Managing our worries

There would be lots of times I’d be paranoid if my baby is doing ok. It’s great that my hubby took a video of my congenital anomaly scan so we can have something to watch to remind us that our baby is doing just fine. Baby Wopwop thumb-sucking Despite the lack in fundal height at 18 cm at 21 weeks, which falls only into the 10th percentile:(, our baby’s estimate fetal weight is at 441+/- 66 grams which is just right. The other measurements done during the congenital anomaly scan also showed that our baby’s developing just right. I just need to continue eating healthy food and managing my sugar level… maybe increasing my food intake a bit more (although I still need to be careful coz my baby might get too big naman). I know it’s hard to stop worrying but we need to have more faith that everything would be just fine.

Baby Leaf Prizes!

Yey! I got my prizes from Baby Leaf/ Truly Rich Mom’s Raffle already! I’m so happy to win these cool stuff! Out of 12700 entries, I won!!! Swerte! At first I wasn’t aware that I won! Somehow, I missed their email dated Aug. 2 pa. Buti na lang they emailed me again last Aug 17! I really wanted to win that raffle since the giveaways would really be useful when Baby Wopwop comes out na. They texted me so that I can choose what color of the goodies I would want. At first I was thinking that maybe I should wait until we know the gender of Baby Wopwop, but then again, I realized that it may be best to get unisex colors/designs instead so in case we have another baby again with a different gender, we can still use the stuff. Here’s what’s inside the package: It’s a microwaveable teddy bear with lavender scent. The red one is the wet bag. The blue one is the organizer bag which would be useful for putting bottles and nappy changing stuff. The 3 baby leaf cloth diapers with inserts (alphabet blue, red, and bubble gum design) would be the most useful, considering how expensive diapers can be in the longer run. I really plan to buy cloth diapers and this is a really awesome way to start stocking up on them. That’s around 1K already saved up from the free cloth diapers, not to mention that we would be able to use these over and over (imagine the amount of disposable diapers saved up!). Thank you again to Baby Leaf and to TrulyRichMom for these awesome prizes!

Week 21 OB Checkup

I always look forward to OB check-ups since that’s the time I get to hear our baby’s heartbeat through the fetal monitor. It somehow takes away some of my worries and serves as an assurance that our baby is doing just fine. I’m very thankful that my hubby always makes it a point to come with me whenever I have my OB check-up. I know he also loves hearing our baby’s heartbeat. I know he would be super puyat to come with me to the checkup since he’s on night shift (10pm-6am) and the OB appointment is around 10am (not to mention that we would be having the congenital scan at 2pm pa with my Perinatologist). I really appreciated that he’s willing to sacrifice some hours of sleep to be with me and Baby Wopwop. I had my HbA1C the previous day and he had to get my result from Capitol Hospital (where my endocrinologist is) and he would just meet me at Delgado Hospital for the OB checkup. At least I would have something to report to my OB just in case she asks if I’ve been controlling my blood sugar. We weren’t expecting that the OB would be coming in early since she’s usually late. Hubby wasn’t there yet. :( The first part would usually be listening to the heartbeat. The OB was taking longer than usual in finding the heartbeat. I really got scared and was really praying that she finds it already. Maybe Baby Wopwop was trying to wait for daddy. The OB was pressing all over my tummy trying to find the heartbeat. Thankfully she eventually found it! (Baby Wopwop didn’t want mommy to worry anymore). It was at 137bpm, a little slower than usual (last time was at 150) Hubby got there just right after I got up from the bed. Sayang! Oh well. Atleast he came bearing good news, my HbA1C level was down to 4.5 from 5.7! That’s really awesome news! Anyway, it seems that my tummy isn’t getting as big as it should. I’ve been really paranoid with it and have kept on asking the hubby if my tummy is getting bigger. Of course he would always say yes, but I would often not be satisfied. And true enough, when OB measured it, it just measured at 18, which was supposed to be a 20 or a 19 at the very least. Anyway, it’s still not much a cause for alarm, she just advised me to drink Aminovita every other day just so we can play catch up.We would know naman from the congenital anomaly scan how the baby is really doing. She also gave me a request for the congenital scan as well as some other prenatal laboratory tests which I still haven’t had (cbc, urinalysis, hepa, bloodtype tests, etc) It’s just a bit ironic that we’ve been scared that our baby would be too big (due to me being diabetic), and now we’re a bit worried that our baby may be small. We don’t want our baby joked around in school as a bulilit! Hehe! (No offense meant to those lacking in height) Anyway, we hope that everything would be alright. Sabi nga ng iba, mas ok palakihan ang baby pag lumabas na kesa habang buntis pa lang. I only gained 1 pound this month. Last month 1 pound lang din. Well, that’s not yet a cause for too much concern since I’m fat to start off. Ang recommended is around 2 lbs a month for obese pregnant women as compared to 1 lb per week for those with normal weight. Anyway, I plan to eat more a bit just to make sure our baby is getting more nutrients. I admit to have been extra careful in the amount of what I eat since my blood sugar tests (which I do 4 times a day!) would automatically show if I’ve been eating too much. I’ve been really trying very hard to keep my blood sugar at a normal level. Anyway, lately I’ve been having low readings so I guess it’s a good indication that I can eat a bit more! :) Aug 22, 2012: 4.5% (around 21 weeks pregnant) –> woot! woot!!! June 15, 2012: 5.7% (around 11 weeks pregnant) May 5, 2012: 7.4% (hospitalized at Capitol, started my insulin shots) April 30, 2012: 7.7% (day we had our 1st OB checkup) March 29, 2012: 7.2% (before I was pregnant) May 19, 2011: 8.4% (before I resigned from work)

Congenital Anomaly Scan

Finally, after a very long wait (around 3 months actually), we’ll be able to see our baby again through ultrasound. This one is extra special (and extra scary as well) since we’ll be having the congenital anomaly scan wherein we would know if our baby is developing normally. We have been really praying that God would bless us with a healthy normal baby. We arrived early at East Ob-gyn Ultrasound Clinic. This is where my perinatologist holds clinic (besides Delgado). I usually have my ultrasounds here since it’s much cheaper as compared to others. Their transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) only costs 800. The 2D congenital anomaly scan (CAS) only costs 1300. Anyway, we were really excited while waiting for our turn. It’s the big day that we would be able to finally know the gender of our baby (or not! boo!). He wants a boy and I want a girl. We were joking na palakasan na lang kami kay God. But of course, in the end, it doesn’t really matter, just as long as he/she is healthy and normal and we would be ecstatically happy and thankful already. Kainis lang while waiting, one of the patient’s companion made hirit to me kung may baby din ba ako sa tummy, di daw kse ako mukhang buntis (oo na, mukha lang akong mataba! boo!). Oh well. Anyway, our turn came. Hubby isn’t allowed inside but he can view through the TV outside. I instructed him to video the whole thing so we can have something to look at over and over. I was sooo happy to see my baby again! Seeing Baby Wopwop move was really such an experience. At some point it even looked like he/she waved! Too bad it wasn’t a 3D scan. It made me really want one so we can see our baby better. Oh well. Hanap pa kami ng sponsor (hehe! baka may willing dyan?!). Ang mahal e, luho lang naman since the 2D CAS would suffice already. Anyway, we were just a bit disappointed that we still didn’t find out the gender of the baby yet. Breech position pa kasi si baby so hindi masyado makita pero sa na-glimpse daw nya, mukhang baby girl. But she still doesn’t want to confirm daw, mga 50% girl. Haha! Hanep sa probability e noh! Oh well. Atleast normal si baby, happy na kami. Here’s the result of the CAS: General Presentation: Breech Previa: No Previa Location: Posterior Amniotic Fluid Volume: Normal Placental Grade: I Biophysical Profile Amniotic Fluid BPD: 53.8 mm (22W3D) Fetal Tone HC: 193 mm (21W4D) Fetal Breathing AC: 166 mm (21W5D) Gross Movement FL: 36.7 mm (21W5D) Estimate Fetal Weight: 441 Grams (1lb) Estimate Due Date: 12/27/2012 Fetal Heart Rate: 156 bpm Others: CAS shows intact cranium and intracranial structures, (TCD: 21.3 mm, CM:6:3mm) nuchal fold not thickened; no cleft lip; no neck masses; intact spines and cord insertion; 4-chambered heart; 3 vessel cord; single stomach bubble below diaphragm; fluid filled bladder; well aligned extremeties; normal looking kidneys Final Impression: Pregnancy uterine 21 6/7 weeks AOG by fetal biometry Live, singleton, complete breech position EFW=441+/- 66 grams Good cardiac activity and active fetal movements Adequate amniotic fluid volume (SVP=3.79cm) Placenta, posterior grade I maturity no previa No obvious gross anomaly of organs seen for AOG at the time of this scan

Blood sugar update

Lately my sugar has been at a normal level, with fasting blood sugar usually around 72-78. That’s really awesome! Until my 19th week it would usually be around 90-110 (I know that’s high) Although I’m just a bit confused since my endocrinologist said to expect my sugar to go higher as my pregnancy progresses and would need to increase my insulin dosage. Week 17-18 weren’t too good for my in terms of my blood sugar. Sometimes my blood sugar would shoot up to 155 an hour after meals (130 is my target). Once it even shot up to 203! :( I increased my dosage by 3 units for 3 days and after that it seems that I’m at the normal level again. I guess that did the trick. Anyway, I will be having my HbA1C by the end of the week. I hope that it’s lower. My endocrinologist wants to aim for less than 5%. Here’s my HbA1C history: June 15, 2012: 5.7% (around 11 weeks pregnant) May 5, 2012: 7.4% (hospitalized at Capitol, started my insulin shots) April 30, 2012: 7.7% (day we had our 1st OB checkup) March 29, 2012: 7.2% (before I was pregnant) May 19, 2011: 8.4% (before I resigned from work) Normal level is around less than 6.5% Anyway, I really need to track my sugar regularly so I can adjust my food intake and insulin dosage accordingly. Unfortunately, last night I had another hypo attack around 11pm. We were already in bed and ready to sleepy when I felt that my hands were super clammy. I knew right away I was having hypoglycemia and that I need to get up to eat something. I tested my blood sugar and it was at 44!!! Yikes! (Normal is 72) I drank half a bottled iced tea immediately and ate a sandwich. That usually does the trick. I went back to bed and prayed that my spikes and dips won’t affect my baby.

Halfway through!

I’m on my 20th week already! So near yet so far til the day we can hold you in our arms, our baby wopwop! It’s good that my lower back hasn’t been hurting as much as it used to a few weeks back. But recently I would usually get leg cramps and would often wake up with hands na namamanhid. Paranoid days aren’t over yet. Lots of times I’d end up worrying if our baby is doing alright. I still don’t have a prominent preggy belly, it’s still composed of 2 big flabs. I can’t help but worry if our baby’s growing normally. We’ve been worrying that our baby would grow so big (effect of being a diabetic preggy mom) and would cause caesarian, but now I’m also worrying that he/she might be too small! It doesn’t help that lately I don’t get to feel him/her move too often. Well, not as often as I used to feel him/her. *sigh* I just can’t wait til our next ultrasound next week. The last time we did was during my 8th week. Many times I’ve been tempted to go for one but my OB said that it was unnecessary and I can just wait til I’m around 20 weeks when we can have our congenital anomaly scan. If only ultrasounds are much cheaper, I would have gone behind my OB’s back and have those ultrasounds just to have peace of mind that my baby is doing just fine. We’re really excited with the next ultrasound since that’s the time we would know if our baby wopwop’s a boy or a girl! Hubby wants a boy and I want a girl. But it doesn’t really matter, we only wish that he/she is healthy and normal.

Yet Another Sundate

I’m glad that everything’s back to normal. Being away from the hubby for a week (the longest since we became husband and wife) was terribly hard. It’s a nice sunday today. We went to mass in the morning at Padre Pio near Eastwood. We love going to mass there. It’s so serene and peaceful and homilies are nice (as compared to political ones from others we’ve been to). (plus points for being airconditioned also) Then we went to Cubao and had an early lunch at French Baker. Oh how I missed Chicken ala King! I knew instantly that’s what I was ordering without looking at the menu. After a hearty lunch, we did some grocery shopping, which I really love to do with my hubby since we get to discuss what our meal plan would be for the coming days. I love cooking but there are uninspired times when I don’t feel like cooking or even think about what to cook so I’d have to consult my hubby what he wants. It was a nice sunday for us. I love bonding with my hubby even if it means doing mundane stuff.

Viral Infection

I’m glad to be finally home! The past few days have been really agonizing being away from my hubby specially when he’s sick. Background: July 24 (Tues) Hubby went home sick with fever. July 25 (Wed) Hubby didn’t go to work since his high fever hasn’t ceased yet. He wasn’t even able to go to his college barkada reunion. We thought it was just your typical flu. July 26 (Thurs) He was feeling much better and was even able to go to work already July 27 (Fri) Was alarmed to see this on my hubby’s back after he took a bath: Rashes I panicked and instantly thought it might be measles! I was really paranoid since me and my baby might be at risk if it was indeed measles! I immediately googled about measles and almost all descriptions match: having fever a couple of days before the rashes appear. Then I read about possible complications for pregnant women and was really alarmed. Reading that there’s even an incubation period before one can get it also added to the paranoia. I knew I had to get away from my hubby for the meantime so that me and baby would be safe. I packed my stuff and went to my parents house to spend a couple of days there until my hubby is ok already. It was really hard to leave the hubby especially at his state when he needs someone to take care of him. But we have to consider our baby’s health also. It would be dangerous to have measles since it might cause some abnormalities or miscarriage. July 28 (Sat) I’ve been urging my hubby to go to the hospital already to have a check up to verify if it was indeed measles, what he needs to do to get well, and if I would have to do something as well to ensure I don’t get it too. It took a lot of prodding for him to go. I really felt guilty not being there for him. I know how sick he feels and it would be nice if someone was there to take care of him. While he was at the hospital, I went back to our home to bring some groceries so that he would have something to eat while I was away. I cooked him some spaghetti sauce which he could also use to make pizza (his favorite, especially when he’s sick). I also made him some lumpiang shanghai and lumpiang toge which I put in the freezer which he can just fry whenever. I also made sure to clean the dishes and clean the house a bit before going. It’s the least I can do. Finally he called me to tell me about the results of his check up. The doctor said it wasn’t measles but just a viral infection (wait, measles is a form of viral infection, right?) and would just have to take paracetamol and something else for the rashes. I was really relieved that it wasn’t measles. But then again, we’d have to stay away from him until his rashes are gone and we have clearance from his doctor that it’s ok to come back home already. July 29-Aug 2 (sun-thurs) His rashes were gone after a few days and already went back to work. Just to make sure that everything is indeed well, I made him go back to his doctor to get clearance. Aug 3 (fri) Finally he got clearance from his doctor that I can go home already. He fetched me from my parents’ house and was really happy to hug and kiss him again! It was very evident that he lost some weight. Now we’re back home. I truly missed my hubby sooo much! While being away, it was then that I realized that home is being with my hubby. I hope this doesn’t happen again. I hate being away from him for such a long time.