Having gestational diabetes isn't the end of the world

I wanted to write about my experience with gestational diabetes in hopes that it may prove useful to anyone who is going through the same thing.

A few days after our trip to Chicago I was 29 weeks pregnant and my doctor had me take the glucose challenge test (GCT) to see if I had gestational diabetes. You have to drink this really sweet drink in less than 5 minutes and then they measure your blood sugar levels for a few hours afterwards. And as you can probably guess...I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I was shocked and scared. I thought: this isn't fair! I don't have a history of diabetes in my family. I'm not overweight. I eat fairly healthy and I exercise. Why me?

The next few weeks following that appointment were challenging: carb counting at every meal and snack, recording everything you eat and when you eat it, taking your blood sugar multiple times a day and trying to stay within the target values. I promise that it gets easier and their are perks to having GD (being healthier) but it takes patience and a lot of self-control.

If anyone knows me well, they know that I have a huge sweet-tooth and little self-control when it comes to desserts. But when you know that your baby's health is dependent upon you making smart eating choices I think it makes it easier to say no to sweets. I won't say that I was perfect all the time but reminding myself why I was doing it really helped.

I found that exercise worked miracles in controlling my blood sugar levels. My dietitian said exercise was like a natural dose of insulin. I just walked for 30 minutes a day in the morning and I could always tell a difference in my blood sugar levels when I didn't exercise.

Here are some of the foods that I ate:

Breakfast:
   Eggs! I changed it up and cooked them all different ways and added spices and salsa too.
   English muffins (1/2 english muffin=1 carb serving) I like the high fiber or whole wheat ones
   Fruit
   Yogurt: There are tons of yogurt types and flavors. I liked greek yogurt because it has more protein
                and filled me up

Lunch:
   Salads
   Veggies with ranch or hummus
   Sandwiches
   Crackers
   Fruit

Snacks:
   Nuts
   String cheese with lunch meat, pepperoni or Ritz crackers
   Fruit
   Veggies
   Granola bars

Dinners:
   Fajitas
   Chicken and grilled vegetables
   Fritatta with sausage and bell peppers
   Pasta with vegetables and sauce
   Huevos Rancheros

Desserts:
   Sugar free jello
   graham crackers with peanut butter
   pudding cups
   yogurt with fruit
   sweet cereal with a little milk
   1/2 cup ice cream

Once you get the hang of carb counting you realize you can still eat almost any of the foods that you like! All you have to do is plan carefully and eat the right portion sizes.