I originally wrote this blog post in 2017 after my first pregnancy with gestational diabetes. I managed that pregnancy entirely by diet and gave birth to a healthy baby girl weighing 7 lbs, 10 ounces. Two years later, found myself pregnant again with another diagnosis of gestational diabetes. The second time, I required daily insulin injections in addition to a special diet to keep my diabetes in check. This blog post contains information from both of those pregnancies to provide support and reassurance for whatever situation in which you currently find yourself.
Every pregnancy has its own set of ups, downs, special moments, and emotional setbacks. Both of my pregnancies were no exception! Thankfully, the joyful moments from my pregnancy greatly outshine the frustrating events, but there were some moments that were challenging for me to overcome, especially when it came to my health. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes for both of my pregnancies and I occasionally shared small glimpses of my experience on the blog and Instagram account. Since then, I have become aware of the fact that it’s a fairly common diagnosis for many expectant mothers. And yet, somehow, it can feel incredibly alienating to be diagnosed because many women don’t realize they know other people who have gone through the same thing.
It’s my hope to share a little bit about my own experience with gestational diabetes to offer a little reassurance to anyone else diagnosed with the condition that you are not alone and also let you know what other unexpected repercussions may await you down the road. I always found the shock of new information to be the biggest obstacle to overcome. Hopefully, this post will soften the blow a bit and help you feel more equipped to handle what lies ahead. I also want to reassure you that gestational diabetes is not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong to “get” the disease and it’s highly unlikely that it could have been prevented. It will be ok. You will be ok and you are definitely strong enough to handle it, even though you may not feel very strong yet. It’s also entirely possible for you to deliver a small baby.
Take a deep breath and repeat after me:
This is not my fault.
I can do this.
I will be ok and so will my baby.
Keep reading to find out more about my experience so you have a better idea of what to expect along your journey with gestational diabetes.
Two Very Different Pregnancy Experiences
Even though I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes twice, my experiences with the condition were very different during each pregnancy. The first time around, I was able to manage gestational diabetes entirely by changing my diet. The second time around, however, my fasting blood sugar was always elevated regardless of what I did (or didn’t) eat and however long I fasted. I dreaded the possibility of doing insulin injections but wasn’t surprised at all when the doctor finally prescribed a nightly insulin shot. If you just were just diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you can probably skip the whole insulin section, since there is a really good chance you won’t need to take insulin. But if you’ve been riding the gestational diabetes train for a few weeks and are nervous because you think you need insulin and have no idea what to expect, you can skip right ahead to that section.
From the One-Hour Glucose Test …
… to The Three Hour Glucose Test
Learning to Cope with Gestational Diabetes
Becoming Educated about My Condition
Gestational Diabetes Diet Basics
Testing My Blood Sugar
Living with Gestational Diabetes
How Gestational Diabetes Affected our Baby
Gestational Diabetes After Baby
The Post-Baby Follow Up Glucose Test
My Second Pregnancy with Gestational Diabetes
When Diet Alone Wasn’t Enough to Manage my Diabetes
Using Insulin to Lower My Blood Sugar
Silver Linings of Life with Gestational Diabetes
You Are Not Alone
From the One-Hour Glucose Test …
When I was pregnant with Dessa, I turned 35 when I was 2 months along, which automatically qualified the pregnancy as being “high risk”. Those words sounded scary, but everything went smoothly for the first few months. My weight and blood pressure were always under control and the baby grew and developed exactly as she should. At my 28 week OB appointment, I had the infamous glucose screening. (I call it infamous because I’ve always heard other expectant mommies talk about how nasty and terrible the test was.)
Turns out, the test really itself isn’t that bad. You just have to drink 10 ounces of a sweet drink that tastes like flat pop in a few minutes time, then wait an hour to have your blood sugar tested. It’s not the best-tasting drink ever, but it’s far from being the worst.
As I said, the test itself is no big deal. It’s the phone call that I received the next day that turned my glucose screening into a big deal – my doctor informed me that my blood sugar was too high and I had to undergo a three-hour glucose test. I listened carefully to the doctor’s instructions about how to proceed, thanked him for the call, hung up the phone, and promptly burst into tears. I had a whole storm of pregnancy hormones racing through my body and I was devastated by the mere possibility that I would be diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
… to The Three Hour Glucose Test
About a week later, I had my three-hour glucose screening. My doctor failed to mention on the phone that the three-hour test actually takes about four hours, that I had to fast for twelve hours before the screening, and that I had to show up at the lab at 6 am for the test. I was already upset about needing a second screening, and the fact that it was such an inconvenience just made me more upset.
Rob was a good sport and dragged himself out of bed to keep me company the morning of the test. They drew blood to test my fasting blood sugar levels before I drank the sugary drink, then processed the blood work – which meant I had to sit around and wait for nearly an hour while I awaited the initial test results. Once my bloodwork was in, I had five minutes to down another 10 ounces of sugary drink. This time I was warned that most women who chug the juice throw it back up, so I was advised to drink slowly, but also make sure I downed it within 5 minutes. Talk about contradictions.
I consumed the exact same orange-flavored sugary drink for my three-hour screening as I did for the one-hour test at the doctor’s office. But something about putting all of that sugar into a belly that had been fasting for 12 hours after a night of really terrible sleep made my stomach churn. I was absolutely miserable for the first hour of the test and it was a huge effort to keep the juice down. Once I drank the juice, I had to check in to the lab after each hour for an additional blood draw. The women in the lab didn’t care how I spent my time in between needle pokes (as long as I didn’t spend that time eating or puking), so Rob and I headed back to the car while we waited. I just wanted to curl up into a ball and sleep. So I attempted to do just that. It didn’t go all that well, but it was more comfortable than sitting in the lab’s waiting room.
Somehow, I made it through the three-hour test and kept the “juice” down the entire time. I was feeling pretty good until my doctor called me the following afternoon and broke the news that I did, in fact, have gestational diabetes. He told me I would need to get a glucose meter so I could check my blood sugar four times a day and I would need to attend a diabetic class at the hospital. Just like before, I politely thanked him for the phone call, hung up the phone, and promptly started to bawl.
Learning to Cope with Gestational Diabetes
I swear I cried buckets of tears every single day leading up to my diabetes class. The diagnosis didn’t make any sense. I was healthy! And I really, really didn’t want to poke myself in the finger four times a day to check my blood sugar. My grandparents were diabetic and I recall letting my grandmother (whom Dessa is named after) check my blood sugar once when I was a child. She reassured me that it didn’t hurt very much, but the prick did hurt quite a bit (at least it did from my perspective as a child). I kept envisioning that childhood experience and was completely dreading every diabetic moment that remained of my pregnancy.
Ever the rule follower, I promptly followed the doctor’s advice and did what I was supposed to do. I obtained a glucose meter and all the necessary testing supplies, then scheduled an appointment for the diabetes class. I didn’t really know what to expect of the class, but I imagined that it was going to be filled with all types of people who had recently been diagnosed with diabetes and that I was going to be the only young pregnant women in a sea of people 30+ years older than myself with multiple health issues.
Becoming Educated about My Condition
You can imagine my relief when I walked into a small conference room with five other pregnant women and a hospital nutritionist. In that instant, I felt a wave of reassurance that my problem was not unique and that it would be ok.
The class itself lasted just a few hours and led us through some basic information about the disease and how to manage it. One of the first things covered was the cause of gestational diabetes: hormones. That’s it. A woman’s hormones during pregnancy can cause so many crazy changes to the body. One less-than-desirable effect of all those surging hormones is causing the pancreas to produce less insulin and a corresponding rise in blood sugar. It’s never, ever your fault. Unfortunately, once you have gestational diabetes; there’s no getting rid of it during your pregnancy. You can manage your condition, but even if it is well-managed by diet (like mine was for my first pregnancy), you’re still a diabetic until the baby comes out.
Gestational Diabetes Diet Basics
After she covered all the basic information, the instructor made the process truly manageable. She told us exactly which types of food we had to keep an eye on (dairy, fruit, beans, anything made from grains, and of course all sweets). Anything not in those categories (meats, nuts, fats, and veggies) was fair game and we didn’t have to worry about those items.
My spirits perked up a bit when she explained that even though cheese is a dairy product, it’s considered a protein and not a carbohydrate. I was overjoyed to hear that I could keep eating plenty of pasteurized cheese without giving it a second thought. It made a nice temporary distraction from the finger prick cloud that had been hanging over my head for the past week.
It was also a relief to hear that I had to eat sugar and carbohydrates every day. The issue wasn’t that those foods were bad – it was that my body couldn’t break them down fast enough, but they were still a necessary component of my diet. I just needed to closely monitor and manage those foods in my diet so that my body could break them down at a healthy rate.
In the class, I learned that a serving of carbohydrates is 15 grams and that I would need to eat 1 to 3 servings of carbs every time I ate. The exact amount depended on the time of day and if I was eating a meal or a snack. The instructor taught us how to read labels and look up the carbohydrate content of foods without labels (like pieces of fruit). The best part was that I needed to eat something every four hours during the day – which meant lots of snacks for me! She broke things down and made it all super-simple, which was something I desperately needed in my overwhelmed state.
Testing My Blood Sugar
Just when I could wrap my head around the necessary changes to my diet and felt like I could manage this whole gestational diabetes thing, the instructor asked all of us who had a glucose meter to take them out. She explained how the meter and the lancets (pokey things) work. She also explained the goals for our blood sugar readings: 90 mg/dL or when we first wake up and 120 mg/dL or less two hours after each meal (I wouldn’t have to test my blood sugar after a snack). I felt my heart race a little bit every time she mentioned the device and I was so dang nervous to give my finger a poke. Finally, when there was no avoiding it any longer, she asked all the women at the class to try using their device to test their blood sugar.
I put my lancet in the device, pulled back the spring, held my breath, and pushed the button. To my surprise, I barely felt anything. Like, barely. And just like that, I had a tiny drop of blood. I massaged my finger to draw out a little more blood and brought the glucose meter with the loaded test strip to the tiny wound.
From that moment on, I was officially managing my gestational diabetes. Monitoring the time between meals and testing my blood sugar quickly slipped into my daily routine. I kept a log of my blood sugar readings after each test, which I always brought to my OB appointments so he could keep an eye on my blood sugar levels as well.
Living with Gestational Diabetes
Sometimes you just need a little something to take the edge off a particularly difficult situation. It took a little time to wrap my head around the idea that gestational diabetes was not the worst thing ever and it was going to be ok.
I started with a small, cosmetic improvement to help me view my testing materials in a better way. I stopped at an accessory shop and purchased a cute little travel makeup bag. It was the perfect size to hold my glucose meter, log book, lancets, a pen, and my test strips. Somehow carrying all of those supplies in a cute little bag felt a little less awful than when I carried them around in the ugly travel pouch that came with my glucose meter.
Once I had something cute to carry my supplies in, it was time to get on board with the nutritional aspect of proper self-care. Monitoring my carbohydrate content was manageable, but it wasn’t always easy. I was always able to read labels and create sensible meals within my dietary parameters at home, but dining out and other social events was always a challenge. It’s hard to look wistfully at the dessert spread at a party and only have a few bites of your favorite sweet treat. And restaurants are notorious for creating really unhealthy, carb-loaded menus. When it came to restaurants, a salad was one of the only things I could eat a large enough portion of to feel full and still stay within my carbohydrate limits. But I could only indulge in a salad. No croutons or other carbohydrate-laden treats that often accompany restaurant salads. No dessert. No lemonade or soda to drink – just a glass of water or unsweetened ice tea on the side. If it was a special occasion or if I really needed a carb-free mocktail, I would order a club soda with lots of lime; which was a far cry from the pre-pregnancy cocktails I loved so much, but at least it was something and it wasn’t going to adversely affect my blood sugar.
Then there were my food-related schemes.
I became a pro at finding ways to have my all-time favorite sugar and carb-loaded treats. I will always and forever view an icy cold glass of Coke as a sweet treat that offers a much-needed pick me up. As you know, sodas are loaded with sugar and don’t really offer any nutritional value. In fact, one of the guidelines that the class instructor laid out for us was to avoid sugary drinks of all types because a little bit of a sweet beverage quickly fills the full sugar allotment for a meal. One of my favorite meals to prepare for myself was to whip up some scrambled eggs with lots of broccoli and onion and a little American cheese (basically a carb-free bowl of protein and veggies) and have a mini can of Coke with my eggs. I discovered 7.5 oz cans at the grocery store and was overjoyed to see that they only contained 25 g. of sugar, which was actually a low amount of sugar for a meal (I was supposed to consume 30-45 grams of carbs at lunch and dinner).
The instructor also reassured us that it was ok if we occasionally overindulged a little. The best way to undo excess sugar in our system was to move around and burn it off. There’s a small soft-serve ice cream place within walking distance to our house. Sometimes Rob and I would walk to buy a guilt-free ice cream treat. It’s worth noting that the treat was guilt-free for two important reasons:
- We walked to get the ice cream, which was over a mile if you take the round trip into account.
- I got the tiniest, simplest treat on the menu: a mini cup of vanilla soft serve ice cream. No sprinkles, candy or other toppings. Just plain ol’ vanilla ice cream. And when I say mini, I mean mini. The treat was maybe three ounces in size, but I savored every sweet tiny bite and it was 100% worth it!
I did my very best to manage my gestational diabetes, but I didn’t eat perfect carbohydrate portions 100% of the time. If I was at a party for a special occasion, I always indulged in moderation, but I certainly allowed myself to eat more carbohydrates than I would on a regular day. I’d let myself enjoy a small portion of pasta, plus half of Rob’s dessert and maybe a few bites of someone’s roll with butter. Sometimes you need to let yourself off the hook just a little bit. I never allowed myself to go crazy and pig out on all of those treats, but a few extra bites of some delicious foods seemed fair to me. I tried to walk off some of the sugar after the event to help my blood sugar levels. And I always noted any special circumstances in my log so I could recall the reasons for my elevated sugar. (And yes, my sugar was always elevated after eating for a special occasion).
How Gestational Diabetes Affected our Baby
Beyond that, I didn’t really give much consideration to how my gestational diabetes would affect the baby. I was informed that mothers with gestational diabetes often give birth to babies with low blood sugar (because the baby’s system tries to overcompensate in the womb for mom’s elevated blood sugar levels), but this sounded like a temporary thing and I wasn’t given any details about what that means for the baby.
Looking back, it’s the one piece of information that I wish I had been better informed about because Dessa did have low blood sugar when she was born and it was a significant obstacle for us to overcome at the hospital.
Dessa arrived with a bang more than 48 hours after I was admitted to the hospital weighing a glorious 7 pounds, 10 ounces. After waiting and working for so long, I was completely exhausted and overwhelmed with my brand new role as a parent. The nurses pricked Dessa’s foot right after she was born to check her blood sugar and (sure enough) it was low. No big deal, I figured that would happen. I didn’t really worry about it. In the blurry haze of my newfound role of mother, I was given a little help learning to breastfeed, was told to let the nurse know before I started breastfeeding so they could check her sugar levels, then was left alone with Rob to rest and care for Dessa.
Each time Dessa fussed and showed signs of hunger, I grabbed her and started breastfeeding. Rob and I always remembered after she was on my breast that we were supposed to call the nurse to check her sugar. The nurses were very kind and always managed as best they could to get a blood sugar reading even though the timing wasn’t quite right. Our baby’s blood sugar was consistently low or right on the borderline for where it should be. The hospital protocol required three readings in a row that were above the baseline and Dessa just couldn’t hit that mark more than once without her sugar levels dropping out before the next feeding. A parade of nurses and pediatricians came to see me as well as a lactation consultant, but it was all a blur. I was tired, in pain, and Dessa was never really in the mood to eat.
At some point, someone (I think it was a nurse) brought a small bottle of formula and a small oral syringe. They encouraged me to feed Dessa a little formula with the syringe to try and elevate her blood sugar. It was an effort to get that baby to eat. She just wasn’t interested. We felt pretty great after giving her 1 mL of formula… that is until the nurse asked how we were doing and she said the goal was to put 5 mL in Dessa’s belly. Rob and I both got wide eyes, laughed awkwardly, and said we would try our best. Despite our best efforts, that little princess didn’t eat nearly as much as the nurse had hoped. We took it all in stride and figured Dessa would eat and things would even out when she was ready. After all, this was her very first day of life on the outside.
Then, about 20 hours after Dessa was born, a pediatrician came to the room for a serious talk. They were concerned that Dessa’s blood sugar just wouldn’t maintain a healthy level. We were informed that the hospital had to intervene by taking Dessa to the nursery overnight so they could get her blood sugar on track. They could either administer an IV or feed her formula, but at this point, they had to do something.
In hindsight, I shouldn’t have been surprised at the news that the staff needed to intervene. After all, they did send a constant stream of people into our room to check on Dessa and try to get her blood sugar up. But in my postpartum haze, I was caught completely off guard by the news and immediately started to cry. I was upset that they were going to take my baby away for the night and disappointed that she was going to be given so much formula. I could handle a few mL to supplement my colostrum, but this time it wasn’t a few mL – it was a bottle.
There’s such a cultural push to breastfeed these days and the words “breast is best” kept resounding in my head. I had a plan to breastfeed exclusively for four weeks, then slowly introduce the bottle (with milk that I had pumped, of course) and begin to transition Dessa so she could go back and forth from breast to bottle when I returned to work. I had done all the research and it was a good plan! I even specifically registered for Avent bottles because they have a wide base, which is recommended to make the switch to bottle easier. Feeding my baby formula was never a part of that plan and neither was introducing the bottle so soon.
I had a very difficult time coping with the realization that things were not going to work out exactly as I had planned. I was exhausted, in pain, and filled with hormones. I’ll just let you imagine what kind of a wreck I was at this point. Reluctantly, Rob and I followed the nurse who wheeled Dessa down the hall to the special care nursery. Once we arrived, a very kind nurse who works with the newborns sat us down, let me cry my eyes out, talked us off the ledge, reassured us that we could spend as much time with Dessa in the nursery as we wanted and that things would be ok.
Rob and I both teared up when we parted with Dessa and went back to our room. As you might expect, things did work out in the end. The two of us got some much-needed sleep (even with my 1 am trip down the hall to visit Dessa that night). Around 4 am, another very kind nurse delivered a happy, well-fed baby to my bedside. Most importantly, Dessa finally passed the hospital protocol and three blood sugar readings that were all above the baseline. Our baby was out of the woods and finally on track!
Gestational Diabetes After Baby
After three months of a strict diet to manage my gestational diabetes, it felt so strange to suddenly be free of carbohydrate concerns. From the moment I entered the hospital, my gestational diabetes only became a thing mentioned in passing. New nurses would come into the room and ask if I had any pregnancy complications. I would reply that I had gestational diabetes, and then they were onto the next item in my computerized chart. It was so strange. This was a condition I had lived with and regulated so carefully for weeks and once I was in the hospital, gestational diabetes was reduced to an item on a checklist. I was admitted to the hospital on a Monday night and was hooked up to an IV, which delivered any necessary nourishment without any need to worry about my gestational diabetes.
After a very long day waiting for any sign of labor after receiving Cytotec and Pitocin and a constant stream of IV fluids, I was overjoyed to get a green light to eat real food on Tuesday night. I asked if I should check my blood sugar or limit my carbohydrate intake and was told that neither of those things was necessary. Feeling quite shocked, I pushed a little further and asked if it was ok for me to eat fast food. Again, the nurse explained that I could eat whatever I was in the mood for. I knew exactly what I was in the mood for: a Burger King Whopper with fries and a Coke. That night, Rob and I feasted without giving my blood sugar any more thought than a passing glance. It was the most fast food I had eaten in three months and it was glorious.
And that’s how things continued for the entire duration of my time in the hospital. I never once limited anything that I ate and my blood sugar wasn’t monitored at all. It all seemed so foreign after everything I had been doing for the past three months. When the doctor stopped by for one last check before Dessa and I were discharged, I asked about my diabetes: if I should be concerned and how to proceed once I returned home. He explained that I would need to return to the lab after four weeks for one final glucose test (this one would be a two-hour test) but I could eat anything I wanted in the meantime. He also explained that there was a very small chance that my diabetes would remain with me forever, but the chances of that were very slim since I was not exhibiting pre-diabetic characteristics at the start of my pregnancy.
The Post-Baby Follow Up Glucose Test
I completed the doctor’s orders and dragged myself out of bed early one Saturday morning for another 6 am glucose test. This one was very similar to the three-hour test. I had to fast for 12 hours in preparation for the test and they began by taking my fasting blood sugar. Nearly an hour later, when that round of bloodwork was in, I sat in the chair and downed the orange sugary beverage. I had to check one hour after finishing the drink for a follow-up blood test, then again after the second hour. After that, I was free to go. Thankfully, the test was much easier on my stomach and I didn’t experience any of the nausea that I had during my three-hour glucose test. Within the week, I received word that my blood sugar levels were normal and healthy.
And just like that, I was free from the cloud of gestational diabetes.
My Second Pregnancy with Gestational Diabetes
Since I already had gestational diabetes once, I mentally prepared myself for the same diagnosis when I got pregnant a second time. I also learned that it’s a standard of care to start screening early for the disease in subsequent pregnancies. My doctor made arrangements for a one-hour glucose test when I was about 16 weeks along with my second pregnancy. I passed the initial screening without issue. Then, at 28 weeks, I repeated the one-hour screening which revealed a slightly elevated blood sugar. A few weeks later, I followed up with a 3-hour glucose tolerance test, which determined I was diabetic once again due to my elevated fasting blood sugar levels.
This time around, things were different. I was a little disappointed by the diagnosis but knew exactly how to adjust my diet and what to do to manage my blood sugar. I put on my game face and was determined to make the best of a semi-crummy situation. I had a two-year-old, Dessa, in tow who studied my every move and learned so much by following me. If I was going to be stuck poking myself with a needle to the point of drawing blood four times a day, I wanted it to be a learning experience for my daughter. This was right around the time that she began to gain an awareness of shots, pain, and pokes from the doctor. So each time I got ready to test my blood sugar, I let her watch and help me prepare for the event.
I would grab my little testing kit (in the same cute little makeup bag I used during my first pregnancy) and Dessa would pull out each of the supplies I needed (except the needle, of course). Once everything was in place, she would watch me load the lancet (needle) and prepare for my test. She would choose the finger for me to poke and watch in intrigue as I willingly drew my own blood without complaint. Once the process was complete, she would help me clean up my supplies and put them away for next time.
When Diet Alone Wasn’t Enough to Manage My Diabetes
I quickly fell back into the routine of managing my gestational diabetes with a balanced, low-carb diet and checking my blood sugar four times a day. Things were going smoothly, but I quickly noticed that my blood sugar level first thing in the morning was always elevated. That first test of the day is commonly called the fasting level and should be 90 or less, but my numbers were consistently above 90 and often over 100. I tried eating toward the low end of my recommended carb range at each meal and walking more often to burn off the extra sugar. Those tricks always worked so well during my first pregnancy and allowed me a chance to indulge in the occasional sweet treat. Unfortunately, none of my usual tricks worked this time around and it was maddening.
At this point, I had all kinds of mixed feelings. On the one hand, I desperately wanted to lower my blood sugar and I began to suspect that the doctor would put me on insulin. I figured insulin was inevitable, but I was so scared. No one ever really likes needles, but I can put on a brave face when it’s time for my flu shot or a blood draw. But I was pretty sure that insulin required a daily injection and that I would have to do the injection myself. The thought of willingly sticking myself with a needle every day sounded awful and I couldn’t mentally prepare for the possibility because I had no idea what to expect. I had so many questions: How big would the needle be? Where exactly would I have to inject myself? How many times a day would I need to be injected? How much would it hurt? Could I find the courage to handle it?
After monitoring my blood sugar for a few weeks, without any drop in my fasting blood sugar levels, my doctor informed me that I would need a nightly insulin injection. When my exam was complete, I took a few steps down the hall and met with a nurse on staff who walked me through the entire process. It took less than 20 minutes for me to learn everything I needed to know for what was to become my new health routine. I kept a brave face through the appointment, but was quietly devastated and had a good, long cry in my car before I headed back home.
Using Insulin to Lower My Blood Sugar
I know a lot of people can’t stand the sight of needles, and if you are one of those people, you may want to scroll right past this part. But I also know that a lot of women are struggling to manage their blood sugar through diet, are pretty sure that their doctor is going to put them on insulin, and are scared because they have absolutely no idea what to expect. If you are one of those women, I’m here to help. The unknown can be so darn scary. Your experience might be different from mine, but at least I can provide a starting place so you have some idea of what to expect if your doctor prescribes insulin.
I’ll walk you through the process step by step, but I have good news and squirmish news to share right away. I’ll fill you in on all the details, but here are the basics.
The Good News: The needle itself is incredibly thin and only about 1 cm in length.
The Squirmish News: I had to inject it into my belly.
I know, I know. The belly injection sounds awful. I’ll let you know more about it in a minute. For now, just brace yourself and know that it’s coming.
I only had to have one shot of insulin a day. I took the dose a few hours after dinner, before going to bed for the night. Each evening, I would arrange all of my materials on a tray and prepare a little workspace. The insulin itself was kept in a glass vial. I would always begin by wiping the top of the vial with an alcohol prep pad to sterilize it. I would also wipe the injection site on my belly with an alcohol prep pad. The next step was to plunge a clean needle into my bottle of insulin and safely measure out my dose, without trapping any air in the needle.
Once my needle was prepared with insulin, it was time for the injection. I know it sounds crazy that I had to inject my very pregnant belly, but it’s true. I was taught to gather some skin near my belly button and pinch it firmly, then plunge the needle into my pinched skin.
With all of that information in mind, only one big question about my insulin injection remains: did it hurt? Honestly, the answer is a little complicated. You see, I quickly realized that I could sometimes put the needle to my pinched skin and would barely feel a thing. In a different moment, though, it felt like I was poking myself with a very sharp needle and the last thing I wanted to do was push that needle in deeper. So, each night when I prepared for my injection, I would take the needle and sort of explore the area. I would keep moving the needle around that small patch of pinched skin, gently poking as I went in search of a place that didn’t hurt. Sometimes it only took a test poke or two. Other nights, I moved the needle around 8 or 10 times until I finally found a sweet spot that my nerves didn’t feel the needle.
My nightly insulin ritual was more tolerable than I expected and not as bad as I had feared; but I was always happy to have finished the task and put it behind me each night.
Once I was on insulin, I noticed that my fasting blood sugar finally lowered to a healthier level, but my fasting sugars began to rise back up after a week or two. When that happened, my doctor simply increased the amount of insulin I needed to take nightly. Once again, my fasting sugars dropped, then slowly began to rise. In the end, I think my dose was increased about 4 times throughout the remainder of my pregnancy; but it was effective in keeping my fasting blood sugar in check, along with continuing to limit my carbohydrate intake and follow a diabetic diet plan.
The insulin injections were not fun, but they helped me bring a beautiful, healthy, 7 pound 12 ounce baby boy into the world.
Silver Linings of Life with Gestational Diabetes
When I was first diagnosed with gestational diabetes, it was a significant mental obstacle to overcome and the condition wasn’t always easy to manage. I certainly shed my fair share of tears along the way, but my experience was not terrible every step of the way.
The most significant positive impact of managing my gestational diabetes was that I was eating well. Really well. Sugary, carb-laden, deep-fried foods and beverages would have immediately exceeded my mealtime limitations, so my diet was filled with lots of vegetables, meats, and other healthy proteins. The diet was good for me and (more importantly) good for my babies. All of those nutritious foods helped Dessa and Harvey grow healthy and strong in the womb.
As a result of all my healthy food choices, I saw great results on the scale. I wasn’t gaining much weight late in either pregnancy because I wasn’t eating the kind of foods that would cause me to pack on the pounds. And after both of my babies were born, the scale returned to my pre-pregnancy weight within weeks. It isn’t something I discuss much because it really was the result of managing my condition and I would never, ever want any other woman to compare her own post-pregnancy body to mine. But the truth is I was on a fairly strict diet for three solid months, which had a lasting, positive effect.
You Are Not Alone
One of the most significant realizations that emerged from my experience with gestational diabetes was understanding just how common the condition can be. It’s not a topic that just casually comes up, but I have noticed time and again that when I mentioned my condition in a conversation or on social media, other women chimed in about their own experiences. If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes and are struggling with your new normal of blood sugar testing and carbohydrate counting, please know that you are not alone. Gestational diabetes is much more common than you think. I was right there struggling, too, and I want to reassure you that everything will be ok in the end. You’ve got this, mama!
If you have any questions about my experience or you want to share a little bit about your own journey with gestational diabetes, feel free to leave a comment below. Let’s raise each other up and help support any other women who are currently frustrated and overwhelmed with their own circumstances. This pregnancy stuff is hard and sometimes we just need to lean on each other a little – even if it’s through a virtual hug on the internet.
I ended up having a c-section and having to switch to formula at about 3 weeks because my son wasn’t gaining weight. You’re so right about all the pressure to make breastfeeding work, but now that he’s 2 and super happy and healthy, the fact that he was *gasp* formula-fed doesn’t even cross my mind very often! Being a mom is hard enough without adding to our own guilt! Thanks for sharing your story!
The monitoring of weight gain is so stressful! I’m so glad to hear that your little man is healthy and happy. ❤️
Thank you so much for writing this, it was perfect timing! I just found out about a week ago that I have gestational diabetes, too and actually came to your blog today to see if you had written anything about your experience. I’m finding that it’s more common than we realize… but I sure am bummed about missing out on so much of my Christmas baking this year! Anyway, thanks again for sharing your story :-)
Oh my, that IS perfect timing! I’m so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I know that you and the baby will get through it, but it’s so hard to limit all of those tasty foods during the holidays. Sending a prayer for a smooth pregnancy, easy birth, and a very healthy baby!
I had GD as well and that last trimester seemed so unbearable especially because it was Christmas. I was 38, so I had to see a specialist and my OB. The specialist said I could indulge a little on Christmas day but to make sure my numbers were good in the days leading up and the days that followed.
I wanted to eat everything in sight but practiced self control and had a little of my favorites!
I’m currently 31w 4days and was diagnosed with GD the Monday before Thanksgiving. After my initial anger and fear I’ve learned to really embrace it! I just realized tonight I’m 22days in and out of 78 pokes I’ve only been over 8times. A couple were flukes: a fiber one bar while stuck in the car not moving, a high morning test after a sleepless night, but then the others were from trying out foods early on or a little frozen yogurt endulgence. I know I’ve easily saved myself 10lbs in these past three weeks, especially with the amount of holiday goodies my work recieves. As someone who’s been overweight according to scales most of my life, but always carried it fairly well I’ve been so happy I’ve managed my weight extremely well this pregnancy and GD is only making the last few months easier. When you have to eat healthier vs wanting to eat healthier, this is the path of least resistance. Good luck to you in the rest of your pregnancy and all of motherhood! :)
When my youngest was born he was 9lbs. 9 oz. He was a HUGE baby. I had to have him by C-section because he wasn’t coming out on his own. (He was so big that they had to vacuum his head out during the C-section!) His blood sugar was really low too. I remember the nurses asking me if I had gestational diabetes. I had not. He also had to have a bottle of formula. Funny that you mention that they wanted Dessa to eat 5oz of formula. We fed my son 5 oz of the formula they gave us. He ate that well. Still the blood sugar was low, so he had to have more a few hours later. His third test is when his numbers started to rise. When the lactation consultant came in the next day, I told her how he had had the whole bottle. She started getting mad at me, telling me that was impossible because of how small their stomachs are. She pulled out beads to show me the size of their stomachs and all. I calmly told her that I watched him down at 5 oz. bottle and that my husband and I both had fed him those too. I just didn’t understand how she could get mad at me for something that we saw my son do and he didn’t spit any back up. It sounds like you had a really supportive team working with you, which is wonderful! I have had wonderful birth experiences with all my kids, but there seemed to be one that didn’t quite make it so easy going and they gave off a “I am more superior than you” attitude that was with my last. I would just pray for them and just let it go in one ear and out the other. We were doing what we felt comfortable with and what was working for us and our newborn.
I started to tear up and nod my head in agreement with your statement that “breast is best” that puts so much pressure on new moms. My daughter was small at birth and lost a lot 10% of her birth weight in the first few days. I was an emergency c-section at 38 weeks, and my milk hadn’t come in. The nurses wanted to give her formula but the LC was telling me that too much formula would make her not want to breastfeed. Soooo much mixed messages. A night nurse saw me very emotional about formula and she whispered to me to “do what you feel is right for you, and formula isn’t the worst thing in the world” and we decided to supplement with formula. Breastfeeding didn’t work for us very well, and she was all formula starting at 7 months. She’s now 2, grows like a tree, and all those early struggles seem like a distant memory.
It’s so hard to be a first-time Mom and so stressful when feeding doesn’t go as planned. I’m hoping to breastfeed until 6 months – at which point there will be a lot more formula in Dessa’s diet. So glad to hear that your little one is thriving!
I also had GD, and that first bowl of fruit in the hospital was tastiest bowl of berries I’d ever eaten :) The thing that bothered me the most about the disease was the “need” for twice weekly non-stress tests. The maternal/fetal medicine clinic (not my OB) that helped manage the disease/adjust medications liked to use scare tactics. I guess they have a lot of patients who don’t comply? Anyway, I forget the exact numbers now, but they told me that I had a 60% higher likelihood of stillbirth with GD. I did my own research and found that number was true – for uncontrolled blood sugars significantly higher than mine ever were. Also, the risk was only raised from 0.07% to 0.078% (or something like that) which I decided was perhaps statistically significant, but not meaningfully significant to me. With my OBs consent, I politely declined.
Oh my! I never had to do any non-stress tests. And pregnancy is scary enough without throwing scare tactics your way. there must be a fairly high rate on non-compliance, which is crazy to me. I just wanted a healthy baby. And amen to eating delicious fruit!!!
I also had Gestational diabetes with my second baby. The buckets of tears is very accurate, I was diagnosed on Valentine’s day and felt that my love was ruined. This was to be my last pregnancy and I was supposed to enjoy it. I hate that it did make me wish my pregnancy away but it wasn’t all bad. If you’ve just been diagnosed, please remember that it’s not anything you did wrong, it’s the hormones.
Amen to those hormones! It’s so easy to wonder what you did wrong and it’s so important to remember that those hormones are responsible for so many aspects of the pregnancy.
Thank you so much for sharing your story! I was just diagnosed with gestational diabetes and was heartbroken. I am now beginning to cope with it and you story has helped me see it will be okay and it is something that will go away in a few months.
Thank you so much for sharing!!
I was diagnosed with GD at about 30 weeks. Its actually not that scary or as bad as some people think. It’s just a lot of will power on what you can and can’t eat. But honestly if anyone is diagnosed with GD, it isn’t that bad at all. And it’s usually only until you have the baby. And you need to know more about GD at diabetescentrale.nl/teststrips-bloed ; So good luck to you all :)
Did your doctor or dietician have you eat a heavy carb diet at each meal (mines recommending 220grams/day), did you, and did it work?
Thank you for this post! I first started following your blog after finding your maternity StitchFix reviews. After failing my 1 hr glucose test, I was back in today for my 3 hr. Not sure of the results yet, but I remembered seeing this post of yours, and just went back now to read it. Feeling much better and ready to handle whatever the results may be. Thank you for sharing so openly and candidly about your experience!
I was diagnosed with GD today and the dietician gave me a meal plan that has me eating nearly 220grams of carbs per day which seems backwards to me; since carbs turn to glucose and my body is having problems managing the glucose-why introduce more carbs? She also has me testing my ketones. I’m curious if this was ever a concern or if anybody brought this up in your class? I’ve done lots of crying and am feeling very confused.
Oh Vanessa, I’m so sorry to hear about your diagnosis and how upset you are over it. I completely understand your feelings and even though it’s upsetting and scary right now, I know that it will start to get a lot better once you settle into your new routine. No, my doctor or dietician did not have me load up on carbs for one meal, but that doesn’t mean that your doctor is wrong. I have a family history of diabetes and I know that my grandfather suffered from both high AND low blood sugar at times, which was trickier to regulate. There may be something a bit more complicated than usual happening with your blood sugar, which is why they have a management plan that seems less-than-logical to you. I really hope things work out for you and that you can find peace with your current situation.
Your experience is very inspiring for me. I can take some positive experiences from your article for the various experiences and knowledge about diabetes with Diabetescentrale.nl Thank you
I am diagnosed with gdm 15weeks pregnant…if anyone can help the proper testing of sugar 1hour after meal is it the first bite or the last bite of your meal?
Hi Lucita, I’m not a dietician or a nurse, but I was told to test an hour after the first bite (even if it’s a 2-hour meal – still go from the first bite). Congratulations on your pregnancy! I know gestational diabetes can be very overwhelming at first, but you’ve got this and it will all be worth it when you finally hold that sweet baby!
THANK YOU so much for writing this blog post! I am 27 weeks pregnant. I was officially diagnosed with gestational diabetes yesterday, and I am taking the class at the hospital tomorrow. I am SO overwhelmed and have about a million questions, and I just really appreciate how real and detailed you were in this post!
Hi Lauren, I’m so sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but I PROMISE it’s not as bad as you fear! I’m sure you will feel 100x better after taking the class and learning the strategies you need to manage the disease. In hindsight, my time with GD was probably the healthiest period in my life. Wishing you all the best during these last few months of your pregnancy and sending prayers for a healthy baby and easy delivery.
Thank you for sharing your experience! Wondering how breastfeeding went once you were home from the hospital?
Hi Kaitlyn! Unfortunately, breastfeeding was a bit of a battle for us. It totally COULD have worked, but I didn’t do enough on my end to create a strong milk supply right from the start. The supplement of formula got us started on the wrong foot and every time I tried breastfeeding, my daughter passed out. She was just too warm and cozy to eat no matter how much I poked, prodded or undressed her to keep her awake. I pumped a little, but not as much as I should have if I really wanted to exclusively breastfeed. So we supplemented A LOT with formula and I would breastfeed/pump a little each day. She was happy and grew well, and I was glad to give her a few ounces of breastmilk each day (less than 8 ounces in a day if I remember correctly) to give the the added benefits of breastmilk. We continued that for 4 months before I finally switched exclusively to formula. At that point, we found out that she had a diary allergy, I was stressed out and exhausted from trying to balance too many things and it seemed like an incredible amount of work for a minimal benefit to Dessa. If we go down the exact same road with a second baby, I will make pumping more of a priority right from the start and hope for more success. It all turned out well in the end though, and that’s what really mattered to us <3
Thank you so much for writing this. It feels less alienating to find out someone else went through the same emotional rollercoaster I went through when I received my GD diagnosis. I received my diagnosis a couple weeks ago. I was at work, handling multiple crazy deadlines and managing my team, AND it was right before my baby moon. I was so angry because I had been watching what I ate, staying somewhat active, and had gained very little weight at what was nearly 28 weeks. I couldn’t understand why I received the diagnosis. The email from my midwife told me to do what I had already been doing, which made me want to body slam her at our next appointment. I managed to *mostly* enjoy my baby moon, but I did bring up my GD diagnosis with my husband every day of it which made it a little hard for both of us even though he was a trooper. I’ve been on the GD diet now for a week, and I started glucose testing a couple days ago. Like you, so far, I found it hasn’t been so bad. Surprisingly, mashed potatoes are still on the menu. So I had that with steamed broccoli and skinless chicken with salsa at El Pollo Loco, and it was DELICIOUS. I also rather enjoy my bedtime snack of half an english muffin with peanut butter. And the glucose testing has become a game for me as I try to see how much post-meal walking lowers my numbers. There’s some immediate gratification when I’ve gotten satisfying numbers. One of the best parts for me is seeing my husband really step-up to the plate in helping me manage this. He’s a great cook and has been marinating chicken and fish, and grilling it for me. He’s *mostly* adjusted his diet to go along with mine. He laughed amusingly when I tried to eat EXACTLY one-half of a cupcake (NO LESS!) at an engagement party today before he ate the rest. I found some recipes online that my husband said he’ll try with me, and I can continue to play my numbers game. I think I can actually make this fun, and be healthier at the same time!
Hi Melanie, congratulations on your pregnancy! I know how frustrating it can be to manage gestational diabetes, but it sounds like you are handling it great! You are very fortunate to have a husband that is on-board for all of the diet craziness – it helps so much when it feels like someone is going through it right along with you and I love that you are turning the sugar-testing into a bit of a game to keep your spirits up. When this is all behind you and you finally have that sweet baby in your arms, you will agree that it was completely worth all of the frustration. You’re doing great and I wish you all the best for a healthy pregnancy, fast delivery and a happy baby.
Currently 37.5 weeks pregnant and been struggling with everything mentioned for the past two months. Thank you for sharing this and validating the emotional difficulties that it comes with. My concerns have mostly been around postpartum health of both my daughter and I – I am hopeful now hearing how seamless the transition out of gestational diabetes was for you: thank you!❤️
Hi Ashley, I remember those emotions well and I know how scary it can be! I was astounded that my diabetes ceased to be an issue of concern once I went into labor. As for Dessa, it was only a matter of 24 hours or so to get her blood sugar on track and we haven’t looked back since. Sending lots of love and support for you and your daughter these last few weeks. You are SO close to the finish line and all of the hardships will be worth it in the end!
Hi Maria,
Thanks for sharing your experience all the way from diagnosis to birth and after. It’s very comforting to know that things are in control now both for you and your baby. I was diagnosed with GD at 27 weeks. I have started monitoring my glucose on a regular basis and have already made significant changes to my diet. Despite dietary changes, keeping a food log, and walking more I do get spike in readings. I have about 9 out of 31 readings higher than the recommended limits so far. I am really anxious. Did you have a similar experience? I meet with a neonatologist only next week. Hopefully they will be able to guide me better too.
Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks.
Meena
Hi Meena,
I wish I could tell you I experienced the same thing and could reassure you from personal experience that it’s typical. My sugars were fairly easy to manage and predictable. Sometimes they were slightly elevated, but not to a concerning degree. I’m sure that the neonatologist will have much more insight and will get you back on track. It probably feels like that appointment can’t come soon enough and I will say some prayers for a simple, painless solution for your body to stay on track. I’m actually 27 weeks pregnant with my second child now and have my – hour glucose test next week so I’m very familiar with all those worries and feelings of apprehension. In the end, it’s all worth it when you hold your healthy, happy baby.
Thank you Maria. Good to know and congrats on your second pregnancy! 😊 I have heard of one other person who had GD with her first child but not the second one. So there is hope for you.. Good luck with everything.
Hi,
Did you ever have trouble controling your fasting numbers? This is what I had trouble with during pregnancy. Also did you consider having another pregnancy after this experience? I would love to have another baby but the idea of the diabetes returning with a vengeance is what worries me.
Maria
All I have to say is thank you. Being a first time mom is hard and I have felt so alone in all this. My 1st and 2nd trimester have been an absolute dream and then this happened and I was just distraught. I did and some times still don’t understand, but I am learning to accept it. I know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for writing a post that is so relatable and so raw. I’m still learning to manage my sugars, especially my fasting, but its not the worst. I also hope to breastfeed when my little one gets here, but at the end of day, I will do what is best. Again…thank you :)
Hi Jena,
I’m so sorry to hear that you are dealing with gestational diabetes in addition to being pregnant during a pandemic. It is a lot to process and I know it’s completely unfair. I hope that you are healthy and staying strong through all of these challenges. I personally made a list of all the delicious, high-carb foods I wanted to consume after my baby was born. Pizza, French Toast and sandwiches never tasted so good. You’ve got this!
Thank you!! Thank you! Thank you!! Finally someone gets it. I appreciate you for being so honest and transparent. This article has helped me in more ways than you know. I now understand where I am with this gestational diabetes and what I need to do to maintain my health. I take great peace in knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel
Hi Venecia, I TOTALLY understand and I can assure you it will be ok. I had gestational diabetes for my second pregnancy as well and actually had to take insulin to manage it. One day soon I hope to update this post, but just in case you find yourself in a similar situation, feel free to reach out. Stay healthy ❤️
Hi! Thank you for writing this! I want to be as healthy as possible for my baby but I just don’t understand why I got high sugar level after an hour from breakfast. I eat the same thing every morning. I get really upset when I get a high blood sugar result because I feel like I’m not doing enough.
Hi Karina,
I know that feeling all too well. I hope to update this blog post sometime in the future with my second journey with gestational diabetes. When I was pregnant with my second child, I was diagnosed again and my blood sugar was much more difficult to control – especially my fasting numbers. It didn’t matter how much exercise I got or how much I cut carbs, my blood sugar was always elevated. Each time I saw my doctor, he reminded me that it wasn’t anything I could control. I know how easy it is to blame yourself right now and get frustrated by the high blood sugar numbers. Nothing about it is your fault. In the end, I had to take insulin to manage my sugar. The insulin did help in the end. I was terrified of giving myself daily injections. The injections were not as bad as I feared and it is certainly an aspect of my pregnancy that I do not miss, but I wanted to let you know that it isn’t as scary as you think it will be (just in case you also find yourself needing insulin injections sometime soon.)
Thank you so much for writing and sharing this. I was just diagnosed a couple of days ago. I have been feeling devastated, worried about the baby, and alone. I don’t think I can give birth at the birth center I planned to go to because of this and it is just heart breaking to me. It’s a blessing to hear from someone who also cried buckets after finding out, and hearing how things proceeded for you over the next months.
Hi Bria, I am so sorry to hear that you were recently diagnosed with GD and that it will affect the birth plan that you had been hoping for. Once you get your feet on the ground and learn how to manage your diabetes, it will begin to get easier. Try to remember that all of these setbacks are temporary and your baby will be worth every single bite of dessert or bread that you will be sacrificing over the next few months. Hang in there and please come back if you need encouragement along the way <3
Thank you SO much for this. Just diagnosed and I’m crushed 😢
Oh Gen, I’m so incredibly sorry to hear of your recent diagnosis. These last few months won’t be as much fun, but you can and WILL get through this, and you’re definitely not alone. Feel free to email me anytime at crazytogetherblog@gmail.com if you need a little encouragement along the way.