Glucola, Rhogam and my first trip to the hospital

This morning was my 29 week appointment. I got to the doctor’s office after over 12 hours of fasting and had to drink a 10 oz. orange drink called glucola in under 5 minutes. It tasted like flat, extra sugary orange soda- not exactly my idea of a great breakfast, but it wasn’t as horrible as some people have suggested.

After downing the glucola I was sent back out to the lobby to wait for my doctor’s appointment. The appointment was routine- blood pressure was nice and low, weight gain wasn’t up too much from my last appointment and the baby’s heartbeat was loud, strong and easy to find. Uni also decided to kick while the doctor was measuring my belly, which didn’t surprise me, considering I drank soda for breakfast on an empty stomach!

After the appointment with the doctor I was sent back out to the waiting room to wait around for my blood draw. Once you finish drinking the glucola you have to wait for exactly one hour and then you have your blood drawn. While I was waiting the doctor came out and wrote me a prescription for a Rhogam shot. Way back about 20 weeks ago at our first appointment I found out that I’m Rh negative- which means that my blood type is negative. This is not a big deal, but since Jered is Rh positive it means that our baby could very well be Rh positive and my body could build up antibodies against the baby’s blood if I come into contact with it. Routine procedure now has doctor’s giving Rhogam shots (which inhibit the antibodies from forming) at 28 weeks and then again at birth if the baby’s blood tests Rh positive.

I thought I would be getting the shot at the doctor’s office, but instead the doc sends me over to the hospital. I had to register, get a little outpatient bracelet and head to the lab where they took two more vials of blood (I’m running a little low today!) to double check that my blood is indeed Rh negative. In two hours I go back to the hospital to get my shot- I’ve been told it’s one of the shots that they give you in your bum, lucky me!

I should find out by Wednesday whether or not I passed the glucose screen. I’m hoping that I did because the alternative is not much fun at all. If you fail the screen you go back for a 3 hour glucose test where you have blood drawn 4 times over the course of three hours (pre- glucose drink, after one hour, two hours, three hours). Wish me luck!

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