Heading Down the Home Stretch!

So, I'm not really into sports metaphors, but "Heading Down the Home Stretch" seemed pretty fitting in this case. Actually, I'm not exactly certain if this is a baseball metaphor or a horse racing metaphor (that's how bad I am at sports metaphors), but suffice it to say, I'm smack dab in the middle of my last few weeks of pregnancy.

And thank goodness.

So, here's what's been going on:

• I've still been having non-stress tests twice a week. These are still pretty stressful for me by the way.  Especially when the monitor they are using looks and acts like it's from the 1980s and is on the fritz all the time.  Sometimes it picks up my heart beat instead of the baby's and then I freak out thinking my kid's heartbeat is 70.  Sometimes the thing stops working completely and turns on and off at random and I swear it's possessed by angry spirits. But, in spite of how out-dated my OB's particular machine is, all the tests have shown that the Wee Carper is doing fine. 
• At about week 34 I had what will likely be my last ultrasound, barring some complication or fetal distress.  The baby was positioned head down (which she has been for a lot of my pregnancy), and it was confirmed - yet again - that she is a girl.  My OB isn't very good at giving me nice ultra sound pictures. We don't get the normal, cute pictures of her profile, or feet or hands. This last time we got (yet another) picture of her female parts, and a picture of her femur.  Oh well.  I've had about 4 or 5 ( I lost count) ultrasounds over the course of this whole pregnancy (maybe 6 if you include the fetal echo), so I consider myself lucky to have been able to see our little one in utero so many times.
• For most of my pregnancy the OBs have been telling me that they will probably induce me at 38.5 or 39 weeks, even if the baby isn't measuring big.  Theoretically, this is because there is a tiny bit greater than average chance of still-birth with diabetes (although no one has been able to tell me if this is diabetes in general, gestational, Type 2 or Type 1 specific . . . ).  But at my last appointment, everything was measuring so well, that the doctor said they will probably "let" me go until my exact due date, but no farther.  I still think it's rather presumptuous of them to tell me what they will "let" me do (as if they have control over my body), instead giving me my options, advising me with their expertise, and then asking me if that's what I want to do.  But, I do believe in modern medicine, and I trust my doctors, so even if I don't particularly like the semantics they use, I will take their advice on when it's time to get this kid out of me. Hopefully she'll be like both her mum and dad and arrive a few weeks early.
• Diabetes-ly speaking, things got super insane from about week 30-35/36 with the amount of insulin I was taking. I ended up taking SO MUCH FREAKING INSULIN that I had to change my pump out once a day.  That's about 200 units a day, people.  Which I guess is not uncommon during pregnancy, but I still can't believe how much insulin I was using! Right at about week 36 I started having tons of lows, and needed to cut my insulin usage back a bit. That freaked me out a bit, but then I did some research and asked around and realized that this was pretty normal. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: It has been a great blessing that Apidra has been running their no-copay promotion this year! We sure timed this kid right.
• Speaking of timing this kid right (like we really have any control over this . . . ), financially a diabetes pregnancy is a HUGE budget crusher.  We have been so incredibly lucky that this kid is arriving when she is, for the following reasons:
• We have stellar insurance through my husband's work, for which I am grateful every day.  Don't get me wrong, we definitely pay our fair share of premiums for it, but compared to a lot of other people's insurance, it is SO good at covering diabetes stuff.
• Apidra has been running their no-copay promotion.  With the increased insulin needs at the end of pregnancy, and our less than stellar coverage for insulin through our prescription plan, we would've been paying SO MUCH MONEY for my insulin.  As it stands, we haven't paid a dime. Thank you, Apidra.
• We hit our deductible and out-of-pocket-max before the baby will be born.  This means we will not pay a cent for my hospital stay. Thank goodness she's being born before Jan 1st!
• Again, with the timing of our baby, many parts of the ACA have been in effect. Much of my prenatal/well-woman screening was totally covered thanks to the ACA.  Also, I'm getting a breast pump for free because of the ACA, and the vaccines my husband has to get (TDAP, etc.) will be paid for because of the ACA.  And in a few months, when it's time, my birth control will be free because of the ACA.  Say what you will about that bill, and while admittedly it's not perfect, it's a damn good start and I'm already benefiting from it.
• And, of course, all the annoying regular pregnancy stuff is happening too. At about week 30 my feet and ankles started to swell.  A couple weeks later my hands and fingers started to swell (I especially notice when I'm trying to play the piano or text!).  And, even though my husband says I'm not as bad as some women he's seen, I definitely have a more pronounced waddle when I walk. Think emperor penguin.  Oh, and the crazies have all come out of hiding and started commenting on the size of my belly, asking me when I'm due, and just looking at me and saying "Wow!".  Seriously, filters, people!  

So this, will most likely be my last entry until after Wee Baby Girl Carper has arrived.  And who knows how long it will be before I get around to blogging about that, but I will try my hardest to, because I know there will be a lot that goes down at the hospital that someone who is planning a pregnancy with diabetes will want to know! 

Thanks for sticking with me until the bitter end! If I get super bored in the next few weeks before this kid gets here, or if something significant happens that needs to be written about, I'll post again. But if not, see you on the other side of parenthood!