Week 39

Today I am 39 weeks and 2 days pregnant. And I made it through the last week of work (although it seems my boss thinks one should spend their vacation time and maternity leave working from home but that's another story!)

If it wasn't the home stretch before, it certaintly is now and this week is flying by already. Monday was spent doing some deep cleaning, yesterday I spent the whole day driving around - first to catch up with my mom and then into down-town Boston for a BPP appointment. I also got my car washed and my hospital bag is officially living in my car now (what?) Today - I have more cleaning and a little shopping (and some cooking and baby clothes washing) to do. And tomorow is Thanksgiving already! Crazy!

I am feeling pretty good. My BP is still normal at home (yay!). I have almost no swelling whatsoever (yay!). And the other day I downloaded 90 days of Dexcom history and was pretty thrilled to see this (double yay!):

Given that 90 days is a long time I was so happy to see the average as well as the standard deviation! I tend to give myself a hard time about the occasional 150 mg/dl or a stretch of a few hours out of range but it was nice to see that overall I am extremely consistent and have normal blood sugar about 90% of the time - which is a huge accomplishment for any type 1 diabetic and it is certainly a huge accomplishment for me. I complained a lot over the years about my lack of determination, consistency, inability to achieve this. Honestly, I did not know this was possible. While (certainly) pregnancy adds motivation and diligence, I know this would have been impossible for me to achieve if I hadn't jumped on the low carb train so to speak some 18 months ago. A flat line averaging low 100s would have been an unachievable feat for one day, not to mention 90. I am so so thankful I found this way of doing things and I am never going back. My quality of life has improved so drastically this past year and a half, and my stress levels about blood sugar management are almost non-existent (even during pregnancy). I will have to go back and post about this way of diabetes management some more in the future. It thrills me to know there are many people who are achieving such results and I am one of them (when two years ago my A1C was 8.6% and I thought it was impossible or if possible somehow detrimental to quality of life). Everyone must do what works best for them obviously. This is what works for me, so I do plan to talk about it in the future, as it has been the single most life-changing thing (for sure in my diabetes life, but perhaps in my whole life as well). Also - I have heard that many have success with the "sugar-surfing" approach. Alhough I have not read this book, I have heard quite a bit about it and it made me wonder - do I also use sugar-surfing techniques in addition to my low-carb lifestyle? I think so. I definitely watch the CGM like a hawk most of the time and make very quick adjustements with a lot of micro-boluses or glucose corrections. I am just so grateful for the technology that allows people with diabetes to be healthier, and also for the internet where we can connect with others - for technical and emotional support and well as simply to share our stories, all of which are so important :)

OK, so diabetes is going well. As I mentioned before I am apprehensive about the post-partum period but I will just have to handle it as it comes.

Exactly one week from today, I will be checking into the hospital for my scheduled C-section (unless something exciting happens sooner of course). Actually, my last BPP and prenatal appointment is this Friday and I am slightly apprehensive because it will not be with my regular doctor so I can see someone who doesn't know my white coat syndrome history panicking at my in-office BP (especially with diabetes at 39+4 weeks pregnant!) My doc did say that he would give the other doctor a heads up. In any case, I would like to just stick to the schedule and deliver on the 30th (because these things can always be planned, lol). I will be relinquishing control of my diabetes management while I am on the operating table as well as for a short time thereafter. But I had my 90 days of Dexcom history scanned into the hospital records (my ammunition for doing my own thing after I am able to stand up again). I also "won" the right to wear Dexcom during the surgery for peace of mind, as long as it is on my arm, so above the sterile surgical field. My doc keeps warning me that it may not be accurate because of all the extra fluids that will be administered but we shall see.

I am definitely nervous (but accepting) about having surgery. It is nothing I have done before but there is a first time for everything. (And yes, I am still trying to get her to flip head down but I have come to peace with the fact that it may not happen. I still am happy we are going past 40 weeks so at least I gave her a very good chance of flipping if she was going to do so on her own.) Aside: B's co-worker told him a story of her own experinece with the version, where the baby's rib was broken in the process and she had to have an emergency section on the spot. While I know that such complications of turning a baby are rare, it is these kinds of accounts that made me chicken out of having her turned.

I am going to list the specifics of what I am nervous about so I can get it off my chest because blog=therapy.

1. Seeing and hearing her for the first time. I just want to know that she is healthy and OK. I know that all the scans have always shown her to be nothing but a healthy baby but I guess it's a natural fear that I won't believe it until I see it? I just want to hear her cry and hear the doctor say that she looks perfect. I want all the newborn screening tests to come back normal and I want to hold her and actually know that this whole baby thing is happening for real. OK? OK.

2. Slightly nervous about the anesthesia. BUT I am quite confident they will do a great job. In the off-case that something alarming happens I have confidence that they are prepared to deal with it. Repeat after me: the anesthesia and surgical details are out of my control.

3. Healing from the surgery. The big thing here for me will be not over-doing it. I will have plenty of help, but I am stubboornly independent and have a very very high tolerance for pain so I will need to remind myself to take it easy. Also, I am worreid about giant excited dogs bumping my incision (their noses are perfectly lined up to do so). My solution for that one is walking around with a pillow in front of my belly for the first week or so...

Surprisingly, I am not very nervous about the whole caring for a newborn thing. I have read exactly one book: Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn. It seems to have covered the basics, I pretty much remember everything I read and if not there is always the internet so good enough! I hear people do this all the time.

In other news I chopped off my hair! I love it. The girls at the doc's office yesterday were commenting on how I must be close to delivering because apprently "that's what eveyrone does right before they have a baby".

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!