Good morning! How are you guys doing so far today?
I was up before the sun because I had a 6 a.m. spin class to teach and headed out to the gym to get nice and sweaty with my usual crew. I blasted a throwback playlist with some classic rock jams (always a hit with this group) and left the class feeling about 10,000 times more energetic than I felt when I arrived. Exercise is a magical thing, I’m tellin’ ya!
The rest of my day today will include more work at the gym, but I’m off through lunchtime because I have my 28-week prenatal appointment on the agenda at 10 a.m. The appointment has me feeling a combination of nervous and excited this morning.
I’m excited because I always like meeting with our doctor, hearing our baby’s heartbeat and learning the answers to whatever lingering questions I’ve had on my mind over the course of the past month.
I’m nervous because I have my glucose screening test today, too. The 60-minute test involves one round of blood work and since needles always make me queasy, I’m already feeling a little anxious. Plus, I’m a bit stressed out about my results since the test screens for elevated glucose levels that may be related to gestational diabetes, which my mom had when she was pregnant with both me and my sister.
According to my doctor, my chances for having gestational diabetes are elevated a bit due to the fact that my mom had gestational diabetes while pregnant with me. I’m just set on following my doctor’s instructions going into the appointment (eat a protein-heavy breakfast and avoid anything too sugary/carby – I opted for scrambled eggs and unsweetened cashew milk which the nurse I spoke to yesterday said sounded good) and will go from there.
I know gestational diabetes is quite common in pregnancy (as high as 9.2% of all pregnant women have it) and the cause seems to be widely unknown, but fortunately from most things I’ve read, it sounds like it’s largely manageable through diet. If my results from this screening come back high, I’ll return for the three-hour glucose tolerance test.
One of the things that has surprised me most about pregnancy is the mental shift I’ve seen within myself surrounding blood tests and needles. I just wanted to share this on the blog because I’ve connected with a handful of readers who share my aversion to anything medical and freak out over needles. There is just something so different about getting blood work done because it’s important for my baby.
Yes, I’m still nervous. Yes, I still have to lie down to have my blood drawn or I’ll get queasy. Yes, I am anxious for a couple of days leading up to an appointment involving blood work. But the minute I hear my baby’s heartbeat before it’s time for blood work, it’s almost like that rhythmic thump thump thump puts everything into perspective. At my 12-week ultrasound, when I saw our baby move for the first time, I honestly thought to myself that I would have 100 blood tests done in a row if it meant I could see my baby dancing around on that fuzzy black and white screen.
And now it’s time to shower because I’m pretty sure my doctor would prefer that I not show up to my morning appointment looking like a sweaty mess! See ya after my appointment!
Questions of the Morning
- If you’ve managed to overcome a fear of needles/medical things, how did you do it?
- For the needle-phobic moms/moms-to-be out there: Did you notice a change in the way you handled needles/medical things during pregnancy?
Though I feel like I am getting better with needles and blood work with each appointment I go to, I am still very nervous for childbirth… I still cannot make it through 99 percent of all the birth stories I’ve seen on the internet without clicking away and feeling totally freaked out!
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Hi Julie! I have been silently catching up on your exciting news 🙂 I just wanted to tell you (since I now have firsthand experience helping babies be born as a nurse) that you are going to do GREAT! It is definitely scary when you think about everything involved, right up until go-time….and then, from what I’ve seen, a different mindset takes over and moms are like, “Alright! Bring on the epidural and let’s push!” because all they care about at that point is seeing their baby. I’m overjoyed for you and Ryan and I just know you will be a child-birthing rockstar!! 🙂
Good Luck with your appointment Julie.. You will do just fine with the birth, I know you will, I was in the same boat. I stressed so so much about the birth, I mean got myself into terrible state each day for months leading up to the birth. I asked my colleagues and anyone that had been through birth to tell me every single step, what it feels like, how will i know, what does the pain start like, is it that bad, will i poop:) (yes i asked that) and the truth is i got through it just fine, you will too, you are really on such a high through the whole thing… As for the needles OMG, I skipped school growing up to avoid needles, I would do anything and i mean ANYTHING to avoid them. I knew the moment I found out i was pregnant that I would have to have needles along the way, I remember been told I had RHD- blood type and that I would have to give blood to test and oh my i freaked out, the tears flowed etc, not at what RHD meant but that I would have to have a needle:) I also had to do the diabetes test ( my mum had this during pregnancy, I was clear) and for weeks leading up I was just so upset, but and a big BUT it really wasnt that bad, after the first few I realized it is really not that bad, I think a lot of the fright with me was that I had built it up to be such a fear and once I had the first few I was okay.. It was the same with labour (for me anyway) It is easy for us to sit and say you will be fine, don’t worry etc as i know when people said that to me I thought “really shut up, I am not going to be fine, I am not going to get through this, how on earth will I manage”.. I would just say you do manage Julie and always remember there is a team there to help you step by step if you panic.. Just think through each bit you will have a beautiful little person in your arms in no time:) HUGSXXX (sorry if i went on a bit)
Have you ever tried reading a magazine (while lying down) when getting your blood drawn? It really helps me to take my mind off of it and not think so much about the needle/passing out.
My husband and I did IVF, which involved bloodwork 3-4 times a week for about a month (plus hormone shots, which I had to have my husband give to me because I freaked out). I am TERRIFIED of needles – I thought that would cure me of the phobia, but it hasn’t. I’m 12 weeks now and I still get really nervous and sick feeling whenever they do bloodwork. But…we do what we gotta do, right? Good luck with the test today!
Yay for 12 weeks!! I hope you’re feeling well, Esther!
Good Luck with your test today! Not to scare you, but the IV thing in the hospital is no fun since it just stays in your arm/hand. Yuck!! But yeah, I didn’t mind all the medical stuff bc it was all for the baby!
Good luck at your appointment! I love what you said about doing things that are tough FOR your baby–hello mama life! It’s like you’ll have a piece of your heart walking outside your body at all times once he’s born–it’s magical <3
Before the stick I look away and think of a beautiful waterfall. I never even feel the stick and by the time they’ve asked me if anything is wrong it’s all over.
It’s funny, I spent years as a paramedic sticking other people with needles, but when the needle is pointed at me I’m a total wimp. I let them put in a saline lock when I was in labor, and even though contractions were pretty intense at that point that silly little needle still hurt!
If you’re really nervous about labor I would advise you to learn as much as possible about naturally coping with contractions, even if you plan on having an epidural. I had both my kids naturally, but the first labor I was really unprepared, and it was really scary for me. I had it in my head that women have been giving birth forever, so I’ll just know how to deal with it if I try hard enough — NOT smart. The second time I feel like I prepared better, and even though it was still hard (and painful) I wasn’t so panicked and scared and it made a huge difference.
When I first got blood work done when I was 15, I didn’t think it would be an issue since shots didn’t bother me. I don’t know what happened, but I ended up passing out. I had to lie down and the nurses got me some juice. I have gotten blood work many times since then because my iron levels are always all over the place. The one thing that really helps me is to focus on deep breathing. I know it sounds obvious, but after just a few deep, relaxing breaths, it’s over! I hope your appointment went well and that you have a great rest of your day! 🙂
I’m a consistent fainter — always, but I just learned that if you sing while it’s happening it’s nearly impossible to faint! it was te most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me!!
Oooooh, good luck!! The glucose test is so nerve-racking! I thought the 1-hour glucose test was not bad, but mine came back slightly elevated so I had to do the three hour one which was awful! Luckily, I passed the three hour one, but gosh those three hours sucked! I bet you’ll pass with flying colors, though, with how active you’ve been and how well you have been eating during your pregnancy!
I have never had a problem with needles and actually prefer to watch the needle going in! I’m weird, I know, but somehow it actually makes me feel LESS nervous to watch what is going on. One piece of advice I have is that if you think you want to get an epidural but are freaking out because of the big needle, don’t let that stop you!! Despite not generally being scared of needles, I was really afraid of the epidural. But honestly, I thought getting the epidural was less painful than a typical blood draw! I held my husband’s hands tight and barely felt a thing. I couldn’t believe how easy it was!
i don’t know what it is but the finger prick needle never bothers me, but the stick in does. seeing my finger bleeding is nothing but having it shoved up my arm is a whole other thing.
i’ve recently had a lot of blood testing done after finding out my amh levels are really low. it’s not easy, i just have to look away. luckily my nurses are really quick about it.
I am a huge wimp when it comes to needles! My blood pressure will even go up when I go to the doctor if I think they might have to take blood LOL does yours elevate?
Surprisingly my blood pressure seems to stay relatively normal! I always think it will be elevated though!
I have recently started following your blog and your current pregnancy (congrats!), and I came back to read some of your older posts. I relate to Amber in that I have developed white coat syndrome, and my BP does become elevated in the doctor’s office. It’s so frustrating because I know it’s from nerves, but then it’s hard to stop my body from responding. It isn’t even from blood work. It’s from having to get my BP taken and just being there, so it spikes the most while they’re taking it. Haha talk about shooting myself in my own foot. Do you happen to have any tips on calming your mind even when you feel nervous? I know some people are more prone than others to have BP spikes. Thank you, and congrats again!
I’m a dietitian and certified diabetes educator. I see pregnant moms who “failed” there gtt.
Don’t worry too much. You’ll be fine either way though. Moms always do so well with managing their blood sugar!
I have always been fine with needles until recently. Now that I’m pregnant there is something about them. When I went in for my first round of blood work I almost passed out and got so queasy and then the sweat came. Just thinking back on it makes me feel sick and my arm hurt haha. I am dreading having to do it again and seeing what helps others is great advice for me!
I think you are right in trying to keep things in perspective, Julie. Focus on the baby! I’m not quite as freaked out by needles as you are, but they have always made me uneasy. I get nervous, look away and just try not to focus on what’s actually happening. I actually have a family history of blood clots, so I have my give myself an injection every day of my blood thinner meds since pregnancy puts me at an elevated risk. I never thought I would be able to do that to myself, and at 24 weeks it’s still hard sometimes, but I have no choice and just deal with it. My husband is a HUGE wimp when it comes to needles so he’s no help. It’s amazing what you can do when you really need to. This is just an example of how strong we are. As they say, WOMEN have the babies for a reason. Men couldn’t handle it. 😉
Thanks for sharing a little bit of your story with me! And your comment about women being the ones blessed with having the babies instead of men made me laugh! Ha!
I have always been a huge wimp with needles…like I have passed out twice. 🙁 I unfortunately have had cancer and have ended up getting a ton of needles stuck in me because of it. (In remission now! whoo!) I always try to eat something before I have to get shots or blood work and I talk to the person doing it. If I am distracted it goes much better! Make the person taking your blood keep you talking!
I hate needles and get lightheaded at the thought of blood, so I was pretty nervous for the epidural when I was pregnant with my son. Then I went into labor, felt those contractions and I’m pretty sure I could have given the epidural to myself, had that been my only option! ha! The pain far outweighed my fear of needles. I also opted not to look at the epidural beforehand. I closed my eyes and held my husband’s hands while the dr administered the epidural & I was totally fine after that! It really was a quick process. I’m due in June with Baby #2 and while the thought of a big needle still makes me woozy, I know it is definitely for the greater good because I want to enjoy the labor experience like I did with my son, rather than suffering through excruciating pain. You will do just fine during labor – focus on Ryan and that baby boy and let the dr and nurses handle the rest! 😉
Good luck with the glucose test!
I also have NO intention of looking at the epidural if I decide to get one! Noooo thanks! And congratulations on baby number two!! Very exciting!
You’ll do great! After three babies in the last five years, I’ve had my share of needles, blood work, tests, etc. All I can say is RELAX. Try to not look at what they are doing. Just remember there are probably 1 MILLION women going through the exact same thing right now that you are……so if they can do it, you can too!
good luck!
I failed my one hour glucose test, but I passed my 3hour test! I was so relieved.
I used to be pretty scared of needles, but I found that if I just don’t watch them do their thing, it doesn’t freak me out as much. ;p
Oh girl I was just like you with the needles and blood- totally squeamish! I have 2 small boys and got better with each one. You will do fine– just think about your little one (or whatever distracts you best), and have your husband be super chatty. Mine always told silly random stories so I barely noticed the needle. I had GD despite being thin and a runner, and easily controlled it through diet and exercise. I was definitely ready for a cupcake by the end of each pregnancy, but it was worth it to have healthy babies, and both of mine were actually pretty small. You are doing great!
For some reason my first glucose test (about 2 years ago) came back elevated (which shocked me!)- so i had to do the 3 hour one after that and everything ended up being fine. So dont worry if for some reason the results come back slightly elevated. For this glucose test (i go in about a month) they told me to not eat or drink anything before it because maybe i am just extra sensitive to these tests. Good luck!
I’m just two weeks behind you, and still nervous to give birth, as well. My husband and I are taking a series of four childbirth classes in June, which I’m hoping will ease my fears, and I’m also reading Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. I’m not going to lie, the book is making me anxious (even though it’s supposed to make me feel better), but I know that one way or the other, this baby has to come out of me!
I’d highly recommend watching Ina May Gaskin’s birth story video! You can probably rent it from the library or maybe even find it on Netflix. Both Jesse and I liked it and it made me excited to experience our baby’s birth!
I have spent a significant portion of this pregnancy (34 weeks) being afraid of labor but then, sort of suddenly, I was ready to start preparing myself. So now I’m reading a lot, doing more yoga, practicing visualizations, trying to think of a labor mantra, and figuring out which pain management techniques I think will be the most helpful. I imagine this happens to most women-you just get to a point where you’re like “Ok, let’s do this!” because you’re excited (and sick of being pregnant). Try not to worry too much…your mind and your body will let you know when it’s ready to make that shift and start preparing for the big day! My Dad actually said something really sweet when I was talking about how nervous I was. He said “It only hurts until God takes over.” That really stuck with me. Good luck on your journey!
HI Julie! I discovered your blog through CaitlinHTP when you moved to NC and haven’t commented yet but felt compelled to today to let you know that I just gave birth 4/12 and I also have a fear of needles/blood etc and I was able to successfully give birth naturally with no mediation using the Bradley Method technique. Part of the reason we decided to do Bradley method is because it is the least intervention possible! I never had an IV during labor which was super comforting to me because I get nauseaous just thinking of having an IV in my wrist- ugh! I would recommend looking into natural birth just because it is least intervention and helps ease the anxiety of needles/etc. Also, wanted to share I had gestational diabetes during my pregnancy. I am super healthy, work out as much as you, eat healthy, have no family history but still had it. At first I was so upset but after learning how to control it by diet I was fine. In hindsight, I am thankful I had something during pregnancy that was controllable and identifiable and it helped me really limit weight gain so win-win I guess! Baby was healthy as well as I. I wish you a smooth rest of your pregnancy. And the end prize is definitely worth any of the pain/discomfort us mamas experience!
I was nervous for my glucose screening, too. It’s always a little nerve-racking when there’s even an idea that something could potentially be a problem for the pregnancy, but you’re an overall healthy person so I’m sure it’ll be just fine either way! One good thing about this test is that they hardly draw any blood – I thought that was a positive at least 😉
Hope all went well today! I would be very surprised if you have gestational diabetes! Your lifestyle is so full of choices to counteract that. Looking fwd to reading your update.
Just remember.. Child birth stories are always the traumatic ones. Why would you write about a good one? You’re healthy and young, you’ll probably be just fine!! It weird how when you are in labor, your mind goes to a whole different place. This is coming from someone who checked in to the hospital at 7cm and it took an hour to get an epidural, I almost missed my window! Looking back, it was like a marathon, you just keep hitting these milestones in your head and get in to this weird zone that allows you to get through it! Good news is it’s only temporary and people do it everyday. Labor is such a short period (very memorable) in the scheme of life. One day you’ll forget about it. That’s how you have more than one 🙂 good luck with the glucose test!
I had GD with my pregnancy (6 years ago), this came on the heels of having hyperemesis gravid arum (16 weeks of that, approximately 5 “normal” weeks then diagnosed with GD). Pregnancy was not my favorite.
Honestly, GD isn’t…the worst. It is rough, you will crave things you never would normally crave and it will become an obsession – at least is was for me. Cinnamon rolls, not something I typically eat, but I couldn’t get the darn things out of my head. A sandwich, I would have given my left hand for a sandwich (too many carbs and sugars plus the whole no deli meat thing). My husband made a deal with me that in the hospital he would bring me those two things post delivery. I had them…and they were probably the most amazing things I had ever eaten…I have not had them since. Crazy, right?
It is oddly easy to stay on track with your diet, my biggest problem with that I had lost almost 15 pounds in the early stages and then in the later stages with the GD I was not gaining much weight (I gained around 19 total, but it wasn’t until the last couple weeks that I finally put on some weight, my child was 9.5). I just felt so motivated to be perfect with my diet and keeping active because I was growing my baby boy.
It really is worth it.
The needles…I hate them. I can’t watch when they draw blood, I tell them to not prepare me verbally, just do it or I will jerk away. I don’t think it ever gets easier. With GD the pin pricks were not a big deal except I did usually have to mentally prepare myself for the fact that I was doing it, 90% of the time I mentally laughed at myself after over being so silly. The trick is to prick the SIDE of your fingertip. You then get 10 pricks per hand, so you never have to move over to your dominant hand! I tested 5-6 times a day (you eat smaller meals more frequently with GD, so I was eating 4 small meals with 2 snacks, then you have the first thing in the morning test).
Labor was amazing. It was the best part of the whole thing for me. I would do birthing my son a million times over (just never pregnancy again!). It was such an empowering feeling. I did have to have an epidural due to an underline hip issue, and I was a bit terrified of it, but the pain outweighed the fear. Labor was so amazing, I totally still have that “fist pump” feeling. Of course it hurts, but I dunno…I felt so “high” from all the hormones and the fact that I was gonna meet my little guy…it just was an awe inducing experience.
Hi Julie, I’ve read your blog for years but never commented until now. I had my first baby nearly 2 years ago and was like you – terrified of needles, hospitals, labor, you name it. I was so scared that I had put off having kids until I was well into my 30s! The thing that helped me the most was learning about Hypnobirthing. It sounds totally hippie (although Kate Middleton is rumored to have used the techniques). It is full of ways to help you stay relaxed and calm, no matter what direction your labor takes. It also emphasizes your husband/birth partner as a big part of the experience, which I also liked and gave my husband an active role to play instead of feeling helpless. I credit the techniques with helping me stay calm during my first labor, which didn’t go to plan (ended up having an IV which was worse than any of the contractions!). Although most of it is about birthing naturally, which you may or may not be interested in, the relaxation techniques are invaluable and its one of the only things I ever recommend to my pregnant friends. Good luck, you will do great!
Hi Julie,
I’ve read your blog for quite a while, but didn’t comment yet. But reading about your fear of labour and people’s comments I think there is an aspect that wasn’t highlighted enough.
You generally seem to spend a lot of time taking care of your body, listening to what it needs- you listen to what food or which exercise it craves, your skin, how you sleep etc.. You probably have a much better relationship to your body than many others who are less connected with themselves physically.
In my opinion you should just trust your body when it comes to childbirth. Your body will know how to handle it and be thankful if you just listen to it, as you’d do for every other aspect of your life 🙂
As hard as it may seem, overthinking and -analyzing is probably not good and will stress you out and make your muscles tense. You’d want them to be relaxed, so the process of childbirth goes over faster!
I used to have problems with getting my blood drawn as well, but after taking a medication that required me to get blood drawn once a month I realized that this is for my health and although it is nerve racking a little preventive measure like getting blood drawn is good for me! After I realized how much this could potentially help me it helped me get over my fear.
Julie! Needles always make me feel queasy and faint, but someone taught me recently that if you sing a song (Whatever you can think of I literally sang jingle bells prior) but it’s nearly impossible to faint and it helps and excessive amount!! I totally suggest it! It might help you and I was completely BLOWN AWAY by how well just singing a little song worked to make me feel sooo much better while getting my blood drawn. Good luck!!
Though this sounds silly, I became more comfortable around needles and having my blood drawn after I went to college and became friends with a Type 1 diabetic. My friend has to check his blood sugar very frequently and gives himself shots whenever needed. He isn’t super discrete about it and it has actually made me much more OK with needles and getting poked myself. When I give blood, or get my blood drawn I try to talk with the phlebotomist the entire time and don’t look at the needle.
Regarding the change in how you handle things- all things!: Welcome to motherhood:)))) You will do great!