In For a Scolding

I’m really going to have to stop mentioning minor symptoms to my OB, or we’re going to go broke from all the tests! I mention mild headaches and first she doesn’t say anything. Then I ask if there’s anything I should be concerned about, since I’m having mild headaches pretty much at least once a day. Then she orders a test to check for something. I don’t even know what… probably pre-eclampsia or something.

I had recently had a conversation via email with Kristin about the quad-screen results. She said her doc said they could do some checking on the quad-screen results to get an idea of the likelihood of a recurrence of HELLP Syndrome and/or pre-E. I’m not sure my doc got what I was talking about, but she did write a note for them to check on it when we get the level II ultrasound later this month. She wants me to take magnesium daily and to increase my salt intake. That seems counterintuitive to me as far as healthy diet goes (the salt part, I mean) and she didn’t say why, but she’s got the medical degree so I’ll try it.

I don’t think my OB thinks I’m taking the diabetes seriously. I mentioned to her that I’d had some readings that were a little bit high…like 10 points or so but that after a 2nd hour they’re pretty much always at or below 100, which is when they have you test in the US. She said she’s not an internist, but that she’s been told that the first hour is very important, too. Things went so well with Wee Laddie as far as the diabetes goes that I feel like I’m doing just fine if I adhere to the same guidelines as last time. And I probably should have explained something to my doctor: I’m kind of anal about some things, particularly if I’m “assigned” something to do. They told me that my 1-hour reading should be 140 or below, so although I play it off like, “Oh well, it’s only 152… that’s really close. And it’s the only time this week it’s been high,” it really does bug the shit out of me that it wasn’t where it should be. (I only got two B’s in college, so this is normal behavior for me.) So when I tell her that some readings were a bit high, I’m including the ones that were like 146… even though sometimes they’re like low 90s or even in the 80s after another hour. So it probably sounds much more alarming than it really is.

Aaaaanyway. We got another ultrasound and got to see Schatzi sucking his/her thumb. It was pretty cool… we could see the little jaw moving up & down and everything. And we again had the reassurance of seeing that heartbeat. :) The nose bone looked great to us… we’ll see what they say at St. Hedwig’s. The doc said the baby was still too small to tell gender. But everything looks good so far, healthwise.