27 Weeks and 4 days - gestational diabetes diagnosis

Well the results of the dreaded 3 hour glucose test are in and I have developed gestational diabetes. It wasn't a surprise just not what I was hoping for through this pregnancy. I was really hoping to sneak in under the wire so I didn't develop it but apparently that is not the case.

I went to diabetes nurse and went through the orientation, received my testing meter, and sat through an hour long discussion of my new eating habits. Ugh...pretty restrictive :-(

I am not a fan of the pricking my finger 4 times a day, I am not a fan of writing down all my sugar levels, and truthfully, I miss some of the food :-( Yes, I know it's for the best and I am working on it, it's a tough transition but I am getting better. I have to report my blood sugars to the OB as we monitor this whole process.

Things that I have learned so far:

1. 26-34 weeks the glucose levels are critical to be monitored closely and kept under control - this is when the baby has the most growth happening and the excess sugar can cause them to grow too fast without being fully prepared to do so.

2. I will monitored very closely from this point forward to make sure baby girl isn't growing too quickly with the excess sugar. That means more doctor appointments and ultrasounds to measure her growth to make sure that it's not getting out of hand.

3. I am now considered a high risk pregnancy due to this because of needing the additional monitoring.

4. I will most likely not go until my due date because babies with gestational diabetes grow so quickly.

5. Increased chances of c-section birth - again due to the larger size these babies tend to be

6. I have increased chances of having the gestational diabetes turn into Type 2 diabetes after she is born so I will be monitored after the birth to see if my sugars return to the normal range. This is kind of scary and I really hope this doesn't happen.

7. The amount of carbohydrates they want me to eat everyday is very restrictive and specific to carbohydrates are going to be used quickly and not stored so it won't pass to the baby.


Weekly update time:

How far along? 27 weeks and 4 days

Total weight gain: a total of 4 pounds so far - but that will become even slower with the adjustment to the new eating habits

Maternity clothes? that's what I am fitting into right now, all maternity pants

Stretch marks? Pretty sure that I have some new ones as my stomach grows

Sleep: sleeping has become a challenge - I have hit the point where almost no position is comfortable to sleep so I am up quite often and it's tough to fall back asleep.

Best moment of the week: Been a rough week with stomach flu

Miss anything? Not really

Movement: she is moving machine - constantly on the move, especially after meals

Anything making you queasy or sick: Random queasy feeling that comes and goes - kind of reminds me of the first trimester

Gender prediction: definitely a girl

Labor signs: Nope

Symptoms: heartburn (holy fire!), hip/sciatic nerve pain (hoping to get it better with this trips to the chiropractor), not sleeping so well

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? they are on a chain around my neck now, they only fit to my knuckle. I found a decent (although not real) replacement to wear so I don't have a bare hand which is very strange after wearing a ring for so long

Happy or moody most of the time? this week was tough because I came down with a viral stomach flu - it caused me to be dehydrated and have a few contractions. This sent me to the hospital for fluids and monitoring of the baby. I am going to go with sad for this week. 

Looking forward to: no longer having the flu - it's miserable