Week 30: More Stats ** Updated

I'm going to be spending a lot of time at St. John's from now until the end of April, so here's the latest and greatest stats... Weight is 159lbs (+16 from pre-pregnancy weight) and I'm continuing to gain about a pound per week. And my belly measures a whopping 32" (still on the large side, but within range). I've gotten to the point where I don't remember what it feels like to walk around without a bowling ball in my abdomen, however, I have fond memories of peaceful sleep that I can't wait to experience again!

**Update: I had another ultrasound on Thursday and Baby Allie is weighing in at 3lbs 5oz! Gestational diabetes babies tend to be on the big side, so it's definitely good news that she's not supersized. Everything else appears to be going well and I will be continued to be monitored by the perinatal lab every other week with non-stress tests as well as ultrasounds every month.

In other news, after a lot of discussion Matt and I have decided to deliver via C-section. While none of the three doctors providing my care can be certain that a vaginal delivery will worsen my Crohn's, there is significant risk of developing fistulas, tearing, or prolapsing that could complicate the disease. It was a tough decision because I really wanted to "experience" labor and I was afraid that recovery was going to be more difficult. But in the end, we know that I am no good to Allie if I am not healthy, so it's better to err on the side of caution. So, if all continues to go well, little Allie should make her grand entrance into the world between April 24th-29th!

With 2 months left, we have started working on the nursery and are making quick progress. I am however with-holding pics until we are done! I can tell you that the painting is almost done and we should be getting the furniture mid-March. It looks so different from the rest of the house, but it's been a lot of fun decorating with all the bright colors and patterns!

Week 29: Mer

So, the last week has been pretty much focused on trying to get my blood sugar under control, which has turned out to be much more difficult than I anticipated. The Prenidsone has such a strong effect on the readings that it's hard to get even my fasting glucose in the normal range. But I keep trying different routines in hope of finding something that works. Today looks kinda promising after tapering from 30mg to 25mg last night with a fasting blood glucose of 89 (almost the lowest it's ever been). My sweet tooth is probably not helping matters much either. I might just have to go on some additional medication for a little while... Hopefully some promising results over the weekend will change that, but we'll see. I just keep telling myself that we only have 2 more months to go!! And it will be busy with getting the nursery ready, childbirth classes, baby showers, and doctors appointments! Baby Allie will be here before we know it... (scary!!)

Week 28: Numbers

On Thursday I had the pleasure of spending all day in gestational diabetes training... fun, fun, fun! Turns out my glucogen test was 199, which is borderline tragically bad. So, the game plan is to count carbs and monitor my blood glucose until little Miss Allison's arrival. It's been a bit of a learning process to determine how much sugar my body can handle at one time, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. I just never realized how carb heavy my diet was. Especially snacks. I love fruit, granola bars, and milk, all of which have to be restricted. But honestly, it's not a bad thing for the Crohn's. Sugar is food for the bad bacteria in your gut, so limiting my intake can only do good things. As I continue to taper off the steroids, my body should also be able to process it better. We've only got about 10 weeks to go, so I'm sure the time will fly by! I also get to add additional appointments with a perinatologist as well as a diabetes educator to ensure that I'm doing everything right and that baby is healthy. That means more ultrasounds and fetal monitoring, which can be fun. Just not looking forward to spending so much time at St. John's!

Week 27: Home Stretch

Officially in the third trimester, I am really starting to feel pretty good! I went for my prenatal appointment yesterday and have gained another few pounds in the last month and my Crohn's appears to be pretty well in check. We also had another ultrasound to check on my placenta (which was lying a little close to my cervix last time) as well as the cyst they found during the MRI and both problems appear to have resolved themselves! Then we got the bomb dropped... Gestational diabetes... It was anticipated that the steroids would impede my body's ability to process sugars, however, I apparently flunked really bad. So, I have been stamped "high risk" and now will be also monitored by another obstetrician that specializes in complications through the remainder of my pregnancy. I'm not sure what kind of action will need to take place right now, but I'm assuming diet for sure and maybe medication?

Stats:
My weight: +13lbs (from pre-pregnancy weight)
Belly measurement: 28 inches (I think?)
Baby Allison weighs approximately 2lbs 6oz (44th percentile)
Current fetal position is breech. We know she has plenty of time to move, but all the Binning boys were breech, so I'm wondering if there is any correlation...


I feel like there were some other details I wanted to add, but they are escaping me at the moment... But here is an updated (and better) belly pic!