Roseann did not expect to develop gestational diabetes while she was pregnant with her 3rd child. After all, everything had been going well. While she had suffered with a lot of morning sickness and heartburn with the pregnancies of her two boys, this baby girl pregnancy had been smooth sailing—until the third trimester.
During her 7-month visit to Cherokee Women’s Health Specialists, it was time for Roseann to take the glucose test, which is used to check the mom’s blood sugar level. Roseann failed the one-hour test, and then the three-hour test. She was diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
What is Gestational Diabetes?
Gestational diabetes occurs because of hormonal changes during pregnancy. Increased levels of certain hormones interfere with the body’s ability to manage blood sugar. This condition is known as insulin resistance. As the placenta grows larger during pregnancy, it produces more hormones, increasing the resistance to insulin. If a pregnant woman’s pancreas is unable to produce more insulin to overcome the effects of additional hormones in the body, blood sugar levels will rise, resulting in gestational diabetes.
This is when everything changed for Roseann. She had to attend a diabetes nutrition class, begin a low carb diet, and add exercise to her routine. She also had to do a finger prick test four times a day to check her sugar levels. And to make matters worse, a few weeks after her diagnosis, Roseann was out shopping for the baby’s crib when she went to the bathroom and saw she was urinating blood. She called her doctor and was sent to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and put on antibiotics.
Admitted to the Hospital
One week later, Roseann was still urinating blood when she went for a checkup. Upon examining her, her OB/GYN at Cherokee Women’s Health had Roseann admitted to Labor and Delivery to watch her and to see why this was still happening. During her stay in the hospital, Roseann had to see a urologist and have three scans to check for kidney stones. She also had a Foley bulb catheter to flush her out. Finally, after six days in the hospital, the bleeding stopped.
Roseann had to make a lot of changes at the beginning of her seventh month so it a very difficult time for her. She was busy with her 12-year-old and his full calendar of school commitments and extracurricular activities, plus she had a very active 2-year-old. But she still managed to follow the suggested diet and even wrote down everything she ate.
However, her numbers were still going up and down. Roseann jokes, “On top of everything else going on, I couldn’t even indulge in my food cravings. Well, except for those two times for my birthday and my baby shower—doctor approved, of course.”
Meeting Dr. James Haley
In a practice such as Cherokee Women’s, it’s not uncommon for pregnant patients to see multiple doctors, so during one of her next visits, Roseann saw Dr. Haley.
“Dr. Haley’s so nice and very knowledgeable. He patiently answered all of my questions, and believe me, I had lots of them. Dr. Haley is amazing!” Roseann shared.
Roseann already knew that when it was time, she would be delivering via C-section since that was how her last baby was delivered, and because of her current complications. She also considered having a tubal ligation after her baby was born, but wasn’t quite sure, so she asked Dr. Haley a lot of questions. Dr. Haley explained that adding a tubal ligation to a C-section is a common occurrence. He also told her that if she even had a 1% doubt about the tubal ligation, that she shouldn’t do it. Roseann shared, “I always appreciated the way Dr. Haley didn’t sugarcoat anything, but also always spoke so kindly.”
Delivering a Baby–and a Pizza!
At 39 weeks, it was time to deliver her baby. Dr. Haley performed the C-section and baby Ava was born. Although Ava did fail her first glucose heel prick test, she passed the second one and was given a clean bill of health.
Roseann did decide to have the tubal ligation, and has no regrets. She says she’s very grateful for her beautiful, healthy family.
And, because her diabetes went away after the birth of Ava, Roseann decided to splurge on Cherry Coke and pizza. She said nothing ever tasted so good!
Sharing Her Story to Help Others
The reason Roseann decided to share her story is to help other women who may experience issues like hers during pregnancy.
“I felt so scared and lost during this ordeal. I would have loved to have been able to read a first-hand story from an actual patient of the same practice and doctors that I was seeing.” Roseann says,
Seek Expert OB/GYNs
Having gestational diabetes—or other pregnancy related issues—doesn’t mean that all can’t turn out well. Being treated by doctors who are experts in their field can make the difference. Please contact us for an appointment and let us help guide and care for you during your pregnancy. Call today at 770.720.7733.
