What is hypoglycemia?
Hypoglycemia occurs when the level of glucose present in the blood falls below a set point:
- Below 4 mmol/L (millimoles per litre)
What am I looking for?
- Being pale
- Feeling weak
- Feeling hungry
- A higher heart rate than usual
- Blurred vision
- Temporary loss of consciousness
- Confusion
- Convulsions
- And in extreme cases, coma
- Sweating
- Fatigue
- Feeling dizzy
When I was told about my Gestational Diabetes I was told that I wouldn’t need to worry about this, that mine would probably always be too high and that would take more management. That eventually I would probably have to swap to Metformin or Insulin to manage my ‘high levels’.
As it stands I am still totally diet controlled. My highest reading to date has been 8.4 – which happened to follow a flavoured coffee with obviously more sugar than I was expecting. In my defence, it was fresh ground and didn’t come with a handy label breaking it all down.
My normal readings are usually 5.0 – 5.5 and if I am really behaving badly I have two portions of pasta and end up with a 6.
I am finding however the last few days, since hitting the hospital I have been unable to keep my levels up. It is taking a lot more food (which I don’t have room for, or want) to keep me above 4.0. Since before we got pregnant I had already changed my diet and although wasn’t forcing it had been losing weight, I feel good in myself and that is the main thing. So when I was given the talk about Gestational Diabetes I knew that the diet wouldn’t be an issue, it was a difference of portion control not food choice.
However, I am finding myself in a horrible position. My appetite has gone. This happened with Eldest and Mojo at the very end. It doesn’t ramp up from here either. So I find myself at each meal forcing the goods down my throat in a bid to ward off the Hypo and keep baby topped up.
Today I had another Hypo, this time I didn’t see it coming. That on top of last weeks hospital adventure has meant this week has been a bit of a struggle (and it is only Tuesday!)
Not a struggle to get things done around the house or with the girls, but a struggle in the sense that if it isn’t one thing – it is the other.
