Tuesday, September 12, 2006

5w6d

What in the world did our mothers do without constant access to Dr. Google??? Sometimes it's a blessing. Most times, though, I suspect it's a curse for us. For instance, did you know that abnormally high levels of HCG can indicate a molar pregnancy? Those same high levels can also be a marker for Down's. Yes, thank you Dr. Google; I feel so much more reassured now knowing that it's not written in stone that I'm carrying multiples. Well, on the flip side, they can also indicate that it's a girl. Yes, I know: step away from the computer.

Since I had problems with gestational diabetes in my first pregnancy (not anything that had to be controlled; it just made me have to do the second 3 hour blood test) I'm determined to be better about my sugar intake this time around. I guess the peanut butter M&Ms don't qualify but, hey, they're staying down! Anyway, I came across Sierra Mist Free in the store today. I don't normally like diet sodas but I'll have to say this one is pretty good. It's sweetened with Aspartame which I know is controversial to some. But right now I think it's better than the large amounts of high fructose corn syrup in ginger ale.

1 comment:

lorem ipsum said...

This is what my mother did when pregnant with me.

She missed her period. She called the doctor and he said to wait another few weeks, until she would have missed two. Then she went in and he did an internal and confirmed she was pregnant. This was not in some backwater town with no medical technology; this was Chicago, 1970. Taking the wait-and-see attitude was the way to go. Rabbits were on their way out, but HPTs were not yet on their way in. If, in that waiting time, she had a period, it was considered a period. A late period. A not-meant-to-be.

But during that time she knew what could happen. She knew of people who'd had miscarriages. She knew of her own mother's experience with stillbirth, and with her cousin's half dozen stillbirths. She knew bad things happened. She did not know about additives. She took suspicious drugs that later made her question whether she'd been prescribed DES. She pumped leaded gas and drank Coca-Cola from unwashed bottles and ate Hostess cupcakes. She used cleaning supplies and walked up to her apartment and worked until her company told her that she was a liability. Then she went to work for another one until she could work no more. When she went into labor she didn't know whether it would be a girl or a boy, one or two or three babies. It was not scheduled around her husband's work or anyone's convenience. When I was born on a Sunday morning, my dad left the hospital, stopped for Mass and went to his job.

My mother was educated for her time and class - that meant a high school diploma. She was not a big reader. I don't know whether she ever went to the library to read up on pregnancy, nor if she would have understood had she found the information. My father understood even less. But they knew what they knew from other people. I don't know how they did it.

And do you know what? I turned out okay. Bet you did too.