Blood Sugar Crash!

I had my first huge blood sugar crash for this pregnancy and it wasn't fun. I should have seen it coming, both because I know it is coming and because there have been little warning signs that it was coming. I should have done things differently to stop it before it got really bad. But I didn't and it ended up being one horrible morning.

First, the warnings. I know I have this problem during pregnancy so I should have been alert for it. The last two weeks I've been experience increased nausea throughout the day and evenings. In the second and third trimesters, I know that means I need to eat even though I don't feel hungry. In the last two or three days, I've notice times I've felt sudden intense hunger and I mean intense. Usually, I feel this right before bed (when I'm tired and don't want to prepare a meal and eat it) or right when I wake up (when I'm tire and don't feel alert enough to prepare a meal and eat it). All those should have told me it was coming and to start doing what I need to do to prevent hypoglycemic crashes.

Mistake #1: I went to bed hungry last night. My denial-state thinking told me I had eaten dinner, I was fine.

Mistake #2: I woke up at 5am to pee. In my state of sleepiness, I ignored my intense hunger and went straight back to bed without eating.

When I woke up at 7am, it was too late even though I know longer felt hungry. Not wanting to get out of bed yet, I turned over and instantly the room started spinning. I closed my eyes waiting...hoping it would stop. (I had vertigo when pregnant with Josh and it wouldn't stop for anywhere from several hours to two days each time). I went downstairs in case I was going to puke but didn't. After peeing again, I went back to bed not yet realizing that the problem was blood sugar. I turned over again and experienced another nauseating room tilt and spin. After that I finally put two and two together and stumbled (still dizzy) downstairs and poured myself 1/2 a bowl of cereal which I chewed very well in case it came back up. Then I slumped on the couch waiting to see if it would get better. It didn't really so I went and cut myself a piece of cheese but couldn't get it down. I settled for a handful of cheese-its. Finally, as I half sat/half laid on the couch, Scott got out of the shower and I was able to ask him to run to the store for Boost Glucose Control and Glucerna bars. Both are designed for diabetes but work well for hypoglycemia. While he was gone, I started to regain my strength a little bit. About 30-45 minutes after the Boost I was finally functioning.

I called the midwife. She said it sounded like I had learned good ways to cope. (But I don't want to cope!) She suggested setting dried fruits and nuts out on the table and become a grazer so that there is always something in my stomach. (But I don't want to eat all day!) Grazing doesn't work for me neither do snacks; I feel like I didn't even eat. So I'll revert to what has worked in the past: huge meals, Boost, carrying Glucerna bars in my purse, and eating every time I start to feel nauseous even if I'm not hungry. That last one is in there because I learned, the hard way, that at this point on I'll get nauseous from lower blood sugar before I ever feel even a little bit hungry.