Friday, November 30, 2012

32 1/2 Weeks... Trying to Stay on Track

So here's a quick rundown:
How far along: 32 1/2 weeks
Feeling: generally good
Symptoms: nothing unexpected... shortness of breath (baby feet in your lungs will do that), hip aches/pain, low abdominal/round ligament pain, fatigue
Weight Gain: Holding steady at about 26 (significantly less than with G at this point)

My GD condition:
Gestational Diabetes that is... at my 28 week checkup I had the rapid glucose tolerance test and failed miserably (meaning my body isn't producing insulin correctly because of a hormone produced by the placenta. Thus, I'm also not processing glucose correctly which = high blood sugar = baby being "over nourished" and growing too big = increased risk of repeat c-section = something we are trying hard to avoid). So, the following week I got to go in for the long glucose tolerance test, and again, failed miserably. I'm a pregnant glucose processing failure. I had already started on a "low carb" diet in efforts to minimize baby's (and my) weight gain all while making sure I still get enough to eat and enough of the right stuff. I went to a class and now am on a strict healthy eating plan and am testing blood sugar 4 times daily to make sure I'm not eating too much "sugar" (i.e. carbs) at once. My focus is veggies, lean protein, a little fruit, and a sprinkling of low fat dairy and high fiber whole grains. Now all I need is the willpower to do what I'm supposed to do. Sweets are bad. Sweets are bad. Sweets are bad. Maybe if I say it enough eventually I will stop wanting them.

I did really well the first few days, completely fell off the wagon over Thanksgiving week, but am now trying hard to be back on track this week. It's not too terrible. I eat three moderate sized meals and three moderate sized snacks per day so it's not usually a hunger issue. The hardest part is choosing the right things at the right time of day.  I don't have actual calorie restrictions, but what I do have to be careful of is my non-carb calories. For example, a dozen eggs and a pound of bacon (not that I could physically consume that much) wouldn't really affect my blood sugar, but it would affect our weight gain. It's all a delicate balance. Salad = good. Too much dressing negates good salad.  If I can get some really good habits in place before the Christmas holiday I think I'll make it through ok... we'll see. Wish me luck!

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