Gestational Diabetes: Do the Fingersticks Have to Hurt?
My health care has been really great with my pregnancy...the exception being when I got gestational diabetes about a month ago, I wasn't taught how to do the blood glucose testing. (Well, I was, but by someone who'd never done it before, let alone taught someone how to do it, which honestly I'm seeing now was way worse than not being shown at all.)
I use this little device called the OneTouch Delica to prick my finger...and figuring it out on my own, I had to turn the dial to the highest setting (the higher the setting, the deeper the needle stick) to make it work and still I was having to poke myself multiple times for each reading and every time it HURT.
My mom had found an article for me when this whole diabetes thing first started that said testing was virtually pain free these days, and so I was left wondering, why did it hurt me so much? Was I that much of a wimp?
Well, kind of by accident, I've figured out over the past couple days that if I place the top on the device a certain way and put the device hard against my fingertip I can 1) not only get blood every time, but 2) I have also been able to dial back the needle depth from 7 (highest setting) to 1 (lowest). AND it doesn't hurt really AT ALL anymore. I am soooooo happy about this. Just wish it hadn't taken me a month of pain 4 times a day to figure this out.
So my advice to anyone who wants/needs it: Get trained. And if it hurts to do your blood sugars, you're doing something wrong. I felt like I just had to grin and bear it, but I'm seeing now that if it's done right it really doesn't have to hurt.
XOXO
Pregnancy: Week 28
Hi Everyone! Happy Monday!
So, 29 weeks today...yay! Here's how the last week has been:
- Lots and lots of movement from the babies, which is by far the coolest part of being pregnant
- The whole gestational diabetes thing is still going OK. Eating VERY carefully and my blood sugars pretty much always test in range. I did lose a pound this week, instead of gaining a pound like I'm supposed to. I'm also getting really bored with food. Dinners are OK because we cook a variety of things, but breakfast and lunch and snacks are becoming pretty monotonous. I'm also finding it hard to get in three snacks a day (two's not a problem)...must be better about that
- We had our all-day birthing class at the hospital on Saturday, which went really well. Lots and lots of good information. Still not all that scared about labor & delivery...it all still seems so abstract and far away...
- The usual insomnia (not every night, but bad when it happens), back ache, joints aching, still some nausea although nothing like it was before
- I took a bath for the first time since I got pregnant! I love REALLY hot baths, and those are not allowed, so I've been kind of pouty about it and not had any baths at all. But this weekend I ran a 100-degree bath and it was pretty nice. Not as good as scalding hot, but definitely better than nothing. I also ***horror of horrors*** had a decaf espresso on Saturday (I've been really weird about caffeine of any kind during my pregnancy, and decaf has a little). It was super yummy and the world did not end because I drank it :)
- Getting big, big, big, and slowing down a lot (which I talked about here last week). Really tired a lot of the time. Spent yesterday on self-imposed bed rest trying to get some energy back and, ladies who have had to do that (or are doing it now), I'm so impressed because it is HARD. After one day of reading and watching TV and knitting and not much else, never getting out of my pajamas, I was pretty stir crazy. But we all do what we have to do, right? I'm sure if I had to do bed rest for real I could do it
Hope everyone has a lovely week!
XOXO
Pregnancy: Week 26
Hi Everyone! Happy Monday!
I'm 27 weeks pregnant today...the last week of the second trimester...yay! And I don't have a picture for you today because honestly, I haven't been able to make it out of my PJs. But I had some maternity photos taken last week that I'll share tomorrow to make up for it! :)
Here's how the past week has been:
- Gestational diabetes has been the big news (you can read about it here and here and here). I'm doing pretty OK with it, fingersticks and all. My blood glucose levels have all been within the normal range, except for last night after Thai food. Probably no more Thai food for me for a while, which is OK because the Thai food in this town sucks
- Felt a lot of stretching this week, and now I feel like there is baby everywhere, way up high in my abdomen (like right up under my breasts), my sides feel like they are growing out, way down low. My belly button's still in and no stretch marks yet...
- Sleep has been OK most nights, horrible a couple nights. I'm wondering if my blood glucose levels have something to do with it, because last night was a bad night and the only time since I started testing that my levels have been elevated. Or maybe it's just a coincidence, I don't know
- Getting harder to breath. A lot more heartburn. A little nausea still, but not too bad. My back's OK generally, sometimes it hurts though
- Lots of movement from the babies
- Did lots of little baby prep things this past week. Had our hospital tour/paperwork appointment so we're all ready to go with labor and delivery. Dealt with the whole diabetes thing. Had maternity photos taken. Started on the quilts my mom and I are making for the babies, and I started on the sweaters I want to have as part of the babies' going-home outfits. Got and framed a few pictures for the babies' room. Made a list of what we have left to do (I want to be totally done by the end of February). Just doing a little each week we'll get it all done
- I've been a little fearful this week, I think a combination of the fall I took last week and the whole gestational diabetes thing. While the diabetes is not in and of itself something to be overly concerned about, I guess it's just kind of reminded me that things can and do go wrong...even thought I've been feeling a lot of movement and have been growing, I've still been feeling a little bit afraid that something--who knows what--is wrong with one or both of the babies. I'm also worried about pre-term labor...every little twinge I wonder if it's something I should call my doctor about...I haven't called about anything yet, but I don't want to look back and say, I wish I'd taken that thing seriously. Ugh...I'm really hoping these bouts of fear go away once the babies are born...and I think they will...it's just so hard for me to trust that things going bad during a pregnancy is the exception, not the norm. Stupid infertility and IVF and chemical pregnancies and miscarriage...it makes me sad I'm not just a blissed out pregnant woman, oblivious to anything that could go wrong. I do have an OB appointment on Friday...will feel better once I get to see the babies and hear that they're doing OK...
Hope everyone has a lovely week!
XO
Gestational Diabetes--Good Things That Have Come Out of This Situation
1. My parents have been so sweet and supportive...love that
2. And my husband, God, he is the best. Telling me over and over that it's OK that this happened, and we'll tackle it together, everything is going to be fine, even offering to change his diet too if that will help me. And doing the fingersticks for me when I'm too scared to do them myself--that's been huge. He's so great...
3. I was eating carefully before this, but this is making me be even MORE careful and MORE aware, so the twins will be getting even better nutrition now through the end of my pregnancy
4. And, miracle of miracles...I have actually done fingersticks on myself!!!! I really did not think this was possible, I am so afraid of needles...but I was laying awake for a couple hours early this morning just dreading my fasting blood glucose that needed to be drawn and then by 5 AM was nauseous and really needed to eat something...and my husband said I could wake him but that just felt silly so I went downstairs, got everythig ready, held my breath and did it. (Did it twice, actually, because the first time I didn't have the needle dialed all the way up and apparently the lower [less painful] settings are just not going to work on me.) A small victory, I know, but I am so proud of myself! I did my post-breakfast one, too (again 2 sticks to get enough blood...hopefully it'll get easier), so I know I can do it again.
Hope everyone has a lovely weekend. Thanks so much for spending some time here this week!
XOXO
Gestational Diabetes Treatment Consult (or, Needle-phobic Me Being Taught to Use Needles By Someone Who's Never Done it Before)
Hi Everyone!
So I had my treatment consult for gestational diabetes this morning. It went pretty well. Here are the highlights:
They're hoping to manage this with just diet.
They said I'm already eating pretty well...what I need to change is to not eat certain foods before noon (fruit, yogurt, milk, cereal, juice), and to keep careful track of/carefully control carbohydrate intake. This seems a lot more manageable than trying to keep track of everything I eat, so happy about that. Also I need to eat smaller amounts a lot more frequently (6 small meals/day).
And then came the dreaded glusoce monitoring. I'm going to have to do it 4 times/day. Ugh. This part was kind of funny since usually a diabetes nurse teaches people how to do this, but the nurse was out today so the dietician said she'd try to help me learn, even though she'd never done it before. Are you serious? I am NOT the person for this to happen to, as I am TERRIFIED of needles.
So she (the dietitian) opens up a new meter and we spread out the instructions, wash our hands, and we decided she was going to do a fingerstick on me before I tried on myself. But she kept trying and trying (me virtually in tears...I am such a baby) and couldn't get any blood until she dialed up the needle to the deepest setting and then there STILL wasn't enough blood, and it HURT.
So then we decided I'd try on a different finger and try to do it myself...the needle is hidden, all you have to do is press a button and it sticks your finger...but I could not make myself do it.
So then we talked about alternatives, like is there any way I could numb my fingers so I wasn't so afraid of the pain? And then we started looking at the instructions again and it said you could also test on your forearm or palm, which I felt like I could do...there's something about my fingertips that psychologically I just wasn't doing well with.
So we ran my arm under hot water (the instructions said heat could help) and I pressed the button for the needle...yay! But there was barely any blood. So we dialed it up to the highest setting, and again, barely any blood. So then to my palm on the highest setting (deepest needle penetration) and this time yay! Enough blood to test!
But geeze, this should not have been this difficult. The good news is the dietitian was really nice and patient with me...I mean really, the drama...I'm sure 6-year-olds are more cool, calm and collected about this than I was.
So I feel pretty good about being able to test on my palm or forearm. Fingertip...no way. But any of you out there reading this knowing that you are going to have to do this...if I can do it, anyone can.
So that's the scoop. All in all, not too bad. I'm glad I didn't get myself too worked up about this.
I have an appointment next week with the actual diabetes nurse, to make sure I'm doing everything right...
Hope you all are having a great Thursday!
XOXO
10 PM and grrrrr...this blood glucose monitoring thing is NOT working very well. I tried testing after lunch and had to stick myself 5 times to get enough blood and have the meter up and running at the same time. My husband finally came in and coordinated and squoze my palm hard enough to get the drop of blood I needed.
And tonight after dinner, no way was there blood coming out of my palm (3 sticks, all with blood but not enough) so my husband did a fingerstick on me and that hurts, I don't care what anyone says. The fingerstick worked, though. But I'm not going to have my husband with me all the time to do this...I've got to figure out how to do it on my own.
Plus, the instruction booklet I was given does not seem to match the blood glucose meter I have. So frustrating. I'm sure I'll figure it out, but this is not getting off to a good start...
Gestational Diabetes--And Details About the 1-Hour and 3-Hour Glucose Tolerance Tests
Gestational diabetes--yep, I have it.
Feeling pretty sad about it because everything's been going so well with this pregnancy. But I guess in the whole scheme of things this is a pretty easy complication to manage. However, I've already been eating pretty well (although I could do a little better) and exercising (although I could do a little more). Also, so ridiculously scared of fingersticks, but maybe I won't have to do them. I'm the girl who did 4 IVFs and an FET WITHOUT ONCE giving herself an injection...that's how scared of needles I am. No way that's going to hold up if I'm checking my blood sugar multiple times a day.
I have a consult with the diabetes specialist Thursday AM...will report back.
In the meantime, here's a rundown of the glucose tolerance tests for anyone who's interested:
1-Hour Glucose Tolerance Test
No big deal at all. Didn't eat breakfast and went in, drank a lemon/lime soda flavored drink with 50 grams glucose that wasn't that terrible, sat in the waiting room and got some work done on my laptop, then had a blood draw an hour later.
3-Hour Glucose Tolerance Test
A different story. Had to fast 12 hours, get a baseline blood draw, and then drink this fruit punch concoction with 100 grams glucose. The first couple sips weren't bad but after that it was NASTY. Really, really hard to finish.
Hour 1: In the waiting room, trying to work and then surfing the internet but as time wore on began to feel shaky and sweaty and like I was about to puke. And by the end of the first hour zero ability to concentrate on anything. Made it to the 1-hour blood draw and asked if there was somewhere I could lay down, I was feeling that bad.
Hour 2: They installed me in one of the lounge chairs in the blood donation center, covered me with a blanket, gave me a bag to puke into if I needed and were generally so kind to me (blood donation was slow that morning, there were half a dozen nurses who asked over and over if I needed anything.) I started crying I don't know why, was just feeling so terrible and wishing there was someone there with me. Closed my eyes and rested and tried to relax, started feeling better towards the end of the second hour.
Hour 3: Felt better but still not great. Stayed in the recliner chair and just rested...that helped.
After: At the end, had a snack and went home, ate lunch and felt fine for a few hours, then felt kind of sluggish/exhausted for the rest of the day.
My advice to anyone doing the 3-hour test is not to expect too much of yourself the day of...I thought I could work during the test but couldn't, and didn't really get much done the rest of the day, either.
As far as the diabetes, I keep telling myself all this is only temporary...this will go away once I can eat and work out the way I want and normally do (and don't have a zillion pregnancy hormones and 2 babies inside my body).
It could be worse. It could be worse. It could be worse. Still, I could use some words of encouragement...
XOXO