Hi Veggie
I was diagnosed about 7 weeks ago and was also put on the diet, with testing 4 times per day.
I was rapidly scheduled also to some growth scans at 32, 36 and 40 weeks.
At 32 weeks my fluid levels were at the highest end of normal, and baby was on the 69th centile.
At 36 weeks (this week), my fluid levels were down and baby was on the 53rd centile.
Do you know what your GTT results were and how over the limits you were?
At the outset, I felt exactly the same and like a disappointment. But the time will fly by and if it helps manage your baby's growth (with or without having to go onto metformin or insulin) and thereby minimises problems for baby later, and intervention post-birth, then it will be worth it.
I have ended up spending lots more money since then on ensuring I have the right snacks, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and finding good recipes for dinners.
It was really important to me (being used to eating what I wanted and when) that I could open the fridge and find something tasty (to me!) like blueberries and greek yoghurt, or a piece of cheese, or carrot sticks with humous that I'd made in advance.
You'll quickly learn how your body responds to certain carbs, so don't feel upset if you get a couple of high readings in the first couple of weeks until you work things out.
I've also been eating more, smaller meals rather than my previous habit of enormous meals plus dessert in a single sitting! It's been a real education. Plus I have found it very important to meal plan over the coming few days, and be in control of what is in the house, and what I cook & eat. Then it becomes less of a 'oh my god, I can't eat anything' internal debate each day.
The main challenge for me is going out though. Even at the hospital this week, their food court was really limited in terms of what I could eat - it was carb hell!! To avoid starving therefore, I always carry a small snack or two to tide me over.
I've only just started getting excited again about the baby arriving since the diagnosis. It has definitely changed my options for birth, but at this stage, all you want is a healthy baby, regardless of what it means. Having controlled my GD so well with diet, I don't need an early induction - I will go to term - and although I can't use my hospital's midwife-led centre, I know that it will all be fine in the end.
Plus my experience from my antenatal class is that actually - every woman is dealing with something challenging in pregnancy: SPD, low-lying placenta, relationship issues, pains, heartburn, and this is just another one of those things.
The future of course means a higher risk of diabetes later in life, but quite frankly, it could have happened anyway, so I'm just not going to bother worrying about it (plus am going to order some Haribo for post-baby!!).
If I can be of help, then let me know.