…I am beyond determined to manage my Gestational Diabetes with diet and exercise just as I did with my first pregnancy. I will do all I can to ensure insulin intervention is not needed, this is my word!
This is how I entered into my appointments with my Gestational Diabetes Team after being diagnosed last month. As hard as it was to swallow the fact that I was again going to be struggling with this diagnosis, I was determined to ensure baby and me were going to be just fine. I did it before, I can do it again right? Well sorta’, if only pregnancy were the same, if only I had control over everything, but I don’t.
This time around things have been tough, where I could manage before, I can’t now. Where I pushed myself before I do now with different results, poor results, and I can’t help but feel like I’m failing. The past 3 weeks have been rough to say the least, a challenge that I have been tackling head on but seeing very little success with. NOT FAIR!
Hormones are a bitch (no pun intended)! They do what they want, when they wan’t, how they wan’t and what I’ve learnt this time around with Gestational Diabetes is that they sometimes cannot be controlled, no matter what you do for them. I’m following a strict diet, literally to-a-tee, measuring out carbs and counting sugars and proteins, making sure I’m getting enough of everything. I’m working out AT LEAST 3 times a day after each main meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner) to ensure my sugar levels are in check. Guess what!? My numbers are still acting out.
For the most part, out of the 7 times I check my blood a day I’m still getting 1 or 2 numbers off; even after all this hard work and that’s just not fair. The Gestational Team has threatened insulin however my doctor and naturopath are in agreeance we will defer this intervention as long as I keep the raised numbers fairly low. To better explain my fasting numbers, the number I wake up to in the morning sit between 4.4 and 5.6, they would ideally like me under 5.3. So although not over everyday or by much, it still eats at me that I cannot control keeping everything in line.
HORMONES 1 – ME 0
I wanted to document for all those asking or interested and quite possibly going through your own struggles with Gestational Diabetes, what a day in the life of might look like. It’s really the only way I know how to share this with you and I hope that to those confused about the diagnosis, the struggle or fear what’s ahead for them in the future with GD, I hope this will give some insight. Although I feel defeated most of the time, I push through and I will win this not-so-sweet battle with sugar!
…we wake up each morning to peeing on a stick (testing our Ketones) and then taking our blood. #goodtimes
…after breakfast we get our first work-out of the day in; 1 mile happy walk on youtube has been our go-to
…pack a snack for both Sofia and I and head out and get our day started (we keep a simple tally system on the top of our bottled water to make sure we get enough intake each day)!
…this timer, runs our life; 1-hr after meals my blood must be tested and I cannot go without eating every 2 to 3-hours. Our oven or my cell phone (when on the run) tells us we must STOP whatever it is we’re doing and either test, or eat.
…test our blood, have our lunch and then werk werk werk (for the second time that day)!
…fitting in my snack and then setting up that timer so that I know when I can start prepping and have dinner
…bedtime calls and that can only mean one thing, another snack, followed by my vitamins and big’ol glass of milk
MANAGING Gestational Diabetes is a huge change for most everyone’s current lifestyle, but know that this new routine you can and will better both yours and babys lives. If you’re struggling with Gestational Diabetes or have questions on meal or snack ideas, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Comment below or send me a private message on Facebook. I would be more than happy to help you along your journey, one step at a time!
…now I better go, I have to test my blood!
Sonya Morris says
Oh I how feel for you! During my last pregnancy, I had gestational diabetes and it was miserable! I felt as if I had gone on some type of crazy extreme low carb diet and that is miserable for a hungry pregnant woman. I do think drinking plenty of water and walking after I ate helped a lot with keeping my numbers low. Good luck in finding that perfect balance!