MPKU Journey!

Breakfast of Champions- My 2nd Trimester Maternal PKU Diet

I have been getting asked alot , what do you eat? Specially now that you are pregnant. OR I get asked, how are your levels so low and so stable? So I decided to share a preview of what a day looks like on the MPKU diet for me.

Well my go to breakfast in the first trimester was a bowl of the low protein fruity banana mulipa hot cereal. 100 grams is 70 mg phe. Since my morning sickness has switched to mid afternoon/ evening sickness I can now tolerate a big hearty breakfast and my favorite thing to eat every single morning is a low protein cambrooke eggz omelette and country sunrise mushroom burger mix made in the form of sausages. Salt, pepper and maple syrup drizzled on top!  2 bettermilk flavoured with MIO, and my morning vitamins. 1 iron pill , 1 folic acid pill, 1 omega 3 pill and 1 docusate stool softener to fend off constipation. When my tolerance was lower I only had one serving of eggz ( 16 grams of mix and 2 oz coconut milk) but now that I am at 425 I have doubled my eggz recipe to make a bigger omelette. I now use 32 grams ( 1/2 cup ) egz mix and 4 oz coconut milk. I stuff it with mushrooms, onions, garlic , cambrooke mozzarella cheese shreds and tomatoes.

Here is a photo of todays breakfast. The double eggz omelet, 26 grams mushrooms, 30 grams onions and 3 grams garlic. Plus the 2 “sausages” and my 2 bettermilk. For a total of 146 mg phe and 751 calories.

2015-11-02 09.15.332015-11-02 18.26.28

For lunch I will probably have cambrooke mini pizza pockets and fruit, 1 bettermilk , 2 scoops Phenyl ade amino acid blend and mio.

Dinner is usually a pasta salad. 70 grams of my favorite low protein Aproten pasta. 2 tbsp miracle whip to bind it together and then fill it with vegetables. Onions, Garlic, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Peppers, Apples,  sauteed in a fry pan with margarine and spices. If I am to low for PHe  I will add a few grams of frozen  corn to add some extra PHE.

That is pretty much what I eat day to day and it has been working very well for me.

MPKU Journey!

6 months / 24 weeks

24 weeks

Yesterday I turned 24 weeks or 6 months pregnant. My last level was 1.8 mg/ dl . So my tolerance has been increased to 425 mg phe. It is a real adjustment for me. I am nervous and scared about how much my levels will go up at the new tolerance , in my mind, it takes to long to get my levels back. My team increased my tolerance on thursday. I did a blood dot saturday ( i forgot to on friday) and then again today. The hospital lab does not courier tests on friday so I need to go up to the hospital today to drop both off and then it will take to wednesday to get the levels. So it would be 6 days at the new tolerance levels back. I thought I would be excited about being able to eat more, but I have fear until I see that my levels are still under 3. I know range is 2 to 6 here , but i feel better when i see the levels under 3.  For months now my levels have been in the 2 range and that makes me feel more confident and better that I am doing my best. When I see my levels come back week after week around 2 i know i am doing my the best for my baby and my baby is benefiting from my hard work.

I have had my tyrosine increased to 5 grams twice daily. My goal is under 2200 calories. I lost 10 lbs in the first trimester and have just started gaining it back. I am up 5 lbs since the loose but havent added any weight.

I am still doing blood dots 3 days a week, my clinic said I could do them less since I am so stable but i need to do them 3 times  a week for my own peace of mind. I feel better knowing that i would catch any changes sooner.

My nausea is back and it is really bad. Specially at night time. I have been relying on the Dilactin more than I have wanted to. it is the only way I can get any sleep . My back pain is a lot worse and I am in therapy 3 days a week. 2 days of physio, and 1 massage a week, but I have always started swimming and walking again. I am on medical leave already. A lot sooner then I wanted to. I am disappointed in myself for not making my goal of working through december. But I was injured at work and attacked by an aggressive resident so my team decided that it was not worth the risk. I have enough hours and seniority to have a full paid medical leave before my mat leave and it won’t take away from mat leave. I am on medical leave till my baby is born, then I start my mat leave.

I can feel my belly stretching and I feel baby moving at least 2 times a day. He or she is active when i wake up in the morning and as I lay in bed at night. I get random little kicks during the day. it is very reassuring , specially in the weeks between appointments.

This week is the gestational diabetes screening test. I am nervous but feel confident that I dont have diabetes. My OB said if I had any sings i would be measuring big or a head. I am right on track and my weight gain has been very slow. I have also been following my diet and calories very strictly. I am still scared though. The last thing i want is diabetes on top of PKU.

I am also having my blood type re taken this week as I have the RH factor and my blood is negative , where as coles is positive. So they are re screening before they start the Rogram shots at 2 8 weeks.

We have a 26 week ultrasound on november 16th. Our next OBGYN appt is on my Sister Nicoles birthday November 23rd. Our next midwife appt is December 2nd and that’s when i will get my first shot.

We have our 32 week part 2 anatomy scan of the brain at the Vancouver Women’s high risk pregnancy clinic and 3rd trimester PKU appt on January 5th. We also start prenatal classes in January.

I have been reading as much as I can this past week, especially on breastfeeding. If i can breastfeed I would really love to be able to breastfeed exclusively to 6 months. I heard the first 6 weeks are the most painful and a lot of women give up before then. if you can make it past the pain and difficulties in the first few weeks , making it to my goal would be achievable. i am trying to educate myself as much as possible and prepare myself .

For the most part things are going very well!  I can’t believe i am already in my 6th month!  that means in around 3 months give or take we will be meeting baby Rickett to be!

Managing the diet, MPKU Journey!

Study of Low Blood PHE levels in PKU pregnancy.

This is a very informative article shared by my friend Carrie Hall to our Fb group.

Maternal phenylketonuria: low phenylalaninemia might increase the risk of intrauterine growth retardation

By; Raphaël Teissier & Emmanuel Nowak & Murielle Assoun & Karine Mention & Aline Cano & Alain Fouilhoux & François Feillet & Hélène Ogier & Emmanuel Oger & Loïc de Parscau & On behalf of the AFDPHE (Association Française pour le Dépistage et la Prévention des Handicaps de l’Enfant)

Presented in 2012 ( 3 years ago)

Link to study :

https://attachment.fbsbx.com/file_download.php?id=923115184434553&eid=ASvuUhwN3XS0LPhu4fpjqTUit7Ujlm1xjLpvt7DOe7zSbYKhknNs4ReMuzROS0wfFd8&inline=1&ext=1445019346&hash=AStUoRm5pDE6fCa8

or

https://attachment.fbsbx.com/file_download.php?id=923115184434553&eid=ASvuUhwN3XS0LPhu4fpjqTUit7Ujlm1xjLpvt7DOe7zSbYKhknNs4ReMuzROS0wfFd8&inline=1&ext=1445019346&hash=AStUoRm5pDE6fCa8

Please feel free to share!

if the link does not work, please continue below , I have copied pasted the article to this post. This is not written by me. I do not own this piece. I simply am sharing it for education purposes.

Maternal phenylketonuria: low phenylalaninemia might increase the risk of intrauterine growth retardation Raphaël Teissier & Emmanuel Nowak & Murielle Assoun & Karine Mention & Aline Cano & Alain Fouilhoux & François Feillet & Hélène Ogier & Emmanuel Oger & Loïc de Parscau & On behalf of the AFDPHE (Association Française pour le Dépistage et la Prévention des Handicaps de l’Enfant) Received: 6 September 2011 /Revised: 13 April 2012 /Accepted: 16 April 2012 # SSIEM and Springer 2012

Abstract Background Malformations and mental retardation in the offspring of women with Phenylketonuria (PKU) can be prevented by maintaining maternal blood Phenylalanine (PHE) within a target range (120–300 μmol/L) through a PHE-restricted diet. In a former French study, a high and unexpected proportion of intra uterine growth retardation (IUGR) has been reported. Guidelines have been proposed to all French centres caring for maternal PKU since 2002. Objective To confirm IUGR and investigate its causes. The other goals were to assess the follow-up of these pregnancies based on the new guidelines and the pertinence of these recommendations. Design Clinical, biological and ultrasound data of all pregnancies in PKU women in France, from 2002 to 2007 were retrospectively analyzed. Results Data from 115 pregnancies in 86 women with PKU were collected. Ninety percent of women had been informed of the risk of maternal PKU in the absence of a strict diet during pregnancy, 88 % of women had started a diet before conception, and 45 % of infants were born small for gestational age (birth length and/or weight ≤−2 SD). PHE intakes were lower in the group with IUGR from the fifth to the eighth month of pregnancy and duration of time spent at <120 μmol/L during pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of IUGR. Conclusion Hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) is not the only risk factor for IUGR; PHE lower than 120 μmol/L could also be associated with the IUGR occurence. Even if the monitoring of these pregnancies has been improved since the initiation of guidelines, we would like to stress on the importance of the dietary aspect of the disease. Communicated by: Verena Peters R. Teissier (*) : L. de Parscau Department of Pediatrics, Brest University Hospital, CHRU Morvan, 2 avenue Foch, 29200 Brest, France e-mail: raphael.teissier@chu-brest.fr E. Nowak : E. Oger INSERM CIC 05-02, Brest University Hospital, Brest, France M. Assoun : H. Ogier PKU group of the AFDPHE, Paris, France K. Mention PKU group of the AFDPHE, Lille, France A. Cano PKU group of the AFDPHE, Marseille, France A. Fouilhoux PKU group of the AFDPHE, Lyon, France F. Feillet PKU group of the AFDPHE, Nancy, France L. de Parscau PKU group of the AFDPHE, Brest, France J Inherit Metab Dis DOI 10.1007/s10545-012-9491-0 Introduction Phenylketonuria (PKU; OMIM #261600) is an inherited metabolic disease caused by a defect of the phenylalanine (PHE) hydroxylase. Untreated, it leads to PHE accumulation which is toxic for brain and results in severe learning disability and behavioural problems. Neonatal screening has contributed to the decrease of mental retardation. As a result, the girls with PKU treated by a low PHE intake diet become healthy women and potential mothers. In 1980, Lenke and Levy (1980) reported a high proportion of congenital abnormalities in the offspring born to mother with PKU: congenital heart disease (CHD), mental retardation, facial dysmorphism and intra uterine growth r-etardation (IUGR). Frequency of these malformations was correlated with the maternal blood PHE levels during pregnancy. North American and English studies (Koch et al. 2003; Lee et al. 2005) have demonstrated the efficacy of PHE restricted diet during pregnancy to prevent PKU embryopathy. In France, a former study (Feillet et al. 2004) confirmed these data but highlighted an important proportion of IUGR in the offspring of PKU women despite a PHE-restricted diet. In order to further investigate this observation and to make the monitoring easier, specific guidelines were proposed and diffused to all French centres caring for PKU. The main goal of the study was to confirm IUGR and to investigate its causes. We also aimed to assess monitoring of these pregnancies according to the new guidelines and thus, to investigate the relevance of these recommendations. Patients and methods Patients All known French PKU women, pregnant between January 2002 and December 2007, were included, regardless of their pregnancy outcome. Methods Guidelines communicated to all regional centres in 2001 recommended: – collect of thorough, preconception (2–3 months) data on girls and women with PKU, – control of PHE blood concentration at least weekly with target values between 120 and 300 μmol/L – careful diet monitoring – control of biological nutritional parameters and at least three ultrasound scans during the pregnancy – monthly follow-up – careful newborn examination. A retrospective study of all known pregnancies in France was performed by reviewing medical and dietary records. Medical data included maternal PKU history, onset of PHE restricted diet initiation (pre or post-conception), biological and dietary monitoring, ultrasound scans results, blood PHE concentrations, and birth measurements of newborns. All data were entered into a data base (excel spreadsheet). Data entry was checked for reliability through a data base doubling. PHE indexes The pregnancy and foetus outcomes are related to the maternal plasma PHE during pregnancy. The mean plasma PHE is the most widely used parameter for analysis. However it may not be accurate enough to detect both PHE excess and deficiency. To estimate more precisely the control of PHE levels during pregnancy, we calculated 3 monitoring indexes of excess (IE) or deficiency (ID) for rates above 300 μmol/L and below 120 μmol/L: – I.E-1 and I.D-1: Area under the curve (AUC) with a baseline at 300 μmol/L or Area Above the curve (AAC) with a baseline at 120 μmol/L – I.E-2 and I.D-2: Mean of PHE >300 μmol/L and Mean of PHE <120 μmol/L – I.E-3 and I.D-3: time spent above 300 μmol/L or under 120 μmol/L. In order to study the relationship between PHE excess or deficiency during pregnancy and the occurrence of IUGR, we selected pregnancies (Fig. 1) for which we had birth measurements and an extended PHE rates followed up to one month before delivery. Once these 55 “well documented” pregnancies identified, we calculated the quartiles (Q25, Q50, and Q75) for both I.E-3 and I.D-3 indexes. Then we divided pregnancies into four classes according to the quartiles for I.E-3 (time spent above 300 μmol/L) and I.D-3 (time spent under 120 μmol/L) (Table 1): – Class 1: pregnancies with a high I.E-3 (IE3>Q75) and high I.D-3 (ID3>Q7 5) (both PHE excess and deficiency) – Class 2: pregnancies with a high I.E-3 (IE3>Q75) but not I.D-3 (ID3≤Q75) (PHE excess) – Class 3: non-high IE3 (IE3≤Q75) but high ID3 (ID3> Q75) (PHE deficiency) – Class 4: pregnancies with non-high I.E-3 (IE3≤Q75) and non-high I.D-3 (ID3≤Q75) (well maintained PHE level; reference pregnancies). J Inherit Metab Dis Statistical analysis Means/median were expressed±1 standard deviation (SD) or with range [minimum-maximum]. Fisher’s exact or Khi² tests were used to compare frequencies between groups. Group means/median were compared by using Wilcoxon, Mann Whitney tests or by Student’st-test, when appropriate. Correlations between different data were investigated using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS® software package. A p-value ≤0.05 was considered as significant. Results Cohort description 1. PKU mothers profile From January 2002 to December 2007, data from 115 pregnancies in 86 women with PKU were collected. Sixty four (79 %) had a classical PKU, 14 (17 %) a mild PKU and three (4 %) a non-PKU HPA. The phenotype was unknown for five women. Mean weight, height and body mass index (BMI) were not different from the French general population (Charles et al 2009): respectively 59±11 kg, 160.5±5.5 cm and 23±4 kg/m². The birth weight of the offspring was not correlated to the mother’s BMI. Ninety one percent of women with PKU had been informed of the risk of maternal PKU (69/76). Data were not available for ten women. The educational level of mothers with PKU was not different from the general population (INSEE 2007). No pregnancy was reported in patients lost to follow-up, undiagnosed before pregnancy or in teenage girls (mean age 28 years [18.8-39.1]). 2. Pregnancy outcome From 2002 to 2007, 115 pregnancies led to the birth of 91 newborns (Fig. 1). When documented birth measurements were compared to Usher and McLean’s data (Usher and McLean 1969); results showed a low birth weight (≤ −2 SD) in 17 % of the newborns, a low birth length (≤ −2 SD) in 40 % and a microcephaly (≤ −2 SD) in 37 %. According to the International Small for Gestational Age Advisory Board Consensus Development Conference Statement (birth 2002-2007 Maternal PKU 115 pregnancies 91 newborns Elective abortion n = 8 Therapeutic abortion n = 5 Spontaneous abortion n = 5 Intra Uterine Fetal death n = 1 Unknown outcome n = 5 New borns with birth measurements n = 86 Birth weight – 2 SD n = 15/86 Birth length – 2 SD n = 29/72 Microcephaly n = 23/62 IUGR n = 34/75 Birth measurements and PHE monitoring n = 55 Class 1 n = 4 Class 2 n = 18 Class 3 n = 14 Class 4 n = 19 ≤ ≤ Fig. 1 Maternal PKU: Pregnancy outcome in France from 2002 to 2007 and screening process for IUGR/no IUGR comparison. a Four were imputable to maternal PKU and one to congenital toxoplasmosis. b corpus callosum agenesis. c number of cases/ number of documented patients. Class 1, 2, 3 and 4 are explicited in Table 1 Table 1 distribution of patients according to their indices of PHE excess or deficiency and by IUGR I.Excess-3 I.Deficiency-3 IUGR Total Classes 0 1 1 : high IE3 0 (0 %) 4 (100 %) 4 high ID3 2 : high IE3 8 (44 %) 10 (66 %) 18 non high ID3 3: non high IE3 8 (57 %) 6 (43 %) 14 high ID3 4 : non high IE3 17 (89 %) 2 (11 %) 19 non high ID3 Total 33 22 55 IUGR is expressed in number of newborns with birth measurement corresponding to IUGR J Inherit Metab Dis length and/or weight ≤ −2 SD) (Lee et al 2003), 45 % of newborns (n034/75) had an IUGR. This incidence was the same (46 %, n012/26) for the “well controlled” (PHE levels during pregnancy < 300 μmol/L) pregnancies. The main feature of the IUGR was a low birth length (mean −2.7 SD), present in 29 cases out of 34. Only one third of them had an associated low birth weight and two third a microcephaly. To study the correlation between maternal weight gain and the occurrence of IUGR, we calculated the ratio “weight gain during pregnancy/ideal weight gain during pregnancy” by prepregnancy BMI (Carmichael et al 1997; Institute of Medicine (US) and National Research Council (US) Committee to Reexamine IOM Pregnancy Weight Guidelines 2009) and compared this ratio between pregnancies with IUGR (ratio00.71) and pregnancies without (ratio00.72). This difference was not statistically significant. We also compared this ratio between pregnancies with Phe deficiency (class 3) (ratio00.64) and reference pregnancies (class 4) (ratio00.85). This difference was not statistically significant. Two cases of CHD were reported and led to a therapeutic abortion. The corpus callosum agenesis reported in one patient is not a common feature of PKU embryopathy and might be independent of maternal PKU. 3. Dietary monitoring At the first follow-up visit with the intention for pregnancy, 73 % women did not follow any diet, 13.5 % had a mild diet (no diet but controlled PHE intake) and 13.5 % followed a strict diet (data available for 105 pregnancies). A pre-conception diet was started in 88 % of documented pregnancies (n078/89) and a well maintained PHE level (120<[PHE]<300 μmol/L) was obtained in 75 % of documented pregnancies (n065/87). The median delay to normalize the maternal blood PHE after the diet onset was 28 days. It was not significantly correlated to mother’s educational level. The maternal median PHE intake at the diet onset was 350 mg/d [180–2400] and increased from the fourth month of pregnancy. From the first to the ninth month of pregnancy, median protein intake increased from 60 to 70 g/d and energy intake from 2000 from 2500 kcal/d. Protein intake was close to the recommended level for French pregnant woman (110 % in average) (Abadie et al 2001). 4. Blood PHE levels PHE concentrations were measured once or twice a week before conception and during pregnancy. Target range was 120–300 μmol/L. Using the same thresholds as the Maternal Phenylketonuria Collaborative Study (Rouse et al 1997), mean PHE during pregnancy was less than 360 μmol/L in 83 % of pregnancies, between 361 and 600 μmol/L in 10 %, between 601 and 900 μmol/L in 3.5 % and more than 900 μmol/L in 3.5 %. To assess the control of HPA, three indexes were calculated: the mean of PHE excess (IE-2) and the time spent above 300 μmol.L-1/time of follow-up (IE-3) were well correlated to the AUC with a baseline at 300 μmol/L (IE-1): r00.98; [0.96 to 0.99] and r00.97; [0.95 to 0.98] respectively. Likewise three indexes looking for a PHE deficiency were calculated; the mean of PHE deficiency (ID-2) and the time spent under 120 μmol.L-1/time of follow-up (ID-3) were well correlated to AAC with a baseline at 120 μmol/L (ID-1): r00.99; [ 0.98 to 1] and r00.96; [0.94 to 0.98] respectively. 5. Biological monitoring Guidelines recommended assessing blood nutritional parameters before conception and at each trimester of pregnancy. Most of them were in the normal ranges (Table 2). Carnitine was low but remained stable. Among Table 2 Follow-up of plasma nutritional parameters at the three trimesters (T1, T2, T3) of pregnancy in a group of PKU women; results are mean of 20 to 49 measurements depending on parameters T1 T2 T3 p Reference intervals Carnitine (μmol/L) 27.4 24.5 27.9 NS 33.8 – 77.5* Protein (g/L) 72.8 68.8 65.5 < 0.001 65 – 75 Serum alkaline phosphatase (UI/L) 55.4 66 103 < 0.001 30 – 100 Haemoglobin (g/dL) 12.3 11.7 11.3 < 0.001 > 10.6 * Iron (μmol/L) 27.9 29.7 28.3 NS 9 – 29* Ferritin (μg/L) 60.3 45.4 20.3 < 0.001 15 * Vitamin A (μmol/L) 0.89 0.76 0.58 NS 0.35 – 1.75 Vitamin E (μmol/L) 311 404 462 < 0.001 186-372 Vitamin B 12 (pmol/L) 300 262 215 < 0.001 111 – 295 Vitamin D (nmol/L) 69 83 99 < 0.05 37 – 100 Folate (nmol/L) 40 46 40 NS 0.90 – 45 Calcium (mmol/ L) 2.35 2.28 2.29 0.002 2.25 – 2.5 Phosphorus (mmol/L) 1.14 1.07 1.14 NS 0.8 – 1.35 Zinc (μmol/L) 13.2 10.3 10.4 < 0.001 9.2 – 20 Copper (μmol/L) 21.2 26.9 30.7 < 0.001 11 – 31 Magnesium (mmol/L) 0.83 0.8 0.79 NS 0.75 – 1 Selenium (μmol/L) 0.77 0.74 0.74 NS 0.76 – 1.52 Cholesterol (mmol/L) 3.67 4.55 5.59 < 0.05 6.7±0.79 * Triglyceride (mmol/L) 0.91 1.58 1.81 < 0.01 3.4±0.7* T1: first trimester of pregnancy. T2: second trimester of pregnancy. T3: third trimester of pregnancy. Reference intervals for normal adults (SI Units and Conversion Factors (available from: http://www.hhsc.ca/ body.cfm?id01571. Accessed 12/11/2010)) or for women at third trimester of pregnancy* (Cho and Cha 2005; Dubucquoi et al 2005) J Inherit Metab Dis the trace elements, only selenium was slightly low. Ferritin and haemoglobin decreased significantly but remained within the normal range for pregnant women. Physiological hemodilution in the second part of pregnancy may explain some of the decrease of biological parameters. IUGR vs. no IUGR comparison 1. Dietary monitoring To explain IURG incidence, we compared dietary intake between pregnancies with IUGR and pregnancies without. Protein and energy intake were not statistically different between these two populations. Likewise energy and protein intake, we compared amino acid intake between the two populations. There was not a significant difference between the 2 groups. Median PHE intake was lower in the IUGR group from the fifth to the eighth month of pregnancy whereas it was similar during the first half of pregnancy (Fig. 2). Birth length was significantly correlated to PHE intake from the fifth to the eight month (p≤0.05). Weight and head circumference were significantly correlated with the PHE intake from the sixth to the ninth month (p≤0.05). 2. Blood PHE levels a. Control of PHE and IUGR In regard with our target range (120–300 μmol/L) and after selection of “well documented” pregnancies (n055), an IUGR was identified in 42 % (n012/26) of pregnancies for which the rates of PHE during pregnancy were<300 μmol/L. b. Control of PHE excess Birth length, weight and head circumference were inversely correlated with mean PHE excess (> 300 μmol/L) during pregnancy (respectively R0−0.35; p00.006, R0−0.33; p00.004 and R0−0.3; p00.04). Comparing the frequency of IUGR between class 2 (PHE excess) and class 4 (good PHE control) (Table 1), there were significantly more IUGR in the group which spent more time above 300 μmol/L (class 2) (p00.005). c. Control of PHE deficiency Comparing the frequency of IUGR between class 3 (PHE deficiency) and class 4 (well maintained PHE level) (Table 1), there were significantly more IUGR in the group which spent more time below 120 μmol/L (class 3) (p00.04). There was no correlation between indexes of PHE deficiency and the studied birth parameters. Discussion Guideline compliance was not observed in all pregnancies, thus our results must be interpreted with caution. However, it gives a nationwide picture of maternal PKU management during 6 years. Compared to the former study dealing with maternal PKU in France before 2001 (Feillet et al 2004), the main improvements are: a better information of the patients (91 % versus 63 %), a higher pre-conception diet (88 % versus 42 %) and less cardiac malformations of offspring (0.8 % versus 5.2 %). The latter may be due to the dietary balance achieved before conception (Levy et al 2001; Maillot et al 2008). Early onset of low PHE diet is one of the major factors of foetal prognosis. Information of PKU young girls and women is all the more crucial that they use contraception less often than general female population (Waisbren et al 1995). No pregnancy was reported in patients undiagnosed with PKU before pregnancy. Nevertheless, awareness on maternal PKU related complications needs to be raised among the related health care specialists. We would like to stress that the French neonatal screening program did not start before the 1970s. The most striking data was the high proportion of IUGR (45 %), mainly with regard to the birth length. This confirms on a large scale, the report of IUGR with normal psychomotor development after a good monitoring during pregnancy in the former French study (Feillet et al 2004). The Maternal Phenylketonuria International Study and the report from the United Kingdom Registry showed that normal maternal blood PHE during pregnancy was associated with better birth parameters (length, weight and head circumference) (Koch et al 2003; Lee et al 2005). However, in Koch et al study, birth weight among the offspring of non-PKU HPA mothers on diet has been reported to be lower than that of the untreated group (Koch et al 2000). These results suggest that the maternal blood PHE is not the only risk factor for IUGR; other maternal nutritional 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 123456789 months of pregnancy median PHE mg/day with IUGR without IUGR total Fig. 2 Median PHE intakes (mg/day) during pregnancy in the total group (♦), group with IUGR (●) and group without IUGR (▲). Stars indicate when median Phe intakes are significantly different between pregnancies with IUGR and pregnancies without IUGR J Inherit Metab Dis parameters might be involved when PHE levels are well maintained. Comparison with literature is not easy because definitions of IUGR and reference data are not universal. The Maternal Phenylketonuria Collaborative Study (MPKUCS) reported no cases of IUGR in the best controlled group (PHE<360 μmol/L) and only less than 30 % in the group with the highest mean levels of maternal PHE (> 900 μmol/L) (Rouse et al 1997). In our study, a good control of mean PHE level was achieved due to a PHE level, lower than 360 μmol/L in 83 % of the pregnancies. Birth length, weight and head circumference were inversely correlated to indexes of maternal HPA which is known to be an important risk factor for “maternal PKU embryopathy syndrome”. However an IUGR was found in 46 % of our “well controlled” pregnancies (mean PHE <300 μmol/L). Different references for birth anthropometry [Niklasson in MPKUCS (Niklasson et al 1991) and Usher McLean (Usher and McLean 1969) in our study] cannot explain such a discrepancy. Several arguments support the hypothesis that a PHE deficiency could result in an IUGR. Firstly, IUGR could be due to a lower PHE intake during the second part of pregnancy even though we can not exclude that it could also be due to a more severe PKU with lower PHE tolerance. Secondly, birth measurements are positively correlated with the PHE intake during the second part of the pregnancy. And finally, a longer time spent below 120 μmol/l during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of IUGR. Moreover, this hypothesis is supported by data in animals (Bhasin et al 2009). Bhasin et al showed that a low-protein diet reduces circulating essential amino acids and leads to intrauterine growth restriction. Therefore, it seems important to maintain essential amino acids, including phenylalanine, at adequate levels during pregnancy. The term “PHE deficiency” must be used with caution. Even though our reported Phe plasma concentrations are below the thresholds (120 μmol/L) recommended by different authors, they are not abnormally low compared to normal plasma PHE levels in adults (Hagenfeldt et al 1984). To date, there is no consensus on using lower (60 to 120 μmol/L) and higher (180 to 360 μmol/L) Phe thresholds tolerated during pregnancy. In our study, we used the threshold 120–300 μmol/L used for the first French study by Feillet et al (Feillet et al 2004) in order to compare different results between the two studies, in particular for pregnancies outcome. The lower threshold was not really different from the other studies. Even though English guidelines recommended 60 μmol/L (Report of Medical Research Council Working Party on Phenylketonuria 1993), most English published studies used the threshold of 100 μmol/L (Maillot et al 2008). Moreover, the threshold used by the Maternal Phenylketonuira Collaborative Study (MPKUCS) was also 120 μmol/L. Data on Tyrosine supplementation were insufficient to be analyzed. Even, PKU might result in Tyrosine deficiency which becomes an essential amino acid in this disease, there is no clinical consensus on Tyrosine supplementation in PKU patients (Webster and Wildgoose 2010) and guidelines remain controversial in regard with maternal PKU (Rohr et al 1998; Van Spronsen et al 2001). Meanwhile, fasting perhaps post prandial plasma Tyrosine could be measured during pregnancy to guide the potential use of a supplementation, preventing both Tyrosine excess and deficiency as has been suggested in PKU patients by Van Spronsen (Van Spronsen et al 1996). However, the observation of IUGR in several pregnancies without HPA or other conventional causes of IUGR suggest a multifactorial mechanism. Even though we can not definitely prove that PHE levels lower than 120 μmol/L are responsible for IUGR, management of maternal PKU should not only be focused on HPA prevention but also on PHE deficiency, especially in the second and third trimesters. IUGR is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension, thus it should be a major concern in maternal PKU management (Godfrey and Barker 2000). Even though no other risk factors could be demonstrated here, dietary parameters may be associated with IUGR risk. Following specific diet recommendations for PHE and Tyrosine intakes may prevent dietary deficiencies responsible for IUGR. Furthermore, for a better understanding of the correlation of PKU pregnancy outcomes with PKU pregnancy conditions, we suggest a thorough follow-up of the PKU offspring. Acknowledgments We would like to thank all the doctors for their involvement in this French maternal PKU study: Angers (Dr Berthelot), Bordeaux (Dr Barat), Lille (Dr Dobbelaere, Dr Mention), Lyon (Dr Dubreuil, Dr Fouilhoux, Dr Guffon), Marseille (Dr Cano, Dr Maurin), Nancy (Dr Feillet), Paris (Dr Abadie, Dr Bilette de Villemeur, Dr De Lonlay, Dr Narcy, Dr Ogier, Dr Touati), Rennes (Dr Journel, Dr Odent, Dr Pasquier), Rouen (Dr Dumesnil), Saint-Étienne (Dr Gay), Toulouse (Dr Coustols-Valat); and the«French Association for the Diagnosis and Prevention of Child Handicap» for his support. We are indebted to the dietician. We also thank Brest University Hospital’s Medical Writer (Zarrin Alavi, MSc). Conflict of interest None.

Levels, Managing the diet, MPKU Journey!

Tyrosine and why we need it.

What is Tyrosine?

In anyone who does not have PKU. Phenylalanine is broken down by the enzyme we don’t have and is converted to Tyrosine. Tyrosine is an amino acid. Tyrosine or 4-hydroxyphenylalanine, is one of the 22 amino acids that are used by cells to synthesize proteins. It is a non-essential amino acid ( Source Wikapedia) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrosine.

Tyrosine is incorporated into all proteins and is a precursor of thyroxine, melanin, and the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine.. ( source : The American Journal of Nutrition)

Tyrosine is found in foods with high amounts of Phenylalanine such as meat, dairy, seeds, soy , beans, avocados, and bananas.

As someone with PKU I do not produce tyrosine .

What does Tyrosine do?

A number of studies have found tyrosine to be useful during conditions of stress, cold, fatigue, prolonged work and sleep deprivation, with reductions in stress hormone levels  and improvements in cognitive and physical performance .  ( Source Wikapedia)

Tyrosine and Maternal PKU

Occasionally in pregnant women with PKU , tyrosine is added to formula for growth and development of the fetus. Having PKU limits the amount of tyrosine in my body and We do not get enough from our formula and low protein diet to accommodate pregnancy. If you have PKU and are not pregnant you do not need to supplement.  For PKU pregnancy Tyrosine is recommended to be between 33 and 61 in the second trimester.

Tyrosine levels fluctuate during the day and fasting vs non fasting that is why there is a range.  During the first trimester I did not require supplementation.  Now as I progress through 2nd trimester I am having to add tyrosine powder to my formula.  I started off with 5 grams daily divided up between the day. Then my levels dropped again. My clinic does not make the decision to change my tyrosine supplementation or phe tolerance based on one level so we wait to see one or 2 more before increasing. I am now up to 8 grams of tyrosine a day and my last phe level was 2.7 and tyrosine 47. Both perfectly in range.  We expect to increase my phe and tyrosine dosage again soon. Specially in 3rd trimester.

Low tyrosine and low blood phe levels can cause slow growth or growth retardation, So Raising tyrosine concentrations in blood may increase the amount of tyrosine and decrease the amount of phenylalanine transported across the blood-brain barrier. So this is beneficial to the PKU brain and developing baby.

Essentially, because I don’t have enough Tyrosine in my body due to my PKU, neither does the baby. The baby needs the tyrosine to grow. I cannot provide it from the foods I eat.  Though I get enough for myself in my formula. I need extra to sustain a growing fetus.  Tyrosine crossed the placenta at a high rate then what is used and needed in my body. So when my blood phe levels are tested we are also looking at tyrosine to monitor levels and insure its not to low or not to high. High tyrosine levels can also be toxic.

Side effects of high levels of Tyrosine is not yet well known.

I am currently researching this topic and have sent a request to my clinic to further provide education and information for you. I hope this post has been helpful and I hope to expand on it again in the near future.

MPKU Journey!

Baby’s First Photos, Anatomy scan & Echo, New Due date and pregnancy update.

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Yesterday we were blessed with the first glimpse of our beautiful baby!  We had our anatomy scan and echo at BC Children’s women’s hospital at the high risk pregnancy clinic.  It feels so very real now.  Our ultrasound was at 11 am.  The technician was very detailed and walked us through the scan. They had a big TV in the room so cole and I could watch. It was the black and white 2d scan. We saw babys spine, hands , fingers, toes, legs. We watched them measure the belly, the femur and humerus. They took photos of the brain and heart. We heard the heartbeat again. This time it was 141 bpm. The lowest it has been. its been 155 pretty steady.  We saw baby move, wave and suck it hands.  it was a little bit creepy and looked like an Alien, all skeletal.  The Technician asked us if we wanted to find out the gender, We told her know, and i asked her if she already knew.  . She said she did not and was about to try to look but she would now avoid that area for us. So she did not check. When we filled out the form at the beginning it asked if we wanted the gender reported to our medical team and we chose not too.

She took photos of all the organs they could see including the kidneys and lungs and brain. After the technician took all the images she needed they called in the cardiologist to perform the Echo. The cardiologist surprised us and turned on the 3d scan! I was blown away and my heart instantly melted. I was finally seeing my baby. Not just a skeleton, but little ears, eyes, hands, everything. So detailed. The image turned right on over baby’s face. I could not believe that this was the little face that in a few months i will be cuddling and kissing. It all of a sudden was very real. The 3D images are incredible. Our baby is so cute! I just kept staring at that little nose.  The cardiologist said ” aww look at him, he is adorable”  she said she did not actually know it was a boy , she just doesn’t like to call baby an “it” She assured us she really did not know what baby was but in my heart I do think baby is a boy. That has been my instinct since day 1.

The cardiologist let us watch for a little bit.  We watched baby grab its hands, suck on its hands. Wave and move around.  She told us everything looks wonderful and right on track. Baby’s heart is actually no bigger than a thumbnail right now but everything is there and in the right spot.  No deformities, no abnormalities. all 4 chambers and beating strong.  The brain is developing right on track.  Everything is right on track.  She printed out the photos for us and told us how happy they are with the way things are progressing.

We finished up with the scan and then we went to lunch . We met with my childhood dietitian Alette. Who I love and adore. I was excited to show her baby’s photos and catch up. We met at second cup in the hospital lobby. Walking through those halls and meeting with her sure brought back memories. Good and bad.  Alette saved my life. I don’t know who I would be without her guidance and intervention in my life when I needed her most.  I didn’t really understand the impact she had until I was much older. It was a brief meet up as we had to run to meet the maternal fetal medicine specialist right after lunch.

Our MFM doctor is a lovely lady she seems very nice. I am very lucky that all the member of my team seem very kind. I have lucked out with my OBGYN and midwife and feel very comfortable with all the members of my team and confident my baby is getting the best care. Our MFM did give me a bit of a scare and me emotions got a best of me and I cried. It turns out my dates are a few days off. I am actually Due February 25th and I am 21 weeks tomorrow. I had me at 21 weeks 3 days today. So when she made the calculations to see how along I was when I got my levels down. Her app made an error and told her i was 9 weeks . This is where I freaked out , as I have always been told if we didn’t get my levels down before 6 weeks the baby could have damage. Cole and I knew that had to be wrong and I cried. We re did the math and we did get the levels down before 5 weeks . So I was very relieved. The MFM recommended we do another scan at 32 weeks as currently the brain is flat, which it is suppose to be. The brain is constantly developing and changing and developing the cavities and crevices we are familiar with, even way after birth so another scan at 32 weeks would just show us that it’s continuing to develop correctly. I shouldn’t need any more scans than that , unless it would help me psychologically I can request one at 26 weeks so it’s not as long as in between as these last 2 where.

The reason my dates where off, as when I had our dating ultrasound baby was less than 7 weeks along and they cannot accurately date baby’s development.  This is the scan and how many weeks they can accurately measure.

After our MFM appt , we had our 2nd trimester PKU appt. With a surprise visit with Oliver at the clinic. I am always happy to see Oliver! So that was an extra added bonus.

After our appt started I had my vitals taken by the nurse, my blood pressure has greatly improved and was 130/ 80 and pulse 84. I am 158.5 cm tall, or 5 ft 2 3/4  lol.  My weight has not changed. I lost 10 lbs prior to getting pregnant and another 9 in the first trimester and I am starting to go back up I have only gone up 4 lbs from my lowest weight at the end of 1st trimester .

Then we saw Dr . Sirrs who was very happy. She said normally she has to come in and ” kick butt” but no but kicking needed with me! We talked abit about post pregnancy care and making sure I am maintaining my levels while breastfeeding and after the birth , during sleep deprivation and staying healthy.  I was given some samples of pre made formulas that don’t require me to mix, Incase I wanted to take some from when I am in the hospital and for ease after when we are home. She recommended having pre made foods and dishes and asked cole to help me prepare a stock so I don’t need to worry about meal prep and cooking after.

Next was Jen so we could go over my levels and blood work with me and we chatted.

My last level from October 8th was 1.8 so hopefully my tolerance will start going up. My tyrosine levels are fluctuating which is normal in pregnancy.So my dose that I add to my formula has been adjusted to 8 grams a day.  I am having 5 bettermilk now, 2 in the morning with 4 grams tyrsoine, 1 bettermilk in the afternoon with 2 scoops amino acid blend, then 2 bettermilk in the afternoon and another 4 grams tyrosine.

I am still doing blood PHE levels 3 days a week, unless i am working at nights then I do them twice weekly. My second trimester blood work from October 5th came back . My Albumin Lipids are 34. range is 35 to 50.

My Cholesterol levels are 4.47 . Range is under 5.20

Triglyceride is a bit elevated as it usually always is. Mine are 2.02 , range is under 1.70

my HDL is 1.55 . Range is lower than 1.70

My LDL is 1.99 . Range is above 1.336

Chol/ HDL Ratio is 2.88 and Chol ( Non HDL) is 2.92 also both  right in range.

My Ferritin levels are at 21. So finally in range. A year ago it was trace. Unreadable, then it went to 5, and then 15 and now 21 so it is slowly improving .  Iron Deficiency is under 15. I am continuing with iron supplements.

White blood cells is 9.9  . Range is 3.1 to 9.7

Red Blood cells is 4.2 . Range is 3.7 to 5.0

Hemoglobin is 131 . Range is 118-151

Hemocratrit is 0.40 . Range is 0.33 to 0.45

MCV is 95.2 Range is 84.0 to 98.0

MCH 31.5  Range is 28.3 to 33.5

MCHC is 331 Range is 329 to 352

RDW is 13.1 Range is 12.0 to 15

Platelets is 251 . Range is 147- 375

Neutrophils is 6.7 so a bit high. Range is 1.2 to 6.0

Lymphocytes is 2.5 Range is 0.6 to 3.1

Monocytes is 0.6 Range is 0.1 to 0.9

Eosinophils is 0.1 and Range is 0.0 to 0.5

Basophils is 0.1 and Range is 0.0 to 0.2

All in all  , Everything is great. I am measuring right on target.  This is feeling more and more real now. Specially since I have been feeling baby move since the beginning of October now. Baby is more active at night.

After all our appointments we ended the day by stopping in to visit my dear friend Claudia and I was able to make dinner at her place so I didn’t need to be hungry or stop and eat something along the way. We had a lovely visit . Claudia always makes me smile and laugh. She is a bright light!

Mentally I am doing so much better. These appointments helped reassure me and answered all my questions and elevated my fears.  Physically I am in so much pain in my back.  I am having trouble sleeping and getting comfortable . My back is in agony. It is hard to do much and walk or be on my feet for too long.  The car ride to and from coast was excruciating and I was so glad to get home last night and sleep in my own bed.  it was a very long day, but exciting and I can’t wait to meet our little boy or girl in february!! I know all my hard work is paying off and how truly blessed we are!

Thank you again to everyone who has been following our journey and taking the time to read these very long posts!  I hope our MPKU journey inspires you all and you never give up on your dreams, as dreams are wishes that the heart makes!

Happy reading and have a wonderful week!

MPKU Journey!

18 week midwife appointment and PKU pregnancy update.

Today we had our 18 week midwife appt. I am 18 weeks 4 days pregnant today.  Our baby had a heart beat of 155 again this week. It has been steady at 155 for a few weeks now.

We had a great appointment and I had a lot of questions and we recieved alot of information.

We talked about my latest tests. My genetic screens for down syndrome came back at 1 in 14000 and chances of trisomy’s was 1 in 1000 so very low.

We talked about my back injury and what is safe for pain comfort right now. I saw my doctor yesterday regarding a work injury to my back and my muscle pain. He prescribed flexeril a muscle relaxant but i am reluctant to take it as it would sedate the baby. But my midwife says that as long as its once in a while and not leading up to the birth it is safe so its up to my choice. I am going to try not to take it for as long as i can manage.

We also talked about the safety of this years flu shot. I have very mixed emotions. I feel that even though it has been given to pregnant women for years now and is deemed by safe canada i am reluctant do the fact that there is not enough research on later in life to babies who had it in utero. My midwife understands and her concerns are the amount of mercury. However as a fellow health care worker she understands that we are mandated to have a flu vaccine or wear a mask for our whole shifts, every shift for the duration of the cold and flu season. So ultimately it will depend on how long i will be able to continue to work. If I am only going to be there till november i may just wear a mask. But then i need to think about what the risks are if I actually get the flu. How it would effect my PHE levels and that would danger my baby. So after thinking about that I am leaning towards taking the shot.

We talked about my wishes regarding birth and finding out the gender. Originally I really wanted to know or atleast have it written down for a few select people who keep asking for it. But after thinking about it long and hard and talking it over with cole and with my medical team I am not ok with anyone knowing what my baby is before cole or I. So then I talked about what would happen if I end up sedated or have am emergency c section. I don’t want anyone waiting at the hospital in the waiting rooms as if I don’t wake up for a few hours I don’t want people seeing my baby or knowing the gender before me. Other than COle and the medical professionals I don’t want anyone holding my baby before me. I want to give birth naturally with pain measures for my disk injury. I want to be awake. I want skin to skin contact and be able to start breastfeeding right away. I worry because any time I have been put under it can take me up to 8 hours before I wake up. This would be an awful situation for me as I believe in skin to skin and starting bonding. So when the time comes I dont even want anyone to know we are at the hospital till its almost time. And I DO NOT want it announced on my facebook before I post it! If someone heard and posted a premature congratulations on my fb i would be so pissed. I want the experience to be private and intimate for Cole and I .

I always need to have a plan in place even if it is a tentative plan or an outline. I have made my wishes clear to my midwife and cole agrees with me too. So I feel a lot more comforted now. Now i am just nervous to tell everyone who has been bugging me to have the gender written down.

We also discussed cord banking or donation. I don’t have enough information to make a decision or understand enough about it so I have asked for more information. I am on the fence because I know it could help children with leukemia and I know a few little girls who are currently battling childhood cancers so if it could help them or benefit children and help them that I want to know more. If there is no proven benefits or reasons to then i might not.

We both agreed we want to take prenatal classes and I plan on going back to pre natal yoga in october. All my blood work is coming back great and my blood phe levels are great.

My dietician has ordered amino acid blend mix to add to my formula so I can go back to 5 bettermilk . the 6 is causing me to be constipated. My tolerance should start going up soon too and will have to also increase my calories again. My diet and weight are being closely monitored to help lessen the risk of gestational diabetes.

Next week my midwife center is hosting its montly meet up for new parents and I think i might go. It would be nice to meet other women who are currently pregnant as well.

I should start feeling baby soon too. Between now and 21 weeks is when fetal movement is expected to be noticeable. If my placenta is in the front it could take longer. I haven’t felt anything yet but am looking forward to it. It would be very reassuring instead of waiting for each appointment to hear the heart beat.

So that is our update for this appointment. 2nd trimester PKU blood profile October 5th,

Anatomy scan and echo  , with fetal specialist and 2nd PKU clinic visit october 13th

OBGYN appt October 15th

Next Mid wife appt October 20th.

Thank you for following along on our maternal journey so far! Will update again soon :)

MPKU Journey!

Pregnancy Blood PHE Levels.

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Thought it would be neat to see a list of all my blood levels since I got pregnant. I find it comforting and it reminds me that I am doing my very best.

I was not on pre conception diet prior to becoming pregnant so I have a bit of guilt over that. Next time ( if there is a next time) I will rectify that.

Here in BC the range for pregnancy is 2 mg/dl to 6 mg/dl but Cole and I agreed I would try my best to keep them under 4 .

according to my dating ultrasound back in July we conceived June 2nd. I did not find out untill June 17th.  I called my clinic immediately and we began working to get my levels down asap.

Here is how we did :

June 4th : 9.4

June 13th: 11.5

June 17th (the day we found out)  : 10.7

June 20th:  9.0

June 22nd:  7.2

June 25th: 4.82

June 29th:  1.7

July 5th: 2

July 7th: 1.8

July 10th: 2

July 15th: 1.7

July 16th : 4.4

July 18th : 5.2

July 21st: 6.7

July 24th : 5.8

July 27th: 5.19     

July 29th: 4.5

July 31:  5.2

August 3rd: 6.3

Aug 5th:  6.8

August 8th: 5.2

August 10th: 5.4

August 12th: 4.5

August 17th: 2.5

August 20th : 3.4

August 24th : 2.2

August 27th: 2.8

September 1st: 3.2

September 5th : 2.3

September 7th: 2.8

September 9th : 2.3

September 15th: 2.4

September 16th: 3.2

September 18th: 2.7

September 22nd : 2.9

 

 

Latest blood PHE test I did this morning. It took me 5 days to bring my levels down into safe range for myself and baby. I was very lucky to catch it so early!!

As you can see my highest level so far ( after finding out I was pregnant and after dropping them down into range) is 6.8

The few days after finding out I was pregnant when they where over 4 is because I was having trouble getting enough calories in. My appetite has been poor and my portions have been very small. So even though I am bang on with my phe intake my calories where a little low. So we started adding apple juice and mr freeze jumbo freezies to get my calories up. I also could not tolerate any low protein food untll lately. I was so nauseated but not vomiting to much. Just food had no taste and just felt heavy and like glue. It would take me an hour to eat a meal and get it all down. I had to eat really slow. But as of second trimester its getting easier to eat and my appetite is better.

I am only nauseated now when I am hungry or tried, in the car , any motion or strong smells make me gag. I have been having alot of headaches and I am having trouble sleeping. Specially now that I have strained my back.  I tend to always want to sleep on my back when it hurts this much. I have always mostly slept on my left side anyways but now i keep waking up on my back. I have also had a few issues with low blood pressure which made me feel very dizzy and nauseated but its doing better this week.

We have a mid wife appt today at 2 pm. Looking forward to hearing baby’s heart beat again. It is a bit stressful between appts since its hard to know what is going on! I worry about baby growing and developing properly and is baby gaining weight? cause I am not! in fact ive lost 10 lbs since june!

I worry if they will be able to find the heart beat and if its still beating. But after I hear it again all my fears go away!

My next PKU Pregnancy blood profile is due october 5th. This will look at how I am doing with nutrition. If I am getting enough vitamins and minerals and a re check of my iron which has been low.

We have our full anatomy scan and echo on October 13th at BC Childrens and womens health hospital in vancouver , along with our appt with the fetal specialists and 2nd trimester PKU appt. Then our next OBGYN appt is October 15th.

I am still at 350 mg phe and 2150 calories but as soon as my blood phe levels drop below 1 we will start increasing my tolerance.  I am taking 6 bettermilk with 5 grams of tyrosine added to it.

So things are going well and we are happy with the progress! Will update again after our appts!

MPKU Journey!

17 weeks pregnant

2015-09-14 15.14.51 17 weeks 1 day

2015-09-15 11.56.01 today 17 weeks 2 days. i took 2 photos this week cause i liked how I looked today!

Well Sunday marked 17 weeks expecting! Over this last week I have started my night line position at work and have had some struggled with low blood pressure that made me very sick and dizzy. My blood pressure dropped to 90/55 and I could barely walk.

I have been adjusting to eating at night, sleeping during the day and doing blood dots in the evening when I wake up. I had trouble sleeping these past couple days because of my low Bp symptoms. and I just could not comfertable! I kept waking up feeling like my feet where on fire and my feet and hands where tingly. They have seemed to ease up today and now i am on days off.

I go back to work wednesday night and then thursday we have our OBGYN appt. I cant wait to hear babys heart beat again.

Our next midwife appt is the week after then we are off to Vancouver on the 13th for our Echo and Full Anatomy scan.

My beatrix potter collection is growing thanks to my family and friends. We have been given so much stuff and are so grateful for everyones support.

My levels from last week while we where in Victoria where:

Sept. 5th phe 2.3 and tyrosine 33

Sept. 7th phe 2.8 and tyrosine 36

Sept. 9th phe 2.3 and tyrosine 35

At 350 mg phe and 2150 + calories

so we are all very happy with that and hope this weeks are just as good!

Fingers crossed!

MPKU Journey!

Our special news.

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Cole and I are expecting our first baby!  I am 16 weeks + 3 days pregnant today.  We found out June 17th and it has been so hard to keep quiet! But now that we have officially announced our special news I can finally speak openly! It has been so hard to not write about anything in the past few months but I did not want to slip up lol.

Anyone who knows me , knows that I have wanted to be a mother for so very long. But now that it is real it is scary! There is just so much to think about and thinking leads to worrying. I just can’t picture holding my own baby in february! what will he or she look like? will he or she be healthy? so many things!

I was not on the preconception diet prior to conceiving.  This was not planned. I had been on birth control for 12 years. I was told it could take a very long time. A year even or longer. I have wanted to have a family for many years but life just kept getting in the way, and i always said i wanted to wait till we had more coverage for pku. so the BC low protein subsidy has really helped.  Life and years just started to blur together and life continued to happen. I was at the point that i was unsure if it was ever going to happen for us.

Cole and I have been together 10 years as of July 24th. (I was actually 9 weeks plus 5 days pregnant on our anniversary) . It use to get me so upset to watch everyone around us move forward, marriage and kids and a family.  I made the decision in May to go off birth control. The last pill I took was on the first.  just a few days before my last pill pack was done. I got my period on the 8th and was suppose to start another pack on the 14th but I talked to cole and I told him I was done. It could take years and I wanted to get my body healthy again. I wanted to get healthy and normal and natural. I stopped all my meds cold turkey. Without talking to my doctors. I went off my pain and nerve medications and even my anti depressants. I have been doing remarkably well. When I told my doctor a few weeks later he was surprised but as long as I had not hit ” the wall” by then chances are I would not have withdrawls or side effects. I was very happy to be off all meds after many many years.

I was attempting to get ready to begin the pre conception diet “just in case” .

On June 8th I went to the doctor because I still had not gotten a period after coming off the pill. My doctor laughed and said it was totally normal and could take up to 6 months to get the first one.

Then randomly I decided to take a home test on the 17th. I wanted to be careful because of my PKU. I wanted to be sure to catch a pregnancy early . My clinic told me to test weekly till I got it and then until I figured out my natural cycles.

well with in seconds it was positive and our life was changing. I was so scared to tell cole , I was not sure how he would take it.  i knew he was not ready and was not thrilled about my decision about going off the pill . But I have always been honest with him and never kept anything from him.

So I told him in tears , but he was really good about it. He has been very supportive and has come to all my appts and been very involved. I love him more every day!

Minutes after talking to him about it he went into the sunroom to let copper out, and then he called me into the sunroom. I went in and he showed me the most beautiful yellow swordtail butterfly. Everyone knows butterflies are kinda my thing. We took it as a omen. I looked it up online and in mayan it means ” the Miracle of life, and messengers from heaven” I knew my grammie sent it to me to let me know everything would be ok.

After we found the butterfly I called my family doctor to get a  blood test. My doctor was shocked to see me again and even more shocked to hear what I had to say. We did the blood test and my doctor called me the same day with the results. He predicted no more than 4 weeks.

Over the next few days there was a lot of appts, rushing around, phone calls back and forth to my medical team and to find pre natal care. We decided to keep our news quiet until we knew everything was ok. I did a blood test for my phe results and it came back at 10. I was petrified and worried sick. It took me just under a week to drop them down to 1. My clinic told me if I could get them down before 6 weeks there would be little to no chance of any side effects to the baby. Range here for MPKU is 2 to 6 but Cole and I want to keep them under 4 .

We went to my pku clinic on June 24th , 2 days before my 29th birthday. We went over everything to do with maternal PKU and what was next and what would happen next, and where we were to go from here. Also a lot of blood work!  We dropped my phe intake down to 200 mg a day till my levels came down.

After my clinic appt we came home. We were suppose to go to victoria but we had to put it off. I called my family and friends to cancel and id see them in september for a friends wedding.

We celebrated my birthday quietly at home just the 2 of us. I was under the impression that I was nearly 8 weeks pregnant but was not yet sick or felt any different. On the saturday after my birthday we went to clinton to celebrate my birthday with coles family. I happened to wake up vomiting that morning.  I need to take a bucket with me in the truck.  I read later in my books that morning sickness is suppose to start around 6 weeks,, which is exactly where I was at the time but only didn’t know it. I thought it was farther long till my dating ultrasound.

Cole’s mom made a birthday dinner and a birthday cake and I could not eat any of it. I was so restricted and dropping my phe levels down. So cole and I had to tell cole’s mom our news very early because we didn’t want her to be offended that i wasn’t eating anything she made for me.  Well she knew something was up right away and asked us what was going on.  So we told her and we all wanted to keep in quiet till we knew everything was ok and was further along. we didn’t end up telling the rest of his family till 13 weeks. After our first OBGYN appt.

The next week, my family doctor referred me to an OBGYN, he said I could not have a midwife as I was deemed high risk due to my PKU. The OBGYN had a wait list and in the mean time I still wanted a midwife. I had emailed a few places and was wanting to research and gather information about midwifery and if I could still have one with my PKU and I was waiting to hear back.

My family Doctor, who has been my doctor since I was 16, scheduled a dating ultrasound. If you went off my Last menstral cycle I should have been 8 weeks at the dating ultrasound.  Our dating ultrasound was july 3rd and I ended up being 6 weeks 5 days. What a relief! As that meant I did get my levels down before 6 weeks. In fact I got them down in the 4th week.

According to the ultrasound we conceived June 2nd. The day after Copper drank the antifreeze.  The baby had a heart beat at the ultrasound and it was 122. We could not hear it but we saw it beating away. It looked like a jumping bean! It was amazing to see and made it feel so real. I was terrified there would not be a heart beat. I kept thinking about all my friends and how many of them miscarried before 8 weeks or had no heart beat at the ultrasound. I kept thinking about how fast this all happened and how easy it was. I thought for sure we would have fertility issues or trouble conceiving and that it would take years. I was reluctant to get excited and was trying to keep my expectations low. But when I saw that heartbeat, things really changed! it was real and it was really in there!

After that things started moving pretty quickly. Morning sickness AKA all day sickness was kicking my ass hard. I was not vomiting to much but the nausea was overwhelming. Every single thing, smells, food, motion , being tired all made it worse. Food tasted like glue and I was struggling so much to eat and get my target phe intake in everyday. it would take me hours and I really had to force myself. Everything had no taste and was just thick like glue. Nothing tasted good. I was and am doing blood tests 3 days a week. I got sent home from work for vomiting and ended up not working to much during the first trimester. I battled every day to keep food down and to not vomit because i know vomitting raises levels. I have vomited maybe a handful of times, but the nausea is always there along with the urge.

I bought some pregnancy books and installed an app on my phone and created a secret mpku group on fb. It was easier to talk my pku friends then any of my family or friends since know one knew yet and I had a ton of questions.  My levels have been stable and mostly under 4 the whole time. A couple of times they spiked up to 6.5 and 6.8 cause i was not getting enough calories but I was able to bring them right back down. I never really understood the correlation between calories and phe but now I know I really need to get in a certain amount of phe and calories everyday!

My phe has been increased slowly by 50 mg intervals. I am now up at 350 but it is expected to begin to increase very soon.

I was able to see a midwife after all. I got on with Mighty oak midwifery and have a wonderful midwife named Joanna and she has been so great educating us and alleviating my fears. I have been so stressed out more then i thought i would be. In the back of my mind all of the horror stories i have heard from high levels , guilt about not being on pre conception diet. Fears and nightmares  about deformities and mental issues. Fears over telling my family and some of cole’s family members. Worried about reactions and the fact we are not married and not planning on getting married. But Joanna was great and I feel very comfortable with her. Between her and Cole and my best friend Laura , I have had alot of support since early on. Laura was the first person I told before Cole. I slowly started telling a few of my closet girl friends after our appt in vancouver but was still keeping it very quiet. We told the rest of coles family at the end of first trimester and had planned to announce to my family and friends and facebook in september when we went to victoria! Best to tell everyone in person!

We have done all our first trimester prenatal screening and blood tests. Both Prenatal and PKU blood work. my first blood panel after finding out I was pregnant was a lot! I have had blood work done my whole life and never once had a problem, but i actually vomited and fainted, they took 3 tubes of blood for lots of vials.

My iron came back low again. So I am taking supplements. I do not need a prenatal vitamin because of my formula. But I do need to take folic acid, iron and an omega 3.

Now that I am in my second trimester I am still doing blood dots 3 days a week, my calories are up to 2100 but I have lost 9 lbs since being pregnant.  I am very overweight so my medical team is not concerned.  I have had my bettermilk increased and I am adding tyrosine to my formula now too. I add 3 grams in the morning, and 2 grams tyrosine in the afternoon along with 2 scoops of mte amino acid blend for added protein.

I have a wonderful team following me very closely. I now have a OBGYN, a midwife, an fetal specialist, my PKU team, my family doctor and a counselor.  My obgyn is amazing. She is referring me to a fetal specialist for a special anatomy scan and echo because of my PKU. We are scheduled for October 13th for our scan and my next pku clinic appt. We have to be seen at the pku clinic every trimester as well as within 3 months of the baby being born.

We are due February 21st. Its odd because our scan is on my brothers birthday. which is also the anniversary of my grandmothers death. Now my baby is due on the anniversary of my beloved uncle’s death.

At our first visit with the OBGYN at 13 week we got to hear the baby’s heart beat. It was 160 I briefly had hope it could be a girl. Ever since I found out something told me its a boy. I have always wanted a girl , I have always dreamt of a girl and have girls names picked out and want a pink nursery. Well actually we are doing a beatrix potter nursery. But everything inside of me says boy. I am convinced and preparing myself for a boy.

At our midwife appt at 14 weeks the heart beat was 155. we have not heard it since and we have not seen baby since our dating ultrasound so I am very anxious for our next scan in october. I want to know baby is developing and growing properly and to really see it for the first time. Not just the little jumping bean!

Cole does not want to know the gender so I guess we wont be finding out until the baby is born. I feel like I owe him that. I hate gender neutral colours in an nursery like yellows and greens But I love beatrix potter and the forest theme, so the bunnies and trees and earthy tones will be nice.

We traveled to victoria last week , we rushed around seeing special people in person to tell them the news, like my mom , and siblings and cole’s uncle, then on sunday September 6th at 16 weeks we announced our news to the world. Now that we have gone public so many friends are already giving us stuff. I am holding off buying anything ourselves right now. Still to early. But everything I do have we have put in my office as it will be the nursery.

I figure I have a lot of time to design the room and prepare it. I might start in december.

In the meantime I am starting my new position at my job , it’s a night line though so I have some anxiety. I have limitations set by my obgyn and am worried that it will effect my job stability. I know I can do my job and I am safe to my residents. I mostly worry about how nights will effect my levels and maintaining my diet.  I hope I can work for as long as I can but have worries about my back and my disk bulges.  I have gained no weight yet but my tummy is getting bigger, my guess is from everything moving around.  I am not aloud to lift, pull, carry, or push anything over 10 lbs. I might end up on bedrest. I am hoping to be able to work till at least december. That way I have my benefits and mat leave. But again thinking to far ahead. Right now I am just taking one day at a time! And today I have 3 blood dots to drop off at the hospital and food records to email to my dietitians.

Now that I can share my MPKU journey openly, please check back often for updates! I hope reading my story and following or journey will inspire other pku women and let them though even though its hard work , its worth every minute and it can be done.

my dreams are finally coming true!

Here are a few of my bump photos!

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the most recent taken yesterday!

Well that is all for now! Thank you to anyone who has read this post completely! I look forward to sharing more about my journey in the weeks ahead!

Until next time!