As you know, earlier this week I failed the one-hour glucose screening for Gestational Diabetes. Since then, I have been monitoring my blood glucose levels each day (my mom is Type II and has an extra monitor that I have been using)...drawing blood and testing upon waking, and one hour and two hours after each meal and snack (my fingers are SO sore from all of the needle pricks!).
After two days of testing, I've decided to go ahead and skip the three-hour test tomorrow and go straight to the Diabetic Counselor. Hopefully I will get to meet with her tomorrow or Monday.
The plan right now is to modify my diet and up my exercise in an effort to balance my blood sugars. Actually, my numbers after I eat are in a pretty good place, but it's the number after fasting (from the last snack of the day/bedtime until waking the next day) that is the major concern right now. It's been between 95-105 each morning and it really needs to be below 95. Since I am already eating really healthfully, I am truly boggled at what sort of adjustments needs to be made. I am thinking more protein at every meal and a snack closer to bedtime or even in the middle of the night (when I wake up to go to the bathroom) might be in order. we shall see.
So, we'll start with overhauling my diet and exercise plan even more (honestly I cannot even imagine where I'd be if I had been eating pasta and drinking soda, etc. throughout this pregnancy!) and if it's not controlled that way I will most likely have to take insulin shots at night before bed. The other option would be taking a pill, Glyburide, but it crosses the placenta and can negatively affect the baby at birth and I'd prefer that whatever medication I might need to regulate this not cross over to the baby if at all possible.
I'll meet with a nutritionist tomorrow or Monday and have some more information then, but for now Dr. Google and the High-Risk Pregnancy Board on The Bump has been very helpful in understanding this all. My emotions about this have been swinging from fear to anger to guilt and even though, intellectually, I know that there's nothing I've done to bring this on (aside from having a few risk factors because of my family history, weight and age) it still hurts. I have been SO lucky throughout this TTC and PG and I am trying to be grateful for that and keep a good perspective on things (for example I am not dealing with anything nearly as terrifying as Legalosaur or other mommies with compromised pregnancies).
That said, I am definitely feeling depressed about this situation and hope that now that I am in a place to take some action my mood will lift some. The tears have flowed often and plentifully since Monday night (they started after our hospital tour). In fact I awoke sobbing on Wednesday morning. Maybe I had a bad dream? I don't know. The world just feels very heavy to me right now.
I hate crying at work, especially. And I am not planning on telling anyone that I work with about this so for now I have to play it off like it's just hormones making me emotional. I am pretty sure no one has seen me breakdown (thank goodness for office doors), but I am sure my eyes have been red and teary looking. Some of my colleagues may have their suspicions that it is more than that because my husband arrived unannounced with flowers for my desk to cheer me up on Wednesday. He's been trying his best to brighten my spirits about all of this, but in all honestly, there's really nothing he can say or do to change this situation. I have to process it all in my time. And although he'll be supporting me all the way, he's not the one going through it, I am. He fails to understand this right now, so it has been less than sunny in our household all week.
I have already talked to the doctor about my options and how they might affect labor and delivery and right now her goal (and mine) is to get everything under control so that I can still aim for a natural labor and delivery. We will know more in the coming weeks. So we're going forward with our Bradley Classes this week and next. I am on-the-fence about contracting the doula. It's a lot of money and right now I am not even sure if we'll be able to use her services when the time to deliver comes. What I do know is this. I am praying that the next 12 weeks just fly by with me in good health and then, I can finally meet our little girl. Staying healthy for her is my #1 goal.
I think it will help to stay on a low GI (glycemic index) diet, watch your carb intake and follow strictly what your nutritionist recommends. You'll need to eat often and small meals to keep your blood sugar stable. I wouldn't worry too much, but I understand your stress...as that is already part of being a great mother. I failed the first test (1 hour) but passed the 3 hour with flying colors. My OB told me many women fail the first but go one to pass the 2nd. Did you fast before the first one?
ReplyDelete