How To Manage Gestational Diabetes
Once we found out the miraculous news that we would be expecting our child, we immediately began to put plans together for optimum care, health, and wellness.
As I’ve shared, I was already fully plant based and by this time, gluten free as well. Pregnancy called for even more care and attention, and my husband and I worked together to plan meals, find a doctor that was right for us, and learn as much as we could.
We spent time reading and asking for recommendations for doctors in our area. We were incredibly lucky to find the right fit at the first appointment we scheduled. Our OBGYN respected that we were plant based. She was extremely smart, easy to talk to, and always took a great deal of care and attention to explain everything to us. These are all of incredible importance, and as new parents, we had LOTS of questions. She welcomed them. She eased our worries when we had them, and was always there for us.
I will say that being over nine months pregnant in the August heat of Charleston, SC was challenging!
I felt wonderful during pregnancy. I had abundant energy. I will say that being over nine months pregnant in the August heat of Charleston, SC was challenging! However, overall, I felt great and thankful every single moment.
Continuing, I followed my plant based diet and increased amounts of foods I was already eating. I consulted regularly with our doctor, went to all appointments on time, and took care of myself even better than before, to best care for our child. There was no more vanity. It was about caring for this child that we already loved more than anything.
Around month six of pregnancy, women often go through a lab test to check for gestational diabetes.
“Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that is first seen in a pregnant woman who did not have diabetes before she was pregnant.”
— Center for Disease Control (CDC)
We all assumed, including our doctor, that I would not have it. After-all, my diet was very healthy, I wasn’t overweight and pregnancy weight gain was right on track.
I went in for the test assuming it was a precaution, a “just to make sure” task.
To our surprise, I didn’t pass. The results, after a tough morning of going through the test, said that I had gestational diabetes. How could this be? I wasn’t diabetic.
Soon after I learned that it’s due to pregnancy hormones, and specific to pregnancy.
I asked if we could do the test once more, to best formulate a plan. So, a few days later, we did just that... and, once again, I did not pass.
Let’s talk next steps....
We met with our doctor. She thoroughly explained this to us. She presented us with the option of choosing insulin shots daily for the remainder of pregnancy, or to try and manage with diet and exercise first. I would, no matter what, have to check my blood sugar four times daily for the remainder of pregnancy, by sticking my finger with a needle and testing levels after each meal.
In lieu of insulin, we, of course, chose to try to manage with diet and exercise. We already had a healthy and clean meal plan, but it still took collaboration with experts, and our own research to manage this new diagnosis. I am happy to share that we did it!
A few changes and adjustments to our already plant based diet, and we were able to keep my blood sugar at appropriate levels for the duration of pregnancy. I checked it faithfully four times a day. I took the kit with me if we were out, and took this diagnosis very seriously. Nothing is more important than the health of our sweet baby, so we did all that it took to ensure everything was managed. I walked for about half an hour after each meal as well.
We continued to meet with our doctor. I logged my blood sugar levels according to each meal every day to show her. She and her team were rather impressed by our daily meals!
A few of the changes we made included, quinoa porridge in the morning, rather than oats, no bananas, and very little bread. This was, again, specifically to manage gestational diabetes. I also had to stop enjoying my occasional vegan ice cream treat! We did, however, find that cherries actually help manage blood sugar levels, so we enjoyed cherry “nice cream” that we made in our VitaMix from time to time!
A few weeks after delivery, and continuing to check my levels, I was able to resume eating oats, bananas, etc, again, and admit I have certainly been enjoying vegan ice cream this winter!
TIPS: Things I learned on handling this diagnosis
Exercise (for me, daily 30 minute walks after each meal)
Cherries help regulate blood sugar
Quinoa Porridge was an excellent substitute for Oatmeal during this time
Remaining Calm is Essential
Always consult with a physician
Write down each meal
Check levels daily and regularly after each meal
I hope that this story inspires and empowers you with the knowledge that our diet is incredibly essential to our health and wellness management. We can choose this for ourselves every single day!
I also want to remind you to consult with and collaborate with physicians that you can trust, as this is also an essential piece.
The content of this blog is not intended to be advicing to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and does not constitute medical or other professional advice.
Source: Center for Disease Control; https://www.cdc.gov/pregnancy/diabetes-gestational.html