My visit to ER - I'm only 5 weeks preg - QUESTIONS

Well yesterday I spent 4 hours in the ER because I got really dizzy and fainted while getting up from a lying position in bed. They ran some tests and said that my blood sugar level was 79 and I had ketones in my urine, so basically my body was starving. Was basically told that I needed to eat more higher calorie foods. I was also told I have anemia (which also might explain the dizziness) 

Question:
1. How many calories should I consume to sustain a healthy pregnancy?
2. The Doctor said that the Iron in my prenatals (28MGs) should be enough to correct this, but she stated she can also give me a RX (which she did for 325MG of Ferrous Fumarate/Iron). The question would be which one should I count on? The Prenatal 28MGs or the RX? Has anyone else had this problem?

They did a vaginal ultrasound just to check for precautions and noticed a very small "Subchioronic bleed" in my uterus and was told it's really absolutely nothing to worry about and it will heal on it's on. Ever heard of this? I kept asking the doc about it and she stated it's not effecting the pregnancy/baby at all.

~~Gina

You need to add some carbs into your diet...NOW.  You don't want to be in ketosis while you're pregant.  It can (not necessarily WILL...but CAN) cause brain damage to your developing baby.    Since you're so early out from your surgery, it'll be more work for you to get in the amount of food that you need.  Hopefully some of the other early-out women will be able to give you an idea of the things that they eat to get their calories in.  It may mean that you spend all day eating every hour or so...but you do what you've got to do to get the food in.

Re the iron...Look for Andrea U and ask her about that.  I know there are different kinds of iron...some are absorbed better than others...and I don't know if the prescription one your dr suggested is the correct one.  Andrea U is a wizz at the vitamin recommendations and will point you in the right direction.

I'd trust your dr the the sub-chioronic bleed.  If they were worried about it, they'd let you know. I know there are other women on here who've had them and gone on to have healthy babies.

Good luck.

Thanks so much Holly. My husband was riding me big time yesterday to eat eat eat. I think I consumed about 1600 calories yesterday. I'm hoping that was enough because it felt like every hour I was eating or drinking water. I was so exhausted. I had no idea ketosis can cause brain damage to the baby, well I'm making sure I take good care of myself for the baby especially. Thanks again for that info Holly. I'm making sure every hour I'm chewing or drinking on something.

~~Gina

1600 calories is a good start.  Start journaling what you're eating so when you go to your nutritionist s/he has an idea of what you're getting in so they know where to start to up things.  For the carbs...eat some whole wheat toast, some wheat pasta, brown rice or something along those lines...try to make it complex carbs rather than simple carbs...but at this point...any carbs will hopefully get you out of ketosis....I'd think even some juice on a semi-regular basis (just a little glass...'cause I don't know how you do w/natural sugars...I don't want you puking and cursing 'Damn that Holly!)  - orange, pineapple, mango, something higher in sugar - might do it.  Don't make the juice the main thing you drink...but mix some into your water for flavor to water it down and get the natural sugars in from it. 

Holly you have certainly come through for me, as you've given me tons of great ideas and things to think about. I thank you sooooooooooooo much.

~~Gina

I went to a nutritionist and she told me to eat 2300 cal. a day. They worked out a whole plan based on my gastric bypass. You should talk to your doc. and see if you can get an appt. with one. It was very helpful. Sorry you had to go though that.

Thanks so much Amy, perhaps after Friday's scare I think I'll be scheduling an appt with my nutritionist to establish a caloric goal.

~~Gina

BTW - I'm originally from Riverside, CA too. I went to UCR and lived in Moreno Valley most of my high school and moved out of there when March Airforce base lost most of the jobs and military families.

Gina,
Bleeding in pregnancy is scary! With my first I had a lot of bleeding- they said it was a subchorionic bleed- although I was a little furhter along when it started and it gushed for about 4 weeks. It was scary! My daughter was fine in the end though. You may bleed off and on for a while. Anytime it was bright red I called for an appointment- they would do an ultrasound and I would have peace of mind.

With this pregnancy, I am also anemic. I tried some of the prescription supplements in addition to my prenatal- they made me really sick. In the end I asked the pharmacist *****commended one that I purchased from behind the counter, but without and RX- Ferro-Sequels is what it is called. It doesn't make me sick and seems to do the trick- but combined with the prenatal. Good luck on the ketosis- I was furthr out from surgery so that was never a problem. I did have the low blood sugar thing which was rough.

 

Carrie

Carrie thanks for letting me know that the bleed happened to you too and everything went fine. You have no idea how much you've just put my mind at ease. I'll look into the Ferro-Sequels. I just got this stuff called "Bifera" (it's a heme/pic blend Iron) from Walgreens. They say it's suppose to not have the upset stomach issues and constipation that the other Iron I was taking has. We'll see how I fair on the Bifera and it doesn't work I'll try what you're using. Thanks so much sweetie :)

~~Gina

I think 325 MG of IRON might be too much per day- I think the max one can sonsume is 106 daily- check online to make sure. I have anemia and also take iron.

I was really sick and nauseaus my first trimester and couldn't keep anything down- I made oatmeal, grind it first in the blender into a liquid consistency and added protein powder- Oatmela has carbs, milk has carbs , you get it- I would drink that mixture throughout the day- it was the only thing that stayed in my stomach for a while. I agree that you do have to add carbs ASAP- make smoothies with fruits, try something.

I also had a subchronic bleed at week 5, and it turned out fine in the end- I'm 15 weeks today.

Might wanna check your vitamin D levels too