Gestational Diabetes: The News No Mother Wants to Hear
Carrie was no stranger to diabetes. Both her mother and grandmother had type 2 diabetes. So when Carrie was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy, she was concerned. She knew she wanted to do what she could to control her blood sugar levels and stay as healthy as possible.
To add fuel to her fire, this wasn’t her first rodeo with gestational diabetes. She had been diagnosed with gestational diabetes during her previous pregnancy as well–and it had been a rough go. In that experience, she was able to manage her diabetes with diet, but in her words, “it was brutal.” She was on a rollercoaster of ups and downs, and was sitting at the cusp of needing to inject insulin.
Determined to Do Things Differently
That edge was one she was not willing to go over. With four children at home and pregnant with her 5th, Carrie was determined to do things differently this time. She began looking for information to better understand how to take care of her health, and that process led her to the Mastering Diabetes program. Joining the coaching program was an easy decision. She was motivated to change the story this time around, and knew that she needed support in achieving that goal.
It’s Not Just the Numbers You See, It’s the Confidence You Feel
Immediately after starting to implement what she was learning with her Mastering Diabetes coach, Carrie saw improvements. Prior to joining the program, her fasting blood sugar was typically between 95-100. After making a few changes to following the Mastering Diabetes Method, her fasting blood sugar dropped to the 80s and high 70s. When they measured her A1c during the course of the pregnancy, it was 4.8 mg/dL.
But most importantly, Carrie says that the biggest thing the Mastering Diabetes Method gave her was the ability to actually enjoy eating. In her previous experience with gestational diabetes, she was constantly feeling confused about what to eat and frustrated that nothing seemed to consistently or reliably make a difference in her blood sugar numbers.
Now, she was confidently equipped with knowledge about what her body needed and what worked to produce her desired results. She was able to make good decisions for herself, and because she saw and felt the benefits of those choices, she could actually enjoy the food.
Make it Your Own
One of the things that really helped Carrie to succeed was finding her own ways within the methodology to make it work for her preferences and lifestyle. For instance, she found that having lasagna for breakfast really worked for her. It allowed her to have a savory meal to start the day (which is what she would crave when she woke up), and to prepare it in bulk in advance so that she could quickly and easily reheat a portion every morning.
Carrie had fun creating meals that she was excited to eat. She loved knowing that she was nourishing her body and taking care of her health in a reliable way.
The Best Gift You Can Give Your Family: Healthy Lifestyle Habits
Through working with the Mastering Diabetes program, Carrie not only was able to have a healthy pregnancy free of complications, but now she can carry the information forward and continue to implement it into her and her family’s lifestyle choices. There’s no longer a fear of following in her mother and grandmother’s footsteps. Instead, armed with the knowledge and resources she now has, she can support herself and her family in living a long and healthy life, diabetes-free.
What is Gestational Diabetes?
Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. Like type 2 diabetes, it is characterized by insulin resistance and resulting high blood sugar levels.
Why does this happen? During pregnancy, the hormonal concoction naturally produced by the body to support the growing fetus makes the body’s insulin needs higher than they normally would be. On average, women experience a 50-60% decrease in insulin sensitivity in pregnancy. In most cases, the pancreas produces more insulin to compensate for this change and all is well. However, if someone is already living with a baseline level of insulin resistance, their pancreas won’t be able to keep up with the increased insulin production needs – therefore leading to high blood sugar levels and a diagnosis of gestational diabetes.
If gestational diabetes isn’t addressed and managed, it leads to an increased risk of complications that can affect the health of both the mother and the baby. For the mother, this includes an increased risk of pre-eclampsia, increased risk of needing a C-section delivery due to high birth weight, and increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. For the baby, this includes excess birth weight, birth injuries, neonatal hypoglycemia (low blood sugar after birth), and an increased risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome.
When it is addressed and managed, then insulin sensitivity improves and blood sugar is stable. This process lowers inflammation which also helps the baby to grow and develop normally and healthfully.
Although it can be scary to get a diagnosis like gestational diabetes, it is ultimately an opportunity. Gestational diabetes gives you the ability to see and address a health issue that was lurking beneath the surface. You get to learn how to take better care of your health in ways that will benefit you far beyond the birth of your baby. The same lifestyle changes that you need to make to take care of yourself during pregnancy will also help to support your overall health and prevent type 2 diabetes or other complications from developing in the future.