Dealing with gestational diabetes can be a battle; not only can it lead to undue stress on your baby, but not handling it can leave undue stress on you. Many women either do nothing about it, or go the opposite end of the spectrum and do too much; I wanted to share my personal battle with the disease to not only give you some insight, but also to give you words of encouragement if you’re going through a rough time dealing with it. Oh no! I have Gestational diabetes! The first time I heard of gestational diabetes was when I had my third son. I was only 25 and had no idea what my doctor was talking about. He explained to me that he was concerned since my second son weighed over 9 lbs at birth that I may have had un-diagnosed gestational diabetes. Mind you, during my first and second pregnancies I lived in a small town with a population of under 8,000 people. There was only a handful of doctors, with only a couple who actually practiced gynecology. My doctor didn’t seem too concerned. He said “stay away from simple sugars”. Ok- Simple sugars? He said “If it starts out as sugar don’t eat it.” “Oh”, I thought, “that’s easy enough.” I never felt a urgency in what he told me; it seemed very casual. I had no counseling, nor any visits with a dietitian- I just did what I thought was my best throughout that pregnancy. My third son still weighed in at 9lbs, 2oz at birth; luckily I had no complications. “I was scared out of my mind.” Fast forward 5 years to 2002- my now ex-husband and I decided we would try one last time to have a daughter. One month into trying I got pregnant. I went through all the steps you go through when you find out you’re pregnant. On my first visit I gave my pregnancy history; “Two babies over 9 lbs?!” My doctor sent me to get labs done asap! It was very early in my pregnancy- I was only 8 weeks or so pregnant. My doctor’s office declared a few days next with my test results; I heard the now infamous words “you have gestational diabetes.” I wasn’t too concerned- my previous pregnancies turned out fine, but this time would prove to be different. I was scheduled to meet with a registered nurse to discuss my condition. During my appointment the nurse explained to me the seriousness of my condition. She had me watch a movie that showed what and what not to eat. The part that really struck me were the consequences of what could happen if you didn’t control your diabetes: Large birth weight, low blood sugar for the infant, or your baby could possibly die in utero. I was scared out of my mind. Read More: Motorola MotoActv Review That day I decided that I would make sure I ate correctly- the nurse explained what I should and shouldn’t eat. I was put on insulin that day and the nurse instructed me on how to give my injections. I was given a book to record my meals and subsequent blood sugar numbers. I was to fax them or call them in every week; If I had high numbers my nurse would call me to discuss a replacement food. From that point on my every thought was of what I should and should not eat. I thought I was doing everything right. At 27 weeks I stopped feeling my baby move. I called into the hospital (it was a Saturday) and an ultrasound was performed. There was no heartbeat. My beautiful baby girl had died. I blamed myself. A deep depression set in. What had I done wrong? I spent my days going over everything I had done, but to this day I still don’t know exactly what caused my baby’s death. Trying again At this point I felt like I needed a baby- so I was pregnant again within a few months; however this time I was really paranoid. I made sure I ate enough and at the right times. I was on insulin again. I researched everything! I was determined that I was not going to lose this baby. I thank God for my doctor and his staff because they showed so much patience and compassion. If I didn’t feel my baby move I was in their office asap- I even rented a Doppler to track my baby’s heart beat! My “rainbow baby”, my fourth son, was born weighing in at 8lbs, 14oz. Note: See Bose Q20i Earbuds I’ve gone on to have 2 more wonderfully successful pregnancies. Honestly, I kinda felt like I was an expert now! I knew my body and what I could and couldn’t eat. If I ate something I knew was gonna give me high blood sugars, I would go for a walk; that would almost always take my blood sugars right back down. However, be careful ! I’m definitely not saying that you can go hog wild and eat everything you want, and then walk it off- make sure you consult a dietitian. Note: For your or your relatives baby, you can easily choose your best baby monitor and also willcare baby monitor which is best budget friendly also called low budged baby monitor in 2018 at https://techgiant24.com. Tips for a successful diabetic pregnancy: Take your condition seriously. It’s not just you that you have to think about. Ask questions: if your having a hard time keeping your blood sugar numbers down, your doctor or a dietitian can help. Stick to a schedule: Eat at the same times everyday. It helps in controlling your sugars. Exercise regularly. I would take a walk everyday after dinner as that was my largest meal. If I was going to have high blood sugar numbers it was usually after dinner. If all else fails and you are not able to control your blood sugars with diet alone, do not be afraid to take insulin- It’s not that bad. Ask about the new insulin pen. It was so very easy and convenient! If you have to take insulin, that’s definitely the best way to go! Lastly, enjoy your pregnancy. It’s so easy to get caught up in the fact that you are having a harder pregnancy then most women. Whether it’s your first pregnancy or your last, this is your unique pregnancy. Love it like only you can! gestational-diabetes-chart
While I enjoy sharing my experience with you all as I feel it can lend someone out there some help, the thing I can’t stress enough is that I am not a medical professional. Make sure you consult your doctor with any concerns you may have.
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