The baby is doing well, Mommy, however is doing less well. Apparently the baby is taking a bigger toll on me than I thought. My blood pressure is a little bit high (I normally have LOW bp), my iron is low (I think my meat and potatoes ancestors are rolling over in their graves), and I’m scared to bits that I’ll end up with gestational diabetes. Mostly because there is diabetes in my family –my husband says its not fair to say there’s diabetes in his family because it’s Type II, whatever. So is it on my side, but I still report it anyway, diabetes is diabetes. Anyway, the point is that if you have gestational diabetes you have 50% more chance of getting it later in life. Wonderful. Yes, candy is my weakness. Occasionally I overindulge, but for the most part, I turn down dessert and I watch what I eat. About the iron issue: My vitamins have 100% of my daily value of iron in them, and the cereal I’ve been eating has 45%, plus I eat plenty of meat and such (less red meat lately), but I still have to take an iron tablet each day now 🙁 I’m not too happy about that. Especially since I can’t take it at the same time as my other vitamin or it will just flush out. And of course the one thing you can’t have it with is dairy products, which I do typically eat three times a day. Sometimes I also have ice cream later in the evening. So what’s a girl to do? Right now I take my multivitamin in the evening right before bed. So I guess I’m going to have my cereal with milk early AM, then wait a couple of hours and take the iron with OJ-as citrus seems to help it absorb apparently, then have lunch a couple of hours later. Then hopefully it wont have anything to block it from absorbing. Then I can continue to take my multivitamin in the evening. As for the diabetes, the tolerance test or screening or whatever, if I don’t hear anything today then I’m home free. If they call, I’m screwed. Fabulous. I wish they’d call either way, but that’s not the way it works. Talk about praying for the phone NOT to ring, no really, please pray for the phone not to ring…
Oh the baby’s ‘shelter’ is 28 cm (I’m at 27.5 wks, so perfect), heart rate is 154, and WE together have only gained 3 3/4 pounds this month. YEAH!!!!!! We kept it within the limits this time. Very exciting. So my ‘net’ gain is still only 5 3/4 lbs. Happy Dance!
and of course now i realize i need to find out WHAT in the citrus helps it absorb and what in the dairy helps it not absorb because if its calcium, that wont work as my OJ is fortified with calcium. jeez.
…my BP was high during my PG – towards the end they had me going for weekly stress tests just to be sure the Munchkin and I were both doing OK – it dropped after birth, then climbed back up again, but I have a history of high BP in my family. He was fine, I am fine – it all worked out.
What about spinach and other iron rich things like that? Do you like those? Those can help, too.
Fingers crossed for no phone call –
It is normal for you to get a little out of wack. Slow FE over the counter worked for me when regular iron pills would not. Chicken livers and lots of green leafy veggies are good to bring up your iron.
Don’t worry, you will be fine.
Sending prayers your way!
BP is a concern during pregnancy, but it’s also a normal part of many pregnancies. Mine was very high with baby #1, but with baby #2 my body had figured out what to do and there was no problem.
The gestational diabetes affects about 4% of pregnant women, so your odds are good. Even if you are one of that 4%, if you follow the treatment plan from your doctor, you and your baby will probably do just fine.
Take comfort in the fact that most babies are born just fine, and most moms are fine, too. I won’t tell you not to worry, but I will tell you to try to minimize the intensity of your worries. You’ll feel better, and so will the little one.
((Hugs))
When I was in the hospital on bed rest, as well as after Michael was born, I had to take iron because my levels were really low. They did not tell me NOT to take it with diary, so I was surprised to read that. However, the first time I took the iron pill it was on an empty stomach and it made me really sick. So look carefully at the directions and maybe don’t take it without any food! Good luck.