Navigating Gestational Diabetes
It all begins with an idea.
Welp, this is a post I never thought I’d be writing about! When I got the call that I had gestational diabetes, I was in shock. Surely there was a mixup, right?? I was at a healthy weight, I worked out, I ate generally healthy… it just didn’t make sense. When I was pregnant with Ari, I failed the first diabetes test at 24 weeks and had to come back for the 3 hour test (10/10 don’t recommend). I did not fast for the first test and had it in the evening after a full day of eating. The second test I did in the morning with fasting and passed with flying colors. I never thought twice about. Ari was almost 9.5 pounds at birth, which should have been an indicator. Thinking back, my glucose numbers were probably higher at the tail end of my pregnancy, we just never knew it. Given Ari’s size, my doctor ordered me to take the glucose test at 12 weeks with this pregnancy. That seemed super early to me, but what do I know. I also did not fast for this one as it was not advised by my doctor (I know a lot of my friend’s doctors are very different, though). My number was 215, which was high enough that they did not order the 3 hour, but instead immediately informed me that I had GD and that we needed to start treatment.
So how did I get GD this time around? It could be several factors. First and foremost, once you have a baby at or above 9 pounds, you are automatically at risk for GD in future pregnancies (per my doctor). This is the biggest reason my care team believes I have it. Another cause could be lack of sleep. I have never been a great sleeper (as my mother loves to remind me) and insomnia is ALWAYS one of my pregnancy symptoms. I often wake up at 2AMish and just never fall back asleep. When pregnant with Ari, I was able to take a nap on my lunch break and give my body a rest. This time around, that is a mere fantasy. So I am essentially running on E at all times and not able to consume caffeine, which I love for me. Finally, my doctor mentioned that high stress could be a factor as well. I am definitely one to downplay my stress levels and tell myself I’m fine, suck it up, move on, etc. But, let’s be real. The past year of my life has been one of the most joyful, yet most stressful years. Ari is the absolute light of my life. I have an amazing husband who I love dearly, I have a great job, a beautiful home, a healthy/loving family, and the stability that at one point I questioned if I would ever have. I am SO blessed beyond words and incredibly grateful. HOWEVER- partpartum was no joke. I certainly had PPD after Ari. I cried EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. We had constant visitors, and went a whole three weeks where we didn’t have a day where people weren’t coming over. I had a rough delivery and the healing process was no joke. Let’s just say at my 6 week appointment, my doctor told me I still wasn’t 100% (I could have told her that!). My husband went back to work immediately and helped as much as he could, but it was still a lot when I could barely walk. The only person in the world you want after giving birth (outside of your husband) is your own mother, and my mom works full time so her availability was limited. So, you get the picture- the first few months I was a broken and emotional mess. Then, I got pregnant again when Ari was 4 months old. It absolutely caught us by surprise and I was freaked out to have another baby when Ari was only going to be 13ish months old, but we were still so grateful and excited. Then, the bleeding started. This went on for 2 weeks with nothing we could do as we had to just wait for the 8 week appt to see what was going on. I went into that appointment in tears, expecting the worst. To my surprise, the ultrasound looked great. They could not figure out why I was bleeding, but there was a perfectly healthy baby growing and I was brought to tears from relief. I texted everyone who knew to share the good news and was in the best mood that evening. Then, I miscarried THAT NIGHT…the week of Christmas. So, you get the picture- hormones have not been my friend this year. I gave birth, stopped nursing at 3 months, got pregnant again when Ari was 4 months, lost the baby when he was 6 months, had to go in for weekly blood draws to ensure my hormones were dropping appropriately after the miscarriage…it was a lot. To be completely honest, I still cry over that baby. I never understood miscarriages and assumed it was something that you just get over, but so far it seems I will think about that angel baby for the rest of my life. I was grateful to have work to fall back on and keep me busy, but that is always an added stressor for me as well (but I think that is for anyone). I have childcare 2 days per work, but otherwise am working full time with a baby at home with me 3 days per week. I have always figured it out and made everything work and will always tell myself that is how things will continue to be, but it is certainly something that could have added to the diagnosis.
So, how does one treat GD? First and foremost, my doctor put in an order for a glucometer. I was ordered to do 4 finger pricks per day, one first thing in the morning, and one after each meal. I was also referred over for “classes” at the hospital, one with a diabetes specialist and one with a dietician. They were able to give me a great deal of information regarding the foods to avoid and foods to eat. Based on my size, I was told I could eat 30g of carbs per meal, and 15g of carbs per snack. If my numbers did not respond well to that, we would drop those numbers. That seemed super fair to me but, when you actually start reading food labels, it really isn’t much. For example, I often have a can of Progresso Italian Wedding soup for lunch because it’s quick and easy to heat up and take back to my desk. Well, one can of soup exceeds my limit. Essentially, I was told to eat high protein foods and avoid sugars and carbs as much as possible. When I asked how many grams of sugar I could have, they told me 3g or under (lol, okay). This was NOT conducive to my pregnancy cravings at all. I also get pretty nauseous in my pregnancies, so I literally crave carbs to be able to settle my stomach. A nice piece of salmon and broccoli is NOT what I had in mind to keep me from throwing up. However, diet and exercise is the first step in trying to manage glucose numbers. The goal is to be able to control them through those methods so that we do not have to defer to insulin injections. So far, we are doing okay. My morning numbers, which are “fasting” numbers, have been the hardest ones. Otherwise, my numbers during the day have been within limit. When they are on the higher end, I try to move my body. I was advised that exercise can help bring down glucose numbers, so I will take Ari on a walk or lift weights for 15-20 mins in between calls. I think the biggest challenge is finding variety. Brown rice, non-starchy veggies, and chicken/fish are the main go-tos for meals. After a few days, it really gets old. What I have learned is that you have to get creative with how you prepare food. Here are a few of my tips and tricks so far, as a fairly uneducated resource who, quite frankly, still has no clue what she is doing:
Protein whip:
Fajitas
Tacos
Sugar free candy
Keto snacks
Thrive Market
Sugar free syrup
Blog Post Title Four
It all begins with an idea.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.