gestational diabetes

Yesterday we went to the doctors for our check-up and GD results.

I don't think I mentioned that I didn't pass the first GD test (did I?), but in any event I had to go in for the 'extended' test.

Now, unfortunately the test itself didn't run too smoothly. My doctor had forgotten to give me the slip for requesting the test, and so when I arrived at 8am and was ready to go - having not eaten or drunk anything since going to bed the previous night, I was shut down. I had to either schedule an appointment and come back to see my regular doctor so she could prescribe the test, or had to go in to a doctor that was currently seeing pregnant women. At first i was going to choose the first option, but after getting two intersections away from the hospital I decided to turn around since I had already taken the time and effort to come over and prep for the test.

So I went down to the pregnancy-check-section and stood in line waiting for them to start taking patients' line-numbers (usually around 8:30 but this time not until 8:45). Suddenly I started feeling really hot, sweating, felt like I was going to throw up, and feeling like I was going to faint, all in one. Thankfully that was just 2 or 3 min before they started the line up, so I was able to stand it out. Have no idea what that was all about (perhaps the lack of food and water, and my annoyance over the situation?).

I then had to do do a 'proper' pregnancy check rather than a sit-down-and-get-the-test-slip: The urine check, the weigh-in, the blood-pressure check, and the ultrasound. Needless to say I was a grumpy lass by this time (though I tried keeping a smile on when talking to the nurses...not toooo successfully~~). Before jumping in for the ultrasound a nurse gave me the test-slip and said I could go up and take the first blood-test (which is done pre-sugar-water). Went upstairs, and the blood-taking station said I had to pay first. Went to pay, and the pay-station said she needed my national insurance card. So down I went to the pregnancy-check-station, got the card from the nurse, went and paid, got the first blood drawn, and downed 100mL of pure sugar water. By now I was a SUPER happy camper (hah!), and feeling quite ill from the sugar water.

After the ultrasound and some waiting, the doctor (who I have seen before and do not like) went through the motions of asking me how I'm feeling etc, and said I had to watch what I ate so I don't gain weight too quickly (arg!), and that was it. I went outside for a walk and a sit in the sun during each wait between blood draws (1 hr, 2 hrs and 3 hrs after drinking the sugar water), after which I could finally go home. To celebrate (?) and perhaps out of 'trass' as we say in Norwegian (out of spite?) I had me a McDonnald's lunch, with orange juice and fries.

The awesome, amazingly wonderful news is I passed all 4 blood-tests! Not even a-one was over its limit. Very, VERY happy about this, as I have never been one to count and focus on what I eat, but rather just be 'generally healthy' (or 'generally unhealthy' when the urge arises).

So some stats from yesterday: Baby-girl measured in at 1619g and 31W and 1 day (which seems just about right, surprisingly enough, considering ultrasounds have a large margin of error). She was also head down, her back to my front, so basically in the pefect position. Placenta looks healthy, amniotic fluid the right amount, the umbilical cord not wrapped around her neck. All in all a great check-in. AND it only took 1 hr from me checking in and us leaving (usually takes almost 2 hrs), and could have been even faster if Judge had made it to the hospital earlier (I held off on the ultrasound until he got there). That's because yesterday was the first full moon of the first month in this year (lunarly), which is a holiday where you should eat dinner with the family - and especially eat sweet or savory mochi-esque-ball soup. Which meant that there were almost no pregnant ladies hanging around for a check-up.

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