Gestational Diabetes Class

I went to my two hour Gestational Diabetes (GD) class this morning. It was incredibly overwhelming and at times scarey. There 8 of us at all different stages of our pregnancy. One woman was only in her second month, while one was just weeks away from her due date. We learned about Diabetes in general (Type 1, Type 2 and GD), what we can and cannot eat, how to read labels and how to check our blood sugars.

Some things I learned:

• Developing GD has nothing to do with my weight or what I eat. It has to do with the fact that for whatever reason I am not producing enough insulin. And unfortunately, hormones that develop during pregnancy slow down insulin production even more. (So, if you're already not producing enough insulin, then you've got a double whammy.) You do, however, have a greater risk of developing GD if you have a family history of diabetes, are overweight or are over the age of 25.


• GD normally goes away immediately after birth, but you have a 40-60% chance of developing diabetes within 5-15 years after having GD and a 50-70% chance of developing GD in future pregnancies.


• Maternal risks of GD: difficult delivery (larger baby), increased risk of cesarean, high blood pressure, infections and increased fluid around the baby.


• Fetal risks: larger baby, immature lungs, birth injury/trauma, newborn hypoglycemia, newborn jaundice and premature birth.

For the rest of my pregancy I am considered to be a diabetic and must monitor what I eat and do regular glucose testing throughout the day. My new routine includes:

• Testing as soon as I get up to get my "fasting" blood sugar (reading should be between 70 and 100).


• Testing one hour after breakfast, lunch and dinner (reading should be between 100 and 135).


• Eating 3 meals and 3 snacks throughout the day that are balanced with carbohydrates and protein.

I am not allowed any sugar. None. Zip. Zilch.

Jeremy and I went to the grocery store tonight and spent almost 2 hours in there reading labels. Figuring out how to get 6-12 servings of protein 6 times a day is no easy feat!!