MY EXPERIENCE WITH GESTATIONAL DIABETES: A SNAPSHOT OVERVIEW

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Gestational Diabetes. Yep. I had it with my second pregnancy.

I remember having intense sugar cravings. Then feeling like absolute crap after any carb-tinged indulgence - including fruit.

I assumed the cravings were for energy. That extra dose of energy one needs to navigate work and life with morning sickness and growing a human. Life that came with a side serving of 2-year-old’s tantrums, an avoidance towards solid stints of sleep and navigating a new journey of anaphylactic reactions... BUT - that is a whole other story.

Before I get sidetracked (another new common adventure of being a parent) back to the topic of Gestational Diabetes (GD).

It wasn’t until I had the test. Yep. That one where they make you drink that radioactive-looking stuff. My bladder sure remembers it!! It was then I discovered my mistake. I wasn't craving sugar for energy. My pregnancy hormones weren't playing nice with the effectiveness of my insulin levels.

With my positive results came a date with a nutritionist and a shopping list for a glucose monitor, test strips and needle pricks.

The nutritionist and I didn’t see eye to eye on a few things. I questioned their recommendation to consume low-fat items. I couldn't help pointing out that low-fat items are usually higher in sugar! But - for the most part, they provided helpful information. Like how to manage my diet to support the balance of insulin/glucose levels via

  • learning how to read nutritional labels. This was already an essential part of my daily life navigating anaphylactic risks. Nothing like stacking functions!

  • eating smaller meals more frequently

  • portion control and the mix of carbohydrates

  • keeping hydrated

  • logging my meals and tracking my blood sugar levels

My new friend required me to check in with a drop of blood four times a day… and yes - I did get used to it. The go-to tip I appreciated most was to change fingers with every test. That way I didn’t build up a thick skin and hinder my ability to harvest that critical drop of blood!

Oh and…a multitude of ways to distract my 2-year-old while I tested. She would get upset any time she saw me bleed. To this day she still can’t handle the sight of blood- her sister is the complete opposite.

There I go, getting distracted again.

The more variety of meals I tested, the more I learned about how my levels would react. Before long I had a log of go-to meals and things got easier navigating my full days alongside GD.

I look back now and think how lucky I was. Those full days kept me from overthinking GD. Life at the time forced me to accept and move on things as best I could with what I knew.

Fast forward to 7 years later. I haven’t had any issues with my blood glucose levels since my pregnancy. However, I do sometimes wonder - if my 7-year-old's lust for sugar may be related?! The other day on the way to school she was jumping up and down just talking about it. To quote her - “I haven’t met a sugar I don’t love!” I am grateful she is willing to eat a healthy diet without too much fuss to support the sweet treat moments of life.

Amy Marley