Sweet Success When It Comes to Managing Gestational Diabetes
“I attribute my healthy pregnancy, delivery and baby to the incredible
team at Hoag. From the physicians and nurses, to the front desk receptionists,
my experience was a positive one because of them,” said Christine.
“I’m proud to say I no longer have diabetes, but I feel blessed
to have been in such great hands. I hope my story will help anyone else
who is going through this.”
Thanks to the support from the Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center at
Hoag, Christine Wynne looks back on her pregnancy fondly, even though
she encountered some unexpected bumps along the way.
Christine’s pregnancy started out very easy. Meeting every health
benchmark on the list, she was able to maintain her active lifestyle and
eat a healthy diet.
That changed in her late-second trimester, when she underwent routine screenings
and was diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus, or GDM.
“I couldn’t believe it. I thought I had been doing everything
right and was on-track for the amount of weight I was gaining during the
first few months of my pregnancy,” Christine said. “Being
diagnosed with gestational diabetes was shocking and overwhelming.”
Her doctor reassured her that she was in the best hands and that there
were numerous resources available to her through the Mary & Dick Allen
Diabetes Center at Hoag that would help her understand this new diagnosis.
Christine was enrolled in the Allen Diabetes Center’s Sweet Success
program, which is tailored for women who have diabetes while pregnant.
Through the Sweet Success program, certified diabetes educators offer classes
and information for pregnant women with diabetes through a robust education
plan that includes: self-monitoring blood sugar, carbohydrate counting,
breastfeeding techniques, preparing for birth and other topics.
Between classes, Christine regularly met with a certified diabetes educator
to keep her blood glucose levels within the recommended range and to make
sure her questions were answered.
“It was eye-opening to learn that my ‘healthy’ diet wasn’t
providing the best nutrients for my body and my baby,” said Christine.
“They worked with me to create a meal plan and control my portion
size. I left every meeting feeling confident and knowledgeable that I
could manage my GDM.”
After giving birth, Christine had a final consultation to evaluate her
diabetes post-pregnancy. Nervous to take her newborn out for the first
time, the Allen Diabetes Center went above and beyond to make her experience
a great one.
“They knew it was a stressful situation for a new mom to get out
of the house for the first time and made it so easy for me when I arrived,”
Christine shared.
The nurses walked her through the steps of testing for Type 2 Diabetes
post-baby (referred to as the oral glucose tolerance test) and told her
that regardless of the outcome she should be proud of her newest bundle
of joy and that Hoag would be here to help.During the test, the nurses
even held her baby to help keep her calm.
Through the entire process, Christine felt reassured that her care team
had her and her baby’s best interests in mind.
“I attribute my healthy pregnancy, delivery and baby to the incredible
team at Hoag. From the physicians and nurses, to the front desk receptionists,
my experience was a positive one because of them,” said Christine.
“I’m proud to say I no longer have diabetes, but I feel blessed
to have been in such great hands. I hope my story will help anyone else
who is going through this.”