Almost 27 weeks!

So yesterday I went to the OB for my regular monthly check up.. and my glucose tolerance test.  This is the test where you have to drink a sugar drink an hour before they take your blood so they can tell if you have developed gestational diabetes.  I had many people tell me before the visit that the drink was nasty.  One woman even said she had to hold their nose just to drink it!  45 minutes before my office visit I gulped it down.  Umm.. it was good!  Tasted like a flat Sunkist drink to me :)  I'll be honest with you, it did burn my throat a little because you had to drink the entire thing in less than 5 minutes.  But the taste was good.

So I walk into my visit and let the receptionist know that I was there for my glucose test.  She asked, what did you think of the drink?  I responded, I thought it was good.  Her eyes widened.  What?  She calls over another woman and tells her.  She verifies with me, You drank the orange sugar drink right?!  Yes.  I could drink another too!  Their chins drop.  Of course I'm finding this humorous!  I really don't see what the big deal is, it's just a flat orange soda!  They take me back to the lab for my blood to be drawn and put me in a room.  The midwife comes in and the first thing she says is.. what did you think of the drink?  I liked it!  She laughs and says.. you must have a real sweet tooth!  Come to think of it.. why yes I do :)  Not so much since the baby though.  I can't say enough how much he takes after his daddy.  Before being pregnant I ate sweets all the time, but since being pregnant I haven't desired them.  Jeremy isn't much of a sweet tooth person.  He likes a few things every now and then.. but he mostly likes salty foods.

Anyway, we get to talking about the amount of synthroid I'm taking because of the existence of thyroid antibodies in my system.  I've been on the lowest dose of synthroid since they discovered my infertility a few years back.  She casually mentioned that they did another TSH test and that I might have to increase my dosage until delivery.  That got us to talking about my history of depression (The thyroid gland produces and regulates hormones.  These hormones can affect energy levels, mood, weight.. and can be a factor in depression).  Naturally she voices her concern about my increased risk factor for postpartum depression.  I tell her I have the same concerns.. and I've been working with my counselor on a plan for post pregnancy.  She shares with me something she's found to be helpful with partners when dealing with postpartum.  I thought it was very interesting!  Instead of placing the burden on your partner to have to ask everyday how are you feeling.. and the burden on yourself to have to be honest and truthful with your response, use a point system!  Develop a scale of 0 to 10.  0 being you are having the best day and you feel great.   10 being you are having a very low day and struggling to make it.  At the end of the day tell your partner your number.  It's a way for your partner to be aware.. and for you to not have to be defensive with them asking.  I told her that we have a wipe off board calendar on our fridge.  Jeremy's schedule is so weird that it's a way for me to keep track of what he has on what day so I know what time to make dinner or when not to make dinner at all.  So I said, I think at the end of the day I'll write my number down on the calendar.  That way I can keep track of how many days I'm experiencing each number.  As a I rule, when I get to 5-7 days of 8 or above rankings.. I need to talk to my counselor about what to do.  I say all this in hopes that it might help someone else.  I think we as women have a hard time admitting that we aren't super women!  We tend to try to do it all and at times it's very overwhelming!  Postpartum depression can be serious.  And it doesn't always affect women with a history of depression.. it can happen to any woman!  After birth, your hormones plummet.  It's natural to struggle with the hormonal changes in addition to the added stress of taking care of the baby and everything along with it.  Sometimes women aren't honest with themselves or anyone else about their struggles but there is no reason to be ashamed!  I think there is greater strength in a woman that swallows her pride and says, I need help.. then a woman who suffers in silence.  Besides, the saying goes.. it takes a village to raise a child.  We can't do it alone and we shouldn't expect that from ourselves!

So after our conversation she puts me on the table for my routine check.  I mention to her that I feel like my belly should be larger.. as in further out. (Yes, I am a worry wart.. there's always something!)  So she gets out the measuring tape to measure me.  She says.. how far along are you?  I've seriously lost count so I was thinking I was 27 weeks almost 28.  When I got home I realized I'm almost 27.  She tells me that I'm actually measuring 30 weeks!!  She asks me what size I was when I was born.  I tell her about average.. 7 lbs 8 oz.  I didn't feel like mentioning that we're egg donation so it doesn't really count.  And my husband was only around 4 lbs because he was premature.  But 30 weeks?!  How big is this baby?!?!?!  She tells me that since my torso is so long, that I won't poke out as far as other women with shorter torsos.  Ahh, that makes sense!  She also says women with longer torsos tend to not experience stretch marks.. or have very few.  She says she doesn't believe I will get any at all.  This is my second visit that she's declared that.  Hey, I'll take it!  No stretch marks would be wonderful!  (of course if I got them, I would wear them with pride)

She then grabs the doppler to find the heartbeat of my little dancer!  She finds it.. then it fades.  She moves to the other side to find it again.. then it fades.  She moves it to the other side again.. and finds it.  She says, What is going on in there?  This guy won't sit still so I can hear his heartbeat.  I tell her.. good luck.. he doesn't sleep.. I promise he doesn't!  He dances all day long!  Sometimes I talk to him.. I hum.. I bargain with him.. daddy talks to him.  Doesn't matter.. he continues to dance.  She says, this little bugger.. you're going to have your hands full.  Like I said.. like father like son!

All in all it was a good visit!  I now start going to my office visits every 2 weeks.  Can't believe how fast the time is going by.. I'm already at the every 2 week appointment mark!