Acupuncture

So, I went and had acupuncture last night including a session with some needles in my sacrum being stimulated by a little machine - a bit like a TENS machine I think.

I started feeling lots of pressure on the drive home and I thought maybe things were happening, I had some cramping and generally felt a little odd. About an hour later, my bowels let loose and I immediately felt better and the pressure went away. So not very productive baby wise but I was delighted to have my bowels cleaned out and certainly feel better for it.

Today, surprisingly, at lunch time, I got hit with the biggest contraction I've had yet and I've had one or two kind of strong ones since then so maybe the acupuncture is having a delayed reaction.

It's Lughnasadh today so happy frollicking and fornicating to you all.

I finish work tomorrow, yahoo!

So...

Tell me, have any of you tried any of the natural induction methods?

Evening Primrose Oil?
Castor Oil - bleagh
Sex
Acupuncture/Acupressure
Massage/Reflexology
Spicy food
Eggplant Parmigan

I went to the midwife on Friday, she mentioned the dreaded *I* word - Induction. Seems the insulin dose puts me in the red flag alert box and they don't want me to go past my due date.

A risk of stillbirth - I can't even type that without feeling ill - accompanies insulin dependent GD so I can't fuck around with this. I really really really want to avoid pitocin induction so I need to urge this babe to come sooner than August 17th if I have any hope of a VBAC.

There's a list of natural induction methods here.

There's no way in hell I'm trying castor oil, I had reflexology last week and will try acupuncture tomorrow. Share your stories with me...please?

Monday monday

Am starting to dread Mondays, the weekly go round starts again and yet again I got about 10% done of what I wanted and needed to get done this weekend. The laundry is growing extra heads and arms in the basement. I put little mans second last clean tee shirt on him this morning. I just can't get down there to do it. I have no energy none whatsoever, it's about all I can do to drag my arse to the car each day and drive to daycare/work wherever I'm going. Getting out of the car has to be thought about and planned. This morning big man bent down and pretended to eat little mans knee causing shrieks of laughter - no small feat at 8am - while I enjoyed the laughter all I could think about was how easy it was for him to bend down like that and get back up again without even thinking about it. I couldn't sleep last night, my back aches, rolling over is a nightmare, I can't get comfortable, getting up to pee is pissing me off, I've considered a potty but I'd never get back up!

I know I'm whining, sorry but I just feel so big and unwieldy I'm pretty miserable.

Had a midwife appointment on Friday, she did an internal, ouchie fucking ouchie. Nothing happening there, high and tight, was sure things were going on, am still sure to be honest, the contractions I'm feeling had better be doing something other than pissing me off. Babe is estimated to be 6lbs so that's not a big deal, if the 1/2 lb a week thing is a guide, s/he'll be 8lbs in 4 weeks which is fine by me. Midwife gave me the go ahead to try to get things going in about 2 weeks so big man is all excited, poor fella might get some lovin' for a change.

My tickers says 35 weeks but everything else I have (babycenter etc) says 36 weeks so I'm confused. I'll go with the ticker...

Updated to add: I just delivered a 3lb poo, I feel so very much better now, amazing how that happens!

No Insulin

Did I mention that I left my glucose monitor in the office on Tuesday and so headed off to VT without it?

Coincidentally had an appointment with the endocrinologist yesterday and was freaking a little about being so irresponsible.

He laughed when I fessed up and teased me that it wasn't an accident. What a cool guy!

He's a good guy, I like him and no insulin for me - way hay hay - not yet anyway , was fully expecting to get a script yesterday and full of doom and gloom about the knock on affect on the birth but he's pretty laid back and while he said yeah your fasting levels are a bit high they're not that bad so give it another week with the diet and see how you are then - yay love him to bits!

I could still end up on insulin but every week without is a bonus and goes towards avoiding induction/c-section yippee.

Gestational Diabetes - a myth?

We went to the first of 2 VBAC classes this weekend.

I was a bit miffed because the instructor didn't really tell me anything I hadn't already read or learned and she couldn't answer any questions about hospital policy. She deflected all of those saying "you should ask your midwife" I have probably 10-15 minutes with my midwife every 2 weeks, I don't have the brain power to think of these questions when I'm sitting there trying not fall off the stupid table. The point of the class - or so I thought - was to have those questions answered, that's why I chose the one affiliated with the hospital fer fuxake! Yes I will call the hospital and tell them what I think.

In the instructors favour, she herself had a VBAC, kept the class size small and took time to talk to each one of us.

Anyway gripes aside, the class was useful for big man, got him thinking and concentrating on the impending arrival for 3 straight hours. We dropped little man off with his friend for a playdate, his first ever, so we had lunch afterwards and it was nice to just talk and connect with each other.

The instructor scared me a little by talking about the risks associated with induction and VBAC, so I've been googling. There's no guarantee I will be induced but my blood sugar levels are all over the place and it looks likely I will be on insulin by next week which does increase my chances of induction. Pitocin and VBAC is not a good mix, you're heavily monitored and probably in bed so the intervention train gets rolling.

One interesting article I found today is this one by Henci Goer which starts:

Gestational Diabetes: The Emperor Has No Clothes
by Henci Goer

Good medicine demands that diagnosis and treatment of any disease fulfill four criteria:

• The condition has to pose a health risk;
• Diagnosis must accurately distinguish between those who have the disease and those who don't;
• Treatment should be effective; and
• The benefits of diagnosis and treatment should outweigh the risks.

An entire medical industry has grown up around diagnosing and treating gestational diabetes (GD) in the belief that doing so prevents perinatal deaths, congenital anomalies, neonatal complications, macrosomic babies, and because of fetal macrosomia, birth injuries and excessive cesarean rates. However, diagnosis and treatment of gestational diabetes don't fulfill any of the above criteria.

Hmm...

It's a good read, if you've been diagnosed with GD you should probably print it out and highlight the relevant parts to bring to the discussion with your doc.

I am researching alternatives to pitocin for induction. Kendra beat me to the punch, she's a few weeks ahead of me so got here a while back.

I'm thinking a doula is a good plan so am off on the hunt for one that will fit in my budget of $0.

Your induction methods are welcome, medical and anecdotal, I'll give anything a go rather than be strapped to a bed with EFMs blood pressure cuffs, IVs etc... please comment....thanks!

Food for thought