22 Weeks - No Publicity!

B thinks we're having a boy.

No publicity!

M thinks we're having a girl, when she isn't insisting that it will be a kitten.

We had our 20 week scan, and we didn't want to find out the gender of the baby.


But I can confirm that whatever its gender, this baby is just as awkward as its sisters. Refusing to kick for the sonographer to check leg movements; turning its back to hide; and putting its hand up by its face when we were trying to get a picture. And then choosing to look straight at the camera, rather than giving us a cute profile.

Bump at 22 Weeks

We won't be sharing the scan photo outside of family and close friends, because for this (relatively) short time of being in the womb, it's the one time in a person's life when they can be truly secret. Fully known only to God. As a friend put it recently, "When they can truly just be themselves and loved for whoever they are." 

There will be plenty of photos of them here in the future though, especially in the months that I get around to keeping up with the Siblings and Me and Mine Projects.

I had a run in with a Facebook group this week. Particularly unpleasant. I was blocked after confirming that it is in fact allowed to refuse consultant led care. With no way of contacting the group, as it had disappeared from search results due to my being blocked, I posted about their behaviour on my page, only to be inundated with increasingly rude and worrying comments from people who I'd never heard of. Others asserted that they had been treated in a similar fashion. Very concerning from a group that is often recommended by midwives and diabetes nurses as a place to get support for gestational diabetes.

I am shocked at the ignorance that surrounds health care and the law concerning providers forcing women into receiving treatment that they do not want. Too many people believe that we have to do everything doctors tell us to do, without question. I can only hope that my comment will have helped the people who need it.

I had to delete my post from my page in the end, because it was getting a bit frightening. It's highly unpleasant to be lied about and ganged up on. I only had 100 likes on my page, mainly family and friends - it was clear to me that people were being sent to the post specifically to attack me, as my post had such a small reach that it would never have appeared in random people's newsfeeds. 

If you're after a really helpful and supportive Facebook group for diabetes - Types 1 and 2, as well as Gestational - during pregnancy, check out Slinging Diabetics. They encourage evidence based care, and are not after anyone's money. A very safe space.

And now, seeing as we're talking about women being forced into receiving treatment, I got my reply from the consultant. 

Remember the threat to refer me to social services if I didn't "compromise" with the hospital guidelines? 

Well, it wasn't an empty threat.

The consultant has forwarded my letter to the safeguarding team. So, yeah, I'm dealing with the stress and fear that that has instilled in me.

I know I have the Law on my side though, and I have the support of the Birthrights team and their Barrister. I'm currently writing my official letter of complaint, and I will keep you updated.

Weekly Statistics

Baby is the size of a Guinea Pig. Cute.

Average after meal sugars: 4.8 mmol/L

Average fasting sugars: 4.6 mmol/L
Weight:  -1lb

Catch up: 21 Weeks
Next: 23 Weeks

Check out My Thoughts on Things on Facebook.