Charlotte was born Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 7:52pm EST. This photo is from November 1, 2014.

I am almost three weeks into my Gestational Diabetes diagnosis, but things are only just now getting started. I finally got the glucometer and testing supplies in the mail yesterday (enough for 100 days of testing, which is a lot more than I’ll need but paid 100% by my insurance company), and my husband Mark and I met with a diabetic counselor and a nutritionist. According to my ultrasound last Wednesday, at 31w1d, Charlotte weighs approximately 3 pounds 10 ounces. That means she is right on track for her due date of September 23rd — a good sign, considering GD can result in large birthweight babies.

The diabetic counselor told me my numbers for the three hour Glucose Tolerance Test:

So…. not so great. Especially that 2 hour reading. If I knew walking could lower my glucose level, I would have been pacing in that waiting room between blood draws.

The diabetic counselor gave me information about GD, and showed me how to test my blood sugar with my new glucometer. She said she wants my fasting glucose to be between 60-90, and an hour after meals she wants it to be under 120. Then I met with a nutritionist to talk about meal planning, and this is what I was fearing. I hoped she wouldn’t tell me I had to cut out my beloved carbs from my diet. It turns out I don’t have to cut carbs, I just have to spread them out throughout the day, and add in a lot more protein. I can even have three cups of popcorn as a snack!

I knew I would be told to cut out sweets, but I was surprised that she also told me I can’t have fruit! After Charlotte’s born, I plan on indulging in applesauce and mixed berry smoothies along with my deli sandwiches and tuna fish. This will be a challenge for sure, but she’s due in 8 weeks, so I hope it’s not that bad.

We talked about targets for the amount of carbs I should be eating, and the timing to space out my meals and snacks. We also came up with some sample meals and snacks that I can have, which is a big help to me as a picky eater. And she gave me a few food charts that I can use to plan my own diet. I am going to use the charts to come up with my own meal and snack lists so that I don’t have to think about what I want to eat, I can just pick something from my list and go with it.

Last night I actually measured my pasta for dinner, and I realized that I need to start seeing carbs as a side dish and not an entree. I’m not used to that. I ended up having a small portion of ziti with tomato sauce, and then had a turkey burger with cheddar cheese on top, no bread. An hour later my glucose level was a reasonable 118. This morning wasn’t so great – an hour after breakfast, two slices of toast with butter and a little bit of cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top, my glucose level was 140. Ouch! But that could be partially due to the fact that I didn’t have any protein, so I need to work on that.

Almost 24 hours into my new “diet” and I’m trying to stay positive. It’s early, and things will probably get easier. If my numbers stay high, they might put me on medication, and I want to avoid that if at all possible.