Seventh Month Check Up

We went in for our 7th month check up and sonogram today. The little Sprog is doing well, its not too big and not too small. In fact, its femur, cranial circumference, abdominal circumference and even the radius/ulna (lower arm bones) are right on target for being average. I am happy to hear the mild gestational diabetes has not produced a giant just yet. If he or she continues to grow at this rate, the doctor says I am on target for a 3.5-kilo or 7 ½-pound baby. That is wonderful news and gives me more motivation to stay on my current diet.

With all that said, my blood pressure is great, my energy is great but apparently, my cervix is not co-operating. It is thinning out a bit and to prevent this from progressing, I will have to receive progesterone injections (at home by the Sprog Daddy) once a week for 4 weeks. I was also told to take it easy, no bus or tram riding, no long walks, etc…I do not have to stay in bed but I have to rest. Maybe all that travel last month exerted me.

The Sprog does kick quite a bit now and “swims” around in circles at times. As its bones harden, the kicks have also been getting stronger and occasionally I see a little bump popping out from my tummy. I have not found myself talking to him or her but once in a while, we read to it. Sleeping on my side has been getting easier but I long for the day I can sleep flat on my tummy again. The cutest thing the Sprog did today was move its lip in a sort of sucking motion. We were not lucky enough to see its tongue sticking out but we could see the tongue moving in its mouth. We also saw a good-sized nose, not from my side of the family, maybe it is the infamous Roman nose; just two more months and we will know for sure.

Baby Names

We have chosen a few girl names and a few boy names we both like for our little offspring and I think we will wait to decide on what name to give once the child is born. (I do have a few favorites though.) My dad is in charge of thinking up the Chinese middle name. We wrote a long letter to him revealing our hopes and wishes for our child and I have no doubt he will furnish us with a wonderful name.

Sprog Daddy is against English names, I am okay with this to a point. It severely limits our choices but since our child will be born in Italy and we might move back to the U.S. one day, we have decided to choose a name for both a boy and a girl that will work in both countries.

Here is a list of boy names in Italy that might be construed as girl names in the States (so we are not using them).

1. Andrea
2. Nicola
3. Daniele (Dan-yell-lay) add one more “l” and you have Danielle, a girls name in the states.
4. Same with Gabriele (Gab-bree-eh-lay)

There are also names I cannot pronounce:

1. Corrado (I cannot roll a double “r”)

Names I think are too old fashioned:

1. Ruggero
2. Tancredi

Therefore, the names we have settled for are useable in both languages as well as nice sounding.

Back when Sprog Daddy was born, a long time ago, it was illegal to name Italian babies anything but Italian names. Nowadays, Italian babies must take their fathers last name, unless the father is not known and women cannot change their last names to their husbands. See article here. I find this limiting and when something limits me, I usually do not like it although I tend to get used to it after a while. (When I was 16, the seat belt law came into effect on Guam and at first I was so against it. Then of course, I bowed along with everybody else, for safety’s sake.) I know of a few people in the US who have not taken their husbands names, who have given their babies made-up, non-conventional names and whose babies have not taken their fathers’ last names. Here in Italy, it would be a scandal.

Carb Counting

I have never really had problems with my weight aside from the occasional winter weigh I usually gain right after Thanksgiving. Here in Italy we do not have Thanksgiving but it is cold in Torino and that inhibits my movements, also gyms here are horrible expensive so the cost has been prohibitive. I have never been a “carb counter” but at this point, I am.

Now that I have a glucose meter, I have been checking my blood sugar, before breakfast, after lunch and after dinner. Having had experience with diabetes, I am being very strict with my diet. There is so much information on the internet. I found this site, which helps me to figure out what foods will make my blood sugar skyrocket. I really hate watching what I eat since I like to eat everything and anything. However, I am going to try since I am deathly afraid of having a giant baby, which is one of the complications of gestational diabetes.

Here is a list of surprise and not so surprise items that have a med-high glycemic index (that makes your blood sugar jump).

1. White bread
2. Potatoes
3. Watermelon
4. Pineapple
5. Cantaloupe
6. Dates

I have decided to stay away from white sugar, white flour and fruit juices. So far so good and only 10 more weeks to go.

My Glucose Tolerance Test

This week I had my glucose levels tested to see if I was at risk for gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is when a woman develops insulin resistance during her pregnancy. Basically the placenta produces hormones that block the effects of insulin and this causes the blood sugar levels in the blood to rise.

The test went like this: I fasted over night and got to the hospital at 10 am for the test. My blood was drawn and then I was given a very sweet surgery solution to drink, it was about 4-6 ounces. It was not bad and tasted like flat soda. I was then told to hang out in the waiting area for an hour and then have more blood taken. I was not allowed to eat or drink anything for the hour but was allowed to go to the restroom. After the hour was up, I had my blood drawn again. Two days later I went to pick up the results.

My baseline glucose was 90 mg/dL which was below the 95mg/dL listed as an upper limit.

After drinking the glucose solution my number was 151 mg/dL, higher than the 140 mg/dL that is the upper limit.

The diagnosis is that I have mild gestational diabetes and I have to go to the dietician to get some advice. At this time, I do not have to take any medication or insulin shots but that could change later. For now, I am ordered to try to control my blood sugar via diet and exercise.

**Note: After doing a bit of research on the internet, I found out that many women also have a three-hour glucose test. In which you drink the sugary solution then have blood drawn 30 mins, 1 hour, 2 hours and 3 hours later. My gynecologist did not think I needed to have this done and just told me to see the dietician.

When I was in Seattle, I took care of a child with diabetes and am well aware how to eat to control my blood sugar but it is harder said than done. My main concern is having a very large child and developing Type II diabetes later in life. I found this site, which was very informative. Wish me luck, how can I give up pasta in the land of pasta???

Dreadful Leg Cramps

One of the most bothersome and scary things that’s been happening to me are the spastic leg cramps that have been waking me up in a cold, rigid, rigor mortis type of way once a week or so.

One night I woke up stiff as a board, breathing shallowly and very rapidly as I tried to flex and stretch my leg (It happens to either leg but not both at the same time). Being seven months pregnant, I had a hard time reaching said leg. The pain was sharp and very sudden and all my attempts to ease the pain woke the Sprog Daddy up. He jumped up, pulled my log towards him and tried to rub the knot away. The whole episode really scared him as he thought I might have been going into some sort of labor or experiencing some sort of pain, which I was. I grunted, groaned, panted and moaned for about 5 minutes or so before the spasm passed and I was able to go back to sleep.

I have tried eating more bananas and taking come mineral supplements that contain magnesium, calcium and potassium but they continue to plague me. What is funny is that they never happen in the day, if I got such a cramp while swimming, I am afraid of what might happen…

Looks Who’s Nesting Now

The Sprog Daddy has gone haywire this week. He is planning and primping for the arrival of my mother who plans to take Turin by storm on October 16th or so. She will be arriving 3-4 weeks before the scheduled arrival of the Sprog so it gives her a lot of time to get acquainted with my beloved.

Sprog Daddy has been busying himself with construction projects around the house as a frenzied pace. He is mounting; building, re-wiring etc… like there is no tomorrow. I on the other hand have been collecting last minute things for the baby.

Being the forward thinker that I am, I have also been trying to show the Sprog Daddy where I shop for Asian goodies so he will be able to take my mom on grocery shopping trips in town. Today we spent 200 Euros on cleaning products and pantry items so we have a steady supply of laundry detergent, tooth paste (the kind we both like), shampoo and the like when I am home recuperating after the birth.

I hope that with the holidays around the corner, after the birth of the Sprog, Sprog Daddy will be able to take up to two months off to help at home or to drive himself crazy. Lately he has been noticing that when I am on my feet a lot they tend to swell. He has been quite sensitive to it and trying to help more with housework although he still insists that the housekeeper does the ironing.

Back Home Again

15 days on the road this past month seemed even longer. The long drives, the heat and the crowded conditions everywhere are all of Italy took their summer vacations really wore me out. We drove about 4000 km this month, that is something like 2400 miles. My back bothered me a bit, Sprog Daddy had to make numerous pit stops but it was nice to see people and places before the Sprog makes his or her grand entrance. I have another doctors appointment this week and am afraid of what he will say when I hop on the scale. I do not feel too heavy but he is obsessed with my weight. Swollen feet aside, my blood pressure has been fine, I am still active and went swimming a lot these past two weeks. The weight though has been taking its toll and I feel slower than ever before. I've got a great tan thanks to all the beach and pool time but am ready to really settle down, nest and incubate. Sprog Daddy is training for another marathon and we plan to really get the baby's room ready this next month. As you can see from the photos I have taken to wearing Sprog Daddy's boxer shorts around the house, I wish I could wear them outside as well but he won't have it. I am thinking these next two months will really wear me out.

P.S. See our other blog for photos of gorgeous Sicily.

26 Weeks and Counting from Sicily

More and more lately I have been realizing there is really a baby growing inside of me. People stop their cars for me when they see me waiting at an intersection, frequently they let me go to the bathroom ahead of them, once in a rare while someone will open a door for me and acknowledge I am “with child” and might need an extra hand. My growing belly is the starting to get in the way of things and makes my condition very apparent to those around me.

New Issues:

1. I now have a hard time bending down from the sitting position in the car to pick up my purse which is usually at my feet. My toes have become very agile as I use them to grab at the straps of my purse. Sitting in low chairs and extremely soft ones make it hard for me to get back up again.

2. Sleeping on my stomach is now basically impossible as I feel as if I am lying on a semi-deflated basketball. Many nights I am just plain uncomfortable.

3. Back pain has become a problem and I bought one of those super expensive pregnancy back support straps to see if it helps with the problem. Sitting for long periods of time is getting more and more difficult, esp. in the car. How can I make my husband more sensitive to this as his idea of a good time is a 6+hour road trip from Torino to Rome?

Gradually I am slowing down, no lifting heavy objects (but I can still carry my travel roll-away bag), no getting up on step stools and ladders, resting more, putting my feet up when I have to, and taking all the other precautions pregnant women take.

The good news is that I am still 80% as active as I was a month or two ago. I am still doing all the laundry in the house, shopping for food, fixing two meals a day for my nephew and myself, doing all the housework (which includes vacuuming and moping), and driving around town running errands. Overall I am less fragile than I thought I would be at 26 weeks, actually I am proud of myself.

Road Trip to Luxembourg

Here is a not so great photo of me taken by a 4 year old. (Our friends' child. Notice the identical, round and protruding tummies?)

This past w-e we took a road trip to Luxembourg. The drive was long and I like a dodo forgot to take a back pillow. Needless to say, I was sore a bit from sitting in the car for 10 hours to Luxembourg and 9 hours back. We do stop for lunch and for bathroom breaks but I am realizing more and more I really can't spend too much time cramped in one place right now. We also have a trip planned to Sicily and we will stopover for a day or two in Rome to rest up before we make the 6 hour drive to Calabria then the ferry ride over to Sicily.

Luxembourg was very nice and a bit cooler than Italy. I made one stop to Premaman to pick up some cute baby stuff but other than that our days were filled with hanging out with our friends and their daughter. We figured we better travel now before the baby gets here, who knows when we'll get the chance after the baby arrives. To read more about the road trip click
here and here.

New developments, the Sprog has not started to kick the upper left side of my ribs and once in a while it really bothers me.