health

I think the last time I did a proper pregnancy update was when we found out Baby Z’s gender in May when I was 20 weeks along. I’m now in the third trimester, almost 30 weeks now. What a blessing that God has brought us this far.

29 Weeks

Baby girl is doing great! She measured right on track at my last midwife appointment and had a steady heart rate in the 140s. She moves a lot and Jimmy and I can usually feel and see what we think is her feet/head/legs/etc.! I kind of feel like she’s laying sideways (transverse) a lot of the time, but she has some time to get into the head down position if she actually is transverse.

She gave me a scare on the Fourth of July and wasn’t very active at all that day. I was about to call the midwife when finally, late at night, she moved in her “normal” way. The worry and anxiety of parenthood starts way before baby is out of the womb, and it has taught me a lot about how God is truly the One in control.

She has been so spoiled by friends and family with clothes, a crib, and other sweet gifts. She also has a name! I’m not sure if we will share it or not. This is actually something we’re conflicted on: what we will/won’t share about our daughter. Any parents out there have advice or guidelines that you follow? Is it just intuitive?

Malcolm likes to nestle on top of her clothes!

At my 28 week appointment, I took my one hour glucose test and had a routine blood draw along with it. The glucose test was pretty awful. The drink was gross, but the worst part was how terrible I felt afterwards.

First, I thought I was going to throw up. That was followed by a headache and then feeling crazy tired. I took a long nap and was nauseous the whole day. A few days later, I got a call that I failed the glucose test and my blood work revealed I have anemia. Eek!

The midwife told me that if my levels of hemoglobin drop any more, I’ll need to give birth in the hospital (we’re planning a birth center birth, Lord Willing). Where my hemoglobin levels are now, I can deliver at the birth center, but have to have a hep-lock IV in during labor due to the risk of extra bleeding.

I am working on getting those levels up over the next few weeks and have another blood draw later this month to check on everything. The anemia diagnosis totally explains why I have been out of breath walking up hills during dog walks and feeling extra tired.

The glucose test results were interesting. My levels were supposed to be less than 135 and I was at 153. I was asked to take the three hour glucose test but asked if there was an alternative since I had felt so sick after the one hour test and know that the three hour test is even more intense.

The alternative? Be diagnosed with and treated for gestational diabetes. It was a tough few days of figuring out what we would choose. I knew the three hour glucose test would be awful. What if I failed it and had to be treated for gestational diabetes anyways?

Choosing to accept the gestational diabetes diagnosis would require some extra monitoring and possible intervention, which was a lot to think about as well. The monitoring meant checking my blood sugar levels four times a day, meeting with a high risk doctor, having some extra ultrasounds to check on baby’s size, and a possible induction if she grew too large too soon.

We prayed and talked and decided to accept the gestational diabetes diagnosis without going through the three hour glucose test. We felt peace about the extra monitoring and possible interventions. High risk doctors and hospitals are there to help us, and we’re thankful for that.

So, that’s how I found myself diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I had to take a class to learn to control my blood sugar with diet and exercise and now take my blood sugar four times a day. The plan is to meet with a high risk doctor after a week of testing my blood sugar levels and decide on a plan of care based off of the results.

I have had a few high readings, which is nerve-wracking. I don’t want to take insulin or medication unless it’s 100% necessary. Taking oral medication would also risk me out of delivering at the birth center. I know if we have to deliver in the hospital and need a higher level of care with insulin or medication because diet and exercise isn’t cutting it, then that’s just part of God’s plan and we’ll do anything to make sure our baby girl is healthy.

I’ve learned the high levels generally correlate with eating too many carbohydrates during a meal, so I’ve had to learn to cut down on carbohydrates and up my other nutrient intake so I’m not too hungry. It’s definitely a learning experience and such a tricky balance with eating the right things to have good blood sugar levels. I don’t know how people who have diabetes do it day in and day out.

I’m definitely taking comfort in the fact that gestational diabetes is a condition that only occurs during pregnancy (so if I need medication or have to continue monitoring my blood sugar levels, it’s only for a few more months) and that so far, our daughter has been healthy and doing great!

My next appointment with the maternal fetal medicine doctor is this week, so we’re praying for insight and good health as we move forward! I know God is going to be with us every step of the way and has everything in His capable hands.

Other baby-related things: we created our registry, have our baby shower coming up this month, and have started working on the nursery! I’ll share more about the nursery in another post since this one is pretty long already. Thank you to everyone for your prayers, love, and support as we journey through this exciting time! It means so much to us 🙂

H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori) is a common bacterial infection that affects the stomach lining—sometimes quietly, sometimes with severe symptoms like burning pain, bloating, and weight loss. Here’s how my journey unfolded.

I was diagnosed with an H. pylori infection in July 2012, and to this day I still get views on my posts about that time in my life. I figured it would be a good idea to create a sort of master post to detail my journey through H. pylori for anyone that finds my blog and is struggling with the infection. I hope this can give you valuable information and hope for recovery!

What is H. pylori?

According to WebMD, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacteria that can enter one’s body and live in the digestive tract. H. pylori can cause ulcers in the lining of the stomach or the upper part of the small intestine. For some people, an infection can lead to stomach cancer.

H. pylori can be contracted from food, water, or utensils. It’s more common in countries that lack clean water or good sewage systems. You can also pick up the bacteria through contact with the saliva or other body fluids of infected people.

My Symptoms and Diagnosis Journey

I have no idea how I was infected with H. pylori, but it was pretty rough. For months, I felt off. I struggled with a burning stomach pain, heartburn, bloating, weight loss, and bloody stools. Every time I ate, my stomach burned. I was popping antacids with every meal and literally looked a few months pregnant after I ate–no matter what I ate. My weight dropped lower and lower and at my worst, I was having diarrhea with blood.

Enough was enough. I knew something wasn’t right, so I went to my primary care doctor and shared all my symptoms and struggles. The doctor thought maybe I had Celiac disease and decided to order a few blood tests. When the tests came back, my doctor called to let me know that my blood test revealed that I had H.pylori.

H. py-what?, I thought. I had never even heard of this infection but it all made sense. This bacteria had completely wrecked my stomach and intestines, causing the digestive symptoms I was experiencing. Once I found out what was causing this health issue, it was just the beginning of my healing journey.

My doctor decided to treat my H. pylori infection with a strong medication called PrevPac. I thought H. pylori was hard to deal with, but I was in for a new challenge: dealing with the side effects of PrevPac.

Treatment: PrevPac and Endoscopy

Once I was diagnosed with H. pylori, my doctor immediately prescribed me a triple therapy medication called PrevPac. Each day of the triple therapy medication protocol I took eight pills; four in the morning and four in the evening.

PrevPac includes a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), and two antibiotics. The PPI works to block acid production in the stomach, which can help existing ulcers heal. The antibiotics treat the infection by stopping the growth of bacteria.

I won’t lie, my experience with PrevPac wasn’t fun. After I started the treatment course, I felt like I was holding on by a thread. I had a lot of the common side effects such as nausea, a metallic taste in my mouth, and fatigue. The nausea was definitely the worst symptom to deal with. I just felt like I couldn’t function.

Not only did I feel nauseous, taste metal, and feel fatigued, I also felt like a zombie. I was just off. My doctor told me that many, many people just can’t finish the medication cycle because it’s so intense. She strongly encouraged me to push through to try and eradicate the infection.

I dutifully took PrevPac for two long weeks, and then visited a gastroenterologist who performed an endoscopy to biopsy parts of my esophagus, stomach, and duodenum to check if the infection was still present.

The endoscopy experience wasn’t bad at all. I visited an outpatient center, had an IV inserted, was put under anesthesia, and woke up about an hour later. The only side effects I had from the endoscopy were a sore throat and mild stomach pain from the doctor taking biopsies.

A week later, I found out that the biopsies tested negative for the infection, so the medication had worked! Unfortunately, I will always carry the antibodies for H. pylori. If you were to test my blood for H. pylori today, it would show up as positive for a presence of the bacteria. For this reason, I know that if I ever had symptoms crop up again, an endoscopy is the best way to truly diagnose H. pylori for those who have been infected previously.

Recovery

From the time of diagnosis until I was in the clear after my endoscopy was an intense time in my life. I felt pretty sick from the medication, but was urged to try and take it no matter what so my body didn’t build up a resistance to the antibiotics. It was honestly one of the hardest things I’ve done!

Thankfully, most ulcers and side effects of H. pylori usually heal after a few weeks of treatment. It took me several months to feel like myself again. Gradually, the burning sensation in my stomach, heartburn, bloody stools, and diarrhea resolved. I was finally able to put on weight and didn’t look bloated.

I know firsthand how hard it is to not feel like yourself–to struggle through this infection and then to deal with the side effects from the medication. Looking back, it was worth it for me to take the medication. I haven’t had a re-infection of H. pylori and feel great!

Long-Term Management

While I feel great, H. pylori still impacts how I take care of myself today. Because I don’t want another infection, there are a few things I do:

I generally try to avoid NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Naproxen, etc. because they can damage the lining of the stomach.
I take a probiotic daily for gut health.
Along with a daily probiotic, I try to regularly eat fermented foods like kimchi to promote gut health.
Because H. pylori caused me to have bloody stools for months on end, I became anemic. A daily liquid iron supplement is gentle on the stomach and can help restore iron levels. I have found this brand to be effective.

Past Blog Posts On My H. pylori Infection

While H.pylori is awful, it is treatable! I now know what an H. pylori infection feels like, and wouldn’t hesitate to be tested and treated again. If you suspect you’re dealing with it, I would highly recommend talking with your doctor about testing. If you have any questions about H. pylori, feel free to leave a comment.

Living My Full Life

A Pregnancy Update

My H. pylori Experience: Symptoms, Treatment, and Recovery Story