Gestational Diabetes Diagnosis – My First Two Weeks

When I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I freaked. I thought it meant I automatically had to be put on insulin. My doctor’s office put me in touch with the hospital’s GD program, and I was off to meet the certified diabetes educator (CDE) the next day.

During my first visit, I was weighed and given my own poking stick and monitor. Luckily, much of the cost of the machine and the lancets and strips were covered by my insurance – whew. The CDE went over what I should be eating per meal and per snack – I was given a 1,900 calorie limit. I was to eat six times a day – three meals and three snacks in-between – basically every 2-3 hours, to keep my blood sugar steady. In my new (and yet another) reusable bag, I got a set of measuring spoons and measuring cups. I would check in with the CDE over the phone in one week, and then meet with her again in two weeks. I’d try to control my blood sugar by diet and exercise, and then they’d reevaluate whether I needed to be on insulin.

These were the rules I had to abide by per the CDE and dietician:

1. I was forbidden to have any milk or fruit products for breakfast. (This means no cereal, milk, yogurt, fruit, smoothies, etc.)
2. I poked myself four times a day – as soon as I woke up (“fasting” number) and one hour after the first bite of every meal.
   1. My fasting number had to be between 65-95.
   2. My after-meal number had to be between 100-135.
3. I had to have a carb/starch (30 grams) per meal. (For me, that’s 1 slice of Dave’s Killer Bread – my fave, 1/2 cup peas, or 1/2 English Muffin, as an example.)

How to poke yourself – Gestational Diabetes

In my first two weeks, every mofo reading was pretty high. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. I measured everything. I still wasn’t getting the numbers down low enough, especially my fasting number. Everytime I woke up, I was in the high 90s.

Fast forward to my second meeting with the CDE. I mentioned that there were a couple of nights where I felt like I had to stay up to eat for the sixth time – my third snack before bedtime. I mean, no one said I didn’t have to eat. The rules were I ate six times a day. So I forced myself to eat a snack before bedtime, and that royally screwed me (and the baby). My fasting number the next day would be in the 100s.

Then I get the “Oh you don’t have to eat if you’re not hungry!” spiel. What the hell? The CDE suggested drinking an Ensure with Protein in the evening. She forbade me from milk and fruit for my last snack. (Bummer.)

So I got a pass for the week and would meet the dietician the next week for a final evaluation (before they most likely put me on insulin). I was totally discouraged. I thought I was doing well but apparently not. I had brought The Wife with me for this meeting and he was pissed that the CDE didn’t help with meal ideas or foods to reconsider. I was just bummed out and couldn’t think about it.

This is the point where I contacted a fantastic blogger and she suggested I talk to her dietician.

More on this in the next post!

Disclaimer: Obviously this is my journey with gestational diabetes. If you have any medical questions, you should talk to your doctor, dietician, etc. I’m not a medical professional and am just writing about my experience and what worked for me.