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Wednesday 4 November 2015

Diabetes Awareness Month




As some may know, I was diagnosed with pregnancy diabetes while pregnant with Emilee. My body was working 4 times as hard being pregnant that my pancreas wasn't able to produce as much insulin as I needed.

I was diagnosed at 26 weeks pregnant. I went into hospital to do the glucose tolerance test, which basically I had to drink a bottle of lucazade and get my blood tested every hour for three hours to see how my sugar levels were. I obviously failed. LOL

It was a complete shock to me, I cried, a lot! I didn't tell anyone for a while because I felt I made it happen. But I didn't, I didn't eat too much sugar or too much carbs, my body was just working too hard to make sure Emilee was getting all she needed.

I tested my sugars at home 7 times a day, thankfully I didn't need insulin as the strict diet was doing enough to stabilise my sugars.

The diet wasn't a complete change in my lifestyle, it was strictly no sugar and less carbs. Instead of white bread I would eat brown, instead of potatoes I would eat handful of baby potatoes. Even fruit was limited! i was only allowed a handful of fruit, so I could only eat whatever fit in one hand for example two kiwis.

Did you know that only one can of coke can  a day increase your chances of developing diabetes by 20%

I was warned about having a big baby but Emilee measured small up until 35 weeks, where think she catch up with her weight. She weighted 8pounds 3oz which to me wasn't big at all compared to her big brother who weighted 8pounds 10oz?!?! I think haha!!

After she was born, she had her bloods tested after every feed, my breast milk didn't have enough sugar for her blood sugars to even out so I ended up having to give her formula to regulate them, which I kept on doing until she was weened off the boob at 9 weeks old :)

The doctors told me to keep up with the diet as I still could have diabetes but honestly I went straight to get a jam doughnut as I was craving it so badly!!! some things are very sweet to me, as I didn't have sugar for so long!

12 weeks after given birth i was given an appointment to do a repeat glucose test, which again involved drinking a bottle of lucazade and getting my blood drawn after two hours.

Last week i got the result back, and thankfully I am diabetes free!! but if i decide to have another baby the chances are high that i will have pregnancy diabetes again, and I've also a 50/50 chance of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. So with that I will have to test once a year to see if I've developed diabetes or not.

Honestly, I had no symptoms what so ever!! But diabetes can be very dangerous if not diagnosed! it would be a good idea to get tested once a year if it does run in the family or if you experience any symptoms such as;
constantly thirty, increase in hunger, tiredness, blurred vision, frequent urination...
(As I'm writing this, it honestly sounds like pregnancy symptoms)

Diabetes is nothing to be joked about, or laughed at. People with diabetes are normal people but need help with insulin. Weather they inject or on medication, its a very serious matter.

for more information on Diabetes, please check out www.diabetes.ie

Thanks for reading
Aisling xo

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