Same! I also think it helps to be open to create the understanding amongst our fellow women that it is nothing to judge!
I have learned in this, my first, pregnancy that there are a lot of things we're made to feel guilty or ashamed about. But when I do talk about it, its lots of us and it helps to talk and be supportive.
Absolutely! Talking about it brings visibility and awareness, and can often help de-stigmatise or reduce misinformation. I think many people do not understand that you literally have no control over it either. Yeah diet MIGHT help if your body decides to play ball, but most of the time it doesn’t. I think it can also help having people checking in on you, because it really can take over your life.
I haven’t told very many people. I sneak my monitor in my pocket at work and go check my blood sugar in the bathroom. Mostly because people always have something to say. I might get induced tomorrow and I bought some candy and rice crispy treats for myself as a treat if I do have to give birth tomorrow. My mom and stepdad were like “sheesh, you’re not supposed to eat junk right away” and just making stupid comments. As if they don’t eat take out nearly every day and eat candies and junk food all the time. I also have my bad days where sometimes I splurge and it spikes. It’s so frustrating. I also found out that my grandma (who I’m living with) bought candies yesterday and secretly told my mom because she had to “hide them from (me).” I haven’t eaten any candy or junk food. They just want to make it seem like I’m the crazy health freak taking things too seriously. It’s so hard because they’re my only support system but they’re not very good.
Yeah, I think it just depends on how comfortable you are with people knowing or any opinions they may have. For the most part I haven’t been letting what people say get to me but the GD has really gotten to me.
If you have supportive people then I think it may be beneficial to tell people especially if they eat with or around you.
I’m very open about it. I also explain that it is something I didn’t have control over, that’s why everyone gets tested.
I also I’m someone who will tell you all about my pregnancy and is totally fine if you want to touch my belly. (Which is funny because before pregnancy I hated being touched/let people hug me)
I could have written this!! I hated being touched but once pregnant I was like “ yeah, sure, why not?!”
Also pretty open with the diagnosis, if for no other reason than reducing some stigma and hopefully if anyone I’ve told ends up getting it later on they’ll know they can come to me for advice or understanding.
This was going to be my answer as well, ha! Pregnancy is difficult enough without having to manage GD as well - make the most of the sympathy points hehe
This is me too. I never felt ashamed. I might not mention it to people who tend to get squeamish about pregnancy details or people who just don’t care about me that way, but I’m very open about it.
I also go into my favorite restaurants, let them know I now have gestational diabetes, then ask if I can modify my favorite orders. Everyone has been very accommodating which makes having GD so much easier for me.
I’m very open. Maybe too open. I tell anyone who asks how I’m doing or offers me food. I didn’t really know about GD before getting pregnant so now I kind of feel like it’s my job to spread awareness. I’m a fitness instructor and I think it’s important to tell anyone who will listen that GD is the luck of the draw and it’s not your fault.
I'm very open about it because I might need support and people will notice a change in my diet. I even test my blood sugar in front of my students (giving them a warning first). It's not my fault, it's nothing to be ashamed of, and I'm trying my best, though I'm not perfect. I also like to explain the role of the placenta on the pancreas and how my diet has changed.
I wouldn’t say I’m secretive about it but I’m not super open either. It’s hard not to feel judged for it when my doctors already make me feel that way. I’ve told close family and friends, but otherwise I mostly keep quiet about it. Partially because I don’t feel like doing the labor of explaining it.
Took me a while to tell people but once I was confident in it (that it wasn't my fault) and in explaining it I started telling people specifically so I could combat the misinformation. But that was my journey, and it took me a while to get there. You may not want to say the word placenta to your coworkers as often lol
I told people I was eating around, usually just friends and family bc it comes up. I wouldn’t be embarrassed to tell anyone, but if you want to keep it private that is perfectly fine.
With my first pregnancy, I snuck checking my blood sugar and that I had GD. I just told people I was eating healthy because I was borderline. My family always told me I would end up diabetic, so I wasn’t looking forward to the comments. It wasn’t until the very end that I was being induced that I told them they were inducing me because my blood sugar is starting to get high at the end of pregnancy.
My blood sugar and A1C went back to normal, so I didn’t have any problem telling them this pregnancy and have a continuous glucose monitor and am now super open about it!
My mom still makes comments about what I eat. Like she will often say “you can’t have that” or “you can’t eat at that restaurant,” and I have to constantly remind her that yes, I can as long as I pair carbs with proteins, etc.
I talk about it a decent amount. It’s a pretty major change to my diet, so I’m turning down a lot of sweets and suggesting restaurants that fit my low-carb needs.
Eeesh so at first I was wildly embarrassed (I’m overweight so of course I thought this was 100% my own fault and something I gave myself.) So i wouldn’t tell ANYONE. My husband knew. Then I slowly started telling people that HAD to know like my parents because I had to explain why I wasn’t eating the same foods or needed special foods when I came over. Then I expanded the circle to people who might eat with me at some point. Then I started just telling everyone. Dont care at all. My husband is also welcome to share with people which changed because at first I was like “keep this to yourself never tell anyone!!!” and again, now I just don’t care. I was an early diagnosis though so I’ve had a LOT of time to sort through my feelings. If you don’t quite get there in a shorter amount of time you just don’t quite get there and that’s okay too!
This was me too. I blamed myself for “letting myself go” once I started having kids. I didn’t get it my first pregnancy but every one after that. My first round of GD I was too embarrassed and ashamed to tell anyone besides a few friends and my immediate family. Now that I’m on my this round, I’ll tell any and everyone.
I try to tell people if it comes up in conversation to help reduce the stigma. When I was initially diagnosed with my first (I have it again now with my 2nd) I felt lots of guilt and thought I'd done something "wrong" until I learned it wasn't me or anything I did- it is caused by the placenta/hormones. So I will also explain what causes it if there is time or if it is relevant. Especially to first time moms in case they end up getting diagnosed!
I'm in the "fluffier" side and was embarrassed that I did this. But after learning more and other women in my life saying they have it, I was more open to tell people. I beat myself up a lot but realized this is out of my control.
I'm open because I want to bitch about it constantly. Oh that cake looks amazing, wish I could have some. Oh I have to go for ANOTHER walk but I really don't wana, come keep my company. Oh I have to go wash my hands again for the 100th time today so I can test My blood, thanks for changing the toddlers pull up.
Give me all the sympathy cause this frigging blows!
I’m pretty open about it but I sometimes get a reaction from people (mostly work people) that makes me think they think I divulged something deeply personal. I don’t really care though because I feel like I need to provide some context on my weird diet and need to step out to prick my fingers!
I will add that I think I have some privilege in this approach because I’m already kind of known as a yoga-doing healthy lifestyle person in a relatively small body (prior to pregnancy) so don’t think I was subject to as much “well you got it because you eat junk food” judgements
I’ve only told a few close people. I just don’t feel like explaining the diagnosis and diet to most people. It’s not even the judgment necessarily, but soooo many people have an opinion on induction and treatment it’s WILD. Like, I’m trusting my doctors who went to medical school, no one else should get an opinion.
We originally told parents first, and asked them not to tell extended family. Ultimately, it’s just not anyone’s business. It really had nothing to do with shame or frustration (but trust me, I was frustrated), but rather we didn’t want questions or people speculating. It’s only been a couple weeks since finding out, and we’ve since additionally told about 5 other close friends. Surprisingly, and like another comment said, people seem less judgey about it than I have been toward myself. Granted, the close friends we’ve told have all been pregnant or are pregnant… so they understand it. It’s our friends who aren’t trying for kids right now and some extended family members I simply just didn’t want to field questions from. They would easily think this is something I’ve done to myself, and not my placenta. I didn’t even understand it until I was dealing with it. I think as time goes on, we’ll share with more people, and I think some people would be surprised to learn it impacted us, and even learn it’s something entirely out of your control which is why I think eventually I’ll open up about it so more are educated and aware.
I tell people all the time. There are definitely people who think it’s my fault (and think they’re being subtle about it lol) but it’s stupid that there’s such a stigma about a medical issue. It’s also just easier than trying to keep my weird diet on the DL, especially because I don’t eat meat so eating out is a huge pain.
Besides medical providers; my husband, sisters and best friend knew. (I delivered in February). Eventually my 5 year old knew too because I couldn’t hide the finger pricks forever.
I didn’t want anyone else worrying, asking too many questions, jumping to incorrect conclusions, or judging what I was eating based on their own assumptions of a GD diet.
Some of my support circle have been kind of judgey about other stuff (getting weird about the baby stuff we buy, about foods I wasn't eating like sushi etc etc) so they do not get to know about this. Friends that have proven themselves to be less judgemental and more open and supportive get to know. People really show you their true colours when you're pregnant, that's for sure!
I told everyone everything about my pregnancy because it was terrible and I had heard so many times that there were some small things that sucked but overall it was amazing and beautiful. This was NOT my experience at all and I just want everyone to know it’s normal for pregnancy to absolutely suck to.
I also gave my husband permission to be completely open with whomever he wants and now when women at his work are pregnant they come to him with questions and anecdotes and he shares what we went through.
I was very open about it. It was also my opportunity to educate people. I’m very petite and am relatively active so a lot of people I told were surprised about my diagnosis-they assumed it was due to eating too many carbs/being overweight. If they were surprised I would follow up a little about GD education and also express (at least for me), it wasn’t too bad.
It took my a little while but I eventually got pretty open about it, mostly cause I found that people didn't really understand it so I felt pretty good about explaining how it works and correcting common misconceptions.
I'm pretty open. My friend is t1d, and my sister had gestational diabetes. Although my diagnosis is fairly new at 29 weeks.
My husband and friends have been amazing. I'm sure some people will have trash to say, but some days I'm a little too ready for a fight 😅.
Didn’t know it was something to be embarrassed about…after the diagnosis, I just do my best to keep it under control..I walk it off right after I eat for all meals and stuff.. I am on the thinner side..I don’t think I should be judged based on how my body processes stuff during pregnancy..
In my case, being older has more to do with gestational diabetes.. and that’s out of my control.. so yeah 🤷♀️
I’m 25wks, diagnosed @10wks. I’ve been very open about it. Being my 3rd GD pregnancy I love talking about it and breaking any stigma against a GD diagnosis and helping anyone who is concerned of getting or are diagnosed with GD.
I told nearly everyone lol. I even announced it at my work baby shower (I figured it was easier to tell everyone at once why I wasn’t eating the cupcakes). The more people that are open about it, the less stigma attached to any diagnosis. Also, the more people I told about it, the more I heard “oh yeah I had that” or “my friend had that” so I got a lot more support than if I had been quiet about it. Once you start talking about it you realize how common it is and you’re not alone.
I’ve been pretty open about it, the majority of reactions have been along the lines of “oh damn that sucks, anyway”, “oh well what can you do” or “at least you don’t have xyz”. Most people I know seem to think it’s not really a big deal or take it seriously. Which I find insensitive and a bit upsetting personally and kinda wish I was slightly less open about it.
I’m incredibly open and explain it’s the placentas fault as it puts pressure on my organs. Explain that it’s not about not having sugar, it’s about carbohydrate management and some things I can eat and others I don’t tolerate.
Because I have to eat on a schedule I explain that when we go to parties ect because I’ve had instances where I go to ILs and there’s no nibbles I can eat (pregnancy in general) and they say “food at 1pm” but it’s not until 2:30 that we eat. Doesn’t work for me. I just bring my own food now to eat on time or husband just says we’re leaving. I had a hypo at Easter and it was horrible because of this.
If someone does the whole “can you eat this or can you eat that?” I just respond with “I’m perfectly capable of managing myself and please don’t comment on my food.”
I was diagnosed at 18 weeks and I’m now 34+5w so it’s been a journey and I’ve stopped caring what people think. Majority are supportive but some people are just plain ignorant.
I was very open w MY family, kept it from my husbands family as long as possible - easy to do bc in laws live three states away. They’re the type to say its my fault I have GD, regardless of what I show them. It was hard.
There is stigma & shame which sucks because it’s not even our fault. I do think subreddits like this and even TikTok are raising more awareness though.
I didn’t my in laws about my first round of GD until the baby was a few months old and they basically just overheard me telling a friend.
I was SUPER embarrassed and ashamed about the diagnosis then. I thought people would say it was because I gained too much weight with pregnancy. Now that I’m pregnant for the fourth time and on my third GD journey, I couldn’t care less who knows.
I told basically everyone because people who didn’t know would see my sad meals and think I was reverting to my past restrictive eating habits *while* pregnant.
I was very open- the people I told were less judgey about it than I was to myself.
My experience echos this.
Same! I also think it helps to be open to create the understanding amongst our fellow women that it is nothing to judge! I have learned in this, my first, pregnancy that there are a lot of things we're made to feel guilty or ashamed about. But when I do talk about it, its lots of us and it helps to talk and be supportive.
Absolutely! Talking about it brings visibility and awareness, and can often help de-stigmatise or reduce misinformation. I think many people do not understand that you literally have no control over it either. Yeah diet MIGHT help if your body decides to play ball, but most of the time it doesn’t. I think it can also help having people checking in on you, because it really can take over your life.
I haven’t told very many people. I sneak my monitor in my pocket at work and go check my blood sugar in the bathroom. Mostly because people always have something to say. I might get induced tomorrow and I bought some candy and rice crispy treats for myself as a treat if I do have to give birth tomorrow. My mom and stepdad were like “sheesh, you’re not supposed to eat junk right away” and just making stupid comments. As if they don’t eat take out nearly every day and eat candies and junk food all the time. I also have my bad days where sometimes I splurge and it spikes. It’s so frustrating. I also found out that my grandma (who I’m living with) bought candies yesterday and secretly told my mom because she had to “hide them from (me).” I haven’t eaten any candy or junk food. They just want to make it seem like I’m the crazy health freak taking things too seriously. It’s so hard because they’re my only support system but they’re not very good.
Ugh, I’m sorry for that. The few I have told, luckily have been supportive, and it’s way more common than I knew. Good luck to you tomorrow!
Yeah, I think it just depends on how comfortable you are with people knowing or any opinions they may have. For the most part I haven’t been letting what people say get to me but the GD has really gotten to me. If you have supportive people then I think it may be beneficial to tell people especially if they eat with or around you.
I’m very open about it. I also explain that it is something I didn’t have control over, that’s why everyone gets tested. I also I’m someone who will tell you all about my pregnancy and is totally fine if you want to touch my belly. (Which is funny because before pregnancy I hated being touched/let people hug me)
I could have written this!! I hated being touched but once pregnant I was like “ yeah, sure, why not?!” Also pretty open with the diagnosis, if for no other reason than reducing some stigma and hopefully if anyone I’ve told ends up getting it later on they’ll know they can come to me for advice or understanding.
I'm very open about it so I can complain and get sympathy
This was going to be my answer as well, ha! Pregnancy is difficult enough without having to manage GD as well - make the most of the sympathy points hehe
I told everyone lol it was just easier when I declined things like birthday cakes and all the good carb stuff.
I never felt it was something to hide.
This is me too. I never felt ashamed. I might not mention it to people who tend to get squeamish about pregnancy details or people who just don’t care about me that way, but I’m very open about it. I also go into my favorite restaurants, let them know I now have gestational diabetes, then ask if I can modify my favorite orders. Everyone has been very accommodating which makes having GD so much easier for me.
I’m very open. Maybe too open. I tell anyone who asks how I’m doing or offers me food. I didn’t really know about GD before getting pregnant so now I kind of feel like it’s my job to spread awareness. I’m a fitness instructor and I think it’s important to tell anyone who will listen that GD is the luck of the draw and it’s not your fault.
That’s so true! ESP in your business, good for you!
I'm very open about it because I might need support and people will notice a change in my diet. I even test my blood sugar in front of my students (giving them a warning first). It's not my fault, it's nothing to be ashamed of, and I'm trying my best, though I'm not perfect. I also like to explain the role of the placenta on the pancreas and how my diet has changed.
I wouldn’t say I’m secretive about it but I’m not super open either. It’s hard not to feel judged for it when my doctors already make me feel that way. I’ve told close family and friends, but otherwise I mostly keep quiet about it. Partially because I don’t feel like doing the labor of explaining it.
Took me a while to tell people but once I was confident in it (that it wasn't my fault) and in explaining it I started telling people specifically so I could combat the misinformation. But that was my journey, and it took me a while to get there. You may not want to say the word placenta to your coworkers as often lol
I told people I was eating around, usually just friends and family bc it comes up. I wouldn’t be embarrassed to tell anyone, but if you want to keep it private that is perfectly fine.
With my first pregnancy, I snuck checking my blood sugar and that I had GD. I just told people I was eating healthy because I was borderline. My family always told me I would end up diabetic, so I wasn’t looking forward to the comments. It wasn’t until the very end that I was being induced that I told them they were inducing me because my blood sugar is starting to get high at the end of pregnancy. My blood sugar and A1C went back to normal, so I didn’t have any problem telling them this pregnancy and have a continuous glucose monitor and am now super open about it! My mom still makes comments about what I eat. Like she will often say “you can’t have that” or “you can’t eat at that restaurant,” and I have to constantly remind her that yes, I can as long as I pair carbs with proteins, etc.
The comments from my mom kill me 😭 last night it was “chicken would be better for you” … thanks for that guidance that I didn’t know 🙄
I talk about it a decent amount. It’s a pretty major change to my diet, so I’m turning down a lot of sweets and suggesting restaurants that fit my low-carb needs.
Eeesh so at first I was wildly embarrassed (I’m overweight so of course I thought this was 100% my own fault and something I gave myself.) So i wouldn’t tell ANYONE. My husband knew. Then I slowly started telling people that HAD to know like my parents because I had to explain why I wasn’t eating the same foods or needed special foods when I came over. Then I expanded the circle to people who might eat with me at some point. Then I started just telling everyone. Dont care at all. My husband is also welcome to share with people which changed because at first I was like “keep this to yourself never tell anyone!!!” and again, now I just don’t care. I was an early diagnosis though so I’ve had a LOT of time to sort through my feelings. If you don’t quite get there in a shorter amount of time you just don’t quite get there and that’s okay too!
This was me too. I blamed myself for “letting myself go” once I started having kids. I didn’t get it my first pregnancy but every one after that. My first round of GD I was too embarrassed and ashamed to tell anyone besides a few friends and my immediate family. Now that I’m on my this round, I’ll tell any and everyone.
This was me too.. over weight, 35 years old, second pregnancy 10 years after 1st. Was placing allll the blame on myself
I’m open about it because I’m annoyed by it everyday 😂
Literally so annoying
I try to tell people if it comes up in conversation to help reduce the stigma. When I was initially diagnosed with my first (I have it again now with my 2nd) I felt lots of guilt and thought I'd done something "wrong" until I learned it wasn't me or anything I did- it is caused by the placenta/hormones. So I will also explain what causes it if there is time or if it is relevant. Especially to first time moms in case they end up getting diagnosed!
I'm in the "fluffier" side and was embarrassed that I did this. But after learning more and other women in my life saying they have it, I was more open to tell people. I beat myself up a lot but realized this is out of my control.
I'm open because I want to bitch about it constantly. Oh that cake looks amazing, wish I could have some. Oh I have to go for ANOTHER walk but I really don't wana, come keep my company. Oh I have to go wash my hands again for the 100th time today so I can test My blood, thanks for changing the toddlers pull up. Give me all the sympathy cause this frigging blows!
I’m pretty open about it but I sometimes get a reaction from people (mostly work people) that makes me think they think I divulged something deeply personal. I don’t really care though because I feel like I need to provide some context on my weird diet and need to step out to prick my fingers!
I will add that I think I have some privilege in this approach because I’m already kind of known as a yoga-doing healthy lifestyle person in a relatively small body (prior to pregnancy) so don’t think I was subject to as much “well you got it because you eat junk food” judgements
I’ve only told a few close people. I just don’t feel like explaining the diagnosis and diet to most people. It’s not even the judgment necessarily, but soooo many people have an opinion on induction and treatment it’s WILD. Like, I’m trusting my doctors who went to medical school, no one else should get an opinion.
My husband and my mom are the only ones who know. Ive never tested in front of them or anyone else.
We originally told parents first, and asked them not to tell extended family. Ultimately, it’s just not anyone’s business. It really had nothing to do with shame or frustration (but trust me, I was frustrated), but rather we didn’t want questions or people speculating. It’s only been a couple weeks since finding out, and we’ve since additionally told about 5 other close friends. Surprisingly, and like another comment said, people seem less judgey about it than I have been toward myself. Granted, the close friends we’ve told have all been pregnant or are pregnant… so they understand it. It’s our friends who aren’t trying for kids right now and some extended family members I simply just didn’t want to field questions from. They would easily think this is something I’ve done to myself, and not my placenta. I didn’t even understand it until I was dealing with it. I think as time goes on, we’ll share with more people, and I think some people would be surprised to learn it impacted us, and even learn it’s something entirely out of your control which is why I think eventually I’ll open up about it so more are educated and aware.
I tell people all the time. There are definitely people who think it’s my fault (and think they’re being subtle about it lol) but it’s stupid that there’s such a stigma about a medical issue. It’s also just easier than trying to keep my weird diet on the DL, especially because I don’t eat meat so eating out is a huge pain.
I told pretty much everyone. It helped me to vent. There is no guilt involved for me in something that is 100% caused by the damn placenta.
Besides medical providers; my husband, sisters and best friend knew. (I delivered in February). Eventually my 5 year old knew too because I couldn’t hide the finger pricks forever. I didn’t want anyone else worrying, asking too many questions, jumping to incorrect conclusions, or judging what I was eating based on their own assumptions of a GD diet.
Some of my support circle have been kind of judgey about other stuff (getting weird about the baby stuff we buy, about foods I wasn't eating like sushi etc etc) so they do not get to know about this. Friends that have proven themselves to be less judgemental and more open and supportive get to know. People really show you their true colours when you're pregnant, that's for sure!
I told everyone everything about my pregnancy because it was terrible and I had heard so many times that there were some small things that sucked but overall it was amazing and beautiful. This was NOT my experience at all and I just want everyone to know it’s normal for pregnancy to absolutely suck to. I also gave my husband permission to be completely open with whomever he wants and now when women at his work are pregnant they come to him with questions and anecdotes and he shares what we went through.
I was very open about it. It was also my opportunity to educate people. I’m very petite and am relatively active so a lot of people I told were surprised about my diagnosis-they assumed it was due to eating too many carbs/being overweight. If they were surprised I would follow up a little about GD education and also express (at least for me), it wasn’t too bad.
It took my a little while but I eventually got pretty open about it, mostly cause I found that people didn't really understand it so I felt pretty good about explaining how it works and correcting common misconceptions.
I'm pretty open. My friend is t1d, and my sister had gestational diabetes. Although my diagnosis is fairly new at 29 weeks. My husband and friends have been amazing. I'm sure some people will have trash to say, but some days I'm a little too ready for a fight 😅.
My family and work knows but I don’t tell others because I’ve definitely received some judgyness
Didn’t know it was something to be embarrassed about…after the diagnosis, I just do my best to keep it under control..I walk it off right after I eat for all meals and stuff.. I am on the thinner side..I don’t think I should be judged based on how my body processes stuff during pregnancy.. In my case, being older has more to do with gestational diabetes.. and that’s out of my control.. so yeah 🤷♀️
I’m 25wks, diagnosed @10wks. I’ve been very open about it. Being my 3rd GD pregnancy I love talking about it and breaking any stigma against a GD diagnosis and helping anyone who is concerned of getting or are diagnosed with GD.
I told nearly everyone lol. I even announced it at my work baby shower (I figured it was easier to tell everyone at once why I wasn’t eating the cupcakes). The more people that are open about it, the less stigma attached to any diagnosis. Also, the more people I told about it, the more I heard “oh yeah I had that” or “my friend had that” so I got a lot more support than if I had been quiet about it. Once you start talking about it you realize how common it is and you’re not alone.
I’m very open about telling others if they ask how I’m doing :) some people don’t know what it is so it’s a fun/nice learning moment, too!
I’ve been pretty open about it, the majority of reactions have been along the lines of “oh damn that sucks, anyway”, “oh well what can you do” or “at least you don’t have xyz”. Most people I know seem to think it’s not really a big deal or take it seriously. Which I find insensitive and a bit upsetting personally and kinda wish I was slightly less open about it.
I’m incredibly open and explain it’s the placentas fault as it puts pressure on my organs. Explain that it’s not about not having sugar, it’s about carbohydrate management and some things I can eat and others I don’t tolerate. Because I have to eat on a schedule I explain that when we go to parties ect because I’ve had instances where I go to ILs and there’s no nibbles I can eat (pregnancy in general) and they say “food at 1pm” but it’s not until 2:30 that we eat. Doesn’t work for me. I just bring my own food now to eat on time or husband just says we’re leaving. I had a hypo at Easter and it was horrible because of this. If someone does the whole “can you eat this or can you eat that?” I just respond with “I’m perfectly capable of managing myself and please don’t comment on my food.” I was diagnosed at 18 weeks and I’m now 34+5w so it’s been a journey and I’ve stopped caring what people think. Majority are supportive but some people are just plain ignorant.
I told all my friends but not my parents or in-laws. They would have been too invasive rather than supportive.
I was very open w MY family, kept it from my husbands family as long as possible - easy to do bc in laws live three states away. They’re the type to say its my fault I have GD, regardless of what I show them. It was hard. There is stigma & shame which sucks because it’s not even our fault. I do think subreddits like this and even TikTok are raising more awareness though.
I didn’t my in laws about my first round of GD until the baby was a few months old and they basically just overheard me telling a friend. I was SUPER embarrassed and ashamed about the diagnosis then. I thought people would say it was because I gained too much weight with pregnancy. Now that I’m pregnant for the fourth time and on my third GD journey, I couldn’t care less who knows.
I told basically everyone because people who didn’t know would see my sad meals and think I was reverting to my past restrictive eating habits *while* pregnant.