We are Kept on edge
We were meant to have a scan at 33 weeks on the 3rd of October however, we had a emergency scan today due to some worries about the baaby size and confusion over the the gestational week.
So we have been in a few time with reduced movements and with pains, such as false contractions. Which Ben is still having, he gets lots of pressure pains and pushing tingling feelings in his groin area. We were told that these were just painful and strong braxton hicks. His sickness has come back while fortunately the dizziness has dyed down meaning the iron is working. He also had a scare that his waters were leaking on Sunday because he was getting wetness. Luckily a test showed that it was not his waters so more then likely just watery discharge. This test is clever as they take a swab then after a few minutes some lines appear, if their is two it is amniotic fluid if just one then it is all fine. A bit like a positive and negative pregnancy tests. Knowing it was not his waters we started to relax and could go home, but it did noot last long.
Ben has been feeling kicks and movements a lot more as rainbow has got bigger. He feels more somersault movements with elbows or knees sticking out then small quick kicks. Then two days since our last trip to hospital, we were back up to get checked out. He had only felt the baby move once on Tuesday at 10 am by the time I got home at 6, pm, he still had not felt anything. After doing what professionals recommend, for example drinking ice cold water, laying on his left side to concentrated on the baby. There was no movements, making him worry. I was worried too consequently we rang maternity, who told to come in. We were put on the monitor which showed rainbow wiggling around. Well we could hear the baby moving as well as their heart rate rising and falling as it should. When rainbow got more active it went up. Despite this Ben only felt one kick, because of these reduced movement wee were worried. Whilst the midwife in triage was not worried about babies movements but more the baby's size. She saw on our previous scan that the baby was a bit big then by seeing how large Ben's bump was and by feeling to see if he had a lot of water or how big the baby may be she thought we were at least a week ahead. This made her book us an emergency scan for the next morning.
After a worried night we went upstairs to have a scan around 10:30 am. The sonographer had a look saw that rainbow was facing towards Ben's back, explaining the reduced movement, instead giving Ben back pain. The sonographer then checked the baby's heart beat, blood flow and measurements. Our rainbow had grown a lot, in fact was much bigger then baby's should be at this gestation. The baby's head and legs were big but still average however the abdominal measurements showed to be on the large side of the scale. We saw this for ourselves on the scan too, it looked like baby's belly was swollen. The baby's estimated weight was at 5 lbs 3 oz, growing a whole 2 lbs in 4 weeks. This is what the weight is expected to be at 34-35 weeks. The sonographer did not really seem concerned because Ben's glucose intolerance test (GTT) for gestational diabetes had come back negative both times. First one he did was at 24 weeks then again at 28 weeks. She booked us for a scan at 38 weeks which was 6 weeks away. We were not pleasured and were concerned so we requested to see our midwife.
Mel our midwives saw us and got the consulate Ouma who put Ben's stitch in to also look at the results from our scan. They both noticed that the baby's measurements were off the chart. They were concerned just as much as we were, they were determined to find out what is causing the large abdominal growth. As the Baby was at the 95th percentile on the growth chart. Below is a photo of the baby's measurements on the charts.
After about a hour the midwives took us downstairs to see a diabetic specialist. They explain our opinions which were to take another glucose test or test blood sugar levels at home. Which they suggested and so did the midwife because Ben's previous GTT came back fine. Cearly thee test Wass missing something that was going on with his sugars on a day to day bases. We choose to do the home testing because we felt this would give a better result then re taking the test when it has come back fine twice. Also this involved Ben drink a horrendous sugared drink that he did not want to do for a third time. Clearly doing a controlled fasting test did not show what was going on with Ben's or the babies sugar levels and we hoped this more natural regular testing would give better results. Or at least a insight to rule out diabetes.
We were shown how to do this with a little machine where Ben had to prick his finger then collect the blood on a strip that would then show a sugar level on the screen. He had to do this 4 times a day. First thing in the morning before he had eaten anything. Then another three times an hour after each main meal, so an hour after breakfast, lunch and dinner. He had to note all the results down and track the levels. It must be under under 5.3 with this first fasting test, then the next three after eating have to be under 7.8. If he gets three high levels within a week or one after each other then he had to call diabetic team immediately. We then had another appointment with Ouma and the diabetic nurse in a week to see the results and plan from there.
Here is a video of Ben taking his blood sugar level after dinner. trigger warning there is a slight view of a spot of blood.
(Written at 32 weeks)
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