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.
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