It seems like so long ago that I was pregnant with Brady. My short term memory is shot, so I don't recall how much I talked about being diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. I barely passed the glucose test with Claire. My blood sugar was 129 after 1 hour of drinking the "juice." It needs to be under 130. With Brady my number was significantly higher. I then had to do the 3-hour test and failed that one miserably as well. For the rest of my pregnancy I had to check my fasting blood sugar every morning and then check one hour after each meal. Although I had some high numbers here and there, I think I did a great job keeping my blood sugar in check.
The low-carb diet was quite a change for me. I'm a lover of pasta, Jimmy Johns (thank God for the unwich), etc. I ended up only gaining a couple pounds the last 10 or so weeks of my pregnancy which seems not good, but I was told it is common with Gestational Diabetes.
It was frustrating having to be so conscious of every little thing that you eat. For me, bread and cereal were what made my blood sugar sky rocket. I basically cut them out all together. No more Cheerios for breakfast. I found a new love of salads. Anytime we ate out, I had to substitute a salad instead of fries. It was frustrating at times, but I felt better. I didn't have the stomach issues that I'd had for as long as I can remember. I also contribute my post-pregnancy weight loss to this new way of eating. (That, and exclusively breastfeeding/pumping until Brady turned 1. The kid ate every 2 hours during the day until he was probably 6 months old. I know it isn't for everyone, but seriously ladies, breastfeeding is a great way to lose some of those pregnancy pounds.)
Turns out I continued to have blood sugar issues post-pregnancy. Everyone told me the GD would go away once I delivered Brady, but nope, didn't happen. I had another glucose tolerance test, and failed...again. I was told I need to stick with the low-carb diet, especially no bread and cereals, and continue periodically checking my blood sugar levels. My levels weren't high enough to be on insulin or even to diagnose me with Diabetes, however I was told I have Pre-Diabetes which more times than not leads to Diabetes.
I don't like New Year's Resolutions. I've never kept them, and just don't really get the hype, but this year my New Year's Resolution is to get back on track with the low-carb diet and to make the time to exercise even if it's only for 20 minutes. Let's be honest, it's impossible to not eat Christmas cookies, and it's close to impossible to find the time to exercise with a 19-month old running around, but the holidays are over and I deserve a little time for myself, even if that time is spent exercising. Diet and exercise are the best ways to avoid developing Diabetes later on in life and I need to be around for my children. I have found some great low-carb recipes and might just do a post of our favorites one of these days.
I have another follow-up in a couple months, and fully intend on passing the test!
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