A couple of weeks ago, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. A couple of months ago, my sugar levels were normal.
I started reading about this condition (if I may call it that), and found a reassuring number of pregnant women also dealing with GD, and successfully at that. There was also a plethora of articles and websites that discussed why it happens, and how best to manage it to avoid unnecessary complications.
I have also gone to see a nurse specializing in GD and had a talk with a dietician as well. My diet was pretty good pre-pregnancy, but with GD I have to reduce the carbs, mainly white rice, and eat more protein and fibre. I am a pretty adjustable person too, so I've gotten used to brown rice now, and more meat than rice at meals, and I really enjoy that I "need" to have a snack in between meals! I've started walking again and more too. I'd say I have moderate success in keeping my sugar levels down except for the fasting levels, which is impossible to do. The nurse and dietician highly suspect that I will end up needing insulin shots before bed to bring these levels down, and I am prepping myself psychologically for this. In five days I will know.
Most importantly, the nurse assured me that getting GD is not my fault nor the baby's, and it's also not because of pre-pregnancy diet and lifestyle. It's just the way the pregnant body works. Just when my body needs extra insulin for the baby and myself, the growing placenta secretes hormones that are insulin antagonists. I asked the dietician why my fasting levels are especially high when I have no problem lowering them during the day. She said that my body goes through stress at night because there's the extra effort to sleep comfortably, and it's oftentimes unsuccessful. I'm guessing it's when the placenta does most of its growing and inhibiting the body's insulin production, but I'm no doctor.
If I manage the GD well enough, I may still have the natural childbirth that I want for my baby, like I had with Jaden. I'm just putting in a little bit more effort with meal preparation, glucose monitoring, and exercise. Worst case scenario is that the baby gets too big for vaginal delivery and my doctor will either choose to induce labor a couple of weeks before due date or perform a C-section.
Meanwhile, I'm exploring new diet options, and like I said, I'm getting used to brown rice, and tonight I'm going to try barley. I've also learned to appreciate open-face sandwiches, vegetable omelets, and unsweetened soymilk. I think my dog also appreciates the nightly walks that he now takes with me. I have come to accept that it's not so bad dealing with this, and I've already shed the few tears of frustration last weekend from not being able to enjoy a cookie or a cheese scone for the rest of my pregnancy. But because it's for my baby and eventually will be good for me too, I will gladly take on the healthier lifestyle and pray for the strength to keep it up, with or without GD.
