Gestational Diabetes: Our First Scare & The Facts

Hi friends, so this is a bit of an impromptu blog post, and not something I initially planned on chronicling. However, I just had my first  “scare” and wanted to share it with my blog community. This also feeds well into a blog I will plan on writing concerning health before pregnancy and what you can do to set yourself up for a healthy pregnancy. So, here we go. Last week, I went in for my gestational diabetes screening…

My Gestational Diabetes Testing Experience

The first screening, or the Glucose Challenge Test, is a non-fasted blood test.  It tests to see if you’re “at risk” of having gestational diabetes. So prior to the test, I carried on my day as usual, working out, having my post workout snack and breakfast before going to into my appointment. I’m not gonna lie, I was petrified to take this test. Blood tests and I are not friends. I have very low blood pressure to begin with and, combined with my anxiety, the usual result involves a very woozy, light headed Christina and the occasional fainting episode. On top of my normal stress levels I have surrounding blood draws, they give you a VERY sweet liquid (50 grams of sugar to be exact) to drink in under five minutes. As someone who doesn’t consume a high sugar diet, this drink was far from tasty and made me feel pretty nauseous. After an hour wait in the lobby, they drew my blood to test my glucose levels. Well, I survived this blood test, husband in tow, and went on my merry way. To be honest, Gestational Diabetes was the LAST thing I was worried about.  

Then, my results came in…

I ended up failing the one hour test, and immediately went into panic mode. How could I have gestational diabetes? I eat a healthy diet; I exercise regularly; I haven’t put on a ton of weight during pregnancy NOR did I enter pregnancy at an unhealthy weight. It just didn’t make sense to me. Of course, I had done my share of research prior to going into the appointment and even more after. I knew that, although a healthy lifestyle before and during pregnancy reduced your risk, it wasn’t the only factor. However, when it actually became a real possibility, I couldn’t help but think I did something wrong. It’s important to mention here, that MANY women fail their first test and go on to pass their second test. It’s actually way more common than I thought. So if you do fail your first test, try not to stress (like I did). Now..

I immediately set up my 3-hour Glucose Tolerance Test, which is used to actually diagnose gestational diabetes.

So Friday morning (two days after my initial screening), I went in for this fasted test during which your blood is drawn four different times: once in a fasted state, and three times on the hour after consuming a nasty 100G of Sugar drink.  I got through the first two blood draws without passing out, but needed to stay in the back on a special reclining chair for the remainder of my stay.  On the plus side, nearly passing out in between each of the following blood draws did make the time go by rather quickly. I’m sure my husband would disagree, as he sat there for the full three hours with his anxious, nauseated, half conscious wife. He’s a trooper. This man hasn’t missed a blood draw with me in the 7.5 years we’ve been together. That, my friends, is true love.

I ended up living through this test, as well. I was extremely hungry, yet also feeling so nauseated from the ridiculous amount of sugar I had consumed three hours before. At this point, I had mentally prepared myself for having gestational diabetes.

Then my results came in…PASSED WITH FLYING COLORS.

Of course, I felt this huge sense of relief. I try to find the silver lining in this process. I learned a lot in a very short amount of time about a condition that affects 2-10% of pregnancies in the US. And, now, I can share a little of this knowledge with you!

Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor and I highly encourage you, especially if you’re interested in learning more about gestational diabetes or you think you may be at risk, to chat with your doctor about it.

Gestational Diabetes: What you should know

You may be asking, What is Gestational Diabetes?  

Gestational diabetes, as the name implies, is a form of diabetes developed during pregnancy (or not diagnosed before pregnancy) in response to the increase of hormones in the body and increased insulin resistance.  Basically, your body isn’t producing enough insulin to bring sugar from the blood to cells in the form of energy, creating high levels of sugar in the blood. Usually, it goes away after giving birth, but it can be chronic if other lifestyle factors aren’t in place. For more information on gestational diabetes, I highly recommend checking out trustworthy resources, like the CDC website, the NIH website, and/or other medical publications

Why is it so important to diagnose?

Similarly to unmanaged diabetes in a non-pregnant person, gestational diabetes can create some serious complications for both mom and baby. Some of these issues specific to the pregnancy include: high blood pressure (preeclampsia) in mom, greater than 9 lb. birth weight, increased risk of c-section,  respiratory issues in baby, preterm birth, and, what freaked me out the most, increased risk of a stillbirth. 

There’s also a greater risk of both you and your baby developing diabetes later in life. I would like to investigate this a bit more, as I believe much of this may be due to lifestyle factors that increased risk to begin with…but more on that below.

What are the risk factors?

I’d like to put this out there: just because you may not qualify for any of these risk factors DOES NOT preclude you from developing gestational diabetes. After placing my midwife under a rather intense inquisition over the phone, I learned that ANYONE can develop gestational diabetes. As with many conditions, there are factors that increase your chances, but it really can happen to anyone. So don’t think you can skip out on this test ladies. If I can do it, so can you. But here are a few factors that can impact your chances: 

• Age: If you’re an old maid like me, aka over the age of 25, you are at a higher risk.
• Weight: If you are overweight or have gained a lot of weight during your pregnancy, your changes are higher.
• Family history: If members of your family have Type II diabetes, you are more at-risk. PRO TIP: ask your family members (especially your mother, grandmother, sister, etc.) about their medical history and share that with your doctor. It’s important that the doctor knows about any conditions that may be common in your family, especially during pregnancy.
• Ethnicity: Women of African-American, Native American, Asian, Hispanic or Pacific Islander descent carry a higher risk.
• Preggo History: If you had gestational diabetes in a former pregnancy, history may repeat itself. Also, if you’ve had a baby weighing more than 9 pounds or was stillborn in a former pregnancy, you have a greater chance.
• PCOS: As if it’s not enough to deal with this awful condition…

For all those pre-moms out there, please don’t freak out. While you can’t change your age, ethnicity or family history, you can take some MAJOR steps toward changing your lifestyle both before and during pregnancy.

I know I sound like a broken record in regards to fitness and nutrition, but I STRONGLY encourage you to consider your lifestyle if you’re even considering trying to conceive. Here are a few, pretty obvious, recommendations: 

1. Consume a healthy, well-balanced diet both before and during pregnancy: I know, I know. We all know how important it is…but seriously, if you plan on building a human, it’s important to make sure that your nutrition is IN CHECK. I’m not saying you shouldn’t treat yo’ self every now and again (I’m a firm believer in the 80/20 rule), but that should be the exception, not the rule. Even during pregnancy. If you feel like you need help, don’t be afraid to bring that up to your medical provider or seek out some extra assistance. If you do get diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you’re going to have to stick to a stricter meal plan, most likely under the supervision of an RD, any way. 
2. Exercise/Stay physically active: Not only does this help reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, it can help manage symptoms, give you more energy, and ward off other preggo-related conditions (like preeclampsia). As long as you have doctors clearance to exercise, get moving ladies! 
3. Lose weight BEFORE you try to get pregnant: If you are overweight or obese prior to getting pregnant, it’s time to shed those pounds. If not for you, for your future baby. There are many resources you can utilize out there from health coaches (ahem) to registered dietitians to personal trainers to DIY programs. This is not a matter of vanity, people. It’s a matter of creating the best environment for both you and your baby to thrive during and after pregnancy. 

So now that I’ve scared you half to death, I want to note that we have these tests for a reason and, though it may not be the most thrilling experience of your life, it’s super important to have these tests done. Gestational diabetes CAN be managed with little impact to your pregnancy through proper diet, exercise, monitoring, and occasionally, medical treatment. Don’t be afraid to speak with your practitioner before or during pregnancy…it’s their job to help you stay healthy 🙂 

Now it’s time for baby name hint number 2:  

While Matt and I, personally, don’t know anyone with his first name, we do know quite a few people that have his middle name as their first name.

Until next time friends,

Xtina