27 weeks pregnant (still)

I felt like I should update, for my own "records" but just in case you're interested too :)

Today was my very first appointment with the Community Birth Program at the Jim Pattison surgical centre with my incredible new doctor. She was great! The appointments are longer (45 minutes), more personable, I even sat on a couch and got checked on the couch rather than on a cold table. I felt taken care of, listened to and given information I was waiting for (regarding hospital registration). It was GREAT!

So a few updates:
1. I lost weight again this week (weird) that puts me back down to a total gain of 10.6lbs. Dr. Weiler told me she's going to monitor that and to STOP losing weight. That's the first time a doctor has said that so far. My weight gain has been great she said! YAY!

2. Bubba's due date changed!!! It probably should have changed back in October after my dating ultrasound in late September. When there is a discrepancy of 5 plus days between the given due date and the dating ultrasound then you're supposed to change the due date. The other clinic never changed it, my new clinic has! New due date: April 30th.

3. I'm measuring 29 weeks, even though I'm now at 27 weeks today. If I measure 3 weeks ahead at the next appointment then I'll be sent for another ultrasound (so I might see you again Leigh Ann).

4. My thyroid blood work shows that I'm hardly hypothyroid. Dr. Weiler said she would have sent me for another blood test before putting me on meds (go figure). But because I'm already on the meds, I should keep it up, so I am. She also said I'm JUST a gestational diabetic so she might not have even bothered referring me if I had been seeing her (again, go figure).

mmmm.... my diabetic chocolate collection (they're SO good!).


My sugars have been GREAT! I really don't think I'm diabetic. But oh well, if this whole process only helps me be healthier then that can't be a bad thing.

Oh, one last thing: the new clinic was horrified when I expressed to them how I was treated on the phone when I called the other clinic last Thursday. They are going to talk to someone about it and make it known to the people that matter how I felt and what happened. I feel so loved and so glad that they're taking the initiative to speak up for me! It's awesome! :)

Okay...I'm starving, time to eat...
Have a fantastic night, and I'll be updating Tuesdays from now on!
N.

Just to clarify...

I really hope that I'm not giving the impression that diabetes is horrible and the end all. Because it absolutely is not!! I do not want anyone to assume that I'm some complainer that can't deal with the reality of my situation because that's not the case either. I've always been the individual who processed best by talking and sharing, this has just been me processing.

And through this stage of accepting what's going on it's been really great to have friends and co-workers come to me with stories of their experiences with gestational diabetes. It honestly helps me to feel like I have some serious support (and I know that I do)!

So why has this process been so emotional for me? Because my family has a long history with diabetes. Especially with my moms mother, Linda Wittrien, who I loved and adored but was sick the entire time I knew her. I do not have a memory of my beloved Oma without her being morbidly obese, pricking her fingers, injecting insulin, taking a cocktail of meds, and more. What was she sick with? Well, a lot I think! But most obviously she had type 2 diabetes and heart disease, but a stroke is what actually killed her.

Unfortunately, my body seems to be quite similar to hers. I'm SO sensitive to so much and I have such a hard time processing (and accepting) what to do about it on a regular basis. Now please don't misunderstand me, I know I'm not my Oma. I try hard to not walk in her foot steps, I'm just recognizing the similarities and its troublesome at times. Telling my mom about my gestational diabetes (who watched her mom slowly die from the decisions she made) went through the same emotional process I went through regarding my diabetes diagnosis. She cried, I cried too.

But just because this is happening doesn't mean I'll get type 2 diabetes. It does NOT mean I'll go through the same experiences my grandmother did. Just because my Oma lived and died a certain way doesn't mean I will live and die the same way. She made her decisions and I'll make mine. I get to have my own life, I can't change my genetics, my sensitivities, the way my body works. BUT I can control the way I live and care for my body, especially now with Bubba taking residence inside It. I'm learning, I'm still processing, I'm trying my best. Like my incredibly wise dula said, it's just a bump along the way. And it is just that!

Thanks for the support!
N.

my baby, my body, MY choice!

I couldn't believe the experience I had today while calling the prenatal clinic I had been seeing to cancel my afternoon appointment and inform them I'm transferring my care to a different maternity clinic.

For weeks now I haven't been able to shake the thought that I should see my family practitioner and ask about my prenatal care options. I finally took the initiative and called, I saw her today and was reminded of why I liked her so much the last time I saw her. Too bad she was on vacation when I got pregnant in the summer. If she had been then I wouldn't of gone through what I did.

An earful of "why's" "come in & talk to the doctor" " we aren't releasing your information" "you're OUR patient and not theirs". There was no attempt at kindness, just rude and crude. I was stunned, shocked, hurt and very upset. Thank goodness my new clinic (who I called after in tears) said to not go in to explain myself and that it's my body and my decision and not to worry or stress. They'll work around the info they can get elsewhere without the release of my file from the other clinic. Phew!

So here I sit on my couch relaxed (finally!) when I am "supposed" to be in a prenatal appointment right now at the crazy mean clinic. I'm grateful I listened to my instincts, I'm upset that someone tried to dictate to me my right to choose who I want to care for me through the rest of my pregnancy. It's MY body, MY baby and MY right to choose.

This new clinic is all about natural birth, with only 6 doctors which include 3 midwives. I'm able to have Kortney as my very own dula still (which my doctor supports). I know this doctor well, I'll see her at every appointment (no more not knowing which doctor I'll see) and I'll still deliver at surrey memorial. She's so understanding about what I do for work and that I'll probably need some medical leave before maternity leave. We talked about my gestational diabetes and she ACTUALLY LISTENED TO ME! I'm SO glad that I'm making this switch.

So women in my position who feel like something just isn't right about your prenatal care. Take it from me, it's YOUR body, YOUR baby and YOUR choice to change care at any time without explanation.

I'm determined now more than ever to listen to MY intuitions and instincts. As the nice receptionist at the new clinic said to me over the phone, "you're going to be a mommy, it's YOUR body and YOUR choice!"

N.

27 weeks pregnant! Last week of my 2nd trimester!

How far along: 27 weeks!

Size of baby: cucumber (15 inches & 2.2 pounds)

Weight gain/loss: I guess there's a positive (among others) in having to watch what I eat. I lost 0.4lbs this week which brings me back down to a 11.6 pound gain in total so far.

Maternity clothes: I'm not sure that there's anything to update in this category. I'm getting bored with what I've got but I'm not willing to go out and buy more right now.


Movement: I can now see my belly moving around!!! It's amazing, I could watch it all day long! I hope to sit Cam down and make him experience it with me soon.

Sleep: still struggling with getting up all the time to pee (SO annoying!). Otherwise, I'm doing the same as last week.

Cravings: haha, I would love to have pizza but won't until I understand more about this diabetic stuff. I'm eating much more fruit, veggies and cut way back on carbs so cravings aren't so overwhelming anymore and I don't need Zantac anymore either. No more heart burn!

Symptoms: the most frequent one that's bothering me the most is my hip and siatic pain. Im hoping that a belly band and my new ordered exercise will help it.


Best moment of the week: ummm... the doctor who broke the news of my gestational diabetes and hypo thyroid was SUPER sweet and I've decided to take the positive from it all. So it could have been a bad moment for me, but it really wasn't. This Friday I get to go to the class and learn what to do. I'm starting to see how much this will help me. That makes me really grateful.

Happy Wednesday everyone! :)
N.

gestational diabetes & my darn thyroid!

Well... It's true, I do indeed have gestational diabetes and hypothyroidism. What this means is that I have a thyroid not producing enough hormones which is slowing down my metabolism and contributing to my exhaustion and constipation. Only this is VERY mild and not worrisome, they just want to get control of it now. And it means that my sugars are JUST high enough to be considered gestational diabetes. The level they send patients to the diabetes clinic is 5.1 and my sugars read at 5.3 on one of my three test times (right when I got there before the sugar drink consumption).

SO! I've been given a prescription that's been filled, one pill a day for my thyroid. Which in fact should give me back my energy and ability to poop HALLELUJAH!!!!! And I've been referred to the diabetes clinic for a class to learn the in's & out's of gestational diabetes, the do's & do not's and how to take my sugar readings daily. Yes, I'll get to do the finger prick every day (woot woot!!). But NO insulin injections (can I get another HALLELUJAH??).

Yesterday I was definitely emotional in regards to going in today to learn the truth of what my tests came back with. But in all honesty, I'm not surprised. My body has always been sensitive and I haven chosen today to look at only the positive. It could have been WAY worse (it wasn't), I could have gotten a shitty doc telling me the news (I didn't, I got a dream doctor), it could have been the scariest moment of my pregnancy and it definitely was not.

I've decided to take this opportunity to kick ass even more in improving my health and make it a complete lifestyle change to better myself and my baby Bubba! Don't you worry, I do NOT eat crap all day (ask Camy) but I can always do better and this has been a serious wake up call for that.

So THANK-YOU! To all my wonderful friends and family who have texted me encouraging words, prayed for my health and supported me through this entire pregnancy thus far! Bubba and I are fabulous and will continue to be fabulous. I just might be poked more with needles than I had once thought, but no bigs!

I guess my chocolate consumption will turn to fruit consumption. Anyone got any great diabetes recipes for me???

Lots of love!
N & Bubba :)

before I know it I'll be "mommy" & not "Teacher Nicole" for most of my days

As I met with my regional director yesterday and talked about my maternity leave I realized that soon I'll be home and not at Prospect anymore. There will be a new teacher and I'll just be a memory to the 20 something children I love and adore at the centre.

I haven't given it much thought until now that I'll be replaced and probably won't be coming back to that particular placement. Instead I'll be at home getting bigger, growing Bubba inside until he/she is ready... waiting for labour to begin. Then everything will be different and instead of being responsible for the care of twenty five children forty hours a week, I'll be responsible for one child 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 365 days a year!!

But I'm nervous in a variety of ways, I'm quite sure that my schooling and ECE experience will influence my parenting. I'm sure that I'll be the mom putting out sensory tables in our house, reading books constantly, stocking up the free art corner daily and encouraging my child to "try" at many many developmentally appropriate tasks they are more than capable of doing before I step in. I'll be the mom that holds her child "too much" in the eyes of others because I believe in it. I'll be the mom who has her three year old in a car seat and breast feeds exclusively until at least a year! My experiences at work have allowed me a lot of time to build my philosophies of how children can be treated and taught to be a successful individual.

But then again I don't want my new title of "mommy" to influence my work and my identity of "teacher". I see too often that teachers get sucked into the adorable eyes of a 2 1/2 year old who proclaims that they just can't put their slippers on their feet (when they just did it for me a hour prior!). These teachers are usually moms who see their children in the eyes of the children at the centre and feel the need to "save" them from everything. Unfortunately "saving" them often debilitates them from learning the various life skills necessary to be successful in kindergarten, in ever day life. When a child learns to manipulate another to do what they want then they learn they never need to do anything for themselves. They won't learn to experience discomfort, frustration, conflict and successfully find a way to deal with it. I'm sure my strong beliefs in my work will not be hindered by my new role as a mom but I can't help but be a little nervous.

Okay, time to get ready for work. I'm closing the centre today. I'm really going to miss these kids when I'm gone :'(
N.

26 weeks pregnant!!

How far along: 26 weeks!

Size of baby: eggplant (9 inches & 2 pounds)

Weight gain/loss: up a little this week, that means a total gain of 12 pounds so far. I know that it's a small gain this entire pregnancy but it's still hard to see the scale climb.

Maternity clothes: I'm not sure that there's anything to update in this category. I'm getting bored with what I've got but I'm not willing to go out and buy more right now.


Movement: I love it when Bubba moves! And lately it's been stronger, I had my arm on top my belly yesterday and then all the sudden Bubba kicked it hard!

Sleep: What happened to my beauty sleep?! I'm up an average of 4-6 times a night to pee and turn over. This usually results in me being exhausted :(

Cravings: lots of fruit cravings, salty chips, chocolate. I'm trying to lower my wheat and gluten intake cause the heartburn is crazy and Zantac is working still but not all the time anymore :(

Symptoms: well... if you read my last post then you know my butt hurts. A LOT! Which has become a progressively annoying problem that I'm not very happy with. Oh well, at least in 14 weeks I'll have relief :) But other than that things are going well. Still having heartburn, still having troubles with #2, starting to see the beginnings of a single stretch mark (AHH!), still having baby brain moments and my hair is awesome! No recent nose bleeds, YAY!

Best moment of the week: ummm, for the first time I'm actually straining to think of one. I will say that my gestational diabetes test was... SO great (no actually not at all). But my mom came because Cam was in school and she stayed with me and I had such a great time with her and then she took me out for lunch! Yum! So that was fabulous!


Oh and if you have it in you to tell a pregnant woman that she's HUGE! Please refrain. A mom at work today told me that I'm SO big for 6 1/2 months pregnant. She said this aloud several times and then insisted my baby is a girl. THANKS! Wasn't that the exact thing I needed to hear today after the scale almost made me cry and my butt has been a constant source of agony for days.

Where's my chocolate?! :)
N.

why yes, that does ache... Thank-you!

Honestly, someone should have told me about the aches and pains that come along with pregnancy. Like for instance, my butt! Oh my goodness gracious my butt has never hurt so much in my entire life! Yes, I'm not joking, my right butt cheek aches. My hips are sore, my legs... it's as though I just did hours of a work out or ran a marathon!
I am aware of the fact that I was in horrible shape fitness wise before I got pregnant... but still!

Anyone have any ideas to help the aches?

And WHAT happened to my beauty sleep?! It's like I got to be 25 weeks pregnant and POOF sleep became difficult. I got a pregnancy pillow, it sort of helps but not really.

Gosh Bubba, momma just wants a good nights sleep and her butt to stop hurting. Can you do that for me sweetie? Yah... didn't think so.

*sigh*
N.

Stuff!

You know, I knew that there would be stuff out there for babies but the amount of crap to purchase is incredibly ridiculously overwhelming at times. I decided that in order to diminish the crazy stress, I'd tackle one necessary item at a time.

Thankfully we're not the first ones to have a child out of all the friend circles we have. I've been given bottles, books, nursing pillows, and gifts of clothes, blankets, etc. We've bought a bumbo, stroller, crib, and car seat all used from trusted friends (crib was a garage sale find). My sister is gracious enough to send me maternity clothes, a few cloth diapers and thankfully a breast pump (I'd only accept a used breast pump from her).

So phew! We've got a few things covered. I'm getting cloth diapers from Tender Tushies, after MUCH research and exploration on the topic. I'm thrilled, and YES! I'm cloth diapering. YES! I'm going to be successful at it and nope I'm not afraid of my child's poop. I work in Early Childhood education for goodness sake.

So next on the long list??
- infant/toddler carrier
- rocking/gliding chair
- area rug for Bubba's room
- storage for the cloth diapers
- new light for Bubba's room
- curtains
- some type of art for Bubba's room
- swaddler type clothing like contraption
- receiving blankets
- avent bottles (that's the pump I'm getting)
- burp cloths
- round hospital type pacifiers
- clothes!

I'm missing A LOT I'm sure!! But you know what? I need stuff too.
- nursing bra(s)
- a hair cut
- nursing shirts/tanks
- hip band thingy
- probably bigger shoes by the time I have Bubba
- sports bra and clothing for laboring in the hospital

It never stops and I'm sure it never will. Oh well, I can't wait to meet you little one who's making me pee constantly and causing my right butt cheek to hurt when I sit. I absolutely and desperately love you and can't wait to meet you!!

N.

25 weeks pregnant!

How far along: 25 weeks!

Size of baby: eggplant (9 inches & 1.7 pounds)

Weight gain/loss: I gained 2 pounds again this week. That puts me at a gain of 11lbs so far. Considering the fact that Bubba's supposed to be doubling in size, I can handle it :)

Maternity clothes: I'm not sure that there's anything to update in this category. I'm getting bored with what I've got but I'm not willing to go out and buy more right now.

Movement: CAM FELT THE BABY! Two separate times this week and he smiles so big everytime!

Sleep: I counted six times that I woke up the other night cause I had to pee. So that's not fun.

Cravings: I suddenly want to eat constantly, like everything I see that looks good (like those caramel chocolates in front of me here at work). I'm still calorie counting and decided that I'm going to treat my labour like the marathon it is and exercise daily to prepare for it.

Symptoms: honestly, not much this week. Same old same old. Just feeling bigger and slower and I make sure my magic Zantac is taken twice a day like instructed :)

Best moment of the week: when Cam finally felt Bubba move. I was so excited for him, I think it helped him feel more connected to the baby. I can't wait for when the movements are more visible and Cam can see it.


Well, only 15 weeks until my expected delivery date but you never know. Bubs will come when he/she chooses, could be sooner than later :)

My gestational diabetes test is this Saturday morning. Wish me luck! It's the 2 hour test, yikes!

Happy Wednesday!
N.

oh baby names!

I realized once I got pregnant that picking out a name would be one of the hardest parts of preparing for a baby. Other parts of the process I was surprisingly quick to come to terms with. It's going to hurt, I'm going to get BIG, I'm probably going to get every symptom in the book. Okay, I can deal with that. But wait a moment, I have to choose a name for this baby that will grow into a person and it has to carry the name I choose for the rest of its life!? WHOA! That's a lot of pressure! Can't bubba just arrive with a birth certificate indicating the already given name like my cabbage patch kids did when I was young? God, can you please just whisper the name YOU have chosen for this baby so I don't have to choose?

FYI: cam chose the nickname bubba, cause even the nickname was too much for me.

I can name the fish we buy and the car we drive, but a baby?! When I close my eyes and picture what I believe a son of mine would look like I'm not sure which name would fit. A tough manly name? A short preppy name? A long traditional name? Will he be loud? Quiet? Outgoing? Timid? All those qualities I think affect what name would be best suited for him. And the name MUST mean something important, not anything like "crooked nose" (haha, the meaning for the name Cameron). And then when I stop to picture my daughter, I see bright blue eyes and wavy long blonde hair. Will she be a tomboy? Or a princess? Talkative or observant? Stubborn or relaxed? Is she deserving of a beautifully elegant name or would a cute spunky name be better suited for her? And again, it must mean something or reflect something important. Now insert giant ass monster baby name book:


You'd think after hours with this book and two long lists of preferred names that I'd have some clue. Nope, not really. I'm not sure I'll be ready to commit to any sure name for bubba until he/she comes and I look into his/her eyes and just know, I have a feeling that it'll be so obvious.

Yah, I know that it's going to be okay. And I guess if we just can't decide then using the name Bubba would be a good back up plan right?! ;)
N.

24 weeks pregnant!

How far along: 24 weeks! That's SIX months!

Size of baby: ear of corn (8.5 inches & 1.5 pounds)

Weight gain/loss: the Christmas season finally caught up to me, I gained 2 pounds this week. That puts me at a gain of 9.4lbs so far.

Maternity clothes: I'm not sure that there's anything to update in this category. I'm getting bored with what I've got but I'm not willing to go out and buy more right now.

Movement: I'm feeling a lot of movement, it feels great! Makes me happy that baby is alive and well. Cams still trying to feel the movements with no luck yet.

Sleep: I've been on vacation so my sleeping patterns have been off. I tried going back to my regular sleeping routine last night and ended up with only five interrupted hours of sleep. I'm getting up quite a bit more to pee at night, it's getting annoying.

Cravings: ummmm, just sweets like usual. I missed champagne at New Years but that's okay. I'd LOVE a good cheeseburger, that'd be good right about now.

Symptoms: the usual: nose bleeds, light headed more often (which usually means more blood & a bigger belly), heartburn, sore hips and crazy constipation. But I'm dealing with it all with minor complaining :)

Best moment of the week: I had a great New Year's Eve at my besties place with her husband, my husband, my brother & another good friend. They drank (I had bubbly juice), we ate (I learnt I can't eat lots anymore) and we played clue (my character was the killer, go figure!). It was good times!


I also wanted to say a huge THANK-YOU! To all of my incredible, wonderful, amazing friends who are messaging me, texting me, telling me that I look beautiful and I'm glowing. You make me smile every. single. time! So big a *hugs* to you :)
N.

A look back at 2012 and a look ahead at 2013!

Is 2012 really over? I can't believe that it is already 2013, last night we couldn't believe we were right back at the Tetz house ringing in another new year, AGAIN! Yikes!


The year 2012 went by really fast, so lets take a look at what happened and our plans for 2013.

Career Decisions:

2012
* I finished working my first year in a preschool (June). I also made the decision to move to a newly opened daycare (September). I tried to complete my ECE certificate but just couldn't handle my pregnancy, full time work in a new centre with a new role and school so I dropped my course and changed my shift at work.
* Cam made the decision and commitment to pursue a career in horticulture instead of youth pastoring. This was not an obvious decision for him to make since it involved more schooling. He started university in September and has been incredibly successful, more so than he was in bible college.

2013
* I will go on maternity leave somewhere between march 1st and march 15th. This is my choice, my work is not pushing me in any direction. I recognize now how much harder it's getting to be productive and move around, it's only going to get worse. And the time I have before Bubba comes, I'll never have again!!! So I'm going to take advantage of it. We have no set plans as to what I'll do in 2014 when my leave is over.
* Cams work is supposed to be "seasonal" but it sure hasn't felt that way for him lately. He'll be back to it January 3rd and back in university for one class this winter semester. We're not sure what his fall 2013 semester will look like, but this spring/summer work wise is looking to be nice and busy!

Family:

2012
* in the early days of August I went with my brother to a work out session and just about died. I committed to loosing some weight before trying to get pregnant. Yah, little did I know little Bubba had other plans. I took a pregnancy test and SURPRISE! Pregnant. I was freaked and thrilled, putting the work out/loosing weight commitment on hold ten months.

2013
* Bubba is due to arrive late April, so far everything is healthy, good and on track! A "perfect" pregnancy. I've only gained 7.2lbs so far, I see this as a huge accomplishment. I've asked my friend Kortney to be my dula, we're talking labour and delivery more these days and I'm reading a lot more on parenting. We've also been accumulating baby supplies, our newest addition being a teal bumbo I bought off a friend. The only brand new baby thing we've bought is a diaper bag, everything else is used and I believe that we're smart for buying this way. We've saved an estimated $250 on our stroller alone!

Church:

2012
* we started attending a life group at our church and we love it! It's such a great way to get connected into community. We only missed one study cause of Cams finals at school.

2013
* we have no plans to stop attending even after Bubba comes. We've been told that baby is more than welcome, so there will be many arms for babe to sleep in on Monday evenings! I also hope to attend women's ministry events once I have more time on maternity (ha! More time).

Now I know that this post is getting long but... Oh well.

I do have some personal goals for 2013, but most have to do with my pregnancy, labour, delivery and parenting. These all deserve their own posts but I'll touch briefly on them here.
* I want to eat VERY well these next four months. I haven't been awful but I can do better
* I should be more active, my hips hurt a lot these days so I believe if I exercise more then that will help it
* I want to have the most natural labour I can. I recognize that there is a time and place for medical intervention but if I can help it, I want all natural. Kortney and I are talking, don't you worry
* after Bubba arrives, I want to kick major baby weight butt!!! After my recovery I want to do what's best for my body and my future pregnancies. So loose the baby weight and get to my goal weight. I'm giving myself a year to do it.
* breast feed exclusively for a minimum of 6 months (I want to BF for a full year) and practice baby led weaning.
* I especially want to parent intuitively and hands on, listen to myself and my own beliefs before others. Do what I believe is best for my baby and hold onto the truth that I can do it! And I know my baby best.

That's all I guess, if you made it this far then thanks for reading. And Happy New Year! I wish your 2013 to be all you hope it will be.

Blessings,
N.