This day I love.......: test

During my booking in appointment my midwife decided I would need to have a Glucose tolerance test at 28 weeks. A GT test and not as I heard and G and T test, which would have been far more exciting. At 28 weeks I heard nothing from the hospital and it was not until today, at nearly 33 weeks pregnant, that my glucose tolerance test took place.

I was a little apprehensive before the test, as in my mind I can not understand why it needs to be carried out. I have no symptoms of diabetes and my HbA1c levels are completely within normal range. Never the less I care about the safety and well being of Thing 3 and if they wish to perform said test than there has to be some logic behind it.

The letter from the hospital stated to fast from 11pm, nothing except water. I was very very grumpy this morning when I could not have my breakfast. The GT test took place in the hospital and whilst my appointment was at 9.10, I had to wait 40 minutes to be seen.

The first part of the GT test involves a finger prick blood test, relatively painless and quick. The next part involves a blood sample. I am not sure what happened here as my arm would not stop bleeding. I have had hundreds of blood tests and that has never happened before. After the blood tests comes the interesting part.

Some hospitals give you an energy drink, Lucozade or flat cola to drink. All of these I am allergic to, so I got given a gloopy syrup drink. I say drink but it had the consistency of hair gel, including bubbles. It glugged into the cup and had to be exactly 113ml to drink. It had no smell and no taste, but the consistency was horrid. The best solution is just to do your best and drink it, don't gulp as it makes you feel a bit sick. After I had drunk it I was told that they could have given me jelly baby sweets instead, wish I had known in advance. Then you wait for 2 hours. 2 more hours with no food and no drink.

Two hours later I returned to the hospital to have a further blood test. This time my arm stopped bleeding straight away, and that was it all done. I was even rewarded with a packet of biscuits. Those biscuits have to have been the best thing ever, after fasting from 11pm, I finally got something to eat at 12.40pm! I have been told that results are processed the same day, if there are any issues they will call me tomorrow and if I do not get a phone call everything is fine. Fingers crossed no call tomorrow!

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My eldest daughter is lucky that she recently had her eyes tested at school and was found to have no issues. My youngest will also have hers tested in school next year, I do not think there will be a problem as she has shown no signs of any. Specsavers recently got in touch to see if the girls would like their eyes testing at one of their stores and to try on the new range of kids glasses, however as they had them tested less than a few months ago we decided there would be little reason to test their eyes again. Specsavers has joined forces with City University London to launch pioneering new vision screening software across every single primary and secondary school in the UK – totally free of charge, meaning nine million school children will have access to their first vision screening.

My girls are therefore very lucky that they have access to an eye test at school but many children are not. It is important to test their eyes as most minor eye conditions like stigmatisms, lazy eyes and myopia are actually correctable if spotted before a child turns eight. Other children can be misdiagnosed with dyslexia or ADHA when they actually just need some glasses.

Did you know….

1. National guidelines recommend ALL children should have their first eye test at the age of 4 years old (or even sooner if you suspect your child might have problems with their vision)

2. 90% of parents across the UK have no idea that minor sight problems can be corrected before a child turns eight years old

3. Little ones don’t need to know all their letters or be able to read in order to have a sight test – special tests using images and colours have been created so all children can still have their vision screened

4. Professor David Thomson from City University London says there is significant evidence to suggest that between 15 and 20 per cent of children in the UK have poor vision in one – or both – eyes

5. Eye tests for children under the age of 16 are available free on the NHS

6. Sitting close to the TV, holding objects close to the face, excessive rubbing and blinking of the eyes, squinting and one eye turning inside or outside are all key signs a child may have sight problems

7. Over a quarter of parents surveyed by Specsavers said they saw an academic improvement in the performance of their child after getting glasses

8. Over half of parents surveyed by Specsavers said they saw an improvement in the performance of their child’s social skills after being fitted with glasses

Some of the children in my eldest daughters class are now wearing glasses and I think my eldest secretly feels left out. She keeps borrowing mine or making her own. I remember when I was younger the range of glasses available to me was very limited. Today thought children seem to have a wide range of choice, including their favourite characters. Specsavers recently launched a new Minions range, with 6 different designs.

All minions glasses are priced at £64, but children under 16 get them free with an NHS optical voucher. Specsavers also let children pick a second pair for free. The glasses also come with flex hinges and SuperTough lenses.

The girls set up their very own opticians and began testing each others eyes.

Carefully...

They both concluded they needed glasses so began trying on pairs.

There was much discussion around the different pairs. Colours, design, style, plastic or metal frame. Although only 6 to choose from the girls had a lot of choice.

The girls each had their favourite, my youngest liked the blue frames and my eldest the black ones. I think they look good in all of them

After they had tested each others eyes they then tested mine and picked out the following pair of minions glasses for me

The girls have been really impressed with the Specsavers minion range of glasses. At least I know if they ever did need glasses there is a great range available for them at Specsavers.

This day I love the girls glasses shop

Specsavers sent the girls the 6 minion glasses to try in exchange for this post. The glasses have since been returned to Specsavers. All words are my own opinion.

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I was really nervous before the scan. I had not felt any movements of Thing 3 and was fearing the worst. Even more the winter coat that I could not zip up I can now zip up and was having mad panics that my bump was shrinking.

I had to pick up my youngest from nursery before the scan and my friend accompanied me, as my husband was unable to. I arrived at the hospital and just felt sick, after stopping at the shop for some snacks I made my way to ultra sound.

I was scanned by two ladies, one who had only been working in ultrasound for 5 weeks. I would not have know as she did such a professional job. She was calm and put me at ease straight away. The other sonographer was training her and helped her if she needed it, not that she needed much. I was pleased to see Thing 3 kicking away, and discovered that my placenta is anterior, like it was with my eldest, which perhaps explains why I cannot feel much.

Thing 3 had everything in the right place and the right number of things too. The sonographer commented that it looked like Thing 3 was running a marathon which made me laugh. I love that Thing 3 is a little runner bean.

The big question is did I find out if Thing 3 is a boy or a girl?

Well Thing 3 had other ideas and decided to wiggle around and bounce so much that no I don't know if Thing 3 is a boy or a girl. Thing 3 obviously wants to keep this as a surprise and whilst I am really wanting to find out I guess I have to wait a bit longer. Half way there I guess.

After the scan I had to see the consultant. My hospital has a personalised growth chart which means that the measurements of Thing 3 are plotted against my height, weight and BMI so we know if Thing 3 is growing according to my body. My eldest was born on the 80 centile and my youngest 91 centile according to my personalised growth chart. However in my head at 8lbs and 8lbs7oz they are average sized babies, but according to my body and what they should be they are very large babies.

The consultant has concerns because babies traditionally speaking get bigger, and so if I continue on this trend it would be a 100centile baby which is apparently very dangerous. Trust me the thought of pushing anything bigger than my youngest has me scared too.

I am now under consultant care to monitor the growth of Thing 3. I am a little worried as it is out of my control. I can neither make Thing 3 grow any faster or any slower. I do not feel any bigger than I did with the girls and am a little unsure as to what I can do to help Thing 3. I have to have a test at 28 weeks to monitor how my pancreas and liver are performing, and a sugar test.

Along with this I have to have a scan at 36 weeks. It will be at this point if they decide to deliver Thing 3 early. I am a little frightened by this prospect but nothing I can do to change the outcome. I shall just have to keep everything crossed until then.

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Every three years a letter arrives on my door step that I dread. It is one of those letters that I read and put off, then the reminder comes and whilst I know it is in my best interest to go, I hate going. I have a huge fear of going for a cervical smear test. Now you may call me silly, but I find them embarrassing. I hate lying there legs open whilst I get prodded and poked with metal and then scraped by someone I do not know. I find the whole experience uncomfortable and afterwards I bleed and have incredibly bad stomach pains. Sometimes they are not able to perform the test and then I have to make another appointment to go back.

I know other women have no problems and no issues but for me it is uncomfortable and embarrassing. I will always go no matter how uncomfortable, cervical cancer is the 13th most common cause of cancer death amongst women in the UK. However if caught early it has a high survival rate. The most common cause of cancer in Europe, over 74% of cases, is the HPV virus HPV16 and HPV18. The current smear test detects abnormal changes in the cervix and not cancer or the HPV virus. Yet there is a new test available, GynaeCheck, which tests for the presence of HPV.

GynaeCheck can be administered in your own home, you can do the test yourself and at a time which suits you. A cervical cancer screening test that you can do yourself in your own home and which takes seconds to perform. No more embarrassment. I attended the launch and listened to Dr Pixie Mckenna talk about the test and learnt about HPV.

I ordered a GynaeCheck to see the packaging that it arrives in and it is really discreet, a simple cardboard box with no labelling I actually thought it was a DVD I had ordered! Inside is everything you need the test, a return envelope and instructions. Instructions are clear and simple and the test is very easy to perform. The test works by taking a fluid sample, you insert the test into your vagina press the button on the end to release the fluid and then release the button which sucks back the fluid test is then complete. The fluid is then placed into the provided test tube and returned for testing.

Free tests are offered if the test is contaminated or collected in correctly. Test results are returned and if positive details of the next steps are discussed. Tests should be performed every 2 years. Each test costs £129 or GynaeCheck+ costs £149 which also included the test for Chlamydia.

For someone like me who really dislikes the current cervical smear test this is a fantastic alternative, so easy to do and with no pain and no bleeding. £129 over two years works out at just over £5 a month, which for a test that can save a life is fantastic and well worth it. A fantastic alternative that can help to save lives!

I was invited to a morning to learn about GynaeCheck and also sent a kit to try. All words are my own opinion.

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