When you decide to have a baby you also knowingly make a lot of sacrifices. I knew and researched how to cope with –
- career stagnation
- loss of income and financial independence
- insane physical changes to my body
- lifestyle changes like not drinking alcohol, caffeine or eating sushi and soft cheeses which are pretty much all of my favourite things
I was not, however, prepared to sacrifice eating ALL my favourite foods when I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
I was okay with giving up all the other things but I was not prepared to give up the sugar. The Ice cream. The Chocolate. The Dessert. The Cake. The Fried chicken. And Thai food! Bloody Thai Food!!
It’s truly cruel.
So I’m sending this out as a public service announcement. Don’t get pregnant if you think it’s going to allow you to eat whatever you want – it’s a lie! Even if you don’t have the GD during your first doctors appointment it’s made very clear that weight gain needs to be careful and consistent and actually you can’t just eat what you want or “eat for two” but actually you need eat well balanced and nutritious food because YOU are responsible for your babies growth. I had just assumed that the placenta would, you know, absorb all the good stuff from the few nutritional items I was inhaling and pass that onto the baby and my body (with the help of a daily vitamin dose) would make do with whatever was left over.
And while there is probably a huge benefit in me not consuming dessert after dinner daily or eating an entire pizza in one sitting it has been a mental struggle to be disciplined and balanced when all I want to do is enjoy eating two Magnum Egos after dinner and not feel bad about it (like I used to during my first trimester)
But it’s okay. I’m learning to find joy in weighing out my carbs and mushing together fresh fruit and greek yoghurt (no even honey is not allowed) and pretending it’s a new Messina flavour.
It’s really not as miserable as it sounds.
whensaturnreturns 