No Cake for Me

As I have been saying from the get-go, this pregnancy has been a lot different--and more difficult--than my first. And the difficulties continue...After scoring a few points too high on my regular 28-week glucose screening test, I had to take the 3-hour test. And last week, on my birthday no less, I found out I have gestational diabetes this time around. Of course, this news totally freaked me out. Diabetes has never been something I've worried about--I am a pretty healthy eater, I workout regularly and I don't have it in my family. The doctors say that it's a result of hormones being out of whack and that it's nothing that I did. But, I still can't help but feel like I've screwed up somehow.

I met with a specialist and a dietician yesterday and both of them made me feel a little better. While it is a serious condition and now puts me into that "high-risk" pregnancy group, the specialist said that my case is mild and that he was pretty confident we could get it under control by putting me on a special diet for the remainder of the pregnancy. Luckily, the doctors have all told me that in the majority of cases it goes away after I deliver the baby. So that's good news. The bad news: there are more risks to the baby--namely, having low blood sugar when he/she is born and being larger than a baby whose mom doesn't have gestational diabetes. Neither of these are certainties, but the risks are greater. I am trying to stay positive, but the hypochandriac in me is freaked. Having anxiety about how the baby is doing is a standard part of pregnancy for me, and this now adds another layer to it.

But, I am following this diet to the tee and hoping that it helps regulate things. That means no more chocolate and ice cream for me (so cruel to do to a pregnant lady!). That also meant no birthday cake on my birthday last week. I told Jody we could celebrate my birthday in October on my half birthday because too much of my actual birthday was spent being bummed out about the news.