friday.” I asked her why she thought this and her response was “I have been right the last three times and I can just tell. You baby is coming on Black Friday.” Now I’m starting to believe it. Maybe we will have a baby next week!! I am secretly hoping they are all correct because I am so excited for her to get here. Other the other hand, I want to be sure she is totally healthy before she is born so I want her to stay in as long as possible. Again, we are just going to have to wait and see!

November 1st - 33 Weeks and 4 days

Since I wrote my last post, I have had 2 more appointments. Last Thursday I went to the OB for my Non-stress test. They hooked me up to the machines again that monitor the baby’s heart rate, her movements and my contractions. My little girl is happy but I am not. I did not have a single contraction. :( Not even a Braxton-Hick! I know that I am still only 33 weeks, and I certainly don’t want her to come now, but I was hoping for some sign that she might come just a little early. I want to meet her and I am kinda over being pregnant.

I asked the doctor to explain, in further detail, what the specialist had said last week. She looked at my ultra sound results from last Monday and determined that the baby’s femur is measuring at 31 weeks, her head is measuring 34 weeks and her belly is measuring 35 weeks. When all of these measurements are taken into consideration, the baby is still is the 57% percentile. She said that she is not worried at all! She went on to say that the baby is measuring at 5 pounds and if she gains a ½ a week for the next 6 weeks then she will be about 8 pounds. Totally normal!

We then discussed my chances of going into labor naturally verse having a scheduled C-section. She said that baby’s of diabetic mothers usually have slower lung development. As result, they will most likely not take the baby before 39 weeks. As that time, they will determine if they should induce or perform a c-section. Based on the baby’s current measurements, if I make it to week 39 then they will simply induce. This was amazing news!! Last week, when I was 80% sure that I was going to have to have a c-section, I was feeling like my diabetes was going to deprive me the experience of a surprise birth. (Surprise meaning not knowing if my water was going to break or I was going to have to be induced) I now feel like I can have the same experience as every other pregnant woman.

Today, I went back to the specialist for the test that I discussed in my last post. They do an ultra sound and give the baby a score on movement, breathing, fluid levels and baby’s tone (how they use their muscles.) They get 2 points for each category. Baby was wide awake and on the move this morning so the test only took 10 minutes. She scored and 8/8 and all is good.

Baby is happy and all is well! Now, if I could just get comfortable and get a good night sleep, I would be happy as well :)

October 25th - 32 weeks and 4 days

Being as I am now 32 weeks pregnant, I will begin to see both my OB and the Maternal Fetal Specialist once a week. Most women do not begin see their doctor weekly until 36 weeks but my diabetes has me starting sooner. At the OB they will give me a non-stress test every week, which monitors the baby to ensure she is not under any stress and they also hook me up to another machine which checks for contractions. At the maternal fetal specialist, they will give the baby a score each week to determine her growth and activity. This score is based on how the baby is moving, how she is practicing breathing, her growth and the amniotic fluid levels. There are a few more things but I can’t remember them all.
While today was the start of my weekly visits, the specialist treated today as a monthly visit. As a result, we did not get a score today and the focus was on the baby’s measurements. She weights about 5 lbs which is in the 65th percentile. We also learned that the baby has a large belly. We were not given an idea of what exactly was large or how large it was but we were told that this is usually a sign that the baby is getting big as a result of my diabetes. This was tough to hear. I have been under very good control and have been receiving praise from all my doctors for managing my sugars as perfectly as I have been. Yet, even with all my hard work, I learned today that I am not invincible and am still at risk for complications. The doctor assured me that she has seen women under perfect control have large babies and women under terrible control not have large babies. She simply said that we will watch her growth and ensure she is happy and healthy.
If the baby gets too big, the doctors will simply plan for a c-section. I was under the impression that they would induce early but I learned today that that is not always the case. Just because the baby is large does not mean that her lungs are mature enough to breathe on her own. My hope is that I can work even harder to regulate my sugars, keep the baby growing at a healthy rate and have them induce a week or two early. I really hope there is no need for a c-section simply to get the baby out. I think we will learn more in the next few weeks about her growth.
Now that I have had time to think about it, I guess the positive side of it all is that we made it to 32 weeks before we saw any of the baby’s areas getting larger. Being as I only have 4 more weeks before I am in the “safe to deliver” time, I hope she grows normally and we can simply induce early. I guess it is out of my hands and it’s up to the doctors, the baby and Mother Nature.
I have attached 4 new pictures of the baby. The first one makes me laugh because she looks like the thinker. In the second picture she is VERY upset and I have a feeling we will see that face again before a big cry. As usual, you can see her hand in front of her face. At one point during the ultra sound she was sucking on her wrist. I cant wait to actually see what she is doing with her hands when they are in front of her face.

Pictures from the baby shower weekend

October 3rd-29 weeks and 3 days

This weekend was wonderfully eventful. My mom, Alena Clark, Whitney Crean and Anna Wolf all flew to Atlanta for my baby shower. We had a great time and there is a lot to remeber.


It all started on Friday with our 29th week ultrasound. My mom and Alena had gotten to town on Thursday night so they came to the appointment with Andy and I. As usual, our daughter wanted nothing to do with having her picture taken. She would not move her hand/fist away from her face so getting a great picture was difficult. Luckily, we had a very patient ultrasound tech who was determined to get a few pictures. Finally, after about 20 minutes, our baby cooperated and showed her face. It was so amazing to see that she is packing on weight and developing into a beautiful baby girl. I think she is adorable and we learned that she has some hair! The photo session ended with the baby giving us the peace sign which made us all laugh.


Saturday was the shower. Robin Cheney hosted the shower at her house and we all went there from 11-2. We ate great food, I opened my gifts, and we had great conversation. We spent most of the time talking about the upcoming arrival of a new baby and it made me realize that she is going to be here so soon. Now that we have our baby supplies I am even more excited to meet my daughter. I will forever remember how loved I felt at my shower and how much I cherish the women that were there.


Saturday night we all went out to dinner and most people turned in at a fairly reasonable hour. Alena and I, however, stayed late talking and the baby gave us quite a show. I had been telling my friends and family for weeks what a mover this baby is but for some reason she was quite all weekend long. The girls were hoping to see and feel the baby move but she just wasnt in the mood until Saturday night. At this point she must have been well rested because for about 15 minutes she was flipping around in my stomach. Alena spend a good amount of time just staring at my belly as it moved from one direction to the other. When she put her hand on my stomach, the baby kicked and tumbled. It was great to have someone there as a witness to my little gymnast.


Alena took most of the pictures this weekend and I will post some as soon as I receive them.

Nursery Pics

The baby's nursery is on its way. Andy worked hard to paint the walls green before the professional muralist came and did the details. We worked together to put the furnitre together and we are so happy with how it looks. Now we will need to focus on the important things like clothes and diapers :) I think we have some time but its fun to think about.

September 29th-28 weeks, 6 days

Many of you have been giving me a hard time about not posting new pictures so here there are. The baby has been moving a ton and she and I are having fun playing our new poking game. She will wiggle around in my stomach and when it gets to be a little too much I simply poke at her. I think this confuses her because she goes crazy. It makes me laugh and it’s a great bonding moment.

Andy and I are currently having trouble with a name. We had picked a name and were excited about it. However, I am having second thoughts. Andy is so in love with the original name that he has told me that I have until the end of October to pick a name or were going with the original. I guess I better get to the name hunting!

My diabetes has been a struggle over the past few weeks. Gone are the days of low blood sugars and I have turned the corner into my third trimester running a little high. The doctors had warned me that as I continue through my pregnancy I will become more insulin resistant. This is completely normal and I simply have to stay on top of it. I have been emailing my blood sugars to the doctor every Monday and we make adjustments accordingly.

I only have a few more weeks before I start visiting both the OB and the Maternal Fetal Specialist once a week. Once I hit 32 weeks I will see one on Specialist on Mondays so they can check my placenta and ensure its working appropriately and then on Thursdays I will meet with the OB so they can monitor the baby’s heart to be sure everything is fine.

This weekend is my baby shower and I am very excited. It will be so fun to be surrounded by people I love and celebrate the upcoming arrival of our daughter!

September 20th-27 Weeks, 4 days

Ok I was feeling guilty about not posting anything in a while so I found some cute cartoons that help express how I feel. I have a dr's appointment this Wednesday and then another appointment with the Fetal Specialist on October 2nd. Starting at 32 weeks I will have to see both doctors once a week :( I will learn more about that at my next appointment.

August 28th-24 Weeks, 2 days

Not much to report this week. The baby is moving like a wild women now and I feel her all the time. We had and ultra sound on Friday and all looked good. As you can see in the picture, she had no interest in having her picture taken. Both arms are crossed in from of her face :( Oh well! Last sunday was the babies first Broncos game. We went to the Cheney's and watched the Broncos play the Detroit Lions. The Broncos lost but we were feeling the Denver love in Woodstock!

August 3rd - 20 weeks and 5 days

This weekend was an exciting weekend. Andy and I BOTH, officially, felt the baby move. We went in for another ultra sound on Friday and the baby was doing summersaults in my belly. I was not 100% sure if what I was feeling was, actually, the baby moving, until I was on the table. I think we have a little performer on our hands because once she started moving she did not stop for hours. Once we got home I laid down on the couch and that was Andy was able to feel her move. It was a very exciting day.

Here are some pictures from the ultra sound and also of my growing belly. Due to the fact that she is still so little, the baby looks very thin. This is totally normal and in the next few weeks she will begin to fill out more.

July 22nd-19 Weeks

Since I was laid off a few weeks ago, there has not been a whole lot to blog about. I could talk about how being off the road has made my diabetes, and my weight, a whole lot healthier but I thought, instead, I would use this opportunity to document how we discovered we were pregnant.
Andy and I were married on April 10th, 2010 in Dallas, TX. We were very excited to spend April 11th through April 17th in Maui for our honeymoon. We planned an action packed trip filled with whale watching, paddle boarding, snorkeling, bike riding, helicopter rides, swimming and sun bathing. We also planned lots of time for rest and relaxation.
Once we arrived in Maui, we quickly learned that the weather was not going to cooperate. We were to have a few days of partial clouds and then we were to get cold weather with rain. Needless to say, this was not ideal weather for our honeymoon in Hawaii so we did as much as we could in the first few days.
We spend the first half of the week at the Makena Beach and Golf Resort where we enjoyed the amenities. For the second half of the week we transferred to the Aston Hotel and Resort in Kaanapali. The Aston offered us our own kitchen for preparing breakfast and lunch. The relevance of this information comes in later.
On Tuesday, April 13th, the weather was turning nasty. We had transferred to the Aston Hotel at this point where the weather, and what we thought was pms, was definitely affecting my mood. I had a complete break down about how the weather was crap, there was nothing to do, I was not getting a suntan and about how we could not do any of the fun things we had planned to do. At this point, Andy sent me to the pool, alone, to work out my issues and calm down. About and hour later, armed in a metal suit, Andy, hesitantly, came to the pool to check on me. Once I apologized for my ridiculous outbreak, I asked him if he thought we should take a pregnancy test. He replied by saying that we had no reason to worry and we should wait until Friday. We then did our best to enjoy the rest of our honeymoon.
Wednesday, April 14th we went whale watching. On Thursday, April 15th, the weather turned really nasty. It was cold and cloudy and my chances of a suntan were in serious risk. We started the day by preparing breakfast. I made coffee and started to make eggs when I realized we were missing an important ingredient. (Unfortunately, I can’t remember which ingredient it was.) Andy volunteered to run to the store and grab what we were missing. We both figured that while he was there, he could pick up a pregnancy test.
Once back from the store, Andy set the pregnancy test in the bathroom and we got underway making breakfast. The only time anyone even referred to the test was when Andy asked me if I needed the restroom yet. We had a great meal and were taking our time eating. I had finally finished my second cup of coffee, and was doing the dishes, when nature called. I finished washing the pan and headed to the restroom to take the test. Andy set the timer on the microwave and we got back to breakfast clean-up. Once the three minutes were up, I casually walked into the bathroom to check the results. Andy didn’t put down the paper he was reading because we both knew the test was going to be negative.
I made my way to the bathroom counter to look at the results. I remember looking down and feeling shock. I yelled into the other room “Holy ****, I’m pregnant!” With that, Andy yelled with sarcasm, “No you’re not!” I could hear the shock in his voice as he rounded to hall to join me in the bathroom. He looked at the test himself and said, what any man would say…”I think you should take the second one to be sure.” As we all know, the second one was positive as well.
Once the shock had officially set it, we went into go mode. I immediately called the doctor to learn that I could not have anymore seafood while in Maui  and we made an appointment to be seen in a few weeks.
We then did what any newlywed couple, on their honeymoon in Maui, would do in a rain storm. We went to the book store to buy some pregnancy books. We then, finally, found some sunshine to read our books. The rest of the trip was spent shaking the shock and letting the excitement sink in.

July 15th - 18 Weeks

Week 18! Wow, where does the time go? We had a detailed ultra sound yesterday and I am amazed by how much she has grown in just a week. She was kicking and moving all around. We were hoping to get a close up of her little face but she kept covering it with her fist. We are have another ultra sound in three weeks to look at her heart so I am hoping she will show us her face then.

I certainly dont feel like I'm in my 4th month of pregnancy but I am sure that will change in the upcoming weeks. Speaking of feelings, I think I actaully felt her move the other night. I was driving home from meeting a friend for dinner so I know I was not feeling hunger pains. It felt like a little butterfly and I felt it on the left side. I have felt it one more time since then and it so cool.

July 11th - 17 weeks and 3 days

Well the results are in. Drum roll please! We are having a little…GIRL!!! While Andy and I would have bet the farm that we were having a boy, it’s a good thing we didn’t. We were shocked to learn it was a little girl and we are very excited. I have another doctors appointment tomorrow and I am hoping another ultra sound will confirm it.

Here are some pictures from the last ultra sound. I was 16 weeks and 1 day when these were taken. In one of the pictures she is actually waving.

We have so much to do and its time to start shopping. While we own the nursery furniture, we need to look for bedding and decide on a theme for the nursery. Believe it or not, this has been the topic of much debate. While we don’t want over the top girly, we still want feminine and soft. I’m hoping to find some creative inspiration in the upcoming weeks.

June 15th - 13 Weeks, 5 days

It has been a while since I have posted anything so I thought I would fill everyone in on the latest news. We went to the Maternal/Fetal specialist a few weeks ago to have extensive testing. We did some routine tests, along with additional screening, because the doctor believed there was no reason to not do it.

At our first appointment with the specialist, we were told that we would have an ultrasound and they would give me a simple finger prick to get some blood. Once we arrived, the doctor saw some small abnormalities in the ultrasound that raised some concern. He ordered some more test, spoke with us for a while about what it all meant, and sent us home, very worried, to wait for the results.

To make a long story short, all the tests came back 100% normal. As with any pregnancy, we will need to wait until next month for the second part of the tests but we are feeling confident that everything will be fine. We are also hoping to learn the sex of the baby next month.

My diabetes has been much better over the last few weeks. While I have had some severe low blood sugars, all of my testing continues to come back normal. My last A1C was 5.5 so it was perfect.

We were able to get some ultrasound pictures from the doctor. While these are not the best shots, at least we have some. I am hoping to get some better ones next month. I was 12 weeks pregnant when this was taken.

May 30,2010 - Week 11

Things are going great in the baby growing department. In the last week or so I have started to feel like myself again. It appears that the hormone induced cloud is lifting and things are almost back to normal.

In other news, I have noticed the beginnings of a bump. People close to me have actually commented and, on certain occasions, when I look in the mirror at exactly the right moment, I actually almost believe there is a baby growing inside me. The baby is currently the size of a large lime.

Being as it’s almost the end of my first trimester, we have spent the week telling friends. We have had a blast surprising people with the news and talking all about our future addition.

May 19th-2010, Almost 10 Weeks

This has been a challenging week for me and I have been looking forward to the opportunity to vent about it! Being as I am a pregnant diabetic, I have an arsenal of medial experts on my team. I have an endocrinologist, for my diabetes and thyroid issues, a diabetes educator, for insulin regulation and nutritional help, a team of obgyn doctors, for all the babies needs, and eventually I will need a fetal specialist. I am sure you can guess I have been receiving conflicting advice about how to manage my meds and sugars. I basically had to decide that my endocrinologist and his team, which include my diabetes educator, are some of the best in the country and they are the only ones I am going to listen to.

I learned more information this week about my chances of a miscarriage. My two most serious threats are my blood sugars being out of control and my thyroid levels not being where they need to be. As a result, I was on the phone with the doctors trying to arm myself with as much information as possible. I also learned this week that my focus for my second and third trimester has to be on the amount of carbohydrates I eat. I can only have an average of 200 carbs a day. Any less would not properly fuel the baby and any more would goes straight to the growth of the baby. If not regulated, the baby can grow to be too large.

As a result of all the medications, blood sugar monitoring, phone calls with the doctors, counting carbs, and worrying, I am not finding the “enjoyment” in being pregnant. I really need to remember to not be so hard on myself and enjoy the process. To be honest, it’s a lot of work and when I really stop to think about it, it sucks! I have no intentions of “slacking off” and I 100% know that it’s all worth it! Hopefully the enjoyment will come soon.

May 13, 2010 - 9 weeks

Today the baby is the size of a medium green olive and has grown an inch since last week. Muscles are the focus for this week. The baby is working to grow enough muscles to move it arms and legs.

Last night and today has brought me some relief from low blood sugars. I got my A1C results from the doctors and, like usual, I was worrying more then needed. Hopefully I can keep it up for all these months.