As weeks passing by, I found myself spending too much time indulging in the bloody Youtube videos of women giving birth, at home at hospital on the bed in the water, some even in the forest beside a stream... It's the fear which made me search such videos at the first place, but after watching, there is definitely more fear...
Right now it's the July 4th weekend, except the fireworks we saw in San Francisco through a thin layer of fog, I am experiencing fireworks the whole weekend, inside my tummy... This kid has to be a naughty one, full of energy, doesn't need too much sleep, always having high tempo and high spirit, well, just like his father. I found his sleep-active cycle extremely long, maybe up to 24 hours or so, sometimes he can spend whole day and whole night running, playing football, dancing, walking, stretching and hiccuping, at least flipping over every other minute, no sign of falling to deep sleep, and that makes me feel like having my own firecrackers bursting constantly inside my belly.
Doctor diagnosed me for Gestational Diabetes at the week of 26, fasting blood sugar level is 92, which is only slightly high, but one hour after glucose drink blood sugar level is 230, which is extremely high, although after two hours it falls back to normal. This indicates that my body doesn't have enough insulin required. Pregnant body needs 3 times the amount of insulin compare to normal body, also as placenta grows bigger, the release of some hormone blocks the release of insulin. That's why Gestational Diabetes is normal among pregnant women, however could have serious consequences, such as baby grows too big so that can't be delivered naturally, also bearing high risk of child obesity and teenage diabetes, mother too having high risk of developing into type 2 diabetes later on in her life.
No other way out, only to maintain a healthy and low sugar diet, not only during pregnancy, but for ever and ever and ever... I didn't know refined white rice and bread could turn into so much sugar, earlier when I was starving every other hours, I stuffed myself with bowls after bowls of rice, plates after plates of noodles, bags after bags of bread, and all kinds of other carbs. Bad, really bad...
Actually high blood sugar is a rather serious issue for pregnancy, so I would suggest all girls who plan to get pregnant to watch their blood sugar level before getting pregnant, because at the first trimester if your body is already high in sugar, baby could have high risk to certain type of birth defect. And why not start to have a controlled diet right after pregnancy, because yea, who knows when your placenta would suddenly grow too big and your insulin suddenly run short, the scheduled blood test is at week 26, I am right now constantly regretting for each every grain of jasmine rice that I have taken before week 26.
Even though I sense myself having heightened emotions because of the increased hormone, Raj repeatedly claims that I am way much calmer nowadays, "she is so much mellower", in his words. I don't any more easily get angry and start shouting, and much reduced frequency of using cursing words, only when it's really necessary. I think on my consciousness I understand that a good mother should be calm, tender and tolerant, so to make sure the kids' mental healthiness, I am unconsciously injecting myself with "calming hormones", maybe. Thanks to this firecracker kid inside my tummy.
What else? Yea, as exercising is not only the key to control blood sugar, also the key to have a natural birth and postpartum recovery, I am still exercising regularly, taking 1-2 hours walk with Raj whenever we are in the mood, rejoining the prenatal yoga class after almost 2 months' break, and most excitingly, I found a drop-in swimming pool within walking range to our apartment, so I should find myself in a lot of sunny afternoons relaxing in the water, free from the weight of the dragging belly and free from backaches.
There is indeed a lot of fear for the labor, but as the kid grows, I am feeling more of a unshy mama day by day, I can suddenly start a conversation in Chinese with my belly, loudly sing Chinese songs to my belly in front of friends, and speak up for uncivilized public behaviors so as they might harm my baby, such as breaking beer bottles on the rocks... I think I am much more eagerly also mentally prepared to meet this restless boy now.
That's it for today's update, wish me luck!! :)
Right now it's the July 4th weekend, except the fireworks we saw in San Francisco through a thin layer of fog, I am experiencing fireworks the whole weekend, inside my tummy... This kid has to be a naughty one, full of energy, doesn't need too much sleep, always having high tempo and high spirit, well, just like his father. I found his sleep-active cycle extremely long, maybe up to 24 hours or so, sometimes he can spend whole day and whole night running, playing football, dancing, walking, stretching and hiccuping, at least flipping over every other minute, no sign of falling to deep sleep, and that makes me feel like having my own firecrackers bursting constantly inside my belly.
Doctor diagnosed me for Gestational Diabetes at the week of 26, fasting blood sugar level is 92, which is only slightly high, but one hour after glucose drink blood sugar level is 230, which is extremely high, although after two hours it falls back to normal. This indicates that my body doesn't have enough insulin required. Pregnant body needs 3 times the amount of insulin compare to normal body, also as placenta grows bigger, the release of some hormone blocks the release of insulin. That's why Gestational Diabetes is normal among pregnant women, however could have serious consequences, such as baby grows too big so that can't be delivered naturally, also bearing high risk of child obesity and teenage diabetes, mother too having high risk of developing into type 2 diabetes later on in her life.
No other way out, only to maintain a healthy and low sugar diet, not only during pregnancy, but for ever and ever and ever... I didn't know refined white rice and bread could turn into so much sugar, earlier when I was starving every other hours, I stuffed myself with bowls after bowls of rice, plates after plates of noodles, bags after bags of bread, and all kinds of other carbs. Bad, really bad...
Actually high blood sugar is a rather serious issue for pregnancy, so I would suggest all girls who plan to get pregnant to watch their blood sugar level before getting pregnant, because at the first trimester if your body is already high in sugar, baby could have high risk to certain type of birth defect. And why not start to have a controlled diet right after pregnancy, because yea, who knows when your placenta would suddenly grow too big and your insulin suddenly run short, the scheduled blood test is at week 26, I am right now constantly regretting for each every grain of jasmine rice that I have taken before week 26.
Even though I sense myself having heightened emotions because of the increased hormone, Raj repeatedly claims that I am way much calmer nowadays, "she is so much mellower", in his words. I don't any more easily get angry and start shouting, and much reduced frequency of using cursing words, only when it's really necessary. I think on my consciousness I understand that a good mother should be calm, tender and tolerant, so to make sure the kids' mental healthiness, I am unconsciously injecting myself with "calming hormones", maybe. Thanks to this firecracker kid inside my tummy.
What else? Yea, as exercising is not only the key to control blood sugar, also the key to have a natural birth and postpartum recovery, I am still exercising regularly, taking 1-2 hours walk with Raj whenever we are in the mood, rejoining the prenatal yoga class after almost 2 months' break, and most excitingly, I found a drop-in swimming pool within walking range to our apartment, so I should find myself in a lot of sunny afternoons relaxing in the water, free from the weight of the dragging belly and free from backaches.
There is indeed a lot of fear for the labor, but as the kid grows, I am feeling more of a unshy mama day by day, I can suddenly start a conversation in Chinese with my belly, loudly sing Chinese songs to my belly in front of friends, and speak up for uncivilized public behaviors so as they might harm my baby, such as breaking beer bottles on the rocks... I think I am much more eagerly also mentally prepared to meet this restless boy now.
That's it for today's update, wish me luck!! :)
Best of luck! :)) Inspired by your words! God bless you both!
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