After I got married, I had an appointment with my endocrinologist. As a type one diabetic, I have appointments four times a year just to make sure all my blood sugar levels are balanced and to see if any insulin adjustments need to be made.
“Okay, Trina, when are you planning to have kids? We want to make sure your A1C is good and ready before then. Pregnancy can be difficult for type one diabetics.”
A little thrown off, I said “maybe in the next few years …”
As our conversation progressed, I asked a lot more questions. “What if I have a miscarriage? What if I have complications in pregnancy?” I think my questions began to reflect my emotional state at that moment and my nurse practitioner could tell.
“Well, Trina … you don’t want to be living in fear, do you? That’s no way to live.”
Fast forward to pregnancy, chronic hypertension, and a good A1C a few years later. I see a team of maternal fetal medicine doctors, work with a dietician, and have more appointments, tests, and ultrasounds than a normal pregnancy.
“Ok Trina, you need to start taking these vitamins and medication every day. And we need your blood pressure readings every day. We want your blood sugars to be between 90-140. You will need to write down a food log – we need to know the time, your blood sugar reading, how many grams of carbohydrates you’re eating, and the units of insulin you will be taking. It’s important that you write down everything that you eat. As the placenta grows, insulin resistance gets stronger and that’s where it can get complicated if we don’t have good control over your blood sugars.”
All of this felt very overwhelming at first. The questions and fears never left, but over time I learned to trust my doctors because I know they have my best interest at heart. As the questions and fears diminished, I became more hopeful that everything would be okay.
And with all of the extra work that had to be done to have a healthy baby, I can honestly say that it was all worth it. My blood sugars were the best they had ever been and working with a team of doctors encouraged me to have a healthy diet and lifestyle that I am still grateful for. I think it goes without saying that no matter how perfect we want our pregnancies and deliveries to be, there is still a lot that is out of our control. Both my babies came early and spent time in the NICU even though I worked really hard to stay balanced and healthy during pregnancy. But I can say today that I am super blessed that despite my disease, I have healthy children that can run and play.
Here is how I prioritized my physical health during a high-risk pregnancy:
- Eating healthy, which for me meant finding low carb, low fat, low sugar meals
- Exercise in both strength and cardio (shoutout to Natalie Exline of NEXTraining for helping me reach my goals!!)
- Drinking tons of water
- Keeping tabs on my blood sugar levels to make sure they were within range
Here is how I prioritized my mental/emotional health during a high-risk pregnancy:
- Partnering in trouble-shooting any problem that would arise with my doctors and nurses … asking questions, implementing solutions, and maintaining good communication with them
- Writing a gratitude journal every day
- Reading a book and encouraging quotes throughout my day
- Sharing my challenges with my family and friends and seeking encouragement while also asking for their prayers
- Listening to calm and happy music to boost my mood
As I give my final thoughts, I guess what I’d like to say is that pregnancy is wild. It’s so different for everyone. Despite all the work that I had to do, I still loved being pregnant. Our bodies are amazing for producing life, and everyone’s journey is so different. Just like every child is different!
When it’s all said and done, I’m very grateful for all the ups and downs of the journey and I hope you are, too.
