I was very grateful that my parents are close by and have a pool, because it is quite amazing how well a pool cools one's entire body temperature down, especially on those 90+ degree days. We also bit the bullet and bought a window air conditioner for our bedroom at the beginning of the summer, knowing it would be difficult to go through this summer pregnant and still be able to sleep without one. It has been quite a life-preserver on those unbearably hot nights, allowing me to sleep, when we would normally take a hiatus from all nightly rest for approximately 2 weeks until the heatwave passed.
While buying a bigger bed and softer mattress made it possible for me to sleep without added pillows for the entirety of the second trimester, I have now entered the phase where my knees and belly need a little extra support. I go to sleep surrounded by what appears to be a fortress of pillows, much to Winston's comfort, as he cuddles up right beside me most nights.
Last week taught me an important lesson: no woman, no matter how "unemotional" she might think she is, is exempt from the effects of pregnancy hormones. I went through the routine 1-hour glucose screening test to check for gestational diabetes last week. Since I had not seen my primary OBGYN before taking this test (I had last seen one of the other 3 docs in the office), I was not told what the parameters were for passing and failing. I wasn't too worried about the outcome, as I have been blissfully exempt from a lot of the sweet cravings that so often come with pregnancy. I have made a point to exercise just about every day, and eat healthier than I normally would do in the summer (since I normally eat ice cream multiple times a week during any given summer). I was even more careful about eating healthy the week before the test, so when I checked the patient portal and discovered my blood glucose was 133mg/dl after drinking the nasty orange drink and fasting since supper the night before, it didn't sound too bad. I even googled normal standards which said that 140 and under were considered "fine." I was completely caught off guard the next day, however, when the first thing out of the nurse's mouth was that I had failed the 1-hour glucose test and would need to take the 3-hour test. Keep in mind that the night before this was spent discussing how awful the 3-hour test was with 2 of my cousins. Upon hearing that I had failed, it was like a tidal wave of emotion hit me. I was instantly upset, weepy, and struggling to keep myself together (not like me). Even after hearing my doctor explain that 130 is the cutoff for pregnant women just to get a wider screening of potential gestational diabetes candidates, and that I really shouldn't worry too much, I was still very upset. Aren't I a healthy person? Do I exercise daily and eat healthy for nothing? I was given the alternative to test my blood sugar 4 times a day for week, to see if my levels actually are within normal range, which I chose to do after a little consideration.
It took talking to multiple people telling me that I was likely fine and completely healthy, and not to worry about it, keeping myself busy with cleaning the house all evening, and a good nights rest before I was finally able to let the stress of it go, and accept that God would take care of me through this, no matter what the outcome may be. Since my office wasn't able to get the prescription for my reader in to my pharmacy before we left for campmeeting on Thursday, I was able to spend a relaxing weekend in Maine without worrying about my blood sugar, which I think God knew I needed. Upon getting back from Maine and starting my week of testing this morning, so far my 2 times checking it have been normal to low.
God has been teaching me a lot of lessons throughout pregnancy, first and foremost that I have to trust Him in everything. So much of life is out of my direct control, but luckily for me He is bigger than all of it, and more than capable of taking care of me and BaBee Howe.
