We made it over half way through pregnancy! I have to say that so far, being pregnant is not the horror that I imagined it would be. I always just assumed that pregnancy and Type 1 Diabetes would join forces to make the most miserable 9 months of my life. There are many struggles, but the promised reward at the end turns them into manageable challenges. Listed below, because I do love lists....are some of the many important things I have learned about pregnancy, diabetes and the combination of the two.
1. Pregnancy, at least with T1D really is the hardest, most worthwhile thing I have ever set out to accomplish. I always thought my half-marathon with diabetes was a real challenge, boy was I young and naïve.
2. Low blood sugar can strike at any moment....I am told that the lows should be subsiding....ha....I carry an entire Ziploc bag full of candy corn in my purse at all times because juice just doesn't do anything to help me anymore.
3. Gaining weight ON PURPOSE is a weird feeling.
4. "Morning Sickness" or in my case, "Night Nausea" is not just for the first trimester, it still happens about two nights per week.
5. Pregnancy strengthens marriage. I have never felt so vulnerable, nervous and neurotic as I have these past few months and allowing Jordan to take care of me in those moments has helped me realize what love really is, what God's love is really like.
6. Throw the rule book out the window. Being flexible within pregnancy with diabetes is a MUST. It is incredibly hard for me to throw the "old rules" out the window. I now eat 0 carbs for breakfast, so just 2 eggs every morning, then have a "second breakfast" (in the habit of Hobbits) at 8:30 of NO MORE than 25 carbs. New routines like this one rock my world for a few weeks, then change just as soon as I get used to them. I'm learning patience and flexibility as I strive to get my blood sugars in that "sweet spot" (pun definitely intended...)
7. An A1C of 5.1 really is possible during pregnancy. Yeas that means I have several lows everyday, but we fix what we can and we don't worry about yesterday's numbers.
8. Trusting God for this healthy baby is how I find peace. I must say it a thousand times a day, "Lord, I'm trusting you with this healthy baby. I am trusting you with diabetes."
9. Running during pregnancy is exhausting at first, then awesome. The more I run, the more energy I have and the better I feel overall, blood sugar included. Granted, the very most I can do is 2 miles, but it's still exercise!
10. Telling people that you are NOT finding out the baby's gender ON PURPOSE is highly entertaining some days, highly annoying other days.....everyone has an opinion....
So far, that is the extent of my wisdom in this 23 week journey. I am so ready to meet Baby Hagemeyer or "Bubba Squirt" as we affectionately call him/her.
