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So glad that I've found you .....

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SusabellaSaspirella

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After being diagnosed with Type 2 in 2000 at the tender age of 30, taking no notice of my condition for many years and then unexpectedly finding myself pregnant last November (even more surprising as I also have PCOS), I am so glad that I have found this forum.

Being pregnant made me take control of my diabetes and I thought I was somehow different or special in that I could not tolerate the carb laden diet that my GP, dietician and every consultant and specialist at the hospital recommended.

I couldn't understand why as a low-fat, high carb diet was surely the order of the day if Diabetes UK and the like said so? The hospital's answer was not to believe me and up my doses of Metformin and the insulin I had to take in pregnancy.

Through trial, error and the constant guilt that I was hurting my unborn baby if my BG wasn't spot on, I adapted my diet to be low carb as everything they told me to eat rocketed my sugar levels sky-high.

My baby was born four weeks ago (at only 6lbs 6ozs -- so not the huge baby of a diabetic mother I was lead to believe he was going to be) and as I only put on 2-4lbs throughout my pregnancy I have now lost 2 stones from my pre-baby weight. The last four weeks have been tricky -- no sleep, hormones all over the place etc., so my eating habits have slipped slightly. However, I am determined not to go back. A low-carb diet, exercise (and probably a small amount of Metformin) is the key for me I believe.

I wish I had found you guys when I was battling early on in my pregnancy, but just wanted to say that I am glad I have now!
 
Hi Susabella
and welcome to you and your baby.
What is he called?
 
Congratulations on Matthew, Susabella!
I'm glad you found us too, and really impressed you had the courage of your convictions.
Best wishes to both of you,

fergus
 
Welcome aboard to you and Matthew! Glad you found us too :D

I had gestational diabetes in 1997 and gave birth to a whopper at 8lb9oz a month early :shock: :shock: :shock: My midwife told me he'd probably have been around 11lbs if he'd stayed the full course :shock: :shock:
 
Oh, me too, me too!

My first baby was 9lb 15oz and I was told that I would probably end up as a Diabetic later on. Isn't it funny how we just accept what we are told as if it is fate and we can do nothing about it!

When she was little I was also told by a very sensible Naturopath that I should eat low-carb and I did - sort of, but eventually the carbs would creep back in and it would go out of the window.

My second baby two years later was 8.14 and he was about a week or so early so he would have been pretty hefty too had he gone full-term.

Eighteen years later I hit 40 and the Diabetes. Twelve years on and I am kicking myself big-time that I didn't take the Naturopath and her valuable advice seriously enough.

I knew I couldn't cope with carbs but would eat them anyway! Duh.

A lot of the problem was the denial thing and the 'deprivation' thing and the 'poor me, why me' thing. Why can they eat all those yummy cream cakes and mars bars and not gain weight or have diabetes? I loved cooking and making cakes and yummy stuff for my family and friends and entertaining, etc., etc., and to not be able to do that would have made me feel useless. I was renowned for my hospitality.

What has radically changed now is that it has suddenly hit me that actually EVERYBODY should be eating low-carb - because the high-carb, high-sugar Western diet is killing us all one way or another! Even if people don't have a weight problem it will get them in some other way. Cancer, Arthritis, Alzheimer's, you name it. Add in all the chemical pollution and adulteration of our food and it is no wonder that our bodies are struggling to cope.

I have now realised that rather than being deprived, by eating a diet that follows the principles that most healthy cultures follow - which is in most cases naturally low carb (and certainly contains none of the highly processed and empty calorie trash that passes for food and that our Supermarket shelves are groaning under the weight of), I am actually protecting myself from at least making things worse for my health, if not better in the long run.

I have realised that I don't have to provide a laden table in order to be hospitable - good wholesome basic fare is perfectly acceptable, and the less carbs the better for all!
 
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