7th OB Appointment (30w1d) and Non-Stress Test

I think things could be back on track again - hooray! I won't know for sure until my ultrasound next week, but today's Non-Stress Test (NST) and OB appointment(again with Dr. Edwards who I really do like) went very well. To my surprise, Murtle was quite active during the entire NST - she even got the hiccups for a good 5-10 minutes in the middle of the test. At one point during the beginning of the test, she completely shifted positions so her heartbeat fell out of range of the sensor. I didn't know that I could move the sensor during the test, so I just sat there in silence until I got brave and decided to move it. It was a good thing I did because when Dr. Edwards first came in to check on me (after about 10 minutes or so), she told me that if all is quiet for about a minute, I should move the sensor since the minimum length of the test is 20 minutes of active monitoring. So I ended up having to tack on an extra ten minutes for that lost time. Other than feeling a bit bored and uncomfortable because of how I was positioned, the test was a breeze. It was also so wonderful to hear little Murtle's heartbeat and movements for such a substantial amount of time. I didn't have to hit a button every time Murtle moved as I had read that some tests require mothers to do. In addition to the sensor positioned over the heartbeat, the medical assistant also put another sensor right below my breasts to monitor any contractions (which, luckily, never occurred).

After being hooked up for at least another 30 minutes, Dr. Edwards returned and checked the monitor's print-out. She told me that Murtle was "responsive" and quite active during the test. She then measured me and told me that my fundal height was 29 cm. During my last appointment (at 28 weeks), it was 24 cm, so apparently forcing myself to eat more and now drinking 2% milk must be helping Murtle to finally grow. I weighed 160.6 pounds today, so I even gained about a pound within the past two weeks - for a total of about a 7 pound weight gain since my pre-pregnancy weight. My blood pressure was also good at 115/72. Dr. Edwards wants to see how my ultrasound at Dr. Sweeney's office goes next week. If Murtle's growth percentile increases or at least stays the same, she'll see me in two weeks. If it drops (and if Dr. Sweeney won't monitor me weekly), she will want me to return to her office every week so her practice can keep a close watch on everything. I have a good feeling that Murtle will be measuring just fine (even if she is on the smaller size) and that the rest of this pregnancy will be a smooth one. Look at me and my positive attitude! :-)

Regardless, Dr. Edwards wants me to start doing daily kick counts. This consists of me lying on my left side and counting the number of times Murtle kicks in a hour to obtain a baseline reading. She then instructed me to continue to do daily kick counts at the same time each night and if Murtle's activity drops below 70%, I need to contact the office to let them know.

Ah - the final piece of good news is that I passed my three hour glucose challenge test! So, Dr. Edwards told me to keep eating ice cream and milkshakes. :)

One Hour Glucose Challenge Test (GCT) Results

Dr. Edwards (who has really impressed me so far) called to tell me that I failed my one hour glucose screening test, so I have to get a three hour test done. (How in the world could I possibly have gestational diabetes, yet have such a small baby?) She told me that I could have had regular diabetes all along (diabetes can go hand in hand with thyroid problems and I do have a family history of diabetes), which could be affecting the placenta, which could be affecting Murtle's growth. She said they probably should have tested me for this earlier in my pregnancy, but since I was an IVF patient, they probably assumed that I had all of the necessary testing done. Anyway, she's glad that I'm getting extra monitoring at the specialist's office now and encouraged me to ask to be seen by that office frequently to make sure that everything is on track. Hopefully I don't also end up developing pre-eclampsia, too, by the time this is all said and done. I have a strong suspicion that my blood pressure goes out of control when stressed and that happens a LOT, especially during my commute to and from work. So far the only thing that seems to have gone my way during this pregnancy is that my blood type is A+. However, I will hold on to hope that I will pass the three hour test since my one hour test result(147) wasn't too bad.