Pregnancy Update~ Some Good News, Some Bad News

I am 30.5 weeks pregnant. They want to induce me at 38 weeks which means I am on the 7.5 week count down. 7.5 weeks sounds much sooner than 2 months.

I had my perinatology visit this morning.
I will start with the positive things:
1. The baby is measuring in at 3 lbs which means she has doubled her weight in the last month. She is measuring in the 39th percentile.
2. She moved head down.

The bad things:
1. I have gestational diabetes. I am pretty sad about this for multiple reasons. Really it scares me. I have not had this with either of my other two pregnancies. I asked why this would be taking place and if the things I list below could affect it.
     A. Familial history (my father has type 2 which he developed in his 60's and manages with diet)
     B. Starting my pregnancy 20 lbs over my usual weight (I got pregnant 6 months after giving birth and had not lost my pregnancy weight)
     C. Increased stress on my adrenal system secondary to grief
     D. Being pregnant for almost 2 years straight puts a big strain on my pancreas
The answer to all of those is yes. I will have to start doing finger sticks and managing my blood glucose. The thing is, my doctor said that the recommendations may not be that different than what I am already doing. I asked why I have not gained excessive weight (22 lbs so far) and the baby is not measuring large. The MD said it is most likely because I eat healthier than a normal person. So although my pancreas is not working optimally I am not straining it regularly the way other people probably do. What concerns me is that I am eating really healthy and my pancreas continues to not function in an adequate way. Another concern OBVIOUSLY is the impact this could have on the baby. Google has all kinds of things to scare any mama let alone a BLM regarding gestational diabetes.

2. My amniotic fluid is low. I have to go back in a week. My doctor seems somewhat unconcerned about the GD but concerned enough about the fluid levels for me to return in a week. 7.5 was my measurement and 8 is lower level of what they want to see. The question both my husband and I had which of course of ALL the questions we asked did not think to ask this one: Is gestational diabetes and low fluid level correlated...Well google says yes. Weird but GD can make you gain a bunch of weight and have a big baby with excessive amniotic fluid or you can be gaining regular weight and have low amniotic fluid levels. Low fluid levels has its own risks and obviously my doctor wants me back in a week.

He did do a doppler on the fetal blood flow and everything looks good, no restrictions etc...but guess what? I have to go back in a week because it still concerns him.
I am FRUSTRATED. I am worried. I have so little control over any of this. What was also difficult for me was that during our discussion with our doctor Daryl actually started to cry. It is hard because I see him cry very very rarely, a handful of times in the 14 years we have been together, I know he worries too. He asked are we still going to have an healthy alive baby at the end of this. The MD is very hopeful and he definitely helps decrease our stress....but....we are still stressed.

I can continue to work 2 days a week, but he wants me laying down most of the time when I am home to help fluid levels. He also wants me to take two 15-30 min walks a day to help with my GD. Two different problems highly correlated and treated with opposing activity guidelines. The doctor is not freaking out but my high risk pregnancy just stepped up a couple notches.