Category Archives: Pregnancy

Doctor’s Appointment Report & 32 Week Belly Shot

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I had my 32 week doctor’s appointment on Friday and have this to report back:

Weight: up 3 lb since last month (4 lb total gain)
Blood Pressure: 120/70
Baby’s Heartbeat: Normal, in the 150s

Everything went great at my appointment. Baby is growing right on schedule. I talked to my doctor about my blood sugar levels and she said everything is well within the normal ranges and I am currently doing a great job managing my gestational diabetes with diet and exercise. Wahoo!

Oh and here is my 32 week belly shot (plus a couple with the Big Sister):




(We did the Race for the Cure this morning, hence the pink workout shirt.)

As always, any pictures of Baby Bateman 2.0 will be collected here.

Doctor’s Appointment Report

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I had my 30 week (rounding up, I’m actually 29w5d and will be 30 weeks on Sunday) doctor’s appointment this morning and have this to report back:

Weight: down 6 lb since last month (back to 1 lb total gain)
Blood Pressure: 120/64
Baby’s Heartbeat: Normal, 157

It was a fairly uneventful appointment today. I am measuring right on track so despite my obvious lack of weight gain, baby is growing right on schedule. I start going in every two weeks now so we can keep track of my blood pressure as well as baby’s growth. Otherwise, there isn’t much to report… just the way we like it!

29 Week Belly Shot

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As I get bigger (and bigger) and my due date gets closer and closer, naturally Ana and I have been having more discussions about babies and birth. Nothing I haven’t been able to field yet, but it sure is fascinating to me to see how her mind works. Ana and I had the following conversation while watching A Baby Story on LTC this afternoon:

Ana: Mom… when you have (points at my belly) the baby, will you have to go to the hospital?

Me: Yes.

Ana: But why? Usually the baby just comes out… and you can wash it in the sink.

Me: Well, we could do that, but I would like to have your sister at the hospital. Then we can have a doctor to make sure everything is safe. Then the doctor can check her and weigh her and measure her.

Ana: I don’t think you should go to the doctor. The doctor is scary.

Me: Why would you think that? You love going to the doctor. You love playing doctor. You want to BE a doctor!

Ana: Oh yeah. I forgot. I was just being silly.

I have been feeling pretty good lately. I am still sleeping really well, with the exception of the couple trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night. The lower back pain that was crippling me for the last several weeks has finally started to ease up. I did have one little twinge last night while I was trying to get comfortable to go to bed, but by morning it had mostly disappeared. Sure, I get tired really quickly so I just have to remember to take it easy and take more breaks. Today I cleaned all three bathrooms in our house and I was about ready to slip into a coma from exhaustion afterward. For the most part, it’s been pretty easy to take it easy and I owe all of that to Sim and Ana. They have been amazing helpers and don’t mind picking up my slack (or overlooking the lack of vacuuming).

As for the gestational diabetes, things are going quite well. I am constantly surprised that I am able to remember to test my blood glucose first thing in the morning and two hours after each meal (I have an app on my iPhone that has a reminder, but I have to actually remember to set it for it to work). I think I have only forgotten a couple times when we were out for something special. Otherwise I have been really on top of it. And my post-meal levels have been great. Eating out is the hardest, simply because I have no control over what they put into the food. Most national chains post their nutritional info online, so I can look it up on my phone (you would be surprised at the foods you think are “healthy” in restaurants) but it’s harder with the little “mom and pop” restaurants that we love to frequent. It was tricky at first, remembering which foods I could have and how much, but I am getting pretty good at it now. I think it helps that my stomach is shrinking (or the baby is sitting on it) because I get full so fast now and that has helped tremendously with portion control. My fasting (first thing in the morning) glucose levels have been a bit higher than I would like, but as those aren’t anything I can control (with diet or exercise) there isn’t much I can do about it. I’ve tried eating different things before bed and snacking in the middle of the night when I go to the bathroom but nothing seems to make any difference. I see my doctor on Friday and I will see what she has to say about it during that appointment.

Until then, here is my 29 week belly shot:


As always, any pictures of Baby Bateman 2.0 will be collected here.

26 Week Belly Shot

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I am officially 26 weeks (yesterday) and enjoying the last week of my second trimester. Next week I start the third, and final, trimester. That is so bizarre to even think about! For those of you who missed it, I just found out that I, once again, have gestational diabetes. I just talked to my doctor’s office and got the actual results of my 3-hour test:

     Fasting: 93 mg/dl
     One hour: 194 mg/dl
     Two hour: 174 mg/dl
     Three hour: 104 mg/dl

This is how they classify “abnormal” scores:
     Fasting: 95 mg/dl or higher
     One hour: 180 mg/dl or higher
     Two hour: 155 mg/dl or higher
     Three hour: 140 mg/dl or higher

So I passed the fasting, failed the first and second hours, but somehow managed to pass the third hour. It’s interesting because the last time I did this my fasting and one hour tests were fine, but the two and three hour were not. Hmmm. So this weekend Sim and I did some shopping for healthy snacks and a few sugar-free goodies. Sometimes a pregnant lady just needs her ice cream and a sugar-free fudgesicle will totally do in a pinch.

I have a diabetes education class tonight so I am hoping to brush up on the basics and maybe pick up a few menu ideas. I’m having a hard time figuring out what to eat before working out in the morning. I need something that isn’t going to sit in my stomach like a lead weight, but also won’t leave my blood sugar crashing half way through Stroller Strides. My normal pre-workout standby is a bowl of healthy cereal, but the GD diet limits the carbs I eat so that I would only be allowed 1/4 to 1/2 cup (depending on the cereal) which isn’t going to keep me full through the warm-up. So I’m hoping the instructor tonight will have some pointers for me. I’ll keep you posted.

In the mean time, here is my 26 week belly shot:

As always, any pictures of Baby Bateman 2.0 will be collected here.

Two Doctor’s Appointment Reports and a Picture

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Man, it’s been quite a week. Yesterday I took the 3-hour Glucose Tolerance Test (because I didn’t pass the 1-hour test I took last week). It’s not an experience I would wish upon anyone, but I’ve been there before so I knew what to expect. Then today I had a follow up ultrasound to check a few things they couldn’t see last time AND my regular monthly doctor’s appointment. Whew!

So my glucose test went just as expected. It was nauseating and exhausting. There is nothing worse than starving a pregnant women…until you start sticking her with needles. A 12-hour fast, one sickly sweet bottle of double-the-sugar Glucola, and four blood draws later, I was done. Sim and Ana met me for lunch and then I went home and took a two-hour nap. And was still a zombie for the rest of the day. At least I won’t be doing that test again anytime soon!

This morning I had another ultrasound. It turns out at my last ultrasound the tech wasn’t able to get a good look at the baby’s eyes, hands, and… one other thing that I cannot remember for the life of me. Anyway, today they were able to see everything and it all looks normal. The baby is in the 57th percentile and weights about 2 lbs. Aside from reassuring us that everything is going great, it’s always fun to get another glimpse of my daughter. I mean, is this not the cutest little profile ever?!?

Then right after the ultrasound I had my 26 week (rounding up again, since I will be 26 weeks on Sunday) doctor’s appointment. I have this to report back:

Weight: up 5 lb since last month (6 lb total gain)
Blood Pressure: 120/70
Baby’s Heartbeat: Normal, in the 140s

When I got home this afternoon, I got a call back from my doctor’s office letting me know they got the results back from my glucose test and I did not pass. So it looks like I have gestational diabetes. Again. Oh well, it’s not like I haven’t been through this before. I know it’s not an optimal outcome, but truthfully it’s not like I know it any other way. If nothing else, I know I can handle it and I know this will help me to do the best I can to bring another healthy baby into the world. I know I can manage the diet (even Simeon is looking forward to the most effective diet we have ever been on together) and I am already doing the exercise. Sure, it’s a little inconvenient, but I will do anything to make my body the healthiest place for my daughter to grow.

22 Week Belly

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Ready for your weekly dose of belly? Ready or not, here is the 22 week belly shot.

I feel as big as a house. Can you believe I have only gained one pound? I’m HUGE. It is just one solid baby bump. With as active as this little girl is, it will only be a matter of time before other people can feel her kicks and flips. I’ll give her this, she is one fierce little girl.

As always, any pictures of Baby Bateman 2.0 will be collected here.

Doctor’s Appointment Report

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I had my 22 week (rounding up again, since I will be 22 weeks on Sunday) doctor’s appointment this morning and have this to report back:

Weight: down 6 lb since last month (1 lb total gain)
Blood Pressure: 112/78
Baby’s Heartbeat: Normal, in the 160s

Today’s appointment was primarily to review the ultrasound I had on Tuesday. Everything looked great: good placenta placement, no shortening of the cervix, baby’s anatomy looks great and everything appears to be developing right on schedule. There were a couple things they couldn’t see on the ultrasound, so the doctor I saw today (not my doctor because she was on vacation this week) scheduled a follow-up ultrasound in four weeks (August 6th). I went through the same thing with Ana (those stubborn daughters of mine!) but I don’t mind getting another peak at my growing baby!

When it was time to ask questions, I brought up the topic of the glucose test. Not because I want to have it, but I was under the impression that since I had gestational diabetes before that I would be tested for GD earlier in this pregnancy. Since the test is normally done between 24-28 weeks, and I am already practically 22 weeks, that “earlier” window is pretty much, well, NOW. I mentioned that I have been trying to eat according to my pregnancy diet, but with all the morning sickness I had, there were some days when I was lucky to keep anything down, let alone be picky about my carb intake. But I have been trying to check my blood sugar from time to time (it’s something I do even when I’m not pregnant, since I am now at a higher risk for Type II diabetes) and everything has been normal. She said that I have been doing everything I am suppose to, and so she wasn’t worried, but still gave me the option of taking the test immediately. Since I was in NO rush to torture myself today, we set the appointment for July 29th. They also prefer that I fast for 2-3 hours before the test, so she was fine scheduling the glucose test for a later date.

Then when I finished up scheduling the ultrasound and my glucose test, the nice lady offered to set up my appointments for the REST OF MY PREGNANCY. It’s so bizarre to think how quickly all this is happening. Before you know it, I will have TWO daughters. Can you believe it??

The Big Ultrasound for Baby Bateman 2.0

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This afternoon Sim, Ana, and I went to the BIG ultrasound for Baby Bateman 2.0. Ana was very happy to be included in everything and was even more excited when our very sweet ultrasound tech told her what the baby was and then Ana got to be the one to tell us. We thought it was only fitting that Ana also be the one to tell all of you:

The ultrasound went great and it looks like everything is developing and growing as it should. We were able to see all the parts and pieces and everything looked perfect. She (it’s just SO nice to be able to use pronouns!!) was very active and wiggling around a ton during the appointment so some of the pictures we took what we could get. They can’t all be posed, right?

Anyway, here are the pictures of our littlest daughter:






And here is the picture the tech took, just for Ana of her baby sister:

As always, any pictures of Baby Bateman 2.0 will be collected here.

Half Way, Baby!

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Today I am 20 weeks, which is officially the half-way mark in my pregnancy (assuming I go the whole 40 weeks this time). So, what has been happening? Well, I have been feeling the baby move. Sometimes I am more sure it’s baby (and less stomach funkiness) than others, but the human body does all sorts of strange things so it can be hard to tell. From time to time I will feel something that feels like a kick, but I know the baby is much too small at this point for me to feel it so strongly, so I can only assume it’s something digestive. At this stage, when the baby moves it’s more like bubbles or that feeling you get when you miss a step walking down the stairs. Nothing I would describe as “kicking” and certainly nothing like the kicks I remember getting late in my pregnancy with Ana.

I’m also at the point where I am no longer allowed to lay flat on my back (because my uterus will put too much weight on my inferior vena cava-the vein that transports blood from your lower body to the heart) so I have once again dug out my Snoogle. It has become the coveted spot on my bed and both cats literally wait for me to make the bed in the morning so they can be the first to claim the comfy spot. But other than being a lovely cat nest, it has made sleeping so much more comfortable, which in my ever expanding state, is quite a feat.

Frodo enjoying the Snoogle, tucked safely under the covers.
Frodo enjoying the Snoogle

Otherwise I have been feeling pretty good. I haven’t thrown up in a week (knock on wood), I have started to get some of my energy back (in little tiny spurts), and I have still managed to get in a few good Stroller Strides workouts each week. Now we are just waiting for my ultrasound on July 6th where we will (hopefully find out if Baby Bateman 2.0 is a boy or a girl! Wahoo!

Oh and here is the much anticipated 20 week belly shot. Lovely, eh?

(For comparison sake, here is my 20 weeks with Ana post.)

As always, any pictures of Baby Bateman 2.0 will be collected here.