I was told at a pretty young age that if I was ever to get pregnant that I would be considered high risk. This isn't news to me. I have been working as a labor and delivery nurse for the last 5 years so I have seen both ends of the spectrum but walking into this pregnancy I knew there would be changes and challenges but I thought that I was over all pretty healthy so I wasn't too worried. But sitting here today I can honestly say that I was very unprepared for how big these changes would be and how quickly they would happen.
Prior to pregnancy I had talked with my obstetrician about things to look out for, precautions to take, plans for when I was pregnant, so I had been doing all the "good patient" things like taking daily vitamins and folic acid just incase. I had also had an appointment with my endocrinologist shortly after I was married at which point he very bluntly told me that he didn't trust my current birth control methods (smart man) and took me off all of my medications that were considered unsafe in pregnancy.
Jump forward a few months and Charlie and I are preparing for our first mission trip as a married couple to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In my frantic and last minute planning I realized that I probably should pack some "personal hygiene products" (as my mom would say) just incase. As I was going though the cabinet I found a pregnancy test that I had gotten a few months earlier and figured I'd just take it to make myself feel better before leaving. Much to my surprise two lines showed up before I could even set it down on the counter! Talk about feeling unprepared, I didn't even have time to process this news before our flight left the next day, not to mention prepare for the things I might need while I was over there! I stocked up on vitamins, folic acid, test strips and extra synthroid medication just like I'd been told by my docs. Long story short after a very long and somewhat trying week working with orphans in one of the worst slums in the world we returned to the states. By this time I had told Charlie I was pregnant and had been feeling pretty sick for a few days, I was seriously dehydrated, exhausted and all around overwhelmed. At the pleading of the nurse we talked to in Haiti (after my feet swelled up to the size of grapefruits because of dehydration) the first thing we did when we got back was to call my OB.
Not surprising after giving them my symptoms (which had at this point included sever right lower quadrant pain and insane blood sugars) they wanted to see me right away that day for an ultrasound and exam. Charlie came home in the middle of the day to come to the appointment with me, as we both very quietly and nervously walked in to the US room we were blessed to see immediately on the screen a little tiny blob situated on the left side of my abdomen (the baby wasn't implanted in my right fallopian tube as I had been panicked for days that it was) and as she focused more clearly we saw a heart beat of 122 beats per minute. We were ecstatic, at not even 6 weeks pregnant (and only 4 weeks post conception) there was a chance we wouldn't have seen any of that! But there he was! (just an FYI we have been referring to him as a boy for unexplained reasons ever since the first time we saw him, we might be in for a rude awakening 8 weeks from now but thats okay!)
Our first view of the little guy at 5 weeks and 6 days.
(I hijacked this photo from the computer at work, if I'm suddenly unemployed this is why)
By the time we made it to my second appointment, at week 8, I had been sicker than I have ever been with a fever for 9 days, a cough that made it difficult to breath, one panicked trip to the ER, an emergency visit to a dentist. I was diagnosed that week with bronchitis, treated for influenza, and after I just started to get rid of the fever, a sinus infection. I had also been told by my Endo that they could not see me for two months even after I called them crying because my blood sugars with the illness had been so out of control that I had passed out while sitting up attempting to hold a conversation twice within the last week and then had other numbers running in the 3 to 4 hundreds with all the stress.
Our second photo of him at 8 weeks.
At the second appointment I brought my blood sugar log (amazing right!) that showed the last 3 weeks of my blood sugars listed hourly throughout the day and night! It was at this appointment that I was referred by my OB to see a High Risk Perinatologist, Dietitian, and diabetes educator. And let me tell you these people don't mess around! By early this week, now at week 10, I had had my 3rd ultrasound (baby is looking great, Charlie says he has his families health and resilience, and I am praying he's right!) I spent 4 hours at the perinatology clinic and I wasn't sitting out in the chairs I was going from one doctor to another.
I found out a lot of good stuff that afternoon, albeit overwhelming but good. The high risk docs want me in their office for growth studies (ultrasounds) every two weeks in addition to meeting with my OB. They talked to me about plans for later in pregnancy, my increased risk of developing pre-eclampsia, and the babies risk of having heart problems. They scheduled me for some sort of special ultrasound to check more closely the babies anatomy next week, and walk me through all the other type of diagnostic testing they wanted to do. I refused most of it to be honest, I told them they could take as much of my blood and as many ultrasounds as they wanted but I was not doing anything that involved taking anything from the baby (cord blood, amniotic fluid, part of the placenta??? are they crazy?) So although I refused a lot of the tests they wanted they are still having me meet with a pediatric cardiologist after they do an echocardiogram on the baby at week 20 due to high risk of heart problems. They also talked to me about delivering and whether it would be best to do it at my hospital, or their high risk unit. They told me that if all goes well that is a discussion I could have with my primary OB later on but if I for any reason need to be hospitalized for any complications before 34 weeks they want me at their hospital incase emergency delivery is necessary they have a Level 1 NICU (which my hospital doesn't).
Week 10, with a strong heart beat!
After all that, I went on to meet with the diabetes educator, who was amazing. She was able to print out literally a minute-by-minute account of my last 4 weeks through my pump, it was incredible (and kind of creepy!). She worked with me for 2 hours changing everything from basal and bolus rates, correction factors, carb counts, everything! She also explained to me that these changes were temporary. At the place I am in right now with the pregnancy my insulin requirements are dropping severely (hence all the crazy lows), but that will all change in about 5-6 weeks when they will start to climb as the placenta makes my bodies ability to utilize insulin go way down. By the middle of the second trimester my insulin needs will double, by the third trimester they will triple and within minutes of delivery I will literally be able to turn my pump off for a few days as my body adjusts to single life again (with the added burden of providing massive amounts of calories to my little one through breastfeeding). Oh the CRAZINESS!!! She also wants me to get a new pump, so that it will function well with the continuous glucose sensor she wants me to have for the remainder of the pregnancy! (I though checking my blood sugar every 1-2 hours was a lot, she's talking about every 5 minutes, 24 hours a day!) I smell an insurance battle brewing to say the least! Despite all of these changes I left the office feeling really good about suggestions made (and so far my blood sugars have significantly improved over just the last 5 days). Due to all the changes however, I need to go back to see her weekly until things get under good control with the sensor. I feel like I am going to need a personal secretary just to schedule and remind me of all my appointments!
Week 10 again. He's waving Hi!
(The sonographer told me like three times that he was cute, I agree with her!)
I'm assured though that this is just until things get settled, for most of the second trimester I can go back to seeing just one doctor every other week (if my doctors can decide which one of them should take that primary role). Then if things stay okay I will be set until the third trimester, when they will want to start twice weekly non-stress tests... I can't even go there right now!
Very long story short, things are changing fast, but as far as I can tell the little one is a fighter and so far doing great! Enjoy the pictures.
-Cait
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