What a journey this pregnancy has been! I’ve had lots of ups and downs, but no matter what, it has been worth it! I’m currently 36 weeks, and while it seems I’ve had more bad news than good in these last few weeks (see third trimester), I’ve somehow managed to stay positive! I still have a healthy baby and that’s all that matters – the rest I can handle!
Here’s what’s been going on over the months.
FIRST TRIMESTER
The first trimester was smooth sailing for me! I couldn’t have been more lucky here. I thankfully never got morning sickness! The extent of my symptoms were a few food aversions (mostly to smells), the typical first trimester fatigue, and nausea in the evening if I went too long in between meals. I fell asleep on the couch at 8pm on the dot every night, haha. Other than that, I must say I felt pretty good! I mostly spent this time learning all the things and the changes to come and really just took it all in.
One thing that completely caught me off guard was the round ligament pain though. This seemed to set in within the first few weeks before I even had a bump! Since this is my first and while I don’t have another pregnancy to compare it to, I thought it was odd! I could feel my lower muscles stretching and pulling from the very beginning. Our trip to St. Croix was a struggle on the bumpy roads in the Jeep, but I managed! If there’s one thing to complain about in the first trimester, it’s this! Regardless, I know I could’ve had a much worse experience, so I didn’t let it get me down!
I had my first ultrasound at 6 weeks and 6 days and will never forget the moment I saw my baby on the screen and got to hear her little heartbeat! This was the highlight of my first trimester!
SECOND TRIMESTER
The second trimester was also pretty easy on me. My food aversions, fatigue, and nausea when hungry between meals drastically eased up by the second trimester. The round ligament pain remained, but just became a part of my new normal.
We had our gender reveal party at 16 weeks and finally found out what we were having!! The anticipation and excitement leading up to this day felt like FOREVER!!
Chris and I managed to get in a beach trip at 20 weeks and we also got to experience the anatomy scan together. Due to COVID, this was the first appointment Chris was able to attend with me, so it was extra special! Baby didn’t quite cooperate when it was time for her heart scans, so we went back at 24 weeks for a follow up scan. All was good and it was nice to get to see her an extra time!
THIRD TRIMESTER
We kicked off the third trimester with another trip to the beach just the two of us! I was 28 weeks to be exact and the May heat was already pretty brutal! I knew then that it would likely be our last trip before the baby came, as I was really starting to feel pregnant and on the struggle bus at that point!
I took the much anticipated glucose test at 29 weeks and ended up failing! I shared the news with y’all on Instagram and many of you reassured me that it was pretty common to fail the 1 hour but still pass the 3 hour test. I remained hopeful!
I went back in the following week to do my 3 hour test and it turned out I failed again. I was officially diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 30 weeks, one day before my baby shower.
The news was quite devastating to be completely honest. I felt so overwhelmed trying to take it all in and I didn’t know where to start. I got my results on a Friday, after my doctor’s office had already closed for the weekend, so Chris and I were left to figure everything out on our own. We spent hours doing research and trying to learn as much as we could about gestational diabetes. The good news is, I’ve been able to remain completely diet controlled and have avoided all medications. GD is a serious struggle in the sense that you can do everything right diet wise and still have uncontrolled sugar levels. What works for you one day might not work the next. I’m incredibly thankful to remain diet controlled and that I was able to figure out a plan that worked for me rather quickly. I’m on a super strict diet and eating schedule, and I have to prick my finger a minimum of 4 times a day. While it’s not ideal, I like to remind myself that a healthy baby in the end is all that matters and I’ll do whatever it takes to get us there.
Fast forward to 34 weeks and that’s when things really went downhill even more. I’m scared, but we’ll be ok.
I got the call Friday morning right as I made 34 weeks that I had elevated levels of protein in my urine. My doctor wanted me to head to labor and delivery at the hospital asap for monitoring. He had ordered a 24 hour urine sample a few days prior since I had concerns about my blood pressure rising, and sure enough, pre-eclampsia was to be expected. This completely caught me off guard and I didn’t know what to expect. I called Chris and he came straight home from work. We packed our bags just incase since we had no idea what would happen, and then off to the hospital we went. After being monitored on the NST, they decided to keep me overnight for further monitoring. Thankfully my blood pressure, while elevated and not ideal, never hit a critical danger zone during the stay and baby checked out ok. We were able to leave the next day.
I was put on bed rest following my hospital stay with an official diagnosis of preeclampsia, so here we are! I’m being monitored closely twice a week.
I’m currently 36 weeks and 5 days. Due to the high risk, I will be getting induced at 37 weeks, so baby girl will be making her appearance 3 weeks early. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t super nervous about this, but I’m trying my best to stay calm and positive! I just want a healthy baby, and at this point, this is what is medically necessary for the safety of us both. We’ve had a few scares lately with my blood pressure getting much higher than we’d like, so here’s to praying for a smooth induction and a healthy baby. We’re so close!
Leave a Reply