Thursday, May 28, 2015

Gestational Diabetes, the horror!


Gestational diabetes...yep, I have it. Lovely eh? When I say that, it feels like I'm saying: "Hi my name is Ellie and I am an unhealthy pregnant lady". I hate it!

First of all, I would like to defend myself. I am not overweight, not over 35 years of age, and diabetes does not run in my family. So how the heck did I get gestational diabetes?! Who knows. The doctors say that it is a hormonal thing and that it's all my placenta's fault. Blame it on the placenta, not the pregnant lady. Apparently the placenta hormones are blocking insulin from being released, therefore my body cannot process sugar and carbs as well as it normally could.

What does all of this mean?

Well, like a typical diabetic I now have to prick my finger 4(!!) times a day to check my blood glucose levels. I have to limit my carb and sugar intake, cut out desserts (what?!), and only eat low carb snacks at certain times of the day. It also means that the baby will have stress testing and I will be monitored more closely from here on out. I guess there is also the possibility of the baby coming early.

How am I taking it?

I had a very hard time when I heard the news. (Let's be real, I cried all day and thought my life was over.) Since getting the initial news though, learning how to prick my finger and test my glucose levels, and getting a little nutrition lesson, I now feel ok. I consider myself a healthy person to begin with, so this diagnosis has really thrown me off. Yes, I like dessert, but not to a diabetic level! Sheesh! More than anything this diagnosis feels like a personal insult.

So here I am, 32-weeks pregnant and with gestational diabetes. I have to put a lot of thought into my meals now, which is probably good, but sometimes it takes more energy than I feel like putting into it. If I thought I ate healthy before, I eat super healthy now. In fact, I am afraid that I may just lose weight. (Now how is that good for the baby??) Either way, I am trying to look at this as a new challenge. Since I have to check my blood glucose levels after every meal it is a challenge for me to eat the proper amount of carbs at each meal. It gives me satisfaction to then check my glucose levels and see that I have done a good job. It's the small things right?

Some of my recent diabetic meals:
grilled steak, sweet mashed potatoes, asparagus
whole grain toast with peanut butter, hard boiled egg, raspberries
light greek yogurt, rice cakes with cheese, tomato, avocado, and strawberries

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