36 wk appt and searching for calmer waters!

Today, Sweetpea and I went in for our 36 weeks appointment. Daddy couldn't come today because he had a meeting at work and had to oversee some lab testing, and I said that it should be fine. I met with the nurse practitioner once again during this appointment; it turns out that the nurse practitioner has actually been involved with labor and delivery for over 8 years, is a midwife, and is very qualified to do various checkups according to the nurse. We had the usual exam with the addition of our first cervix check which was not very comfortable; when the NP reached in there, she confirmed that the baby's head was indeed down and ready in the position it should be. It left me wondering if she actually touched the head and could feel it that way. From this appointment on, we'll be going to weekly visits with the OB.

Anyhow, though I had mentioned in my previous post that we passed the glucola test, it turns out that I am still leaking glucose in my urine (for the past two doctor's visit), which is puzzling to the doctor and office staff... so, I've been ordered to do a couple things: 24 hr urine test and glucose monitoring. After the doctor's visit, I headed down to PacLab once again where they provided me with instructions and "gifts" to take home with me to do the 24 hr test. Then, I went to the maternity and fetal medicine unit for a consult with the diabetes specialist, where I received more "gifts," the One Touch Ultra 2 monitor with needles and test strips and where I was instructed to take some readings throughout the day for about a week. They say the kidney is suppose to be able to process the foods with its sugars and proteins but that it is interesting that only the glucose is still showing up when it shouldn't. I was told that it may be nothing to worry about and that it may just be the way my body "does pregnancy," but they just want to check and make sure there isn't something else going on. Essentially, the diabetes nurse says they want to be able to catch any signs of gestational diabetes so that they can control the glucose level and prevent the baby from getting too big in the middle which could lead to caesarean birth; they also want to prevent low blood sugar in the baby (baby has her own system and can process what goes through the placenta, but when the umbilical cord is cut, she may end up producing more insulin than she needs causing low blood sugar). The glucola test was suppose to be conclusive but I suppose our case is a bit unusual. So, for this, we're asking that people continue to pray for us.

Another thing I was told in today's appointment was that the fundus(belly) measurement was two below their expected which may be common in non-Caucasian women and may also be due to baby's changing position. Because glucose levels may also affect the fluid content, the NP also recommended that I make an ultrasound appointment along with my next appointment to check the size of the baby and to also check the fluid levels... so it looks like we'll get another glimpse of the baby. There was so much to process in today's appointment that it was a bit overwhelming at first. Later in the evening, I attended the infant feeding and pumping class on my own. Daddy came home from work early because he caught something and was not feeling well. The course instructor doesn't recommend eating anything raw (raw fish, etc) while breastfeeding because of the bacteria that may be in raw foods; what disappointing news, I was thinking I'd like some good sushi after the baby is born... oh well, I suppose that's a mother's love and sacrifice. We hope everything will go well as we finish up our last month.