Gestational Diabetes

Yep. I have it.

After fasting for 12 hours and then drinking 100g of pure sugar, I had my blood drawn 4 times in 3 hours. When the doctor's assistant called me the next day I knew it was bad news. They never call you when it's good news.

Next week I meet with a nutritionist to discuss a new diet and exercise plan. How ironic - all my life I thought I was fit and followed a relatively healthy lifestyle. When I'm at the grocery store I always compare what's in my shopping basket with others and my cart is inevitably sickeningly healthy with fruits, vegetables, juice, wheat bread. I guess my body is having a hard time processing even the relatively lower amounts of sugar I consume.

Well, this will be inconvenient for the next 2 and a half months but I can do it. The baby is going to experience a little South Beach Diet the easy way.

A Potential Complication

Up to this point, pregnancy has been coming along nicely. With the exception of Group B Strep, you would be bored with the day-to-day normalcy. I've had an ultrasound and blood test since I last posted. The ultrasound was very comprehensive as the technologist looked for a certain abnormality called Poland's Syndrome.

This isn't common; Poland's Syndrome is hard to detect since it involves searching for a missing pectoral muscle and possibly webbed fingers and toes. The reason we were looking for this is Karl was born with a missing left pectoral muscle. No one realized it was missing until he was in grade school. He was never officially diagnosed with Poland's either but our genetics counselor said that's probably what it is. And no, Karl doesn't have the webbed fingers and toes. If he truly has Poland's, he's got a very mild case. Anyway, that's what we were trying to determine with the latest ultrasound. The good news is that we didn't see anything except some really cute feet and what we think our my lips and nose.

The blood test was another issue. At 28 weeks, mothers-to-be are tested for higher than normal blood sugar levels. At this point in pregnancy, mothers begin to release hormones that could possibly result in insulin resistance. Well, guess what. My glucose levels were really high - 162 points versus the normal of 125 points. I have to return to the lab next week for another torturous blood test that involves fasting for 12 hours and 4 draws of blood over a period of 3 hours. Blecchh. I may pass out. This test will diagnose whether or not I have or am developing gestational diabetes.

If I do have gestational diabetes, the treatment is fairly standard and very successful. I'll be put on a diet to watch over my (over)consumption of simple sugar foods and required to check my insulin with those finger prick thingies. If the situation is more advanced, I'll have insulin injections as well. Potential risk to the baby is that she would be bigger than normal at birth with a predisposition to developing diabetes later in life, which is the same for me.

Of course, the results of the first test could've been caused by something sweet I ate before the test. Maybe I had chocolate? Or a few cookies? I don't remember. It wasn't a fasting test and I wasn't told I couldn't eat sweets!

I'm really surprised at the test results. There aren't obvious signs of gestational diabetes. Sudden thirst and hunger, frequent trips to the bathroom. How different is that from other pregnancy side effects? What bugs me is that while everything pointed to normal, gestational diabetes now seems to imply I haven't been taking care of myself. I'm trying not to think that way because I already know I am in a higher risk group - there is a family history of diabetes and I'm an older mom - but conventional thinking says diabetes is a disease of the obese and the sedentary. I'm actually a bit offended in an irrational way that this is happening to me.

*wait* Nothing has happened yet.

I will post results from the next test next week. In the meantime, I'll just stay away from the cupcakes...and the Reese's chocolate...er, and peanut M&Ms in pastel colors...Karl's birthday cake...rice side dishes...fruit juices...