Crazy Busy

I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted. Things have been super busy at work for the last couple of weeks and I've also had a nasty chesty cold for more than a month, but thankfully S and I are now at home for a week on annual leave, which is lovely. I've been incredibly tired, but hopefully I'm now making a dent in my sleep deficit, and with any luck I'll be feeling a bit more human when I return to work next Monday.

When I last wrote I was still battling my thrush, and feeling slightly miserable about the whole thing. I managed to take 6 pessaries before the spotting (this time caused by irritation from the pessaries) became too much. At that point I seemed to be getting better, although I still had the pinky-yellow discharge that was proving so worrisome. In the end I decided to go back to the doctors, and saw the same female locum for a second time. She did an internal examination and told me that she thought the thrush had probably gone now, but that I have a cervical ectropian or erosion. This can also cause yellowish discharge and spotting, and is (thankfully) harmless to the baby. Just to be on the safe side I had a series of swabs for everything else that could possibly be causing the problem (thrush, BV, etc etc) and got the results back today (all clear!) So, no more pessaries for yours truly (much relief) and I can stop worrying.

I had another hospital appointment on 21 October to see the whole team (diabetes, obstetrics) and to have my nuchal translucency scan, which gives an indication of the risk of Downs Syndrome and a couple of the other trisomies. It was a pretty nerve wracking wait, and I'm glad to be on the other side of it now. S and I had decided that we'd have CVS if we came up as high risk, but I'm pleased to say that the results were great and we therefore don't need any diagnostic testing. The results of the scan were as follows:

Crown Rump Length: 68 mm
Nuchal Translucency: 1.8 mm

Estimated risk of Downs (Trisomy 21) -
Background risk: 1:203, revised risk following the scan: 1:897

Estimated risk of Trisomy 13/18 -
Background risk: 1:387, revised risk following the scan: 1:1,231

We also got to get a good look at the littl'un, who was practically turning back flips - lots of jerky movements to be seen. In the end, since the baby wasn't in a good position to do the NT scan transabdominally, I ended up having another transvaginal scan. The midwife had a colleague with her who was learning how to operate the ultrasound equipment, so for her benefit (and ours) she spent quite a lot of time showing different views of my little passenger. We saw all the arms and legs, the umbilical cord, the baby's heart beating, both lobes of the brain, and the bones of the skull.

Here's a picture:



This was also the official dating scan, after the ultrasound midwife refused to date me last time for (allegedly) being less than 10 weeks' pregnant. At that time we were quibbling over three days - I know I was 10 weeks and a day (thanks to the ovulation sticks), whilst the midwife was sure I was 9 weeks and 5 days based on the date of my last period. This time our dates were much closer together - I was maintaining that I was 13 weeks and 1 day pregnant, whilst the scan dated me at 13 weeks. What's a day here or there?

After the scan I saw the obstetrician and diabetes specialists, both of whom thought I was doing really well. My blood pressure was 130/60 at this appointment, so nothing to worry about on that front at present. We talked a little with the obstetrician about travelling, since I have a work trip planned early next year, and S and I had been discussing the possibility of going away for a few days before Christmas. The advice was as follows:

• it's okay to fly until around 34 weeks, with the second trimester being the best time;
• wear flight socks, walk around a lot, keep hydrated, and try to keep flights as short as possible - a couple of hours is the best, long haul not so good;
• any radiation risk is most serious in the first trimester - after that the risk of thrombosis (blood clots) is the greatest worry.

Dr I came in next, and we discussed the fact that I've been struggling a little more with my sugars than I would like, courtesy of my cold/chest infection. However, after a look at my monitoring diary he told me that I'm beating myself up too much, and in fact I look to be doing pretty well. My adjustments have been about right, and I should keep on going in the same vein. Hopefully my insulin requirements will tail off a little once I'm clear of the infection, and then they'll go up slowly in the second trimester, and should only rocket in the third. It's good to have the reassurance that I'm not dropping the ball, even though I wish I was doing better. It's worth noting that in the last few days my meter average has dropped back down to 6.9 mmol/l, which does make me much happier.

I rounded off my appointment by having bloods taken for an HbA1C and Thyroid function, which gave me an opportunity for a gossip with D, the nurse who has diabetes, whilst she tried in vain to find a vein in my arm, before eventually taking the blood from the back of my hand.

I got into work a couple of hours late, but this should be the last appointment where no-one knows my situation. I intend to let my boss and colleagues know our news once I get back from leave on Monday, and that should help with future appointments. I'm next at the hospital on 11 November, just to see the diabetes team, and after than I'll have an appointment when I'm 20 weeks, for a detailed anomoly scan and to see the obstetricians.

After my busy week at work we had a lovely weekend down in Devon visiting friends who live on the edge of Dartmoor. It was the first time we'd seen them since our wedding last year, and we also got to meet their 8 month old daughter for the first time. She's a total sweetie, and we really hit it off. It was lovely to spend some time in 'baby-world' and to pick up some parenting tips. It's also great to be able to inspect some of the paraphernalia that our various friends have bought for their babies too - peeking at prams, high chairs, cots and suchlike. After all, everything's so expensive, so it's nice to be able to learn from people's successes and mistakes.

I'll finish up with the latest size/fruit update. It's fabulous to be into the second trimester, and tomorrow baby will graduate from peach to lemon.

Quick update

I spent most of last week in Edinburgh on a work-related trip attending an academic workshop. I decided not to fly, since the hassle involved isn't worth the time saved. Instead I took the train up on Sunday, and back on Wednesday. It was good to see the fruition of something I've been working on for the last three years, but all in all the trip was pretty draining and I didn't have a moment's time to myself what with workshop sessions, side meetings and meals out with colleagues. Travel's usually tiring, but with an (as yet unannounced) pregnancy in the mix it was even more so. It didn't help that at 1.30 am on the night I arrived the hotel fire alarm went off, which meant we all had to spill into the street. Nothing like meeting all the workshop participants in your PJs and overcoat! I also found it challenging not to be in charge of my diet and eating times. The food was too rich for my taste, and being out of my usual routine I put on a couple of pounds and my average sugars slipped a little higher than they've been (7.5 mmol/l for the week). Grrrr. (Still, all in all I've only put on three pounds since I found out I'm pregnant, so that's not too bad). I also had my first (and let's hope last) taste of morning sickness on Tuesday morning, when someone walked past my breakfast table with a full fry-up including slab of black pudding. Eeeek, did my stomach lurch. I'd have forgone breakfast altogether, if I hadn't already had my insulin.

Whilst I was away the dreaded thrush returned. I took the three pessaries prescribed by the obstetrician on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and on Sunday all the symptoms had gone. Hurrah, I thought, until they came back with the associated spotting on Tuesday afternoon. Grrrrr again. I toughed it out until Friday, when I had an appointment with a locum at my GP practice. She was very supportive, and we decided to try a totally non-evidence based approach (based on gut instinct). So, I came away with a prescription for 14 (yes you read it right) pessaries, and instructions to take 7, and repeat if that didn't work. At least it will see me through to my next hospital appointment when we can regroup if necessary. The problem is that the symptoms disappear when I'm treating it, and come back within a couple of days of completing a course of treatment. Anyway, 4 down, 3 to go, and then we'll see. It might just be worth taking out shares in Bayer, the makers of Canesten, however!! :)

I think my poor system has had enough this week, what with the tiredness, peeing all the time, not sleeping through the night, the thrush and on top of all that a nasty cold. I've had a low grade dose of the lurgy for a couple of weeks now, but on Saturday I began coughing and sneezing like a good'un, and have had a very runny nose. I decided that it would be a bad idea to try to go to London for work on Monday (it would have been a long day, with meetings finishing at 7.45pm), so have been laid up at home for the last couple of days. I've slept practically all the time, so I reckon I must have needed the rest. Am feeling a little less stuffy today, although I'm still needing more than my usual insulin, and I have a horrid taste right at the back of my mouth. Ick. I'll probably go into work tomorrow, and see how I go. I have a fairly quiet week workwise next week, and then S and I have a well deserved and much needed week off - I can't wait. We're planning to visit friends down on Dartmoor over the weekend, and meet their new baby (and flock of sheep) - I'm more excited about the former, S about the latter! Then we're going to slob out at home and enjoy doing nothing. Hooray! I'm planning to tell work about my pregnancy once I go back to work on 1 November.

The only other thing I have to report is that I finally met J, the midwife, yesterday. She works for my GP practice and seems lovely. I spent about two hours with her altogether, filling in the computerised history which makes up the backbone of my maternity notes, discussing how things have been going, and having some routine bloods taken (just pregnancy related stuff, as she won't involve herself at all in my diabetes care). We agreed that it was a slightly strange situation as I've already had lots of contact with the diabetes/obstetrics clinic up at the hospital and therefore wasn't doing things in the usual sequence. Most ladies see J before they ever have a scan or book any screenings, whereas I'm already well and truly within the system. For me she's going to be more of a back up than anything else. I'll see her on and off throughout, but my main care will come through the hospital. I left with a pile of booklets and leaflets to absorb, and I booked another appointment to see J at around the 15 week point (in mid November). I need to go back into the surgery to collect my yellow pregnancy notes tomorrow afternoon. So, next time I go to the hospital I will no longer feel like a defaulter!! I'm back at the hospital next Thursday for appointments with the various specialists (diabetes, obstetrics) and for my nuchal translucency scan and official dating scan (after last time's shenanigans!) Fingers crossed all will go well. I'm looking forwards to seeing my little passenger's progress since the last scan. Hopefully this will be transabdominal rather than transvaginal, and I'm also pleased to say that it should be the last 'bladder full' scan too. I'll leave you with a update on baby's size.


Tomorrow I reach 12 weeks, and baby will graduate to a new fruit (plum). Actually I always thought limes were bigger than plums - one of life's mysteries, huh?!