Monday, August 13, 2012

Be still my beating heart


Twenty-nine weeks, two days here and all is well.

We had a fetal echocardiogram today, and everything checked out normally. I guess the gestational diabetes can cause a thickening of the heart wall (ugh), but Magpie doesn't appear to have that at this point, which is great. I'd had some lingering fears too because of my high vitamin E intake in the first trimester and its association with congenital cardiac defects...but again...no evidence of anything wrong. Yay!

Nice to get her checked though in any case, since there is no risk to checking. I wish she knew we were peeking in. Hi Magpie!

There are a few minor things that the pediatric cardiologists can't check yet because they should change after birth, but we will only worry about these if a pediatrician tells us something is concerning in the future. And these unlikely issues all sound like they are problems that are eminently fixable, which are the kind of problems we like to have if we're going to have any.

Fetal echo with doppler showing chambers, valves, and blood flow.

In other news, there is no news. I am feeling well overall and am being told now by the general public that I am "looking good" and "carrying well." (What does that mean?). Trying my darndest to control my blood sugars, mostly successfully, with a few hair-raising surprises (so far, for example, I have learned that Ethiopian food, with its bready injera is fine, but a couple of small tortillas with shrimp fajitas sends me over the glycemic edge. A huge chipotle vegetarian burrito is fine but a small Amy's bean and cheese burrito on a bed of salad is not....it's a bit befuddling.)  I saw a nutritionist last week who was fairly useless, so am on the lookout for another one. I promise to update if I learn anything worth sharing. 

Mo

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22 comments:

  1. Very glad the echo went well. I didn't even know that fact about the heart wall thickening from GD -- good grief -- and I'm glad I didn't at the time! We had our echo because of a 2-vessel cord.

    I loved the nutritionist I saw for my GD, and even saw her later on for general weight-loss guidance. Another friend with GD saw her and liked her a lot as well. She is on the Upper East Side. If you email me at peesticksandstones at gmail dot com, I can give her her info.

    Stay well!

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  3. Yay!!! You're sooo having a healthy baby! :)

    Yum, Ethiopian food!

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  4. I am cheering you on over here. It is amazing you are at 29w!!!

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  5. Wow, 29 weeks and NO news IS GOOD news!

    Congrats on having another successful scan to reinforce that all is well.

    And, I've now been pregnant twice and would not know what "carrying well" would mean or what its converse is.

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  6. 3/4 of the way in a few days! This is great news. I'm glad your wee girl's heart looks fantastic (it does - thanks for the picture).
    Sounds like you are working your way through the GD management very well.

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  7. Congrats on 29 weeks!
    I have found nutritionists on the whole to be not so helpful if you already understand about healthy eating. With GDM it is a very individual thing as to what can cause spikes. It is also (for me at least) very dependent on my health and sleep. I will get much higher readings if I am unwell (eg have a cold) or haven't had a good night. Things that didn't affect me in my previous pregnancy now make my levels high with no reason that I can fathom - and these are things on the "safe list". It is just trial and error - good luck!

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  8. So glad that things are going well and that you and Ms. Magpie are humming right along. I know that I keep asking, but I'll keep asking 'til you tell me to stop (and then I'll stop promptly, promise!)- can we get another bump update picture? Then I can have an educated opinion on carrying well (ok, not really). Your updates make me smile-- you sound so good overall, which is wonderful.

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  9. Sounds like everything is going great!

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  10. Love your blog some very nice stuff

    Come and check out mine – I am rather new but I am sure one might find some interesting reads there

    http://absinthemindedkid.wordpress.com/

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  11. So glad everything's looking good! Yay for Miss Magpie!

    We have an excellent Ethiopian restaurant on Court Street, if it's working out for you--called Awash. Everyone was super-nice, there were fantastically spicy dishes as well as mild ones, and (though you're probably not indulging) some lovely honey wine.

    Mmmm. Now I'm hungry for Brooklyn food...

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  12. Glad the echo went well. I am veteran of GD too, with my youngest. It was always surprising to me the random things that could set my sugars rocketing. Most (almost all really) were normal, but certain things that I learned to avoid would send it sky rocketing. I remember on a road trip we had to stop at rest stop off the Ohio turnpike and I chose Panera thinking it better than McDonalds, and got soup and half sandwich, and whatever was in the chicken salad sent my blood sugar over 200, I was freaked out LOL. My OB said later that made him realize that I was being honest with my numbers because that was so random. I actually feel like I learned to eat better from the experience. I could never get my fasting under 100, so took a tiny amount of glyburide at night and that took care of it.

    So happy for you!

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  13. so glad everything is going so well for you!

    i have to say, the title for your post is mildly offensive. i know it is just a phrase, but you MUST know that many women who read your blog, vets of IF, vets of pregnancy loss, may be sensitive to a stilling heartbeat. yes?

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  14. The "general public" always seems to have lots of comments on everything, don't they? ;) So glad it went well!

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  15. mo, lisa young is an RD/Phd at NYU. she's helped me with weight, my mom with IBS. she is fantastic, sane, and totally understands that sometimes you need a french fry.

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  16. Hey Mo, Will, and wee Magpie! Glad to hear everything is continuing along in such a happy and healthful way! I await your updates with anticipation of good news, and am so happy when I hear it. What a dream, I am sure! Good luck with the next weeks of food monitoring... with hopes you find the support you are looking for.
    Brid
    xo

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  17. No news is good news in my books!! And wow! 29 weeks already?!

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  18. I'm just catching up and seeing that you are now this far along thrills me! Hugs to you mamma...you're getting closer !

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  19. I'm just catching up and seeing that you are now this far along thrills me! Hugs to you mamma...you're getting closer !

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  20. I'm just catching up and seeing that you are now this far along thrills me! Hugs to you mamma...you're getting closer !

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  21. I'm just catching up and seeing that you are now this far along thrills me! Hugs to you mamma...you're getting closer !

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  22. Congrats on 30 weeks!! How's the belly bump? Have you guys started baby-arrival prep yet?

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