Gestational diabetes

September 27th 8:45am

I'm at my OB's office for my glucose test. The drink wasn't as bad as I expected it to be, but the fasting was horrible. Thankfully the nurse let me lay down in one of the NST (neonatal stress test) rooms. I was able to sleep while waiting to get my blood taken a couple of times. During your glucose test, for those of you who haven't been pregnant, they are testing how your body essentially reacts to sugar. Something to do with insulin levels... See this website and this one to read more about the test and GD 

Anyway, so skip ahead two weeks have gone by and I didn't hear from anyone.  I'm now at my 28 week appointment with doctor McBride. The nurse does all the routine stuff, blood pressure, weight (ugh) and asks me how I'm feeling. Then about 15 minutes later Dr. McBride comes in and also asks me how I'm feeling, then proceeds to tell me I have gestational diabetes. I was honestly shocked! I couldn't believe it! Not one doctor at ONE appointment told me I needed to watch my weight, that it was getting too high too fast, to watch what I was eating or anything. I could barely even breathe. I felt so guilty. I played it cool in the doctors room shaking my head and everything he was saying, hearing nothing. I left the office and as soon as I got out to my car I started balling! 

I was a failure, I was a horrible mother already! I was putting my unborn child in some kind of danger; I had no idea what kind because I didn't hear a word the doctor said. I blamed myself for this. It was ALL. MY. FAULT! I couldn't contain my emotions; I cried whenever I told someone. It was a baaaaad day for me. 

I called the next day to schedule an appointment to go through a diabetes class but it wouldn't be until Monday; it was Friday! How was I going to make it through the weekend?? 

Thanks to my best friend Kathryn I was a member of a large Mommy group on Facebook. I posted that I had GD and what the heck should I do!? So many moms posted their experiences, one mom personally messages me and was so helpful! Another mom told me about the group Gestational Diabetes on Facebook. 

I won't go into details about it, but let me tell you that when I say this group saved my life I do not exaggerate. I couldn't have made it through the last 20 weeks of my pregnancy without those ladies! (And of course the support from my husband and family) There is something about being a part of a group of moms who are going through the exact same thing (or even worse) you are! It was mind settling and I posted almost daily!

So needless to say by the time I got to my appointment Monday I knew more than the woman teaching the class. Between the advice from mommies and doing my own research I knew everything about it. I knew what I should and shouldn't eat. That was the last day I ate any fruit until Clare was born! (There is lots of sugar in fruit.. GD doesn't discriminate sugar is sugar and carbs are carbs). The fear with GD is, if you eat too much sugar or too many carbs and your body can't create enough insulin the extra sugar will go to baby. That will make baby not only grow faster but once they come out of your belly their body will have a harder time controlling their sugar levels as well. 

The first couple of weeks were hard getting used to a new life style.. I had to prick my finger 4 times a day! Once in the morning when I woke up, before I ate,  2 hours after breakfast, 2 hours after lunch and 2 hours after dinner. Between each meal I was allowed a snack and also one before bed. You had to be careful with your night time snack because it could effect your morning numbers! I am thankful I do not have diabetes after experiencing GD. By the end of my pregnancy I was a pro, I didn't freak out so much about what I was eating.

I will say, the one perk to having GD was I got to see my baby once a week and hear her heartbeat twice a week! I had to have NST's once a week and ultrasounds once a week. I didn't mind one bit having to go to the doctors office twice I week. Those ultrasounds were so amazing. Who wouldn't want to see their baby every single week! 

During the last couple weeks of my pregnancy, Clare did give me a scary and I had to go to the hospital to get monitored. She was normally an extremely active baby, as she is now! But this day I didn't feel her moving at all. I was so scared, I was nervous and I couldn't concentrate. I left work a little early and drove to Beaumont. As soon as I got to the labor and delivery floor guess what..?? Clare started doing aerobics in my belly! 

If you or someone you know has gestational diabetes IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT! It took me a long time to realize that. It is just something that happens. You can control it by watching your die, which I plan to do next baby. But whatever you do, save yourself the anxiety, the guilt and the blame and accept that you have it and figure out how you're going to deal with it. Let everyone around you know how you're feeling about it and you'd appreciate their support. Don't be embarrassed to ask questions and request special meals. I was always so embarrassed to go to anyone's use in fear of being a burden; I have to have something special, it's going to take too much time to make my own food... how much of this can I eat?

If there is one piece of advice I can give is this: don't stress yourself out! That can cause your numbers to actually go up! If you eat something and you're number is high one day, try better the next meal, the next day! Go for a walk, exercise LOWERS your numbers. :)

EDIT: I wanted to add that Clare came out a healthy 6# 13oz and 19 1/2 in. They tested her sugar levels twice and all was good!

Please feel free to leave comments below if you have ANY questions for me! I will do my best to answer them!!