I heard those words again last week. The first time I heard them was four years ago while pregnant with my daughter. Now 26 weeks with my son, I heard them again. My midwife and I both know what that most likely meant. And we were both correct.
The next day, I took the one hour glucose test and failed big time. 171 when it should be under 135. Since it was an epic fail and I had gestational diabetes last time, I was referred to diabetes education right away, bypassing the 3 hour glucose tolerance test. I would have failed the heck out of that one so it was better to not waste time and just get to the test strips, carb counts, and lancets.
And just like 4 years ago, a woman in the elevator on my way out from my appointment said "Due any day now?" And just like 4 years ago I say "No, three more months. I just have a short torso." Which is what started me thinking about writing about the entire experience this time.
With or without GD, I have a short torso. There is just no room in there. So I have beautiful basketball belly and I love it. But there you go: GD Stereotype #1..."Your baby will be huge and so will you." Not necessarily. My daughter weighed 7 lbs 11.5 oz at birth. I gained 28 lbs from start to finish. I just followed the carb limits given to me by my Wendy. She is the fabulous diabetes education and dietitian that I met met with 4 years ago and will tomorrow. I was lucky and that was all I needed to do. Some of my friends did all that and still needed more help with insulin.
The beautiful basketball about a week before my daughter was born in 2011.
The thing that we all have to remember is, we are all different. I know people who gained 90 lbs and had no GD. I know people who are very thin and got GD. It all depends. But it is not our fault, it is the hormones. The placenta causes insulin resistance and we cannot process blood sugar properly. Then we gain weight and the baby can gain weight. That is it.
So a diagnosis does not define your pregnancy. When first diagnosed, I thought it was. But it just isn't. It is a temporary condition that is completely treatable. It caused me to focus even more on my nutrition and I actually felt better at 9 months pregnant than I did before when my daughter was just a twinkle in my and my husband's eye. If you are facing GD, do not panic, ask questions, and go with the flow. You can and will do this.
