28 Weeks and the Glucose Test

Flat orange pop and a thick sugary liquid are two ways I have heard the drink described that is used for the glucose screening to test for gestational diabetes. If you ask me, I would say it more closely resembles the taste of either orange Hawaiian Punch or Tang orange drink, only a bit thicker. I remember always having Tang available in our refrigerator growing up. I would also say I was pleasantly surprised after the first taste-test sip of the drink which afterward I drank the rest of it with no problem. I wouldn't say I would want to drink it every morning for breakfast, but it was not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. Beforehand, I was most fearful I would not be able to drink the mixture within the allotted 5-minute time frame since I cannot even drink an entire can of pop in one sitting. Luckily, I was able to finish it off in probably less than a minute.

Then, the 1-hour wait began. Knowing that in an hour I would have to get my finger pricked for the blood test to see how my body reacted to the drink, I had a really hard time staying focused on the magazine article I was reading as one of my greatest fears- needles- kept entering my mind. Exactly an hour later to the minute (3:52 to be exact...I think I checked my watch every 5 minutes) the nurse came to get me again. I reluctantly set the magazine down and followed her as my fear intensified. There I was, sitting in the chair with my head turned away and my eyes squeezed shut, shaking nervously as she asked me if I had a preference of which finger she used. The worst part always seems to be the anticipation between the time the skin is wiped with alcohol to the time the needle is used to puncture the skin. Of course, in retrospect, this wasn't as bad as I had expected. Most importantly, I had passed the glucose test as well as the iron test used to check for anemia.

These past 4 weeks since my last appointment I had gained 2 pounds a week whereas my average before that was 1 pound a week. (I hope I'm not eating too many brownies...) The doctor did reassure me that it is normal to fluctuate with weight gain during pregnancy. I was also measuring at 31 weeks. My response: What?!? 31? I should be measuring at 28! Again, the doctor calmly reassured me that measuring a couple of centimeters ahead was okay; it is more of a concern if you are not measuring at the point where you should be. Elijah's heartbeat has maintained a consistent rate of 160. Hearing the fetal heartbeat is always my favorite part of the appointments:) Now, the biweekly appointments will begin, signaling we are that much closer to meeting our son!