Jenna's GD Story: From Perfectionism to Self-Compassion

When Jenna was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at just 10 weeks, she felt the world collapse beneath her. Early diagnosis meant early panic — terrified that she was already harming her baby's developing organs. No one at the hospital seemed to understand her case. She was thin, had no family history of diabetes, her HbA1c had always been beautifully low, and yet here she was, facing insulin before she'd even had a chance to try diet control.

But Jenna's story isn't about the fear that consumed her in those early weeks. It's about learning to trust her body, discovering that perfectionism was her biggest enemy, and finding the courage to try again — even after swearing she never would.

If you're newly diagnosed and spiraling, or if you're a perfectionist who feels like you've already failed before you've even started, Jenna's story is a reminder that there's hope on the other side. And sometimes, the second time around, you get to do it with more grace.

Here's what she shared with me 💛

Jenna's Story

Gestational diabetes — the diagnosis that made me swear I'd never go back for another baby!

My diagnosis came early, at just 10 weeks (and honestly, they think I probably had it before that). I'm still not sure why, but my doctor decided to check both my blood sugar and my HbA1c. While my HbA1c came back beautifully low, my blood sugar was a 9 — so off I went for an early Glucose Tolerance Test. My fasting levels were fine, but I failed the one and two-hour marks with a whopping 12 and 13.

Cue the panic spiral. I was terrified that being diagnosed so early meant I was harming my baby's developing organs. No one at the hospital seemed to know what to make of me. I weighed just 54kg, had no family history of diabetes, my HbA1c had always been in the low 5s, and the autoimmune test for Type 1 diabetes came back negative. At my very first appointment, I was told I'd need insulin no matter what I did. My dream of a calm, low-intervention pregnancy suddenly felt like it was slipping away.

As a classic perfectionist, the hardest part was feeling like I'd already failed as a mum and that if I didn't do everything perfectly, something would happen to my baby. So, I did what many of us do when we panic: I cut out all carbs. I was constantly hungry and utterly miserable. Slowly, though, I began learning to eat the right carbs and, most importantly, to actually listen to my body.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned from this journey is that everyone's experience with GD is a little different. What works for one person might not work for another, and learning to trust my own numbers and instincts (instead of relying only on generic advice) made a huge difference.

My "bibles" throughout this process were Lily Nichols' Real Food for Gestational Diabetes and the Glucose Goddess on Instagram. I learned that not all carbs are created equal (complex carbs are better than simple carbs!), that the order you eat matters (fibre, protein, then carbs), and that my body handled fewer carbs in the morning and more as the day went on. I never went anywhere without my emotional support water bottle, and I discovered the incredible power of a quick walk after meals to help control spikes.

And because I'm human (and love a good treat), I got creative about finding GD-friendly ways to indulge (thank you to all the amazing people who share their ideas online!).

Despite being told I'd need insulin, I managed to stay diet controlled right to the end. My little girl stayed perfectly on track, measuring in the 30–50th percentile the whole way through. She surprised us by arriving early at 36+4 weeks, but she came out strong with great sugars, no oxygen, and no NICU time.

Looking back, I actually feel positive about my birth experience. GD forced me to research, to advocate for myself, and to trust my intuition — all things that shaped my labour in such a good way. My daughter is now two, full of personality, and the absolute best thing I've ever done.

And for the bonus happy ending? I passed all my postpartum tests — no diabetes! And, despite once swearing I'd never go through it again, I'm now pregnant with my second... and yes, I have early GD again.

This time, though, I'm approaching it differently. I'm using everything I learned before and trying to be kinder to myself. Raising a toddler, growing another human, and managing GD again definitely has its moments. Some days I still feel sorry for myself, overwhelmed, or anxious — but I've learned that's okay. Feel it, then pick yourself back up and keep going.

Because here's what I know now: this is not your fault. And if this is your first pregnancy, I promise — the moment you hold your baby, you'll know it was all completely worth it.

My Thoughts

Thank you, Jenna, for sharing your story with us.

What Jenna's journey taught me is this: the biggest threat to your GD management isn't the diagnosis itself — it's the story you tell yourself about what the diagnosis means. When she heard "you'll need insulin," her perfectionist brain translated it to "you've already failed." So she overcorrected, cut out all carbs, and made herself miserable. Sound familiar?

So many of us do this. We panic, we restrict, we white-knuckle our way through pregnancy thinking that suffering equals success. But Jenna's real breakthrough came when she stopped trying to be perfect and started listening to her body instead. That's when everything shifted.

I also love that Jenna is doing this all over again with her second baby — and this time, she's bringing self-compassion to the table. That's the real victory. Not staying diet-controlled (though she did that too), but learning that you can manage GD AND be kind to yourself at the same time. Those two things aren't mutually exclusive.'

Self-compassion looks different for everyone. For Lola, it meant accepting insulin and trusting her care team. For Alyssa, it was learning to let go of guilt and focus on what she could control. And for Jenna, it was realizing that perfectionism wasn't serving her or her baby.

If you're a perfectionist reading this, please hear Jenna's message: your baby doesn't need a perfect mom managing perfect numbers. Your baby needs YOU — present, fed, and at peace. That's what matters.

Want to share your own GD story? I'd love to hear from you — send me a message at hi@higedi.com 🤍

If you're newly diagnosed with gestational diabetes and looking for guidance, check out our Newly Diagnosed Essentials Guide for tips on what to expect and how to manage your numbers.