@friends-fan my last pregnancy I had one side that was a lot more swollen than the other and almost purple. It felt kind of heavy (I don’t know how to explain that differently) too. The doc said it’s just the extra blood flow and pressure. It got better after delivery, although after 2 babies nothing was the same. Which makes me nervous with baby #3. 😂
@bananasb My SIL had it with either 2 or all 3 of her pregnancies. She managed it easily, all 3 kids were born a perfect size, and it went away immediately after delivery! I have my test tomorrow and with age and the weight I've gained already from this pregnancy I am definitely nervous.
@bananasb not me personally but I’ve had several girlfriends who had it during pregnancy, healthy baby, and then was back to normal after. My two year old is a type 1 diabetic and we test his sugars 10 times a day, I know it can feel overwhelming at first, but it will become so routine and thankfully only be for the remainder of your pregnancy 🤞🏼
@313Meg My OB explained it as the same. I feel better knowing that its so common. I was so freaked out when I first noticed it! I never had an issue with my 1st pregnancy but this baby is MUCH lower than my daughter was. 😅 Just a new experience I guess. Thank you for putting my mind at ease and letting me know I'm not alone
@bananasb it is SO possible to have your diabetes be diet controlled and have a healthy pregnancy/delivery and baby!
But the most important thing to realize is that you couldn’t have prevented this is any way, it’s kind of like miscommunication from your body with the placenta and hormones. And sometimes despite even the best efforts you may need insulin, which is okay too. And not your fault!!
But sounds like you have a really good plan in place and both you and baby will benefit from the good eating and exercise!
Thanks everyone, the information has been very helpful and I appreciate everyone's comforting words! I have done 2 days of blood sugar tests so far, and I'm happy to report that the blood sugar levels are manageable with a controlled diet and exercise. The only challenges now is getting through the festive season and all the feasts!
For those who have already done their GTT, did you have to fast before, and for how long? I realized yesterday my OB didnt give me any instructions. All my local mom friends are giving me different answers.
I'll try to call the OB and the Lab today, but I doubt I'll get through to either so I thought I'd see what others had to do
@goldfishcraker my OB didnt recommend I fast but did say it’s best to stick to a high protein low carb meal prior to coming in. Im thinking a piece of sourdough and 2 eggs 🤷🏼♀️
Another question about GTT. Mine is scheduled at 7:45am, and my OB said I should fast for at least 8 hours (no food, but can have water). I usually don't eat anything after 9:30pm, but curious what the difference in results would be if I did have a small breakfast?
@jennifer_m21 I don’t know the answer to that. It could create a false positive result and force you to do the 3hr test. It probably would be fine? I failed the 1hr by a few points and had to do the 3hr with G and man I’m going to do everything I can to avoid that this time. Wasn’t fun
@goldfishcraker I didn’t have to fast for the 1 hour, but I do have to fast for the 3 hour.
@jennifer_m21 I have the 3 hour test tomorrow morning. My appointment isn’t until 8:35, and I was told no food or drink (except water) after midnight. So I plan to have a snack/mini meal at about 11:30 or so. I’m going to have to set an alarm to wake up to eat since I’m in bed by 9:30 these days, and it might give me reflux, but I want to put something in my belly as close to cutoff as I can. I’m going to take snacks with me so I can have something as soon as the last draw is done. I’m not looking forward to it at all. My understanding is that eating anything, even no carbs, can through off the results because of how protein and carbs react to each other.
@jennifer_m21 what @achanceintime said. I didn't have to fast with the 1 hour but I did have to fast when I did the 3 hour:/ Glad your appointment is at least early in the morning!!!!
@goldfishcraker Sorry I'm late to the game ! I was told to fast before my 1 hour, nothing but water after midnight. Thankfully I had an early appt. FX for passing your test!
I feel like the level of appointments and testing my OB is requesting feels extremely excessive. Is anyone else getting similar treatment? I don't know if I can tell them that I feel like this is just too much.
I'm turning 35 next week and considered AMA. Also, I've had slightly higher than normal blood pressure during pregnancy. Consistently ranging from 120-135/70-85. I have no additional risks and all my tests have come back normal. This is my first pregnancy, so no history of any problems either.
- Yesterday I did the 1 hour glucose. I passed at 135. They contacted me today and said they still want me to do the 3 hour. - They did a 28 week US, everything looked good (3lbs 1oz at 28+2). They are scheduling an US every 4 weeks and a nonstress test for EVERY week I don't have an ultrasound. - The NP yesterday told me yesterday that they plan to not let me go to 39 weeks and would induce early.
I'm sure I should be grateful for the level of care, but it just feels excessive and overly cautious. Has anyone else had similar experiences or does this seem over the top?
@Sarah0335 that does seem like a bit much. I was 37, almost 38, when my son was born, and the only difference in the standard of care would have been an additional ultrasound in the 3rd trimester (except I ended up with place Previa, marginal cord insertion, and polyhydramnios…so I ended up with a lot more scans and NSTs; but that wasn’t for being AMA). If you aren’t comfortable with the plan they have laid out, you should ask your provider WHY. Start the conversation with them and see if they can explain why they feel you need this close monitoring.
@Sarah0335 that seems excessive to me too. I would be curious why so many ultrasounds/stress tests. I've never heard of that for AMA. If you have the extra time to go to all those appointments, I guess I would enjoy it the peace of mind. I know you have a busy job though, so I'm sure it is a little stressful.
Edit to add the I would also really question and maybe push back on being induced early unless there is a specific reason.
Edit again to add that I missed the part about high blood pressure. That could be why and makes a bit more sense.
@Sarah0335 that does sound like a bit much. I would ask them for justification on each of these items and let them know you feel this is a bit much. I don’t understand why they’re having you do the 3 hour test if you passed the one hour. What was the point of that test if they were just going to have you do the longer one? I was 39 with DS, 41 now, and I’m not experiencing that level of testing. I have not had elevated BP but I did have a mild case of PP preeclampsia so I know they keep a close eye on that.
@Sarah0335 I was 40 with #2 and I'm almost 43 with #3 and they literally are doing nothing differently here than with my first at 34. Monthly appointments until 30 weeks, then every 2 weeks until 38 and then weekly. I delivered DD2 when she was 39+2 and will have this one around 39 but only because I am a repeat c-section. Otherwise they would have let me go until baby came on their own. Also, 1 scan at 8ish weeks, 1at 12ish and 1 at 20ish. That's it. I understand more frequently monitoring if your BP is high, but it does seem excessive to me. Do they have you on baby aspirin or anything for BP? What is their reasoning for having you repeat the GTT? If you passed the first it would be highly unlikely you would fail the second... And I would also question them not letting you go past 39 weeks. That would really bother me. You are almost exactly the same age I was with DD1 (she was born end of January and I turned 35 in February) and she came at 40+2 after a membrane sweep...Here they don't really consider you AMA until closer to 45. I personally wouldn't mind the extra attention, but healthcare is free here so I wouldn't have to be worrying about insurance or associated costs or anything. If there are no costs for you I would be inclined to go with the extra monitoring (minus the 3 hour GTT and possible induction at 39 weeks), but if there is cost associated with it I would definitely push back and at least ask for their specific reasoning etc.
Quick booster question for those of you who have had it already...I basically had no side effects with my first 2 shots, just wondering if I should expect similar experience or if you had different/worse side effects with the booster? My only side effect was a sore arm with the first shot and nothing with the second. My age group is eligible to book starting Monday so I'm hoping to be able to get a spot next week 🤞🤞🤞
@Panaceia i'm similar to @kgg2241 sore arm first one, 2nd knocked me out for a day, 3rd was just a little fatigue, nothing major! Yay for your booster!
@morgantu Yay! Thank you!!! Sore arm and fatigue I can definitely deal with! I didn't have my other shots while pregnant so didn't have to deal with the nausea etc on top of it.
@Sarah0335 I know in my area (we are very high risk at my hospital, get patients from hundreds miles away etc.) AMA plus high blood pressure would indicate more ultrasounds for growth progress/NSTs. But I feel like it starts a little later(though maybe the start of third trimester is right) but every four weeks for an US is standard I believe (then weekly NSTs later on usually) with those other risk factors the glucose test is probably why they’re having you do the 3 hour. Our cut off is 135 so maybe they’re just trying to be cautious. If you were really gestational diabetic then that can add even more complications if not caught(especially if you end up having more blood pressure issues) AMA alone is not supposed to be induced prior to 39 weeks. The only time someone should be induced prior to that is active blood pressure issues(and pre-eclampsia) that we’ve seen down to 37 weeks in trying to prevent high blood pressure from turning into pre-eclampsia. But that’s with people that have blood pressures not being controlled. And on meds.
Hope all this can be a little helpful from insight from “the other side” of the recommendations.
But ALWAYS ask and question your care teams thoughts decisions. You and your baby deserve that!!
@Panaceia and @nursejenn5 They told me to take a baby aspirin once a day, but not taking anything else for bp. I feel like I had some white coat ‘high’ bp earlier in pregnancy that is making them react to extreme caution. Every time they would wait and take my bp at the end on an appointment it would be 120-125/75-80. I agree these are all precautions for people with really elevated bp. I don’t understand how my barely elevated bp justifies what they are talking about.
@Sarah0335 I'm glad they have you on baby aspirin. I know the studies show that starting it before 16 weeks is very effective in treating pre-eclampsia. But I definitely agree with you that it seems a little much, especially considering your BP doesn't seem crazy...but I'm definitely not an expert and have never had high BP so really can't offer any experience. Hopefully asking some questions and pushing back a bit might at least give you a clearer explanation for their reasoning!
@Sarah0335 That monitoring does sound outside the norms that I've experienced/heard about anecdotally. I'm not a doctor and perhaps all of it could be in line with the standard of care given your other medical factors, but the part that is really concerning to me is that they haven't explained to you *why* they're recommending all this extra monitoring. Even if it's 100% medically justified, the fact that they're not explaining it is a red flag for me personally. Honestly, it would make me consider switching providers. Mostly because if they're being brusque with you now, that's unlikely to get better during labor and delivery. And it is really, really important to me during birth that 1) I understand why my provider is doing what they are and 2) I trust my provider to make the right calls on my behalf. Right now it sounds to me like your providers aren't explaining themselves, and like you don't trust them. I know that changing providers is a big step, but I do feel like finding someone you trust to deliver your baby safely and respectfully is just so very important.
@goldfishcraker it's so wild how different the diabetes screen instructions are from one provider to the next! I wonder if maybe they look for different levels depending on the instructions they give? My provider specifically told me that I should make sure to eat a protein-rich, low-carb breakfast before my test. I usually don't eat breakfast, so I asked specifically if that would be ok, and she said no, that if I were fasting that could cause me to fail the test, and that I should make sure to eat some protein and fat that morning.
@Sarah0335 sounds like your doctors are organizing your care using an abundance of caution. Which could be completely warranted. I would first educate yourself on why maybe you specifically have increased risk factors for negative birth outcomes. Rebecca Dekkers website and podcast Evidence Based Birth (EBB) is an amazing, free resource. All non-biased, scientific study results she gathers on hundreds of different topics. Just search EBB + the topic you’re interested in. The podcast is great too. Well organized, short episodes, to the point.
And then you really need to push your providers to answer why they are choosing the interventions they are for you. What is their reasoning and what is the evidence that supports that? Then at least you will have an understanding of why it is all happening to you.
+1 for absolutely loving Evidence Based Birth (both the website and the podcast) as an amazing resource on birth and pregnancy. I love Rebecca Dekker so much.
Ok, so, I was throwing up so much and so forcefully last night that I seem to have damaged my uvula. It is SUPER swollen and long and is choking me every time I try to swallow or talk. If I lay down I can't breathe properly. My GP and OB have both told me to go to the ER but our Omnicrom cases are going crazy here right now and I don't want to go unless it's absolutely necessary. I have a scheduled GP appointment tomorrow morning so hoping I can get to it without having to go to the hospital. Anyways, does anyone have experience with uvulitis or a damaged uvula? Any idea how long it takes to heal? Or at least for the ridiculous swelling to go down? I had to sleep sitting up last night so I didn't choke. Any advice at all is VERY welcome!!!!! Currently eating small ice chips to at least try to stay hydrated...
Re: The Great Question Thread
I realized yesterday my OB didnt give me any instructions.
All my local mom friends are giving me different answers.
I'll try to call the OB and the Lab today, but I doubt I'll get through to either so I thought I'd see what others had to do
I'm turning 35 next week and considered AMA. Also, I've had slightly higher than normal blood pressure during pregnancy. Consistently ranging from 120-135/70-85. I have no additional risks and all my tests have come back normal. This is my first pregnancy, so no history of any problems either.
- Yesterday I did the 1 hour glucose. I passed at 135. They contacted me today and said they still want me to do the 3 hour.
- They did a 28 week US, everything looked good (3lbs 1oz at 28+2). They are scheduling an US every 4 weeks and a nonstress test for EVERY week I don't have an ultrasound.
- The NP yesterday told me yesterday that they plan to not let me go to 39 weeks and would induce early.
I'm sure I should be grateful for the level of care, but it just feels excessive and overly cautious. Has anyone else had similar experiences or does this seem over the top?
Edit to add the I would also really question and maybe push back on being induced early unless there is a specific reason.
Edit again to add that I missed the part about high blood pressure. That could be why and makes a bit more sense.
with those other risk factors the glucose test is probably why they’re having you do the 3 hour. Our cut off is 135 so maybe they’re just trying to be cautious. If you were really gestational diabetic then that can add even more complications if not caught(especially if you end up having more blood pressure issues)
AMA alone is not supposed to be induced prior to 39 weeks. The only time someone should be induced prior to that is active blood pressure issues(and pre-eclampsia) that we’ve seen down to 37 weeks in trying to prevent high blood pressure from turning into pre-eclampsia. But that’s with people that have blood pressures not being controlled. And on meds.
Hope all this can be a little helpful from insight from “the other side” of the recommendations.
sounds like your doctors are organizing your care using an abundance of caution. Which could be completely warranted. I would first educate yourself on why maybe you specifically have increased risk factors for negative birth outcomes. Rebecca Dekkers website and podcast Evidence Based Birth (EBB) is an amazing, free resource. All non-biased, scientific study results she gathers on hundreds of different topics. Just search EBB + the topic you’re interested in. The podcast is great too. Well organized, short episodes, to the point.
And then you really need to push your providers to answer why they are choosing the interventions they are for you. What is their reasoning and what is the evidence that supports that? Then at least you will have an understanding of why it is all happening to you.