Tuesday 26 December 2006

My bag is packed...

...And I'm ready to go

Well, nearly packed. Just need some singlets for bubs, day clothes for me and a "labour bag" for stuff while in labour (derrr).

I went shopping a couple of weeks ago in a mad "i have to buy the things on the list from the hospital that i don't have yet!!!" panic shop. It was a rather successful shop - forgot a few things, but all in all good.

I bought four flannel baby wraps, three cotton baby wraps, three cotton bunny rugs and a polar fleece baby blanket. What is the difference between a baby wrap, bunny rug and a baby blanket? *** shrug ***, the label on the packet?

I bought four hats, which i have been told by one person is a complete waste of time, but have told by another are the best things you can have, two pairs of mittens (to stop little finger from scratching) three pairs of booties, for little footsies, three onesies that came with a matching bib, two nighties for me and two pairs of slinky satin PJ's - and all that for $130!!! Does this girl know how to shop!!!

And i would like to add for the person the bought peanut some V V funky singlets for Christmas that i am not packing them, they are waiting till we get home and be shown off on hot Summer days when all peanut will feel like wearing is a nappy and a singlet - an uber kewl, bight coloured, chesty bonds singlet!

So peanut is due one month from yesterday! home straight! I have had people ask if i am over the whole being pregnant thing and i would have to say - naaaaah, its alright. I love the kicking i am getting and still find the whole being able to see him stretching from the outside fascinating and freaky at the same time.

But i suppose give me more hot days like we had last week and i will not be so optimistic!

(: Reggie

PS - the whole having GDM thing? no problem!!! i even got through the whole silly season eating cheese cake and chocolate mousse and not one high read - piece of cake! mmmm some cake would be nice right now........

Sunday 26 November 2006

And the test results were there all the time!

And they were not good!!!

We had our routine obs appointment at the hospital on Friday and the obs looks at her computer screen and says "oh, you had an elevated read to the GDM test and have not sat the GTT yet?"

My first reaction was to stand up scream "WHAT THE FUCK!!! I DID NOT GET THE PHONE CALL I WAS TOLD I WOULD, AND I DID WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE 'THE RIGHT THING' AND CALLED TO CHECK WAS TOLD THAT IF I HAD NOT HEARD ANYTHING BY THIS STAGE THEN THE RESULTS WERE FINE", then bust into tear and storm out knocking anyone or anything down that happened to get in my way - I'm pregnant and hormonal, what do you expect!

But i didn't do that.

Instead i breathed deeply, looked at M34tb4LL (who had a slight look of fear in his eyes) and told her that we had not received a call to tell us the results were elevated and i had even called and was told that i need not worry.

The obs was lovely about the situation, very apologetic and assured us she had never heard of anyone else to not have been notified of results before. My thought at that one was - well if it is going to happen to anyone, it is going happen to us **shrug**

She then said that i would need to sit the retest ASAP as i was supposed to do the re-sit the best part of a month ago and wanted to know what my work schedule was like for the coming week. Mmmmm let me see, busy, busy and busy. Can not really take a morning off till Friday.

She switched to plan B and called a sister hospital that has a pathology clinic open on Saturdays to see if i could get a spot there - all booked out ): She then tried the private clinic at this hospital and they said they could see me this Saturday - so like the next day - at 8.30am, w00t.

She then did all the normal checks, including the dreaded blood pressure. She said she would not be surprised in the slightest if it was high - but it wasn't, perfectly normal!!! All that deep breathing, trying to keep myself calm must of helped!

So, nothing to eat after midnight, no bottle of cordial beside the bed to sip on during the night and no breakfast. Got up early - nooooooooooo chance of raising M34tb4LL as i know he was still up when i made one of my many trips to the bathroom at 4.00am, and drove to the hospital. Funny how empty a hospital car park is at 8.15am on a Saturday!

Found private pathology - no thanks to the absent receptionist, just past the cafe with all its breakfasty smells!!! How cruel!

Had first blood test, ouch. Drank super sweet slightly fizzy stuff and waited.... An hour later, another blood test and another wait.... An hour later another blood test (same place as first one because by this time i had run our of arms) and was told i could go home.

So the waiting game starts again, but this time i am not going to take the word of some pathology receptionist that they will call me if there is problem, and i am not going wait till the next routine visit to get he results - as by this time i will 34 weeks and this test, if it shows i have GD, is supposed to have an action plan in place by 26 - 28 weeks.

On the up side though, three blood tests in two hours in two arms - and NO bruising at all!!!

(: Reggie

** Update ** test results are in, and lets just say i can no longer have a large glass of cordial beside the bed to drink through out the night and i have to do blood tests throughout the day.

Monday 6 November 2006

No test results, yet...

And i think this is a good sign?

When i had my GDM test i was told that anyone has a 70% chance of being told that the first test shows at least a border line chance of gestational diabetes and that a re-sit is necessary. After consuming 'the drink' and while waiting the hour till the blood test , we saw an obs and he was very surprised that i was doing the first test first (Think how confused that made us feel).

The chance of developing GD increases when you add a few variables - like age, weight, family history of either GD or type 2 and ethnic background. I have a few of these in my court and because of these the obs thought that i should have been doing the re-sit test first as this is a longer, more involved test and can give the all clear to about 90% of the 70% of people who have to do the second test.

Why not just do the second test first? good question!!!

But anyway, i was told by the pathology vampire that i would get a call in week with the results. Have not heard anything, and the test was over a week ago now. I called the pathology peoples at the hospital and they said that they usually only call if there is a problem and if i have not heard anything then i can assume the results were fine.

So the fact that i have not heard anything i am thinking that i might have fallen into the 30%? w00t! However still sporting a bruise from the blood test - 10 days later!!!

(: Reggie

Monday 30 October 2006

GDM test, what does the 'M' stand for?

To tell you the truth, i don't know!

But anyway, had GDM test on Friday or by another name gestational diabetes test.

I had been warned that it is not a pleasant test by a friend who has had to do the test three times already and is looking forward to doing it for a forth time in a couple of weeks, so i made arrangements with boss lady to have the day off work. And with the hours i have had to be doing lately it was not a hard sell might i add!

So we turned up at the hospital for our 9.45am appointment and checked our selves in. The reception lady told us to go to the pathology window (just opposite) and get 'the drink' so we could start the test. We had to take a number and then wait till it was called (half an hour later - seriously!) and the pathology lady asked for our paperwork for the test.

Our what?

Had to back to receptionist lady and ask her what paperwork we are supposed to have and she told us to go, i don't know, the second level reception window (opposite and just down a bit) to get paperwork.

Lady there knew what i was asking about! YAAAAA, but had to wait for a doctor to pass by to sign the form. Pretty easy done seeing as we are in a hospital.

Back to pathology window and rather than take a number i just waved the paper at pathology lady, tee hee. She was getting one of 'the drinks' ready for another pregnoid and when she saw me, got a second one ready - no wait, nice.

So 'the drink' was not what i was expecting or had been told to expect. I had been told about having to consume a litre of super sweet, super thick liquid that would make me feel like upping before i could half of it down -

but instead

I was given a 300ml bottle, chilled, with a straw. I was told that i need to down the drink within five minutes and then sit quietly for an hour, no walking around.

'The drink' was thickish in texture but it was carbonated so the bubbles counteracted the heavy and it had a slight lemon flavour which did help to counteract the super sweetness of it.

It was amusing that after a few sips i had a moment of panic - "this drink is very sweet, hope there are no artifical sweetners in it!" now 'the drink' is designed to test how well my body is braking down sugar, why would they put an artifical sweetner in a drink to test how well the boby brakes down sugar?

Anyway, downed 'the drink' in about a minute, 10 minutes after that i could feel peanut going crazy - sugar freak out!!!

We were then called by an obs, and he said that chances are i will have to come back to another GDM test as the results of this one will probably come back high (apparently 70% of prenoids have to do a resit), got to hear the heart beat again, i love that sound, and was told that things are looking fine.

Back in the waiting area and after another 15 minutes got called to have a blood test, it had been an hour since downing 'the drink'. So vampire lady started to take blood, left arm because the veins are easier to find. I think she may do ti too many times a day, the needle hurt and she has left a mother of a bruise! When ever i have had to have a blood test at the doctor he never leaves a mark, i never bruise from him.

And then we got to go! w00t! so we drove to M34tb4LL's work where they were cooking up a BBQ storm, i had a sausage in bread - got the sickly sweet taste out of my mouth finally, and i stole M34tb4LL's car and drove home.

And this is the part that i am super glad i took the whole day off work. Felt a little sick to the stomach, but could cope with that, but felt mega way tired and could not cope with that!!!

Got home by 1.30pm and crashed, out like a light! wake at 5.00pm, just enough time to drive back to pick up M34tb4LL. And Saturday? felt like shit again! not one of my better days!!!

So the test itself, having to consume 'the drink', not so bad! its the aftermath that is the killer!!! And there is 70% chance that i will have to do a resit.

"the first test shows you may a problem processing the mega amount of sugar we gave you, to make sure - here have a shit-load more sugar"

(: Reggie

Monday 9 October 2006

In case i forgot he was there

Date: Friday 6th October
Time: 10.10 am
Event: Felt peanut move!!!

I was at work, sitting in the "Bluegum" meeting room with my manager talking about team building workshops that are going to be rolled out to the company that i work for and all of a sudden i had this feeling of little bubbles popping inside me.

I'm not sure what the expression on my face was, but manger stopped mid sentence and asked if i was alright! When i told her that i think i just felt the baby moving, she laughed at me, and our meeting continued.

When i got out of the meeting i emailed M34tb4LL to tell him. About 20 minutes after sending him the email, i got the feeling again - so i called M34tb4LL!!!

I wanted to tell him to blow off work and i would do the same and to come home at once, but i didn't. Actually come to think of it, i did tell him that, but we didn't play hooky.

I kept getting the feeling every half and hour to an hour for the rest of the day, and have been feeling it every day since!

Spoke to little mummy tonight and she told me that now i am feeling peanut move i will have to lay off the spicy food. Why? Because that will make him kick even more!

Bring me your hottest vindaloo!!!

(: Reggie

Thursday 5 October 2006

Half my clothes do not fit anymore!

I say half because i have had a habit of wearing clothes that are half falling off, and now they either fit (and closely) or they no longer go on at all.

So we have now had two appointments at the new hospital, and both have felt far more encouraging than the old hospital. The first time we went, just over three weeks ago now, we saw a mid-wife before we saw an obstetrician.

The midwife was nice, friendly, chatty - to both of us, not just to me. Then when we saw the obs, we were feeling relaxed. He also chatted to of us - nay, he chatted WITH both of us. He was asking M34tb4LL what he did for a living, then asked for clarification when M34tb4LL gave his normal two word answer. It was a nice change to have someone seem to take an interest in both of us and not just tell us - nay, tell me, the things that are wrong with me.

The best part of this was visit was when he found that wonderful little heartbeat, I love that sound. He found the heartbeat and looked over at M34tb4LL to make sure that he was involved. I started to laugh (and cry a little bit) and he lost it. But the fantastic part was that he found it again, and rather than just finding it and saying "there it is and it sounds fine", he let us just listen to it for some time. It really is my favorite sound.

The second appointment was also a very positive experience - to the point that I had the lowest blood pressure that has ever been taken by a medical professional that I have seen for the first time (I hope that makes sense). The only lower reads I have had taken is with my trusted GP, and the reads I have taken myself.

I should add that the second appointment was positive - by the time we got there! There was a little bit of a wait (2 hours) to see the obs, due to our file being put into the wrong queue. But when we got to see the obs, she gave a note to give to reception that would get us into a clinic day that was not as busy as the one were currently on. Cheat their own system!

Other than that, 24 weeks today, been told I am glowing, and the name game continues.

(: Reggie

Saturday 9 September 2006

Half way mark!

As of today i am 20 weeks and 2 days. That means there are 138 days to go. And as we all know babies have a habit come right on time so...

Anyway, a week ago today we went to our friendly radiology place to have our next scan. The scan i was told by the NEW hospital should happen between 19 and 20 weeks, which it did.

So last Saturday after waking early and pacing up the down the house for what felt like hours we got in the car to drive to scanning place. We had plenty of time to get there and knew that we would have to wait over our booking time anyway - but we were exciting about seeing peanut again, and also were dying to know whether peanut was a she or a he.

Slight brake in the story to tell the amusing tale of when M34tb4LL's mother was at our house one day, and in her panic of not wanting to label the baby "she", "he" or "it", she called it "shit". Her own grandchild!!!

My parents have been calling it "Corbin-Storm" since we first told them, and that is why we have having been calling it "peanut"

Right, back to the day of the scan.

So we are driving there, grinning like idiots, and we would have only been a few blocks from our destination when i realised that we had not brought any media with us to record the event! When i verbalized my realisation, M34tb4LL's foot hit the brake pedal a little, but them he remembered that we were driving on a main road and he continued at a normal speed.

We did a quick time calculation and we possible could have made it home to pick things up and then come back, but it would have been tight. Or we could continue about a block past the destination and go to the supermarket that was there and buy media.

The second is what we did. We drove into the carpark of the supermarket and i said if he wanted to slow does to a walking pace i would jump out and run inside, the chance of getting a park easily on a Saturday morning would be slim.

How wrong was i! Right outside the front door - a parking spot!

We ran in and frantically searched the aisles for their media, found it and grabbed a spindle of 25 CDR, 25 DVD-R and a blank video. Ran back to the car and made it back to the scanning place with about 1 1/2 minutes to spare.

Or course we had to wait a good ten minutes till it was our turn but...

So i guess you don't really care about all our media needs whooos and are just reading this to see if i am going to actually tell you if it is a bay or a girl? I love stalling.

The question is, do you go out and buy our little peanut pink or blue?

The real question is do you buy dark purple (for a boy) of light purple (for a girl)

The results of the scan were - the baby is healthy, good regular heart beat, long straight arms and legs, no sign of genetic or chromosomal defects

and

it is a boy.
Image Hosted by ImageShack.us
They gave us an 80% chance of a boy (so still may be a small chance of having a girl as things are still developing) but it is boy.

Trouble is, we had the girls name agreed upon, do not have a boys name picked out.

Suggestions are welcome

(: Reggie and son

Tuesday 22 August 2006

Does anybody want us?

Ok, here is the bottom line - I am pregnant and the way these things work, I am going to be having a baby. I am, in fact, going to be giving birth to a baby. I have heard, seen, not want to really think about it right now that child birth can be a tad painful and tricking and having assistance from someone who has assisted others in the past is a good thing to have.

Well, after the last obstetrician appointment (see previous post) i went back to my doctor and got a referral to a new obs.

He was nice, polite, made us feel comfortable, explained things fully, including why he did not think that we should be coming back to him!!!

Since my last little obs encounter i have had BORDERLINE high blood pressure, and despite what some people say, stress does play a part in that. And this new obs took great lengths to explain this condition that he seemed to believe i was at great risk of developing and because of this i would be turned away from the hospital we are booked into and be sent elsewhere. So it was in my best interest to go to this other hospital now and save having to be transferred there at the last minute.

When we got home we looked up the condition he was talking about and i have a chance of about 3 - 5% of developing it, which incidentals is the same chance anyone has!

I think he was just fobbing us off because the boys-club that is going on at the first hospital we got into all stick together and if i say i don't want one of their obs, the rest band together and won't take me!

So i called the hospital that he told me to and they pretty much laughed in my face and said that the obs can't just tell me to call them. They will only take me if i am referred by an obs with the results of many tests that prove i am in a high of developing the condition.

So back to my GP i go.

He sent an URGENT fax to the second hospital, explaining my situation and low and behold, the next day they call - need a few more details and they can arrange an appointment for us.

Not sure if the appointment is to do tests to consider me as a patient, or the appointment is to just start seeing me. I will find out today when i call them back!

And on a different note altogether - Peanut now has a Thinkgeek and an Amazon wishlist! See the links and happy shopping!!!

Saturday 12 August 2006

Second obstetrician appointment...

Had the second appointment with the obstetrician the other day, and it was also the last one with that particular one!

The first appointment i had i found him cold, rough and arrogant. He was no the kind of person that i could ask any questions of - and as a first time pregnoid (that's a word i made up by the way, it means a pregnant paranoid person) i have many, many, stupid questions!

M34tb4LL was not fond of him either, and i think he felt a bit uncomfortable with the way the obs examined me. I know i sure felt uncomfortable

The second appointment we had, saw the midwife first. She was nice, i felt a bit more comfortable and even asked a couple of my stupid questions full well knowing that by the time i got to the obs i would not want to ask them.

Then we went back to the waiting room till the man himself was ready to see us. He walked passed the door of the waiting room and without braking stride called my name. He did not even look up to see if i had heard him - or even to see if i even there, he just said my name and went straight into his office.

ARROGANT

We followed after him and sat down at the desk. He had my ultrasound tests infront of him and he told up that it was all good, very low risk of downs and we were spot on for the expected due date. He then got me to hop up on the bed so he could see if we get to hear peanut's heartbeat. He picked my stomach with the doppler for a few seconds and said he could not find anything but that does not mean anything because, and i am quoting word for word, no paraphrasing here -

"You are fat"

INSULTING

Now i am a rather voluptuous woman, that is true, but sugar coat the lemon sir!!! He went on to say he was not saying that insult me (TOO LATE) but that it was true.

SECOND PUNCH LANDED RIGHT ON TOP OF THE FIRST

Apparently women that carry a bit of extra it can be harder to find bubs's heartbeat. Also at the this stage bubs is still quite low in the pelvis bone and that does shield it from the doppler a bit, and there is no need of concern. That would have been a nicer way to say it. But he didn't. We left his office, went and paid the bill and walked outside - and here come the water works! I am pregnant, hormonal, emotional - be nice to me!!!

I made an appointment with my long time trusted GP for the next day. I also rang the hospital we are booked into and got a list of all the obs they use. When i got to my GP i recounted my story from start to finish, first and second appointment. He listened to it all through moments of head shaking, gasping, and looks of shock and told me to get anyone else that i wanted, he would give me a referral to who ever i wanted.

I did a little research, well, asked around and got stories from people who had been to the same hospital. Then called the obs that seemed to get the best reviews and talked myself into him taking me. I then called my EX obs and told them that i will be canceling all further appointment and i needed to collect all my test results.

Funny, there was no questioning why. The lady taking my call spoke to me like this was an every day occurrence for her.

(: Reggie

Saturday 22 July 2006

And here's a picture!


Had the first ultrasound done (doing happy dance) and got to see out little peanut! Though not really peanut sized anymore, more the size of a a a well the length of a mars bar but not as rectangular.

We went in there and of course i am expecting it to be the same as it is on TV - there is a few tentative seconds well the scanning person is trying to find the position of the baby, and the parents are holding hands and biting their lips (their own, not each others) watching a screen waiting for the first glimpse of their bundle of joy.
But no, the scanning person put the scanning thing on my tum and their on the screen was a picture of my uterus with an odd shape in it. As she moved the scanning thing around the odd shape rotated on the screen and there was a clear image of a baby!

First misconception busted!

Also when ever you see an ultrasound being done the mother to be is lying comfortably watching the screen as the scanning thing is being gently glided over the stomach. Wrong again, the scanning thing was being pressed quite hard into me and was being pushed around to get the best angles of junior.


Second misconception busted!

Don't get me wrong though, I'm not saying the experience was anything less than amazing and i am sooooo looking forward to the next scan - due in about 6 or 7 weeks. Going to get 3D imaging done for that one!

It is amazing what they can do these days, those clever medical type dudes. The next thing they have to figure out is how to make child birth painless!

Saturday 8 July 2006

The art of telling...

As i said in the previous post, if a couple say "we have news" you tend to be able to get a fair idea of what the next thing they are going to say is.

Well M34tb4LL and i descided that we were not going to 'just tell people' about our little peanut. However after making that descision, how do you tell people?

The outlaws (M34tb4LL's parents) were the first to hear the news. We were at their house and his mother was showing him stuff on her digital camera and i was sitting their itching for him to say something to them. When his mum had finished with the camera she started to put back into her handbag and M34tb4LL asked her if he could look at the camera for a moment, he turned it on, held it up and said "by the way, we're pregnant" **click**

Capture the moment - nice.

The way we told the parentals (my parents) - we went there for dinner and the father of G was offering us a glass of champagne. I said in the most off handed kind of way "no thanks, it wouldn't be good for the baby"

Much jumping up and down and hugging then happened.

Decay, Droidy & Lumpy - at their house, outside having a smoke (i wasn't) i was tring to get M34tb4LL to tell them and he was saying that it was my turn, there was a bit of "you do it", "no you", "you", "Its your turn", then i said "fine, give me a cigarette then" and he said "NO", "why not?", "becasue your pregnant!". Decays first response "really?"

M34tb4LL's brother and sister in-law was done by asking the brother to open a web browser and type in the following - http://www.users.on.net/~smpap

Go on, try it!

Tallulah Belle was fun to tell (and kind of evil). M34tb4LL had a couple of pairs of ear plug handy, we invited her over and at the same time put the plugs in, then we sat on the couch and just grinned at her and let her figure it out.

Thank deity for the ear plugs, the screaming was increadible

The way we told Suzie was M34tb4LL printed on a sheet of A4 paper "Georgi's pregnant" (that's me by the way), then folded the paper into a heart shape and gave it to her. She unfolded it and her forst response was "I have to sit down".

Paulie was easy to tell, being a fellow blogspot user i just told him the url for this site and let him read it for himself.

Most people know now and very few people got us introducing the topic as "So, we have news..."

Mission accomplished.

(: Reggie_L

Sunday 4 June 2006

The big news!!!

So when ever a couple say "we have news" you know the next thing they are going to say can only be one of three things -

They are engaged
They are getting a pet cat
Or they are going to have a baby

Well, i'm not sure about the cat thing, but the other two are where the mind goes to (:

So my partner of 15 years and i have news! We are going to be parents!!! And those of you who know us, scary thought huh?

So we found out about a week and a half ago, i bought a magazine on a Wednesday night (as you do) and one of the stories on the front cover was "are women leaving it too late to start a family", you know the whole age debate thingy? I then thought to myself, hey wasn't that womenly thing that is supposed to happen every month supposed to have happed by now? (first scene of 'Carrie' Moss) So on my way home from see 'The Da Vinci Code' i stopped at the chemist and picked up a home pee test kit.

The movie was very good, i recommend it, but seeing as i have not read the book i can not make the comparison that seems to have lead many others to say it is not as good as they were expecting.

But i digress, woke up Thursday morning and captured some of my morning water release in a small plastic cup, then threaded a thin piece of plastic backed fabric like thing into a foam ring anf floated it in the pee. Then sat and watched the clock for the recommended 5 - 10 minutes.

After about 4 of those minutes i looked at the stick and indeed there were two little pink lines! one being the control the other being the POSITIVE line, all be it very very pale.

**grin**

Then i got ready for work, and tried to wake M34tb4LL (this being the other person responsible for my "condition"), can never tell if he is fully awake or not - he has a habit of opening his eyes and talking to you when he is still asleep. I did not tell him before i left the house as i wanted to get confirmation from my doctor seeing as the test i had done was so pale.

Got to work and rang the Doc, only appointment available was 1.30pm, no sooner, no later. The morning felt like it would not end, went forever! Told my boss that i had a doc appointment and might be coming back afterwards (if i was wrong i would come back to work, otherwise - had to tell the boy!)

When i got to the doc did another test and he looks at it and says, yup you are indeed pregnant. I looked at the test that he was holding and swear the positive line was not there, but he was sure he saw it. Sat talking to him for five minutes or so and as we chatted the line did become more noticable. Worked out that i was fives weeks to the day. Which for those of you who have no idea (like me a couple of weeks ago) that means that conception happened three weeks ago, but is considered five weeks at that point. Confused yet?

Drove straight to M34tb4LL's place of employment and walked in the front door. Told the first person who looked up at me that i was there to see to M34tb4LL and they buzzed him and told him i was there. They then had to confirm that i was not on the phone, but standing in the ooffice. He came out and i suggested that we go to lunch together. He wanted to show me around his work space first - his work have just relocated - for pity sake, lets get somewhere where i can tell the good news!

Got into my car and before i turned the key i blerted out "WE ARE HAVING A BABY!!!"

He looked at me, was very quiet, then said "OHHHH, KEWL" and that was pretty much he could say for the next couple of minutes!

It is now about a week and a half since, i'll continue with the story in a bit - and as it progresses. But for now, send our little peanut your good thoughts.

(: Reggie_L