Thursday, March 24, 2011

Week 27

Today I have two appointments. I've been to one, and am writing to kill time until the next.

The first appointment was for the three hour glucose tolerance test. I took the glucose screening test last month in the midwife's office, and my levels were 150. If you score 140 or above you must submit to the three hour test, and this initial level of 150 does not mean I have Gestational Diabetes. The results of today's test will determine whether or not I have it.

My regular midwife did not call with the news, the head of the practice did, and she didn't sound too pleased about it. I've been beating myself up about this news since she called. I should have assumed I'd get it again, because there is a 2 in 3 chance of recurrence in subsequent pregnancies. I was committed to the "different baby, different placenta" mantra, since it's the placenta that's responsible for breaking down the glucose for the baby. My diet hasn't been terrible, but I also haven't been as active as I could have been this time around. When I was pregnant with Tallulah, I was hardly sedentary and still I had GD.

People don't believe me when I say we are done having children. I am done having children. I do not enjoy knowing I have a temporary case of diabetes while gestating. I don't like that my chances of developing type 2 diabetes are increased because I've had GD. (It also doesn't help that both my paternal grandparents had Type II Diabetes) Granted, things could be worse, but I don't want to put my body through this again. I'm not sure how I'm going to prevent myself from being pregnant ever again, but I will prevent it, I know that much. I will also have to eat as though I have diabetes and exercise a hell of a lot more during what's left of this pregnancy and afterwards. My grandfather had his leg amputated. I don't think I'd look good with a wooden leg.

Of course, I may not have GD at all. But I assume the worst for myself, as I tend to do. I'll let you know the results when I get them.

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