Diabetes For The Gestational Woman

Emery

During one of my many adventures in weight loss, I found out I was pregnant. I had been on the high protein/low carbohydrate life style for a few months and had lost 5 lbs. when I found out I was pregnant. BINGO! Now I was able to eat what I wanted and not worry for 9 months since I was pregnant and that gave me the excuse to eat for two. Or did it?

Hello carbohydrates! I ended up on a pasta binge and gained the 5lbs I had lost in the first week of knowing I was pregnant. I was pregnant, after all. Who would notice? It’s all going to go to my baby, so what did it matter? Still eating for two!

It was time for my lovely 1 hour blood glucose test, fail! Now to repeat, on a 3 hours scale. Barely failed but failed nonetheless. To my horror, there is a condition called Gestational Diabetes. What in the world? I’m not diabetic. I’m 32 years old. But, apparently, you can be diabetic during pregnancy only so, why is everyone telling me to eat for two?

I was swiftly subjected to a nutrition class where they introduced me to what a real portion size looks like. Holy Cow .was this going to be hard. Hard for the regular person, double hard for the newly pregnant mamma.

Then, my worst nightmare (one of them) came true! I now have to poke a hole in myself 4 times a day. This was definitely not the way pregnancy has been explained to me. I had an entirely different picture in my head. And this was not the picture I was expecting. My picture had a smorgasbord of food and donuts and cheesecake, eating for two!

I am now required to watch my portions, and prick my finger (or wherever I could tolerate it) 4 times a day. Once in the morning to get my fasting blood sugar level, then 1 hour after meals. I had to keep a journal of what I ate and my readings. This would then be given to my doctor at each appointment. If I didn’t manage my diabetes through diet aloneΓǪ.then I would need medication to help. Thanks to sugar balance, a supplement medication for diabetes, I somehow have some help. This supplement helps to regulate my blood sugar naturally so my diabetes wont get any worse.

It was hard enough to not be able to eat what I wanted and give in to my rampant cravings, and now I had to take medication and put holes in my body every day.

They kept saying that the baby could be diabetic, really really big, or unhealthy when delivered. Now those were some depressing and scary things to look forward to–not that being pregnant doesn’t already pose some scary scenarios.

Needless to say, I lost weight on this portion control diabetic dietΓǪ.and only gained a total of 26 lbs. It was rough and a little depressing at the time. I also became an ice fiend. I was always thirsty. Always. I found myself going to any drive thru ordering just a cup of ice. I always offered to pay for the largest cup they had because they would give me a kiddie cup of ice if I didn’t specify.

But, why does the older generation think that when you are pregnant, it is ok to eat for two? I mean, yes there is another human growing inside you but, it doesn’t requiring as much food as you would eat for yourself. You may eat for 1.2ΓǪ.but not for two whole people. Technically, if you are eating 2000 calories, this would mean that you would be eating 4000 calories. Now, that is a lot of indulging. There are new guidelines for how much weight is healthy to eat/gain during pregnancy. I suggest looking in to it and changing your ways of thinking about pregnancy.

In the end….it ended up being a good thing for me. I now know what being diabetic means. I also know what a real portion looks like. And most importantly, my baby was only 6lbs 6oz. Phew!

Since I gained less than I would have normally, I had less to lose after baby. I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight in no time. Without having to work for it too! Yay ME!

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