What a Day!

I went to get that awful 3-hour glucose test yesterday. You know, the one that they give you that sickly sweet drink that you try not to vomit and then they stick you with a needle every hour.

So my adventure started with drinking the drink. Shortly afterwards, I began to feel really sick and really really tired. I was so tired, I was afraid I was going to fall asleep right there in the waiting room, so I got up to walk around the hospital. I listened to nurses complaining that they didn't have enough places to sit and take a break away from other people. I wandered some more and tried desperately to pry my heavy lids open. I wandered past dozens of bathrooms and in one I noticed a long padded table. I touched it and though to myself that if after my next needle, I didn't feel more alert, I was going to lock myself in that bathroom and lie on that table and take a nap. (LOL, I didn't).



After my next shot, the exhaustion began to wear off and I noticed all the children getting their needles. I have to tell you, I would not want to work in a place that made scared children cry all day long like a blood collection clinic does. I noticed that there was a funny trend. Babies tended to cry when they got their needle, but most toddlers didn't. It seemed like the worst cases of needle terror were older kids. Kids from ages about 7 - 12 were terrified. I watched them come in with tear-stained faces grasping mom's arms so tightly their little knuckles were white. I watched as one tried to run away and had to be dragged screaming back into the room. I listened as screams of terror and "I DON'T WANT A NEEDLE!!" rang through closed doors. I watched as an adorable 4 or 5 year old girl with Down's Syndrome, stomped out of the room, with tears streaming down her face, her little arms crossed in indignation that they were purport such an atrocity on her!

After my last needle of the day, I went down to the coffee shop and picked up a coffee and then walked through the hospital towards the exit when my blood sugar dropped so dramatically that it scared me. Suddenly, I was weak, shaking, my legs were wobbly, my brain was fuzzy, I was confused and I got a TERRIBLE headache! I passed by another coffee shop and pulled open my wallet and saw one lonely dollar in there. I couldn't think straight at all and money was beyond my comprehension at that point. Like a little kid who doesn't understand money, I explained my situation to the coffee shop guy and asked him what baked, sugary thing I could get for a dollar he pointed out my options and then suggested that maybe a bottle of juice would be better and suggested I go over to the fridge and get a bottle of juice. I did and even in my brain-addled state, it seemed to me that there was no way this big bottle was less than a dollar and when I went to the counter to ask him and pay, he waved me off saying, "No, I got this one." He was my knight in shining apron and hair net. I guzzled the juice and was soon feeling my sugar come back up.



The whole day of blood sugar testing and blood sugar dropping took it's toll on me though and I spent the whole rest of the day feeling sick and miserable with an awful headache. I was told I may need to do this test again at 28 weeks, I sincerely hope not!

On a side note, I am hoping that the fact that I lost so much weight before getting pregnant and the fact that I weigh less even now than I did at the beginning of any of my other pregnancies will mean that I don't get Gestational Diabetes this time.

Preventing Pre-eclampsia

I am doing okay, still marvelously sick with morning sickness and miserable most of the day, but I wouldn't give that up. If I suddenly started feeling better before the first trimester was over, I would be a mess of worry. So I look at it as my miserable little reassurance and I don't mind too much.

I know I am probably destined to have Pre-eclampsia butI thought I would look up tips on preventing it anyway. Here is what I found:

• It has been suggested that increasing dietary fiber can prevent preeclampsia. The study suggests that out of 383 women, the ones who consumed more than 24 grams of fiber a day (the top 25% for consumption) has a 51% reduction in the risk for preeclampsia.
• Dr. Tom Brewer also claims that with the Brewer Diet, preeclampsia can be prevented. On the website it says… “It’s not genetics. It’s not random. The cause is NOT unknown. Toxemia CAN be stopped. PreeclampsiaA-toxic-condition-developing-in-late-pre… CAN be stopped. Best of all, YOU can stop it!
• The simple prevention methods are to be sure to drink lots of water, avoid alcohol and caffeine.
• The following medications and supplements have been extensively studied for their potential to prevent preeclampsia: * calcium (for example, Os-Cal); * fish oil supplements (for example, Promega); * supplements with vitamins C and E; and * baby aspirin (for example, Ecotrin Adult Low Strength). However, large studies have not shown calcium supplementation, baby aspirin, or fish oil supplementation to be beneficial in preventing preeclampsia. Early studies with vitamins C and E show a possible beneficial effect, but larger studies should be conducted before these agents can be broadly recommended. .

Snack and drink ideas

Here are some healthy ways to satisfy between-meal hunger pangs:

• An apple and a palmful of almonds or walnuts
• A slice of whole-grain toast spread with 1 tablespoon of a protein-packed almond butter
• A 6-ounce glass of skim milk (or non-dairy milk) and a banana
• Low-sodium vegetable juice
• Sparkling water with a splash of pomegranate juice and a few sprigs of mint
• Carrot juice with a splash of orange juice
• Vanilla- or chocolate-flavored sugar-free soy milk over ice

Top tips for eating well

• Eat a good breakfast. Here's where you set the stage for your day. A breakfast with protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fiber will make you feel better the rest of the day.
• Eat small meals with snacks in between, rather than three bigger meals.
• Include protein in every meal and snack, and avoid foods with refined sugar or processed white flour. This helps your blood sugar levels stabilize and keeps hunger at bay.
• Work fruits and veggies into your meals in creative ways: Toss assorted chopped vegetables into your breakfast eggs, or sprinkle shredded zucchini or carrots into low-fat quick breads. Apple and cucumber slices make great additions to sandwiches. Add apple chunks, dried cranberries or currants, or chopped dried apricots to salads.
• Focus on folate: Plus-size women, according to a study, may need more folic acid than smaller women, so it's essential to take a daily prenatal vitamin with 1 milligram of folic acid both before and during pregnancy.
• Choose unsaturated good fats (olive, canola, peanut oils) over saturated and hydrogenated bad fats (animal fats, palm oil, margarine).
• Use a food diary to keep track of your food and nutrient intake so you can make sure you're getting enough good stuff. It's also useful for tracking your mood and hunger levels so you can spot patterns you may need to change.

UPDATE

I am still trying really hard to take it easy. It is just not in my nature to get Prince Charming to do so much for me, but he and Princess Belle have been wonderful. I think my little episode scared them too.

I can't wait until next grocery day, I have put my healthy foods in the budget and I just can't wait to dig right in and enjoy them all!

Scary Stuff

Well, I had a bit of a scare yesterday. I had some spotting. Having lost a baby in the past, I was terrified and kind of assuming the worst. But after I was checked out, it had stopped and both the baby and I are fine. It was only a little bit and I haven't had any since. So, I am going to take it easy for the next little while and think positive thoughts.

Had an Appointment

I got to see my little monkey today. The baby was jumping around and happy. It made my heart glad to see that little heart beating so steadily. I saw my baby, he/she is fine in there, growing and happy and doing okay. I will admit, I cried with relief right there in the doctor's office.

Excited!

If I am lucky, I get to see the baby tomorrow. I am so excited. It will mean so much to see this little monkey. I am nervous, and I hope everything is okay in there. I just keep telling myself that I wouldn't be so sick and tired if my hormones weren't doing their thing.

What a difference!

Can I just say that being pregnant with you first baby at 29 is WAAAY different than being pregnant with your fourth baby at 39. This is tough stuff. I am so tired all the time. I am trying to get out and do some walking and be active, but when I do, I am WIPED out! It is a good thing I lost 40 lbs before I got pregnant because this pregnancy is already kicking my butt and I can't imagine how hard it would be 40 lbs heavier!

Salad!

I am doing pretty well. I went out today with the sole purpose of getting me some much needed veggies and I am so happy with the yummy salad fixings I got. I just really love my veggies and I feel it when I am not getting enough of them. Even Princess Belle was excited to see the salad fixings and chomping at the bit to dig into them too.

I have been having heel pain after my walks the last couple of days. I was reading up on it and they say that the cause is weight gain causing my feet to flatten. Which is lovely but I have gained hardly any weight. My weight it shifting to the front though, so maybe the cause is a change in the way I walk or a change the balance of weight on my feet.

On a positive note, my increase in sleep and water has really helped my headaches and my nausea! I am so glad.

Since I tend to have some difficulties with iron when I am pregnant, I was looking up some info on that. Here is what I found out:

Good sources of iron are whole grains, dried beans, dark green leafy vegetables, blackstrap molasses, tofu, spinach, beet greens, bulgur, prune juice, and dried fruits.

There are a few little tricks you can use to get the most iron out of these iron-rich foods.

Be sure to include foods rich in vitamin C (such as orange juice) in your diet every day. This vitamin will help your body absorb iron.
Cooking in a cast-iron skillet can help you get more of this mineral.
Cut back on caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, and colas; they interfere with the body's ability to absorb iron.

Dumb Doctor

You may remember that I mentioned that the doctor (not the specialist) had called me about some bloodwork. Well, my doctor is apparently a bit stunned. First he couldn't figure out why I was there and all I could say was, "Well, you asked me to come." Then he figures out that it was about the bloodwork I did when I was only 4 weeks pregnant. He said the HCG number was low. Then he looks at me, calculates how far along I was at the time and says it was fine and I didn't really need to come in at all. So, I stressed about this appointment when if he had just read my whole chart he could have seen everything is fine. For the record, I looked at the number and then looked at the chart I have for HCG and it was actually a little higher than the range for 4 weeks. It wasn't low, it was a little HIGH! I am so glad I won't be seeing him for this pregnancy anymore.

My headache is gone today. For the last two days, I have been concentrating on getting as much more sleep as my kids will allow and drinking more water and maybe that is helping.

Headaches

I have been having a lot of headaches the last week or so. It is tough and I have been looking for ways to help out since I can't take ibuprofen like I usually would.

One thing I found out is that dehydration can contribute and I haven't been drinking as much water since I ran out of lemon juice to put in it. So, I will definitely get back on top of that.

Warm baths have been helping to. I guess it helps to relax me.

I know the two youngest ones sudden urge to not sleep is not helping at all.

still at it

I am still working on getting healthy, but headaches and morning sickness are making it difficult.

The doctor called about some bloodwork he wants to discuss. So now I have to wait until Wednesday to make sure everything is okay.

I am hoping to go out on Thursday and get some nice healthy groceries. I am craving some yummy healthy veggies and salads and soups.

Iron

I am concerned about iron, because I have had low iron in the past. So, in my research, I have been looking at vegetarian sources of iron. Here is what I have found:

• enriched grain products like rice,
  
• eggs,
• leafy green vegetables,
  
• broccoli,
  
• Brussels sprouts,
  
• sweet potatoes,
  
• dried beans and peas,
  
• raisins,
  
• prunes,
  
• peanuts.

So, I am going to play with my menu to see if I can come up with one that has enough iron in it.

goals

Here are my goals for this pregnancy

1. Number one of course is just to have a happy, healthy, baby. Everything else is and will always be secondary.
2. Use Babyfit to plan my meals to try to get everything I need for the baby in a healthy way. This includes: eating high fibre foods, avoiding sugars as much as possible, eating calcium rich foods, look into ways to increase my iron intake, eat a variety of veggies,
   
3. Try to relax as much as a busy mom of three (soon to be four) kids can. Don't stress over things as I truly believe that a stressed mom has a stressed baby.
4. Try to get some extra activity in, even if is just going for walks with Princess Belle.
5. Limit myself to one instant coffee a day. (No perked as it is too tempting to make a full pot and drink it myself)
6. Cook more in my cast iron pan because it can increase the iron content of my foods.
   

Sample day

Here is an idea for one day. I am not getting enough iron in there, but I am meeting every other requirement. I just have troubles getting in my iron on a vegetarian diet. I am really open to suggestions.

Breakfast
Silk, Unsweetened Soymilk
Spinach,
Tofu, firm

Lunch
Beans, red kidney
Bread, mixed-grain
Cucumber (with peel),
Red Ripe Tomatoes
Hummus
Romaine Lettuce
Carrots,

Dinner
Basmati Rice
Mushrooms, fresh,
Spinach
Mixed Vegetables
Cabbage
Sesame Seeds
Sunflower Seeds

Snack
Almonds

Starting out.

I am working on trying to have a healthy pregnancy. I know I always get pregnancy inducded high blood pressure but I really don't want to have Gestational Diabetes this time. I know I may get it anyway. I know my family has a history of Diabetes and I know that I have had it with my last two pregnancies. But I intend to give it a run for it's money this time.

I also have been working on being healthy and I don't want to let that go just because I am pregnant. So, I am working on BabyFit to come up with healthy menus that can work for me. I am having troubles getting in enough iron and so I am working on that.

This will be a journey. I am 39 years old. I am pregnant with my fourth baby and I am overweight. I just really want to end up in as good a place as possible when I get to hold this beautiful baby in my arms.