An Update

Thanks to everyone for your phone calls, emails and interest in what's been going on lately with my pregnancy. I feel so loved and cared for by so many of you! Sorry for the long lapse in posting, but life has been very full (and fun!) lately. But first things first...

I did not expect to have gestational diabetes at all. I certainly thought that it wouldn't happen to me. I am still baffled by the "diagnosis" but taking it in stride and making the most of it! During my 29th week of pregnancy I had the routine 1 hour glucose test. Apparently, my sugar levels were through the roof (over 240) which was almost an immediate diagnosis. I am still surprised that I wasn't given a 3 hr. test or any other form of verification. I keep thinking I was stressed that day. Or, what if they confused my blood with someone else's? Regardless of how it all came about, I know that God has allowed this for a reason. :)

Because my glucose results were so high, the Birth Center immediately sent me over to the UCSD Medical Center. Therefore, I am now a patient there and will (most likely) not be delivering at the Best Start Birth Center. Last Friday I attended a 3 hour class which covered diabetic pregnancy and how to use the glucose tester.

I learned so much that morning about how to eat in a way that will help my body. It's all about cutting down on carbs and sugars, not completely eliminating them. Of course, eating ice cream or donuts at church are not an option anymore. I have always wanted to learn more about nutrition and this class was really informative and helped me better understands how our bodies break down foods that we eat.

We were also shown how to test our blood sugars, which I am doing four times a day now. It's actually not that bad, and am always excited to see how LOW my blood sugar is! Yes, I said LOW! Ever since I have been on the new diet and have been testing my sugars, my levels have been really, really good. Either God has healed me, or the simple modifications I have made in my diet have helped a lot.

I have now been testing my sugars for one week and they have been kept under control really well. Yesterday we had an appointment with the diabetic nurses and a nutritionist and they were all really impressed with how well my sugar levels are doing. They have asked me to test my sugars for one more week. If they continue to be low, they will allow me to only test myself 3-4 times a week. What a blessing! It will be something that will be monitored, but not as closely.

At this point, if everything continues to go well, it looks like I might be able to deliver at the Birthing Center at UCSD. It's not what we had originally hoped for, but we know that God is in control and are happy that this is an option. If anything goes wrong, the "regular" labor and delivery is right down the hall.

In a week and a half we will be meeting with the nurse midwife that will be taking care of my prenatal care from now on. I also get to have the fun TB test as well as making an appointment for another ultrasound! One of the perks of being labeled as "gestational diabetes" is that we get two more ultrasounds before the baby is born! Baby Girl, we get to see you again (and make sure that you really are a girl, after all!)

Last night at Bible study we talked about how God uses circumstances in our lives to show us what He wants for us. I know God has allowed these little series of events to happen for a reason and we rest in knowing that God knows what is best for us. I'll do my best to keep you updated as far as my health goes (if you are interested!)