29 Week Appointment

So after our appointment with the high risk doctor last week I was a bit worked up and paranoid. I should now apologize to all around me.

 

We had an appointment with our regular ob, who is a pretty straight shooter with loads of experience. I just think he is awesome.

 

So yeah, I have a bit of extra fluid and it is outside of 2 sigma. But according to Dr. M, high risk doc is a great guy, but it is his job to find little concerns and turn them into big ones. He also apparently thinks that everyone has gestational diabetes regardless of the test results. Dr. M on the other hand seems quite convinced that I do NOT have gestational diabetes and stated that the baby isn’t big – he is 63^rd percentile – with GD at this point, you see bigger babies. And the truth of the matter is that I passed my 1 hour screen with flying colors. He stated he was more inclined to say that the high fluid levels are either just a fluke (i.e., we don’t typically diagnose on one data point) or it just happens with some people and we don’t know why and should count our blessings given that I am 41. He says he too often sees the opposite problem with women over 35 where the placenta starts deteriorating, fluids become low, etc. Right now all signs are that we have a very healthy pregnancy with a healthy baby boy.

 

I complained a little about my heartburn – what should I take beyond the Zantac I am taking twice a day.

 

“Let’s switch you to Pepcid, it works better. And I am assuming you are avoiding high acid foods?”

 

Silence.

 

“You know like orange juice, citrus fruits, tomato based sauces. You know this NM.”

 

Then AB starts to laugh, “You just listed off her main diet right there!”

 

Bratty husband ratted me out.

 

Yes, I KNOW I shouldn’t eat that stuff. I know it isn’t good for my esophagus (or gums) to eat grapefruit, pineapple and tomato based sauces ALL the time. But finding something else that actually sounds good. Tis not easy.

 

Dr. M was still thrilled with weight and bp – 8 lbs total gained since beginning of the pregnancy (on track for 1 lb/week until delivery) and my bp was 111/70. No swelling or water retention and in fact my rings are feeling looser – though it has been cold out and that could be the reason. He asked if I was able to keep sugar and carbs at a minimum still and asked about diet in general. Then bratty husband had to go and rat me out for a second time.

 

“She never eats!” he proclaims.

 

“I do to eat,” I said.

 

“What’s going on with the diet?” Dr. M asks.

 

“Just nothing ever tastes or sounds good except for pineapple, grapefruit or pasta,” I told him, leaving out the latte and pastry part… because they sound really good, but I really don’t eat a pastry very often. “Or I eat a bit and get full after a few bites,” I told him.

 

Thankfully he didn’t get on me about that and told AB not to worry about it so much. (So HA!) It isn’t like I am only eating candy. (Which frankly makes me gag as bad as meat does half the time.)

 

In all honesty though, this pregnancy has been very weird with food. NOTHING, absolutely nothing sounded good for the first half. And then I couldn’t keep stuff down anyways. So why eat good food that I would only be turned off of? Then the second half a few things have worked their way back onto my “I could eat that” list, but my stomach has no capacity. Not to mention that half the time I get started on something only to be turned off of it a few minutes later. Pregnancy eating is NOT fun this time around. Food will be one thing I will be ready to jump back on after delivering.

 

Anyways… good appointment. Dr. M thinks I will deliver around 38 weeks if fluid levels stay high – not 32 that the high risk doc was concerned about. Another ultrasound scheduled for a couple weeks to check fluid levels and make sure they aren’t completely out of whack. Plan is to deliver at the hospital that I had the other kids at. I asked about this because my coworker delivered at the other larger hospital. Of course if I go into labor early, like at 32 weeks, we will go there for the higher end NICU instead of the smaller hospital.

 

Phew – I don’t need to go out and buy EVERYTHING right now. At least I don't think so!