Looking on the bright side

On the tough days, it is easy to think about the downside of having gestational diabetes. But this morning, during my morning walk, I was thinking about the upside.

For one thing, I'm eating better for the baby than I had been. The lack of appetite that persisted after the first trimester had me eating a lot of cereal and PB&J sandwiches. I'm eating a better variety of foods now.

I'm also learning healthy eating habits that I think will stay with me and help me ward off Type II diabetes, such as eating smaller meals and eating snacks in between, as well as combining proteins with carbs.

I'm gaining less weight than I would otherwise. I started this pregnancy 10 pounds heavier than my last pregnancy and was worried about ending up 10 pounds heavier at the end than at the end of my last pregnancy. But since I started the diet and exercise, my weight gain has slowed and I'm almost hopeful that I will plateau and end up right around where I did last time.

And the other thing I'm happy about is that we are talking to our neighbors more now that we are out walking every evening (and I'm out every morning). The evenings here have been unseasonably cool and pleasant and we often see neighbors out in their yards or walking their dogs and stop to chat. We've even met some new neighbors, including a couple that lives 2 houses away that we never manged to introduce ourselves to in the 4 years we've been here.