Vanessa’s story – Managing Gestational Diabetes

I was at my wits end. I knew I had to do something and do something soon otherwise I would be giving birth to a giant baby!  Not to mention the possible health risks I was posing to my unborn foetus during childbirth and beyond.  After a routine scan for my first child, the doctor casually mentioned I should test my sugar levels otherwise baby to be was going to give Schalk Burger a run for his money! I had gestational diabetes. Not too serious...unless left untreated. I always have been a relatively healthy person and considered myself knowledgeable about healthy eating but put to the test it proved much harder than anticipated. I gave in and decided if I don’t get some advice and some guidelines I’m going to carry on living in denial about the reality of my diet and potentially drown myself and my baby in chocolate! That's when I went to see Emily.  She was so well researched and knowledgeable on healthy eating and tailor made me a very user friendly eating plan that actually included lots of yummy alternatives and didn't deny me my cravings!  With a bit of structure and help from Emily I immediately started feeling more energetic, my skin cleared up and I generally felt a lot more alert.  My goal was to get my sugar levels under control but still eat enough calories for the growth of my baby.  I even ended up losing a bit of weight and almost immediately my baby’s weight dropped back into the average percentile.  My son Jacob was born weighing in at 3.5kgs – a perfectly healthy weight! And 8 weeks after having him I returned to my pre pregnancy weight.  Thanks to Emily and a bit of commitment, Jake and mum are enjoying a healthy way of life!