Pregnant Again

I am now on my 26th week of gestation for baby no. 3 and I cannot be more happier.

How I Found Out

At around the end of January, I noticed that I frequently became hungry.  I do not really eat much.  I had Gestational Diabetes (GDM) since my first pregnancy and I was told as early as then that I had to watch what I eat, even after birth, as the possibility of GDM developing into full-blown Diabetes happens to about 2/3rds of GDM cases.

From that time, since I was diagnosed, I had been on one cup rice, watching my carbs and the sweets that I take in.  I love desserts and I love coffee.  So, I learned early on to compromise.  If I have craving for sweets, specially chocolates, I would sacrifice rice or any other form of sugar or carbohydrates on my meals.  I think I managed quite well as I never developed into full-blown diabetes.

So, back to my story.  As I said, I was pretty much hungry, often eating more than usual.  So, I thought I might be pregnant as this is the very first symptom that happens rather immediately after a possible conception for me.

I told myself that if I delayed in the month of February then that is it.  But, I couldn't wait.  About three days before my period I already bought pregnancy test kits but it was not conclusive.  Before spending on more test kits, I decided to wait until my first day of delay.  Again, it was inconclusive.  It was not until my third day of delay that I got conclusive results.

I immediately told my husband, although we were already expecting positive results because we had been discussing the possibility for sometime now, he was ecstatic and excited.  Of course, we were not expecting a pregnancy after 6 years of my second's son's birth.  We discussed the cost, the physical and emotional adjustments, considering that I am now in my 40s and that we had to start all over again, but in the end, nothing could dampen our excitement of having another baby, years after my bunso.

Confirming my Pregnancy

I was really insistent on being able to confirm my pregnancy.  But, in the entire month of February, I was not really feeling well.  I was on bed rest most of the time.  I had morning sickness and all other discomforts.  I felt a little better around the end of February and around March felt better enough to finally have my pregnancy confirmed by an OB.

As my OB was on travel abroad, I immediately contacted my Radiologist cousin to help me.  She accomodated me at the Rizal Medical Center where I got an informal ultrasound.  I got my confirmation.  I had a pea-sized something with a strong heartbeat.  My cousin, Dr. Elizabeth A. Regala-Gimenez, told me that she can see me again and have a trans-v ultrasound in the Metropolitan Hospital which she says is cleaner than RMC.  RMC is a government hospital.

So, after around two weeks, I had another confirmatory ultrasound in Metropolitan Hospital in Manila.  This time, she was able to conclude that the baby is healthy and viable.  She told me to see my OB immediately.

However, it was not until around April that I was able to see my OB.  Dr. Marinella Abat, at the VRPMMC in Mandaluyong.  She was able to confirm my pregnancy and conclude the health of my baby.  I was told to go through the required Lab Tests.  I had a Urinalysis, Blood Test, HIV Test, and a blood sugar test that required me to undergo a three-step process, a fasting blood sugar extraction, and two more blood extractions every hour after taking a sugary drink.  This was to confirm if I had GDM again.  I also took an A1C test to see if I had high glucose levels even before my pregnancy since I never came back to my Diabetologist after my first post-natal visit in 2011.

As expected, I had GDM again.  But, at least I learned that my baby is healthy.

My Anxieties

After learning that I might be pregnant, my first concern was my age.  At 41, I thought, I am not of healthy child-bearing age anymore.  Mine is classified as a high-risk pregnancy already, much more than when I had my sons.  I had Nico at 32 and Rocky at 34.  I was afraid that I might not be physically fit and prepared to carry the baby full-term.

With this anxiety came fears of having hypertension and a more difficult GDM situation.  And my first month of conception already showed me that this is going to be a different kind of pregnancy, one I cannot just be relaxed about.

I also thought about having to lie-low for 2 years, which means that I cannot travel for more than three days at a time while taking care of a baby, which I will be breastfeeding.  I had to make arrangements for this as I am active in a lot of professional and civic organizations.

I also thought about the adjustments I had to make again.  Most of our old baby stuff has been given out to friends.  I had to start again.  The sleepless nights.  The diapers.  Buying stage 2 formula milk.  But then again, my husband and I are a pretty good team.  If we were able to do it twice in the past, there is not reason that we can handle this this time around.

At the end of all this crazy worries, the joy of having a new comer is truly invaluable.  Nothing can replace the happiness that our family feels.  Rocky is truly excited, even talking to my tummy telling her to already come out.  It is a happy experience and I am glad she is coming at this time when we all truly need a reason to be joyful about life.

Going Along Well

My pregnancy is pretty much normal.  Aside from taking insulin for my GDM, which I have gotten used to in my past two pregnancies, everything is going great.  Right now, we are choosing hospitals.  I gave birth at the Medical City for my first two pregnancies.  I am looking at St. Lukes Global City for this new one.  But, really, we have not decided yet because it is too far from our residence in Quezon City.

We are also preparing for the new comer by transforming our home office into a nursery.  So far, we learned that we are having a baby girl and she can't share the same room with her kuyas.  She needs to have her own room.

I am scheduled to give birth in October 2017.  Follow my blog for more of my stories.