I Passed a Test

And I didn’t even study! But I did have to spend three hours in a lab, and get my veins poked four separate times over the duration, in order to learn that I don’t have gestational diabetes. I am, on the other hand, slightly anemic, so I’m going to have to add an iron pill to my daily regimen of vitamins.

I saw a new doctor today, and this one was pretty disapproving of my weight. I’ve gained 17 pounds total, four of it since my last visit a month ago, which she seemed to think was not good. The baby books say that average weight gain by this point in pregnancy is 19 to 25 pounds, putting me about five pounds under the average, but as the doctor sniffed, “That’s assuming you start at 120.” She grilled me about my eating habits and seemed surprised to hear that I don’t drink soda or scarf down Cheetohs all day. I told her what I’d eaten for the past few days (yesterday: 2 eggs and 2 slices of whole wheat toast w/ butter for breakfast; a bowl of soup for lunch; some sliced cucumbers and feta cheese as an afternoon snack; baked penne with cheese, egg, ham & peas for dinner — the penne was a special kind of pasta made from brown rice flour, since I was worried about the diabetes test and trying to avoid simple carbs). She allowed as how that all sounded fine.

I asked her if she had any advice and she did not, other than to watch my portion sizes. I’m inclined to shrug off her disapproval since a) she’s an older woman, and I know that the standard medical advice used to tell women that they should only gain 20 pounds total during pregnancy (advice that’s since been discredited); and b) the other doctors all told me my weight gain was fine. Plus, now is not the time for me to stress about body image crap; I’m not going to put my baby on a diet. I can worry about regaining my girlish figure after the kid is born.

The last thing I got from this doctor’s visit is a note certifying that I am safe to travel to my sister’s wedding — which is in just a bit more than a week! Woo hoo! Time to buy a fancy hat!


5 Responses to “I Passed a Test”

  • Nina Says:

    1) Yay!! I’m so glad you passed the 3-hr test.

    2) Were you able to find the Tinkyada (?) pasta? Or have you discovered other tasty brands?

    3) Sorry your doctor was annoying about your weight. 17 lbs is not a lot. I bet she just had size issues. Feh.

    4) Your day’s food sounds yummy. I think the cucumbers and feta sound particularly elegant.

    5) Did you choose a hat?? Pics pls!

  • shannon Says:

    Yes, Whole Foods carries the Tinyada or whatever, and it is indeed tasty! The penne was actually a different brand but it was good too. Thank you for the recommendation!

    I decided to make a hat purchase at the last possible second because I’m not entirely sure my tummy will fit into the outfit I had planned to wear. I’m sure there will be lots of pics after the wedding!

  • Madeline Says:

    Oo, this makes me so mad. I mean, it might be reasonable for the doctor to be concerned if you had just tested positive for gestational diabetes, or if you had gained, say, 40 pounds so far. But in your case, it’s just ridiculous. And your diet sounds absolutely stellar.

    Her comment about the standards being just for women who start at 120 is particularly offensive. What would be the point of having a standard recommendation for weight gain in pregnancy if it excluded the vast majority of women?

    I gained 33 pounds in my first pregnancy. I lost over 20 pounds in the first week after the birth, between the baby, the placenta, the amniotic fluid, and all the extra water weight. Pregnancy weight gain just isn’t like regular weight gain. Most of that weight is simply not fat. I think that doctor is an idiot.

  • shannon Says:

    Thanks Madeline, that’s really good to hear. Your point about the “standard” being useless if it only applies to a narrow subset of women is particularly sound!

    I think the one dietary change I am going to make is focusing on eating more leafy greens. I like spinach & kale & collard greens anyway, and apparently I need the iron.

  • Madeline Says:

    Well, you can’t go wrong by eating more greens. Shannon, you were the one who first got me into eating cooked greens, actually, with lots of vinegar and salt. Now that I’m married to a man whose favorite food is kale, that comes in handy.

    I read recently that spinach only gives you iron if it’s cooked–the oxalic acid in raw spinach can actually deplete your iron. I imagine you were planning to eat it cooked anyway, though.

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