Water, It's Not Just for Fatties

I was thinking of calling this post 'Survivial of the Fattest' but I think I may save that title for later. :)  I arrived home yesterday after a week away from my husband and 2 year old.  The longest I've been away from Jake ever!  My dad is now happily married to a lovely woman in Calgary, Canada and now that I'm out of their hair they can enjoy the beginning of the honeymoon. :) 

I ended up surviving the multitude of flights to and from Calgary for the wedding, at 20 weeks pregnant.  Starting the diabetic diet at conception or before has actually helped me maintain my weight or lose a healthy amount (for a fat pregnant lady, I do NOT recommend losing weight pregnant unless you are severely obese and have your doctor's blessing). 

So I took my baby aspirins, donned my anti-embolism compression socks and hopped aboard.  Thank God for small blessings, the pharmacy didn't have the full-leg style socks, and the doctor gave permission for me to wear just the knee-length ones.  I wore the full-leg ones when pregnant with Jake and found them very uncomfortable for a 7 hour flight.  And this time, on my way over, I had a 7 hour flight, followed by a 2 1/2 and then a 3 1/2 hour.  So, yea, little miracle there to only have the knee-highs.  Thank you pharmacy!

Travelling fat and pregnant can be pretty difficult.  I ended up twice with non-aisle seats.  Once a very nice gentleman was willing to swap with me with the promise that I would let HIM out to pee if he needed to (he didn't. I on the other hand went about 4 times on the 7 hour flight).  The second time the lovely flight attendant at the gate found me an aisle seat about 5 minutes prior to boarding.  Ladies, if you are in this situation, make SURE you get an aisle seat and do NOT be afraid to play the pregnancy card.  AND, point out that you WILL have to use the toilet frequently.  I think that helped more than anything else.

That being said, the reason I had to pee so much was because of the amount of water I drank.  I brought with me a 1.5 litre water bottle I filled at every possible opportunity.  And I kept drinking.  I honestly think that helped keep me from disintegrating into a pile of dry ash on the floor of the planes.  I've never drank more than on these flights, and I highly recommend to all fliers to do so.  Water isn't just for fatties! 

And on another bright side, my father (gotta love the man), braved the Motherhood in our hometown to bring me my pregnancy underwear!  Let the Knicker Wars begin!

Solidarity, My GD Sisters

Today was a day to dread.... the glucose tolerance test.  Now, because I had gestational diabetes (GD) during my first pregnancy, I was 'lucky' enough to get to forgo the evil tasting glucose drink (Lucozade for the Irish) and get my bloods taken every hour for 3 hours.  Hurray!  I got to go straight to what I've named the 'Tea and Toast Test.'  The TaTT consists of fasting for at least 8 hours, getting your blood drawn and getting a green voucher for "breakfast" (toast with butter and tea or coffee). You go eat your toast, drink you tea and come back in an hour. 

I found it kind of weird walking into the hospitals canteen for my TaT, surrounded by other women with that same green voucher.  It was like a ticket to the TaTT sisterhood...all these women who knew exactly what I was going through.  All these women had either failed their Lucozade test or had had GD in a previous pregancy.  We were all wondering, 'will I have to start insulin tomorrow?' and 'Have I failed that badly at trying to eat healthy?'  We all saw in a solidarity silence and munched our toast, drank our tea, and read our respective choice reading material. 

It's funny how we all kept to ourselves though.  I really wanted to sit down next to one of them and strike up a conversation.  But that probably would have gotten me weird looks... I suppose something I used to, really. 

Now, the waiting room for the Diabetic Clinic is a bit different.  You're jammed into this smallish area awaiting your charts, your pee-cup and your chance to hear the good or bad news.  I've found success in having some pleasant chats with mum's to be in similar situations, which has been really nice.  To find someone to bitch about maltitol and insulin about; someone who gets your story.  But still, you do feel like cattle waiting for the slaughter. 

But today, my success; my light at the end of the 5 and a half hour tunnel.  My temporary reprieve.  My results.  While my body currently doesn't want to process glucose at night properly, it's doing it during the day after eating.  The endocrinologist says this is common in GD women (which I'm probably considered as I've had it before) but that since my body is processing the glucose after meals, I won't need insulin... yet.  And then I may only need it for a while just at bed time!  To some the idea of having to stick oneself ONCE with a needle is just horrendeous, to me it is marvelous!  I have 3 weeks of reprieve from insulin!  Three more weeks I won't need to stick my fingers 7 times a day!  I'll take it!  So if Dr. Endo tells me in three weeks that I need insulin at night... that's it? JUST at night?  You mean I won't have to give myself two different types of insulin four times a day yet?!? Yippie! 

I'm sure as the pregnancy progresses I'll need more, but I'm taking my small victories as exactly what they are...victories. 

Knicker Wars

I have decided to continue my cntrats and comparisons into my second pregnany.  Last time, nursing bras were put to the test.  This time around?  Underwear! 

The question for the pregnant larger lady is what underwear to don while heavily pregnant.  Will I be able to tolerate my granny panties rolling down under bump?  Will I be able to find a COMFORTABLE pair of pregnancy knickers in my size?  Or should I just buy underwear a few sizes larger and deal?

My goal is to help answer this question for my larger readers (and for those curious).  Keep an eye out here because Knicker Wars will begin soon!

Let the search begin!

I saw my doctor today who confirmed my pregnancy! She's saying I'm about 8 weeks pregnant and my due date is around January 21, 2012.  So, I'll probably be a little off of my goal of a baby girl by the end of the year... but I'll take a new baby in the new year! Of course, now comes the search for plus sized maternity knickers.  The ones at Motherhood were good but not great. But they're about all that's out there unfortunately.  I think I may have a "Battle of the Maternity Panties" this time around.  Any manufacturers out there...feel free to send me free samples! :)  Oh wait, there's NOT anything out there.  If I had the capital, I could make a KILLING in super plus size maternity underwear, bump supports and bras.  And probably pants too.  I have to admit I wasn't enamoured with my pregnancy pants last go around.  I found the seam between the elastic and the pant fabric dug under my belly...not so pleasant when you're skin is so hormone-induced sensitive!  Maybe I'll just live in leggings this winter. :)

Pitter Patter

Apparently my grandmother has been reading my blog.  Because of this, I think she has some incorrect information, which has encouraged me to finally write a new, though quick post.  Yes, grandma, I AM pregnant!  My best guess is about 6 weeks, which means I'll be due at the end of January.  I haven't seen the doctor yet, so I haven't gone public with the news.  But seeing as how dad told grandma who then said I wasn't (based on my LAST post), I thought I should set the record straight here.  I'll post the story soon!

Not the Next Best Thing

Well, after 15 days of waiting, wondering and peeing on sticks, we finally have an answer.  I am NOT pregnant.  I FINALLY got my period yesterday morning.  Why it took 15 days to arrive when it's usually pretty consistent, who's to say?  But at least now I know.... and now I can take proper drugs for my sickness, which came on Wednesday afternoon.  I went home early and just went to bed, pretty much for 2 1/2 days.  But Thursday night, Friday morning I was having lower back pains/belly cramps and wondered if it was finally coming...and it did. 
So no little baby for Jacob.... yet.  But at least I've started on my pregnancy vitamins, which I'll continue, and this'll give me a chance to actually go and get the rubella vaccination, which my blood results have been saying I need.  So I suppose this was a little wake up call for mama Jen to get her butt in gear so Grundie baba2 can finally come into the world. 
I'm finally rounding the bend and my fever is almost gone. I think we'll take Jake to Spraoi where he can run around and play and frolick while I drink a cup of tea.... with caffine.  :) 

HCG and Fat Pregnancy

So the question arises to me, does it take more HCG (the pregnancy hormone) coursing through a fat person's body to trigger a positive pregnancy result on a home test?  When I was pregnant with Jacob, it took 11 days after my missed period to get that freakin' plus sign.  And now I'm at 12 days and counting and still no plus sign.  It's pretty frustrating, especially since your skinny (who thinks she's fat but is NOWHERE near fat) friend finds out DAYS before missing her period that she's up the duff.  I did a search online but noone seems to have an answer.  The only thing I could find was people asking the same question, and a few people saying, 'no, it shouldn't make a difference.'  But I think it does.  And I'm curious who I could ask to find out.  Because if the answer REALLY is no, then what's wrong with ME?  So at the moment, for those of you out there crossing your fingers for me, it's a big "I dunno."  I won't say I'm not until I've started bleeding (crass, I know, but that's just me) and I won't say I am until I get a positive pee stick.  Do the limbo!!