Unremarkable (That's a Good Thing)
Monday, September 8, 2008 at 10:19PM Just realized I haven't said much about my pregnancy here
lately. That's largely due to the fact that a) I've remained incredibly
busy with preparations for my daughter's arrival, and b) this pregnancy, in terms
of medical issues, has been blissfully uncomplicated compared to my
last one.
Last time, I was entering my seventh month or so when I was transferred to the care of an OB and discovered my blood sugars and blood pressure had been out of control for God only knows how long before it was diagnosed. I can understand, then, why they handled me like a grenade with the pin missing in the remaining weeks between when I started on medications and when they delivered my son.
This time, being much better informed and being proactive about my medical care is evidently paying off. Learning things I could do to support healthy blood pressure has undoubtedly played a big part in my numbers being as great as they are -- a cool 110/80 at today's visit. I also made an absolute nuisance of myself until someone conceded to let me start taking insulin before I [inevitably] bombed a glucose tolerance test, and I have an enviable A1C (5.5%, for those of you who keep score) to show for it. So although my little kickboxer's skull, femur and ribcage measurements are all weeks ahead of the average baby, we can know beyond doubt that it's just because she's going to be an amazon woman like her mommy and not because of uncontrolled gestational diabetes.
My mind still hasn't fully been able to process the fact that I'm not high-risk this time -- as evidenced by the fact that I can't keep from asking my OB's staff whether they need another blood or pee sample from me. (They're always very understanding and gently remind me again that unless there's a problem, they don't need to do those at every visit.)
Yes, I do have greater challenges ahead. The belief among some hospitals' labor and delivery staff that a woman my size is too out of shape and/or lazy to push out a baby means that Mister Nygren and I may be the only people there who aren't secretly harboring the belief that I'm just a repeat cesarean waiting to happen. Moreover, even hospitals that do allow women to attempt a VBAC delivery must -- because of liability, among other things -- put any number of stipulations on her labor that can greatly reduce the chances of success she might have had otherwise.
But in the words of Scarlett O' Hara, "I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow." In the meantime, I shall enjoy the fertility-goddess figure that my protruding belly has given me and remind myself that this is the one instance where it's actually a very good thing for a woman to be called "unremarkable."
Reader Comments (3)
but most of all yay forthcoming baby, no matter how she's delivered!
Kristen: I'm allergic to cameras. They make me break out in profanity. My mom's asked [about a half dozen times now] to take me for a ubiquitous pregnant-lady photo session, though, and in exchange for all the times she didn't kill me in my sleep -- even though I'd given her both opportunity and more than adequate cause -- I think I owe her one. Still, don't expect to see them posted here.