Oh Baby!

“Because they’ve either conveniently forgotten with time or they’re trying to be supportive, most mothers won’t tell you how hard pregnancy (and then childbirth) can be. Let me tell you, it is. It’s brutal sometimes! But, if I did it, ANYONE can do it. I mean, I always knew I was meant to do something really BIG in life, and now I know that this was it. Forget winning an Academy Award someday … I GAVE BIRTH.”   –Jenny McCarthy (comedian/actress)

What is it with women who have a ‘high pain threshold’? Are they superheroes? My mother-in-law delivered my husband with no pain medication (and not the slightest inconvenience of a ‘real’ contraction) in one push. She’s amazing.

I, on the other hand, get a splinter on my finger and am begging for an epidural for my arm.

NOT the best candidate to have gestational diabetes; or to simply suffer the general aches and pains of pregnancy, for that matter.

But, alas, I was diagnosed with G.D. To be sure, I have it MUCH better than many other moms who have to take insulin shots, or are confined to bed rest, or a myriad of other health constraints during pregnancy. I have to stick myself with a pin several times a day (which my children think is “really cool”!), and, I have to be careful what I eat. Balance my proteins and carbohydrates and cut back on sugars. I think the eating part is more difficult than the ‘poking with a pin’ part. I LIKE sugar. I mean… really, really enjoy it, thank you very much. Never tempted by Doritos, but bring a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies to my door and I’m your best friend for life!

My husband keeps reminding me that I’m doing this for our child. Which really, for every pregnant woman, is the mantra for the rest of her life: Doing things for her child. Giving up sleep, rocking them when they have a fever, helping them with school projects, being the last to eat your (now room temperature) dinner, etc. But, for some strange reason, they are sacrifices that we willingly do out of devotion for our child.

I’ve always thought the tag-line of the Peace Corps would be perfect for The National Association of Mothers: “The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Love.”

So, I’ll gladly give up the Toll House. And, if you come over for a visit, I’d be grateful for a nice handful of almonds and some string cheese instead.

What’s happening to baby this week? 
*Baby now weighs three pounds and is 17” long (two-thirds its birth length).
*Baby blues: Baby’s eyelids are able to open now and the eyelashes and eyebrows have developed. Most newborns (especially of parents with fair skin) are born with slate blue eyes, but the true color begins to come through in the first several weeks after birth.
*Baby’s level of infection fighting antibodies now is equivalent to mom’s.

What’s happening with ME this week?
*Learned a great deal from the Diabetes Care Center; they were very kind and supportive.
*Protein is my friend. Protein is my friend. Protein is my friend.
*Pricking my finger is not as bad as I thought; I actually barely feel it anymore. Now, my varicose veins on the other hand….

Let’s hear from you!
What is the biggest lifestyle change you have made since becoming pregnant?

“Pregnancy seems like a tremendous abdication of control. Something growing inside you which will eventually usurp your life.”   –Erica Jong

I have this memory: I’m four years old, riding in the backseat after church, sobbing. I am limp and shaking from hunger and I am crying from the lack of food (the Cheerios snack during Sunday school just didn’t cut it). My mom has since said, “I don’t know why I never thought to bring crackers in the car for you!”

As an adult, I now have crackers in my car. At all times. And granola bars, nuts, raisins and the occasional protein shake. I’ve always had a blood sugar problem. If I eat every, oh, hour on the hour, then I’m fine. If not, I do “the Whitman stare” as my husband refers to it. Even as I type this, I am eating a bowl of oatmeal with sliced strawberries. It’s 10:23 at night. And I just might have some toast before bed.

Each pregnancy, I take the dreaded “glucola” test. Basically, you drink a ridiculously (maliciously?) sweet 10-ounce beverage (the equivalent of 30 Campfire Marshmallows), and then have your blood drawn an hour later to see if your sugar levels are still too elevated. I always fail the one-hour screening. Seems like an odd test to me. Perhaps I’m just bitter and jealous of the women who actually pass. Perhaps I’m just grumpy because none of the other women in my family have struggled with blood sugar levels. Perhaps I just need a (less sugary) snack.

I’ve always thought that a simpler, and, (in my feeble mind), just as accurate test, would be to invite a few friends out to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, feast on pancakes, maple syrup and orange juice, and THEN get your blood drawn. SO much more fun than drinking warm Hawaiian Punch concentrate in the waiting room!

But alas, doctor knows best. So, this week I took the test. In talking with other pregnant women, this test is a pretty paltry inconvenience compared to some of the scary things they face: bed rest, early labor, placenta previa, and other challenges that make my husband beg me to avoid the Internet because of my penchant toward unfounded fears and worrying.

Having gestational diabetes is one of those fears. I immediately picture myself with lancets and insulin pumps and a 23 lb. baby upon delivery. Until those fears are confirmed, I will continue to follow the advice of my family and friends: “Eat healthy, well balanced meals as often as you need to.”

So, some people sleep like a baby; I apparently eat like one.

What’s happening to baby this week?
*Baby now weighs two-and-three-quarters pounds.
*Swimming anyone? Baby’s hearing is now quite developed…similar to the sounds you hear when someone talks to you while you are underwater.
*Baby is able to distinguish voices; speaking of underwater, my husband has now taken to ‘talking’ to our baby…but he doesn’t use his regular voice. He sounds more like the mating call of a large whale. So, when the baby is born, she won’t necessarily recognize Daddy’s voice, but she’ll bond well with Shamu.

What’s happening with ME this week?
*I’ve dreaded this glucose test; just thinking about drinking the juice makes me a bit nauseated.
*I’ve developed a pain in my left groin that makes me limp around like Igor. I’m told it’s a varicose vein in my ‘feminine area.’ Lovely.
*I am on the quest to find a car seat and stroller. Again, the Internet is a dangerous place for me: Too many options, too much information, not enough cash flow. In my opinion, a stroller should not cost more than our vehicle; some of them do.

Let’s hear from you!
What is the most challenging aspect of pregnancy for you?