I have just been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. No big deal my brother tells me.
This particular path in my life started a week and a half ago. After having elevated levels in the Glucose Challenge Test, where your blood is taken to check your glucose levels one hour after a glucose drink (which is bloody awful), my doctor sent me for the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT).
The OGTT is where your blood is taken before and one and two hours after the glucose drink (still bloody awful, probably even more so as there is more glucose in it. Add a fasting empty stomach to that and you've got possible vomiting people). I have done this OGTT test three times before, once when trying to get pregnant and twice when pregnant with Little Miss 4 and got the all clear.....but not this time!
This time, my body is unable to produce the insulin that is needed.....so gestational diabetes.
They do tell you that when the pregnancy is over and insulin needs return to normal, the diabetes USUALLY disappears. However, now I have a higher chance of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life...PRICELESS! They also tell you it is common, 5-8% of pregnant women get it - I thought that 95-98% would be more common, but call me crazy.
Now I start the process of monitoring my blood glucose levels, watching what I eat and exercising more. For the next 3 months (and probably beyond), I will be doing everything that the endocrinologist and nurses tell me to do! Making sure that Bubs#2 is not affected in any way.
Hubby will be happy when I start using the Preggi Bellies exercise DVD and Swiss Ball that have been collecting some serious dust in my bedroom since I got pregnant....he has been asking me for a while now if I am ever going to use them.
Did you know that we are actually coming up to World Diabetes Day on 14th November. Check it out if you like at http://www.idf.org/worlddiabetesday/ and Think Blue. Wear Blue.
Have you had gestational diabetes? What did you do? Or do you have diabetes?
Image from here.
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