What I Learned From Having Gestational Diabetes

I wanted to be one of those women who enjoyed being pregnant. It’s a major life event and a humbling rite of passage to start a family and create a miracle. While I loved watching my baby bump grow week by week and feeling my baby move, the results of my required glucose test were less idyllic. 

If you or someone you know had Gestational Diabetes while pregnant, then you know what a kick to the gut it can feel like. Katy Misenheimer, a Diabetes Counselor and RD at Luminis Health Maternal and Fetal Medicine Annapolis, said, “Getting that new diagnosis of gestational diabetes can be scary for many moms, but if you have it, you want to know about it so you can help to keep your baby and your pregnancy safe.”

One unintended consequence of this diagnosis is the guilty feeling that you did something wrong to create this situation for you and your baby. In reality, it’s either something that occurs because of specific genes or hormones in the mother’s body, which causes the body to become insulin resistant during pregnancy. Misenheimer adds, “It’s so important for moms to know that you didn’t do anything to cause this, it’s not caused by anything you ate or didn’t eat in pregnancy; it’s just the way your body is responding to the hormones from your placenta.”

While the feelings of this diagnosis can be overwhelming, here are a few tips to help you remain grounded:  

• High blood sugar is not a sign of failure. It is feedback about what is working and what is not working. Keeping a detailed food journal can help you identify what your body can handle and what you might have to tweak in order to lower your numbers. Pregnant women are more insulin resistant first thing in the morning. Eating a lower carb and lower glycemic breakfast helps to start the day off right. 

• Make sure your carbs always have a “buddy.” The diagnosis of gestational diabetes does not change the carbohydrate needs of someone who is pregnant, but it does change how your body metabolizes glucose. So you should still be eating fruit and carbs like bread, potatoes, and crackers. However, when you eat these foods they need a protein or fat “buddy.” This helps slow down the uptake of glucose into the bloodstream and makes it easier to regulate glucose levels. Examples: apple and peanut butter, berries and greek yogurt, toast with avocado, crackers and cheese. 

• You are NOT alone – there is a whole community of resources available. According to the American Diabetes Association, up to 10% of pregnancies in the U.S. are affected by GD every year. From 2016 to 2020 the incidence of GDM increased by 30%. GDM can often be managed with dietary changes, but sometimes medication can be necessary. To support yourself and learn more about the condition, try checking out books to help with meal planning, speaking to a dietician, or following nutrition coaches on social media that provide insight on how to navigate blood sugars. 

Partnering with your OBGYN on how to best tackle this challenge can have a lasting impact on your health moving forward. Although Gestational Diabetes usually goes away after pregnancy, your doctor will test your levels 2-3 months postpartum to determine if continued monitoring and lab work is needed. 

It’s important to remember that you can be diagnosed with GD and still have a healthy baby! As Misenheimer tells her patients, “Once your healthy baby is in your arms, it’s just a blip in your story!”