What I have learned from testing my blood sugar levels

Last Monday, I began monitoring my blood sugar four times daily (once fasting and then two hours after each meal).

The first few days, I thought my numbers were decent. They were definitely within range for someone who is not diabetic. Sure, there were meals where my blood sugar would spike, but it never hit the danger zone.

Or so I thought...

Apparently there are different rules for pregnant women and the numbers for someone expecting should be lower than for a non-pregnant person. This is for the health of the mom and the baby. If the mother's blood sugar spikes too often, this means the placenta may age faster than the baby and/or it could cause the baby to gain more weight than normal (which can result in other possible complications during the birth).

The way my body responds to food may be a little different since I am pregnant. However, the blood sugar test results have not been super surprising. After meals where I eat food like chicken and vegetables, my blood sugar barely moves higher than my fasting levels. After meals heavy in carbs, starch, and sugar, my levels rise (sometimes dramatically). I knew this was probably happening to my body, but actually having the proof in the numbers has been eye opening. I have also noticed that on the days where I do not have a spike in my levels, my energy is much more consistent.

Even though I have the proof in the numbers and now own a test to monitor my levels (which I can use even after my pregnancy if I would like to check them), I still want to eat the foods that make my levels spike. These are foods that I have been eating and enjoying all of my life and have grown addicted to over the years. But they definitely affect my body in a negative way.

I am hoping that owning this test and continuing to monitor my blood sugar numbers will help motivate me to make the changes I need to in my diet -- the changes that make my body and my blood sugar happy.