Heather’s post landed in our HIgedi group like a big, honest exhale. The kind that makes you feel less alone instantly.
And before you start reading: most of what’s below is Heather’s own wording, left intentionally unedited — emojis, caps, side comments, all of it. Because that’s the point. This is what gestational diabetes (and postpartum) can sound like in real life: messy, funny, angry, tender, and so human.
It’s a gestational diabetes story, yes — but it’s also a story about advocating for yourself when you’re not being heard, learning (the hard way) that every single body reacts differently, and making it through a birth experience that wasn’t what you hoped for… and still coming out the other side with perspective, healing, and a whole lot of love.
Julija note: If you’re newly diagnosed and reading this with that “I can’t do this” feeling in your chest — please keep going. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to keep learning your body, one meal and one day at a time.
Hi everybody!! 👋 Buckle up, this is a long read, but I hope my story helps someone!! ❤ And I hope my friends I found along the way are still here for an update!! I've been absent for a HOT minute, I had a semi-traumatic birth (not GD related!) and I muted the group for a bit until I could get over how awful everything had went, and also just soaking in all my baby snugs and preparing my other kiddos for school, but now I'm back and hopefully sticking around to help all of you out the same way I was helped and learned here because I just love this group so much even though I've graduated! 🥰 So first thing's first, hi I'm Heather! I graduated from this group on June 8th when I had my sweet little 6lb 4.5oz sugar cube, Frankie. 😍
I was diagnosed around 26 weeks with gestational diabetes and went through a whirlwind of emotions because of it. I got set up with an MFM (that I didn't care for 😭) and the sweetest nutritionist, but her advice/food suggestions didn't work for me. 🥲
So, I'm going to tell you everything I learned along the way and answer questions I still see asked regularly!
I'm going to start with, getting gestational diabetes is NOT the worst thing and it's NOT your fault! It's your placenta!! Never feel bad for being in the position you're in, it has nothing to do with your weight, how healthy you are, or what you're eating. Sometimes our bodies just say, screw it, I don't like you this round. 😭
Julija note: This is such an important reframe. Gestational diabetes is not a moral failure by any means. It’s not “you did something wrong.” It’s a pregnancy hormone/placenta situation — and you’re doing the work to keep you and baby safe.
Also, insulin is NOT the worst and being diet controlled doesn't earn you any medals (if you can do it, though, hi, I'm jealous 🥲🤣). Please do not starve yourselves for the sake of being diet controlled, those carbs are SO important!! If your body doesn't like them, definitely get the insulin! I tried to stay diet controlled for so long, and my baby ended up being considered IUGR for a hot minute after my anatomy scan.
I had to learn what carbs worked for me, and I learned that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US IS SOOOO DIFFERENT!! I was so envious of all the women who could still eat potatoes, because my body said, touch them and you'll regret it. 😭 My body HATED whole grains! I snacked a lot on flavored tuna pouches (please be careful with these as you can only have a limited amount of tuna per week!) and to add carbs, my nutritionist said to add some wheat crackers.. well, guess what.. my body said, NO THANK YOU. 😭🤣 You know what never did me dirty, though? A dang Great Value brand Hot Pocket! 🤣 Wild, right?
For some reason, when I cooked at home, I would spike worse than eating out, so I had to navigate and research a bunch of places I could eat from.. oh darn, I didn't have to cook dinner. 😉
Favorites included: Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A, Panera, Freddy's- I'll post my orders later on down because you're probably curious!
Julija note: If you're in the "why does this make no sense?" phase — welcome. It's normal. Gestational diabetes can be wildly individual, and sometimes the foods that "should" work… don't. While the random thing you'd never expect becomes your go-to safe meal.
It's why I always say: yes, general guidance helps (and it's a great starting point!) — but the only way to figure out what works for your body is to live it: eat, test, learn. Keep the main basics as your anchors — portion control (especially with carbs), pairing carbs with protein + fat + fiber (no "naked carbs"), regular eating (skipping meals can backfire), hydration, and movement if you can (even a short walk can help). And then… experiment gently. You're not trying to be perfect — you're trying to spot patterns. And patterns only show up when you give yourself permission to test things, adjust, and try again.
When I first started this journey, I did.. okay-ish, navigating this new world and diet was definitely scary, and my MFM was zero help. She literally pegged me for a huge carb eater just because I'm a chonky lady. It was irritating! I did get a prescription for a Dexcom, and she didn't even know how to get the info off my Dexcom on our first visit, even though my nutritionist had no issues. Annoying. The whole thing. That woman had 0 reviews after claiming she's been doing it the past 25 years. If she saw my Dexcom, she maybe wouldn't have judged me so harshly seeing as my nutritionist just prior was super proud of me and how well I caught onto things! This wasn't my first diet counting things, just my first diet counting carbs! I caught on quick!
PLEASE advocate for yourselves if your MFM is a potato with a license!! I had to practically BEG for insulin to be able to eat!! My tiny baby needed carbs that I could not give her without harming her with spikes! I replaced her because she didn't fit into my schedule whatsoever anyway, so they luckily placed me with another MFM in the office who was the exact opposite! She listened to me every single time, calmed me down when I panic spiked, and watched my numbers close enough to advise me on insulin. Had we not been in a professional setting, I could've made this woman a bestie! Seriously!!
Julija note: YOU deserve to be taken seriously. “Advocating for yourself” can be as simple as asking for a second opinion, requesting clearer guidance, or changing providers if you’re being dismissed.
Dexcom info I feel belongs here, your first 24 hours of wearing a new sensor can be sporadic, to say the least! That first day, maybe even two, always do finger pricks to check your sugars and calibrate it. I replaced mine at night time and prayed my phone wouldn't go off often sending me into a panic for my sugars 😅.. I usually slept through the annoying parts. If your sensor still seems way off, it may be a bad sensor! Dexcom will replace it if so! Give it 48 hours to try and level out, and if it doesn't, definitely replace it. I really loved having it, because I no longer had to write down my numbers because my MFM had direct access to it, which was so nice! I just kept an eye on my chart and tried to keep it under 140 all day long regardless of anything. Another thing I learned, is some foods spike you way later than that 1-2 hour mark! I REALLY appreciated my Dexcom for that, because if I was finger pricking, I would have thought I was perfectly fine, but those foods immediately became a no way! When I noticed my safe foods starting to do me dirty, I'd notify my MFM, and that's when insulin came into play, and how she knew the dosage needed to go up- this is very normal the further you get along in your pregnancy! Our hormones are wild, and love to keep us on our toes! Sometimes I'd have a GREAT week, and the next it'd be like... what the heck?! 😭.. and then go back to normal after that.. a whole dang roller coaster ride that you can't get off of.
For those curious, my fasting numbers were the WORST, and I was on 70u of insulin at night, and 12u before meals- unless the meal didn't have many carbs, like a salad.. my MFM told me to judge it however I saw fit.
A few spikes are not going to hurt you, promise! I had several panic moments where I was like, WHAT DID I JUST DO?! 😭 Especially when things were spiking me that shouldn't/were in my carb count allowance. I just learned those specific carbs weren't the ones my body liked, thanks frozen chicken nuggets. 🙄
If you think this is the saddest thing ever and you don't think you can enjoy yourself every now and then, it's not true! Enjoy your favorite snacks, just be sensible about it! Moderation, blood sugar allowance, and the amount you eat are so important! If I wanted a sweet treat, I'd make sure to keep my carbs low and steady with extra protein to where I'd be around 90 before indulging. 🥰 Definitely helped my FOMO when I thought I'd miss out on Easter candy.. I snagged some discount jelly beans after the holiday and snacked on them periodically. Two bags lasted me a good while! 🤣
If you made it this far, I appreciate you reading my, not super thought out ramblings. I'm a little neurospicy so my brain processes all the things as they come to me, I just wanted to get it out there the best I could! 😊
Julija note: I love this because it gives permission to be human. Gestational diabetes isn’t a “never spike ever” situation — it’s a “learn, adjust, and zoom out to the overall pattern” situation.
As promised, my safe food list: At home- Jimmy Dean protein pancakes with butter and sugar free syrup sometimes with the Banquet brown n' serve sausages for quick, added protein (they're not great, but quick and easy and go well with the waffles! 🤣), Jimmy Dean frozen sausage egg and cheese muffins, Great Value pepperoni hot pockets with an OIKOS protein shake, OIKOS Greek yogurts, different flavored tuna pouches so I wouldn't get bored, Birds Eye makes frozen veggie protein noodles in the frozen veggie aisle, ALL the meat and cheese sticks, and when I cooked dinner, I kept it typically to chicken breasts (sometimes coated in Shake N Bake for some pizzazz! 🤣), and non-starchy veggies.
Eating out, my goto orders were: Starbucks- iced protein vanilla latte, and bacon and gruyere egg bites.. every other coffee creamer either didn't taste good, or hated me so I was super grateful to still find a yummy coffee I could enjoy!
Chick-Fil-A- cobb salad with extra avocado lime ranch dressing, or the nugget meal (the regular ones, even!) with a side salad.. both paired with Diet Cokes or Diet Lemonade of course! (LOVED being able to see their nutritional values perfectly clear on their website!!! Super user friendly so you might even find something you like better!)
Panera- almost ALL of their salads are around the carb count for lunch and dinner! And it's so nice, because if you look online, you can see the nutritional info easily, too and decide if you think it's right for you! I even ate my baguettes!
McDonald's- sausage egg and cheese muffins and chicken strips were about the only things that didn't hurt me from here.. I did occasionally get double quarter pounders as they fall right at the carb allowance, but learned they spiked me later, so I stopped! However, they might work great for you!
Chipotle- I ordered my regular order and got extra meat and extra everything else except rice and sour cream, and would make two meals out of it! A full order would spike me, so I figured out how I could make it work for me and still be filling.
And my lifeline, Freddy's!: I would order a California double meal, remove the bun and lettuce wrap it, add an extra piece of meat, tomato, pickles, whatever, and have the cheese curds! This meal had enough protein that I could sometimes sneak in a small ice cream afterwards!! I imagine any of their burgers would be okay set up like this if you don't like that one!
My husband works at a local pizza place on the weekends, and he'd bring me home meat lovers style pizzas, and I'd be okay having two slices of a medium paired with a protein shake! I was definitely sad thinking I'd miss out on my beloved pizza, especially since my body hated red sauce.
When in doubt, add a protein shake!! Seriously, I couldn't survive without my OIKOS chocolate protein shakes balancing me out, and the sweetness was enough to curb chocolate milk cravings! I even made coffee with them when I couldn't grab Starbucks!
Julija note: This is such a good reminder that “eating out” doesn’t automatically mean “bad numbers.” For some people, it’s actually more predictable — and predictable is sanity. And yes, sometimes “GD safe” is not what you’d expect. The meter is your feedback tool, not a judge.
If you're interested in my birth story, here that goes as well.. I was induced at 38 weeks, not GD related, you don't HAVE to be induced because of GD!! I'm just "geriatric" 🙄 and had hypertension as well, I was induced with my two other kids for my hypertension and my second had a stroke in utero because of it, so we weren't taking any chances! If you are on your first kiddo, they probably won't bring up induction until you're all the way at the end of your pregnancy, (my first wasn't brought up until about 37 weeks! The rest I mentioned at the beginning and they said since I have a history, the odds are I would have another induction) so if you're questioning why they haven't brought it up, that's why! And not bringing it up means your pregnancy is going beautifully!! When I got to my induction, the nurse couldn't feel baby's head, so she brought in the doctor.. after the doctor shoved her fingers in me all the way up to my dang esophagus, she then decided to do an ultrasound.. unfortunately, her roughness caused my water to break, even though she said she didn't do it. 🙄.. ultrasound confirmed Frankie was traverse, which is not fully breech, but close enough.. then said it's harder to flip them after the water broke, so I'm just sitting there like, oh, cool, thanks. I opted to let them try anyway and she was like, it'll be painful so we'll go ahead and do a spinal tap and epidural so you'll be ready for whatever.. and when I tell you, by the time she found someone to attempt the flip and came in and did it, they BARELY even tried!! I was so annoyed. I've heard so many horror stories of bruised bellies, etc.. and here they came like, meh, didn't work.. my 5 year old would've tried harder than they did! 🙄 Not to mention my blood pressure TANKED several times while they administered all the pain meds to even do it.. they had to keep bringing me back up and calling a different nurse back in.. I was like babe, you may as well stay in here and get comfy, there are snacks in my bag if you want them 💀.. she finally just made herself comfy on the couch 🤣.. that feeling was absolutely AWFUL, though. It felt like my lungs were collapsing before it would start tanking, it was terrifying. After all that was said and done, the doctor was like, 🤷♀ done all we could do, I think you should do a c-section.. and I had NO idea what I was signing up for and said okay.
After they got her out, I was so numb, I couldn't even hold her or move my arms.. they did a number on numbing me for such a pathetic attempt of flipping my baby. Thankfully by the time they stitched me up and rolled me back to my room, I was doing a little better and could hold her. Before the night was over, she failed some of her pricks and they rolled her off to the NICU and the c-section caused fluid in her lungs. She had no issue eating and got over the sugars extremely quickly, but got stuck there for two weeks with the fluid in her lungs. 😭 I couldn't even focus on trying to pump and breastfeed because every time I'd get a moment, here would come a nurse needing me to do something, and any time I got the chance, I made my way upstairs to my baby in a not very private or breastfeeding friendly NICU.. because of all this, my milk eventually dried up and that was the last thing I felt I had control over and wanted to do for my baby. 😭
I had to briefly stay away from mom groups while mourning how awful my pregnancy and delivery was for my final baby.. but I'm happy to say, 2.5 months later, we're doing great and all that matters to me now is she's happy and healthy! What I thought was going to linger forever, slowly faded away with every smile and coo she'd give me, and now I know what I thought mattered, was miniscule to dwell on because she's in my arms and perfect in every way. 🥹
The journey wasn't beautiful, but we made it, and you all will, too! I promise!! ❤ This whole comment section is open to whoever wants my advice or wants to update me on their pregnancy and babies! I'm healed and so proud of all of you! We can do hard things! Here's my little two month Stank-a-Frank! ❤
Heather, thank you again for sharing this — the messy parts, the funny parts, the angry parts, and the parts that still hurt. Honestly, I’m so grateful you’re part of this HIgedi community. 💜
If you’re reading this and you’re in the thick of GD right now, here are the big takeaways I hope you hold onto:
Gestational diabetes isn’t your fault. It’s placenta hormones, not a character flaw.
Your body is unique. “Safe carbs” can be surprising — follow patterns, not rules.
Insulin is support, not failure. You’re not earning medals for suffering.
Advocating for yourself matters. You deserve providers who listen.
A few spikes don’t erase your effort. Zoom out to the overall trend.
If you want more practical help, you can always start with the HIgedi GD Toolkit (free resources), and if you’re in our Facebook group — come post. Tell us what’s spiking you, what’s confusing, what you’re scared of. We’ll figure it out together!
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