Note: This is our second post in conjunction with National Diabetes Month. Click here for our post on the benefits of Low Calorie Sweeteners for diabetics.
By: Michelle Ronholm Date: 11/18/09
I was sitting at my desk, 28 weeks pregnant, when the nurse-midwife at my doctor’s office called. “Michelle, you have gestational diabetes.”
I stopped eating the sesame bagel with lots of cream cheese that I had so energetically unwrapped just moments before. Now what was I supposed to do?
Gestational diabetes is a condition in which a pregnant woman’s pancreas is producing significant amounts of insulin, but it’s not enough to lower her blood glucose levels. It’s diagnosed around the 24-28 week mark and occurs in about four percent of all pregnancies. The only risk factor I had – I was 33 years old.
Of course I worried about all of the potential risks. Gestational diabetes can sometimes lead to macrosomia or “fat baby”, which increases the chances of cesarean delivery, shoulder damage to the baby during birth, breathing problems, and later in life, obesity and Type 2 Diabetes.
Managing Gestational Diabetes
I was able to manage my diabetes through diet and exercise. I worked closely with a registered dietitian and diabetes educator at a local hospital. She taught me how to monitor my blood sugar using a blood glucose monitor. And she put me on an eating plan that included carefully balanced meals and two snacks each day. I stocked up on lots of fruits and vegetables and lean proteins and got plenty of exercise each day. I was never hungry and managed my pregnancy weight very effectively.
What can you do if you’re diagnosed with gestational diabetes?
▪ Talk to your doctor or nurse-midwife to determine what treatment approach you will take.
▪ Find a registered dietitian who also is a diabetes educator. Together, you will be able to create an eating plan to help manage your blood sugar levels.
▪ Follow the plan your doctor and dietitian recommend, including diet, exercise, blood glucose monitoring and medication.
▪ Then, stop worrying because you will be doing everything you can to protect your health and the health of your baby.
I know that if I’m pregnant again I have a 2 in 3 chance of developing gestational diabetes. And I’m at risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes as well. But I also have a healthy five year old boy and incentive to continue to eat healthy and exercise.