With my second pregnancy I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. This was a tough blow for me. I had watched my grandma die of renal failure from diabetes. My mom had been diagnosed with diabetes just after I graduated high school. It had only been three years after her mom had passed. Now, eight years later I had doctors telling me and all my pregnancy hormones that I had gestational diabetes.
In all fairness modern medicine has come a long way in treating this disease. My mom has been a splendid example of how to make the necessary life adjustments they teach in the nutrition courses. My dear husband came with me when I attended the class. He does most of the grocery shopping and cooking. I had and still have a great support system. All the same this was a very scary time for me.
One of the key takeaways, for me, in the class was to track what I was eating. And not just track, but plan. Already having a toddler and working full-time, it was critical having meals planned out a week in advance. Iwanted a good tracker to keep me accountable. I also, wanted to be able to track my blood sugars in the same place. I created the below to complete each day.
I have included a copy of this tracker as a downloadable file that includes all seven days of the week. This tracker has a place to record what you ate at each meal and snack. You can fill in the time you ate. There is also space for three blood sugar readings. During the course I learned that taking walks or doing some sort of exercise would be important. I have space for that to be logged each day. I the notes section I would make reminders for myself or write thoughts I wanted to share with my doctor.
Being able to hand write this information on a printed sheet allowed me to feel more in control with a literal hands-on approach. While I typically enjoy digital formats, this was a physical reminder. It was a way to keep it visible. I also felt a sense of control over the situation by planning, tracking, and recording.
I am happy to say that I had no further complications with my second child. I was able to keep my gestational diabetes under control. Equally happy to report that post-partum the gestational diabetes almost disappeared overnight. I hope this helps others nourish their body while their little one grows healthy and strong.