This past Friday I met my new adult CF doctor. She is very nice and I immediately felt comfortable discussing my health with her. She too is expecting a child and is due in December.
Over all, my lungs sounded good and my FEVV1 score had dropped some, but mostly due to my constant post nasal drainage that sets in my chest and me going on and off of bed rest.
My weight is the main concern as of now.
In my first trimester I had horrible time with nausea that then would trigger migraines and the two working together would leave me impaired. I could only eat a hand full of nuts and maybe a few berries or carrots, but not with out the feeling they too would redefine gravity. Before pregnancy I weighed 124 lbs.
With this trimester behind me and the weight it claimed was ten pounds leaving me to weigh in at my first OB visit at 114 lbs.
However, in this second trimester I have thankfully been able to build up a tolerance for foods once again, but my stomach seems to only want to hold very small amounts at a time (compared to the gorging meal portions prior to pregnancy). This resulting in a small amount of weight gain over a considered amount of time.
I weighed in at this visit 118 lbs.
My next weigh in is on July 19th at my OB visit.
The most concerning thing that my CF and OB have at hand is my slow weight gain.
With that being said, the baby is growing at a remarkably great rate and is meeting all expectations. My stomach is round and I have one happy kicking baby growing.
My doctors informed me if they were to subtract the estimated pregnancy weight I would be beyond low for any adult CF patient. They finished their exam and told me my new friend is my nutritionist and I am to do what she says and try my best to start gaining.
THE NUTRITIONIST:
I love my nutritionist. She is very kind and just a few years older than I.
After sitting and calculating numbers and charting weight base line before pregnancy and my loss and gain into my trimesters, we formulated a plan in hopes to create a slow climb to healthier CF mommy which resulting in healthier lungs and baby.
RESULTS:
I am to eat six meals a day. Yes you correctly read that, SIX!!!
In the morning I am to eat a bowl of Cracklin Oat Bran cereal. About an hour later a hot breakfast arranging from; bagels with eggs, bacon etc... Toast, eggs bacon... or anything that falls along that line. (all bread food soaked in butter)
An hour after that I am to drink "a meal" Ensure :} (oh yay)
By that time I have a little break and then comes lunch. My lunch should be like a dinner portion and the food should be very high in calories like the southern foods we are now taught not to eat.
After completing that artery binding meal I am to settle it as fast as I can and begin to sip on a calorie packed smoothie that consist of: frozen fruit (so you don't have to use ice) scoops of yogurt, ice cream a pack of carnation powder (extra calorie supplement).
I am glad to anounce that it isn't over. I am to have some kind of snack shoved amongst my gut after that.
Then comes dinner. Which is "a southern" cooking meal with adding fatty substitutes like butter, pork fat bacon, etc...
After dinner another Ensure. (oh yay)
Then I can top my evening off with gummies (my treat to me which I forgot to buy today).
If you don't feel a need to barf after reading that then I welcome you to come live with me and "stretch" your stomach as they said into eating these meals everyday.
As my sweet nutritionist put it "This is a second job. Eating is your new job."
So I walked away with a pretty stable lung function (what is to be expected) and a menu that would stretch our budget outside of it's belt and leave us wondering how in the world we are going to feed just me.
Today Saturday the 10th I went to the store with the most dreadful look and two hundred dollars. The only non food purchase I made was for TP and thirteen dollars worth of dog food.
I walked out of the store with quarters jingling in my pocket.
I have twenty more weeks to go.
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