Pancreas versus Placenta

I've got a bit of a war happening in my body.

It's called Gestational Diabetes.

I failed both my glucose screening test and my three hour glucose test. You know, the ones where you are forced to consume a sickeningly sweet flavored drink within 5 minutes and then made to wait and get blood sucked from you arm every hour.

I opted for the orange flavor this time around. I wasn't sure if it was the flavor or the 100 units of sugar that my body was suddenly meant to process, but I had to breathe slowly with my eyes closed for 30 minutes or so to keep from vomiting.

Turns out that I likely felt that way because  my body isn't processing sugar correctly. This baby's darn placenta seems to be inhibiting the insulin production in my pancreas. Hence the high glucose levels and the new label added to my med chart.

Don't ask me how I managed to avoid it with the twins and wind up with it now!

I have a whole diabetes team that works with me, in addition to many more appointments. Quite a pain in the butt to find people to watch 2 and 3 kids during the day. Thankfully, Joel has a wonderfully flexible job and a boss who is very family oriented.

I am also really thankful that, for the most part, I'm considered borderline.

I eat healthy, and my dietician was certain the dietary changes would be a piece of cake for me.

They are.

The only changes I have had to make so far is swapping my oatmeal or cereal with some fruit for breakfast, to eggs and a slice of toast with peanut butter.

I have had to watch my pasta portions, as well. Half a cup just seems way too small!

So far, my post meal checks have been right where they should be.

Unfortunately, after trying many "natural" tricks to control my fasting levels, nothing seemed to work and I am now giving myself injections of insulin before bed at night.

It royally sucks.

Not so much the injections, but the additional appointments and "high risk" label that I would like to avoid.

I've risked-out of delivering with a midwife since I am no longer diet-controlled.

I feel like I am already starting to lose control of how the rest of this pregnancy will proceed.It is slowly coming closer and closer to the end.

Scary and at the same time exciting.

I'm not sure how our family is going to change. How are the dynamics between 2 boys who have known one another from their first second of existence going to mesh with this new person?

All that juggling that I figured out for two toddlers will need to be revamped to include a baby.

A Baby.

Yikes.

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