Before Your Glucose Test (or After a High Number): Practical & Faith-Filled Tips for Pregnancy Blood Sugar
Hey mama! Whether your glucose screening is coming up, you just got a number back that made your heart sink, or you're tired of hitting a wall after breakfast, this one is for you. Blood sugar and gestational diabetes can feel like scary, loaded words in pregnancy. But understanding what's happening in your body is part of stewarding it well. Grab your coffee (or your decaf), and let's talk about blood sugar from a place of wisdom, not fear.
🎧 Listen to the Episode
The Glucose Test That Got My Attention
When I was pregnant with my youngest, Isaac, I almost failed my gestational diabetes screening. I barely passed. And honestly, it shook me a little. Not because I was afraid of a diagnosis, but because I realized I didn't really understand what was happening with blood sugar during pregnancy, or why it mattered.
I'd been more tired than usual that pregnancy, with these weird energy crashes. I just assumed, "Well, I'm pregnant, so of course I'm tired." But that close call made me wonder if something more was going on.
My midwife and I had a great conversation afterward, and she encouraged me to pay closer attention to how my body was responding to food. So I bought a blood glucose monitor and started checking my fasting blood sugar in the morning and my numbers after meals, especially the more carb-heavy ones.
What I found surprised me. My usual breakfast was a high-protein oatmeal, and I thought I was doing everything right. But my blood sugar rose more than I expected after eating it, and I could feel it. I'd feel great for a bit, then hit a wall: tired, foggy, irritable, and hungry again way too soon.
Instead of cutting out my oatmeal, I changed the composition of the meal. I added more protein and more fat and made it more substantial. For me, that made a noticeable difference, both in my numbers and in how I felt. My energy was steadier, and I felt more satisfied.
That doesn't mean oatmeal is bad, or that what worked for me will work best for you. But it got me curious, and that curiosity is what led to this episode.
A quick note before we dive in: this post is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please talk with your own midwife, OB, or qualified provider about your care.
What Is Blood Sugar, Really?
Blood sugar (or blood glucose) is the glucose circulating in your bloodstream. It comes mainly from the foods you eat, especially carbohydrates, and it's an important source of energy for your cells. Blood sugar itself is not bad. Your body needs glucose. The real question is how your body regulates it.
Here's the simple version:
You eat, and your blood sugar rises as food is digested.
Your pancreas releases insulin.
Insulin helps glucose move out of your bloodstream and into your cells.
Your blood sugar comes back down.
Your body does this all day long without you thinking about it. But food composition matters. A meal made mostly of rapidly digested carbohydrates can raise your blood sugar more quickly than a meal that also includes protein, fat, and fiber. For some women, those rapid changes are followed by feeling tired, hungry, shaky, or foggy.
That said, feeling sleepy after a meal doesn't automatically mean you had a blood sugar spike. There are so many reasons to be tired in pregnancy! The goal isn't a perfectly flat line all day. Your blood glucose is supposed to rise and fall. The goal isn't perfection; it's supporting healthy regulation.
Why Pregnancy Changes Your Blood Sugar
As pregnancy progresses, hormones from the placenta make your cells less responsive to insulin. That's a normal part of pregnancy physiology. Your body responds by making more insulin to keep blood sugar in a healthy range.
For most women, the pancreas keeps up just fine. But sometimes it can't meet the increased demand, and blood sugar stays elevated. That's where gestational diabetes comes in.
Gestational diabetes is not simply a consequence of eating too much sugar. Pregnancy itself changes glucose metabolism, and many factors influence someone's risk. Your provider screens for it not because they assume you've done something wrong, but because it's useful information.
Why It Matters
Persistently elevated blood sugar in pregnancy can increase the risk of certain complications. For babies, that can include excessive fetal growth and low blood sugar at birth. For mamas, it's associated with increased risks during pregnancy and birth. The encouraging part? Managing blood glucose when gestational diabetes is present can reduce those risks.
Support might look like nutrition changes, monitoring your blood sugar, appropriate physical activity, and sometimes medication or insulin.
And if medication is needed, hear me clearly: that is not a failure. Accepting support when your body needs it isn't weakness. It's wisdom. Sometimes stewardship looks like changing what you eat or taking a walk after dinner. And sometimes stewardship looks like taking medication. The goal isn't to prove you can do it all naturally on your own. It's to care well for yourself and your baby with the resources God has made available.
Gestational diabetes is information, not a verdict.
What to Expect from Your Glucose Test
Glucose screening usually happens around 24 to 28 weeks, though some women are screened earlier if they have certain risk factors.
In the common two-step approach:
The one-hour screening: You drink a glucose beverage with a measured amount of glucose, and your blood is drawn an hour later.
If that number is elevated: It does not automatically mean you have gestational diabetes. It means you need more testing, typically a longer oral glucose tolerance test. That may involve fasting beforehand, drinking a larger glucose load, and having blood drawn at several time points.
Protocols and diagnostic thresholds vary by provider, which is why your friends' stories may sound so different from each other!
To Fast or Not to Fast?
This is one of the most common questions I get from doula clients. Fasting is commonly required for the diagnostic glucose tolerance test, but instructions for the one-hour screening vary by practice.
My advice: don't guess, ask. Before your appointment, ask your provider, "Should I fast before this test, or can I eat normally?" Then follow their instructions, not your friend's, mine, or anyone else's. If you do need to fast, schedule the test as early as you reasonably can and bring something to eat afterward.
Alternatives to the Traditional Drink
In my last two pregnancies, my home birth midwife used the Fresh Test, a diagnostic glucose beverage with a different ingredient profile than some traditional drinks. I found it much easier to tolerate than the Glucola my OB gave me in my first pregnancy. If the taste or ingredients of the standard drink concern you, ask your provider whether an alternative is an option.
You may also hear women talk about monitoring blood sugar at home instead of the standard test. Please don't decide that on your own. Talk with your provider about whether an alternative approach is appropriate for you, what information they need, and how they'd interpret the results. The goal isn't to avoid information. It's to find a medically appropriate way to get the information you need.
You Can't Diagnose It by How You Feel
Increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, feeling shaky or lightheaded: these can show up with blood sugar issues, but normal pregnancy causes many of the same symptoms. In fact, gestational diabetes often has no obvious symptoms at all. That's exactly why routine screening matters.
So if you've been thirsty all week and you're spiraling, take a breath. You don't know that you have gestational diabetes. And if you feel totally fine, that doesn't rule it out either.
Simple Ways to Support Healthy Blood Sugar
This is my favorite part, because this is not another list of things to control perfectly. It's about stewardship and support. Consider talking these through with your provider:
Pair carbs with protein, fat, and fiber. Instead of labeling foods good or bad, look at the whole meal. When my oatmeal wasn't working, I didn't cut it. I asked how I could make the meal more balanced and satisfying.
Don't be afraid of food. Your body needs energy and nutrients for you and your growing baby. If you're getting extremely hungry between meals, ask your provider or a prenatal dietitian how to structure your meals and snacks.
Build meals around nourishing, real foods. Think proteins, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and other carbohydrates that work well for you, and lean toward whole foods over highly processed ones.
Try gentle movement. A walk after meals is a simple way to help your muscles use glucose. Always follow any activity restrictions you've been given.
Prioritize sleep and stress management where you can. I know, easier said than done with other kids at home! Maybe it's going to bed 30 minutes earlier, asking your husband to take one bedtime routine, grabbing a 20-minute nap, or stepping outside for a few deep breaths. Think support, not perfection.
And remember, every body is different. If you have gestational diabetes or you're monitoring your numbers, use the targets your own care team gives you. If you're simply learning about your body, approach it with curiosity, not fear.
Wisdom, Not Control
You can learn every piece of this information and still walk away anxious. That's not where I want this conversation to leave you.
There's a big difference between wisdom and control. Wisdom says, "Let me learn." Control says, "I have to make sure nothing goes wrong." Pregnancy is such a powerful place to learn that distinction and to release the things that were never ours to control in the first place.
You don't need to be afraid of information, and you don't need to worship it either. You can learn, you can steward, and you can trust the Lord.
📖 Scripture for Your Heart
"The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight." Proverbs 4:7 (ESV)
Notice what this verse doesn't say. It doesn't say control everything, never make a mistake, or know enough to guarantee the outcome. It simply says, get wisdom. That's the invitation for you in this season: not ignorance, not fear, but wisdom.
🙏 A Prayer for You on Your Journey
If you're feeling anxious about your upcoming test or a number you just received, I want to invite you to pause right now and bring that fear to the Lord. He isn't asking you to hold every outcome in your hands. He's inviting you to seek wisdom, take the next faithful step, and trust Him with the rest. Pray this over yourself:
Father God, I thank You for the incredible bodies You've given us and the way You created our bodies to sustain life. Thank You for the gift of wisdom and for inviting us to seek understanding.
I pray for the mama reading this right now who feels anxious about her blood sugar, her upcoming glucose test, or the possibility of gestational diabetes. Lord, would You meet her in that anxiety? Remind her that a screening result is information. It's not a verdict about her worth or her ability to be a good mom.
Give her wisdom to ask good questions. Give her discernment as she considers her options, and humility to receive help when she needs it. Father, surround her with Your peace.
Help us care for ourselves and our babies without believing we can guarantee every outcome. Teach her to know the difference between wisdom and fear, and between stewardship and control. I pray this all in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
📎Resources & Links Mentioned
🤰 Real Food for Gestational Diabetes by Lily Nichols
🍉 Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols
🍌 Real Food for Fertility by Lily Nichols
🍋 The Fresh Test: an alternative glucose screening drink to ask your provider about
✨ Christian Mama Birth Prep Library - Free birth prep tools, worship playlists & more
💕 Work with Me 1:1 – Virtual Doula Support & Schedule a Private Coaching Call
✝️ Online Christian Childbirth Education - Explore my complete birth preparation self-paced course
🎴 NEW Christian Birth Affirmation Cards: You can now purchase them here
If you've been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I'd strongly encourage you to work with your healthcare team and, if available, a registered dietitian who specializes in diabetes in pregnancy. You don't have to figure this out on your own.
You Don't Have to Do This Alone
If you're reading this and thinking, "I really wish I had someone to help me sort through all of this," that's exactly what I get to do with mamas. I offer virtual birth support for moms who want personalized, faith-centered guidance as they prepare for pregnancy, birth, and beyond. Because it's virtual, you don't have to live near me to work with me.
Together, we can talk through your questions, the things you're unsure about, and your options as you prepare with your care team.
Schedule Your Free Discovery Call No pressure, no commitment. Just a chance to chat about where you are, what you're looking for, and whether I'm a good fit to support you.
Want more faith-filled tools for every trimester? Grab the free Christian Mama Birth Prep Resource Library.
Until next time, mama, keep choosing faith over fear.
This post is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your own healthcare provider about your care.
📣 Let’s Stay Connected
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Meet Your Host —
Natalie is a certified birth doula and childbirth educator in Jacksonville, FL. She's trained through DONA International, certified as a Body Ready Method Pro, and an advanced VBAC doula. Through Faith Over Fear Birth, she equips Christian women to experience peaceful, faith-filled births through both virtual and in-person support.
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📄 Full Episode Transcript
When I was pregnant with Isaac, I almost failed my gestational diabetes screening. Like, I barely passed it. And honestly, it shook me a little bit, but not because I was afraid of the possibility of having gestational diabetes. It was because I realized I didn't really understand what was happening with blood sugar during pregnancy, or even why it mattered.
I'd been feeling a lot more tired than usual during that pregnancy, and I was having these weird energy crashes, and I just assumed, "Well, you know what? I'm pregnant, so of course I'm tired." But that close call with the screening made me really think, "Maybe there's something more going on here than I realized." And that sent me down a really interesting learning path.
So today, I want to talk about blood sugar during pregnancy: what it actually is, why pregnancy changes the way your body handles glucose, why we screen for gestational diabetes, and some simple ways you can support healthy blood sugar without turning pregnancy into a giant exercise in food restriction and fear.
But before we go any further, I want to be really clear about something. This episode is just for educational purposes. This is not medical advice. I am not diagnosing you, treating you, or telling you what you should do medically, and nothing in this episode should replace the guidance of your own provider, your midwife, your OB, or another qualified healthcare provider. My goal is simply to help you understand what's happening so that you can have better conversations with your care team and make informed decisions from a place of wisdom rather than fear.
So like I said, after my gestational diabetes screening in my last pregnancy, my midwife and I had a really great conversation. She encouraged me to pay closer attention to how my body was responding to food and those blood sugar changes. So I did something I honestly never even thought to do. I bought a blood glucose monitor, and I started checking my fasting blood sugar in the morning. I also checked my blood sugar after meals, especially meals that were more carb-heavy.
My usual breakfast was a high-protein oatmeal, and I thought I was doing everything right. But even with the protein I was already adding, I noticed that my blood sugar would rise more than I expected when I checked it after eating, and I could actually feel a difference in how I felt afterward. I'd feel great for a little bit, but then I would hit this wall. I would get really tired, my brain felt foggy, I would be really irritable, and I'd be hungry again much sooner than you would expect. And I remember thinking, "Maybe this is connected to what I'm eating."
So instead of eliminating my normal high-protein oatmeal, I experimented with changing the composition of that meal. I added more protein, I added more fat, and I made the meal more substantial. And for me, that made a noticeable difference, not just in my numbers on the glucose monitor, but also in how I felt. My energy felt steadier, and I wasn't crashing as hard. I remember I just felt more satisfied after breakfast.
Now, that doesn't mean oatmeal is bad, and it doesn't mean that what worked well for me will necessarily work best for you. I'm just saying that all of this got me curious, and that curiosity is really what led me to want to make this episode. Because I think sometimes we hear the words "blood sugar" or "gestational diabetes," and we immediately think, "Did I eat too much sugar? Did I mess something up? Do I need to be on medication?" And I want to take some of that fear out of this conversation. So let's start with the basics.
Before we talk specifically about pregnancy, let's back up just a minute to understand what blood sugar actually is. Blood sugar, also known as blood glucose, is the glucose circulating in your bloodstream. Glucose comes primarily from the foods you eat, especially carbohydrates. Your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, and glucose is an important source of energy for your cells. So blood sugar itself is not bad. Your body needs glucose. The important question is how your body regulates that glucose.
When you eat, your blood sugar rises as the food is digested and absorbed. Your pancreas then responds by releasing insulin, and insulin helps glucose move out of the bloodstream and into your cells, where it can be used for energy or stored for later. So, very simply put: you eat something, your blood sugar rises, your pancreas releases insulin, glucose moves into your cells, and then your blood sugar comes back down. Your body is doing this all day long, every day, without you even having to think about it.
But here's where food composition matters. A meal that's primarily made up of rapidly digested carbohydrates can cause your blood sugar to rise more quickly than a meal that also contains fat, protein, and fiber. And for some people, those rapid changes can be followed by feeling tired, hungry, shaky, or foggy.
Now, I want to be careful here, because feeling tired after a meal doesn't automatically mean that you had a blood sugar spike. There are a lot of reasons why you might be feeling tired in your pregnancy. So I'm not saying that if you get sleepy after a meal, you have blood sugar problems. I'm simply saying that our food choices can influence how quickly glucose enters the bloodstream, and just paying attention to how you feel can sometimes give you some useful information.
And that's what I mean when I talk about supporting blood sugar balance. I'm not talking about keeping your blood sugar perfectly flat all day. That's not even how human physiology works. Your blood glucose is supposed to rise and fall. The goal isn't perfection; it's supporting healthy regulation. And during your pregnancy, your body is going through some really significant changes in the way it handles glucose. So let's talk about that now.
Pregnancy naturally changes your insulin sensitivity. As pregnancy progresses, hormones produced by the placenta make your cells less responsive to insulin. In other words, insulin doesn't work quite as effectively as it did before pregnancy, and that is a normal part of pregnancy physiology. Your body responds by producing more insulin to help keep blood glucose within the appropriate normal range.
For most pregnant women, the pancreas is able to increase insulin production enough to compensate for that increased insulin resistance. But sometimes it can't keep up with the increased demand. And when the body can't produce enough insulin, blood sugar can remain elevated. That's where gestational diabetes comes in.
Gestational diabetes is not simply a consequence of eating too much sugar. Pregnancy itself changes glucose metabolism, and there are a number of factors that influence someone's risk of developing gestational diabetes. Sometimes the body simply needs more help managing that increased metabolic demand, and that's why providers screen for it. Not because your care providers assume you've done something wrong, but because it's useful information for you to have.
So why does gestational diabetes matter? Persistently elevated blood glucose during your pregnancy can increase the risk of certain complications for both you as the mama and your baby. For babies, that can include things like excessive fetal growth and low blood sugar at birth. For the mom, gestational diabetes is associated with increased risks of complications during pregnancy and birth. And more importantly, managing blood glucose when gestational diabetes is present can reduce those risks.
That's why screening matters. It gives your care team information they can use. If your blood sugar is normal, fantastic. But if it's elevated, now you have information that allows you and your provider to decide what support is appropriate. That support might include nutritional changes. It might include monitoring your blood sugar. It may include physical activity that's appropriate for your pregnancy. And sometimes medication or insulin is needed.
And if that happens, I want you to hear me very clearly: if medication is needed, that is not a failure. If your body needs additional support, accepting that support is not weakness. That's wisdom. Sometimes stewardship looks like changing what you eat, or taking a walk after dinner, or checking your blood sugar. And like I mentioned, sometimes stewardship looks like taking medication. The goal isn't to prove that you can manage everything on your own naturally. The goal is to care well for yourself and your baby with the information and resources that are available to you.
So I want to encourage you to think about gestational diabetes this way: it's simply information. It's not a verdict. It's a tool, not something to condemn you.
Now I would love to talk about what the testing actually looks like. Glucose screening is generally done around 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy, although some women are screened earlier if they have certain risk factors. In the common two-step approach, you start with a one-hour glucose screening test. You drink a glucose beverage containing a very measured amount of glucose, and then your blood is drawn an hour later.
If that screening result is elevated, it does not automatically mean you have gestational diabetes. It just means that you need additional testing. Typically, that's a longer oral glucose tolerance test. Depending on your provider's protocol, this may involve fasting beforehand, drinking a larger glucose load, and then having your blood drawn at multiple time points, like one hour, two hours, and three hours.
And this is important: the exact testing protocol and diagnostic thresholds can vary depending on the approach your provider uses. So if you've heard completely different stories from your friends about their glucose test, that's probably one of the reasons why. Don't assume that because your friend's experience looked one way, yours is supposed to look exactly the same. Ask your provider what protocol they are using.
This is another area where I get a lot of confusion from my doula clients. Some will say, "Wait, was I supposed to fast for my glucose screening?" And others were told not to fast. They're all describing different protocols for their glucose screening. For a diagnostic oral glucose tolerance test, fasting is commonly required, but instructions for the initial one-hour screening can vary depending on the practice and its protocol.
So here's my advice: don't guess, ask. Before your appointment, ask your provider, "Should I be fasting before this test, or can I eat normally?" And then follow their instructions, not your friend's or mine or anyone else's. And if you are supposed to fast, schedule the test as early as you reasonably can, if that's an option, and bring something to eat afterward.
I also want to touch on something that some practices offer as an alternative to the traditional glucose beverage. For my last two pregnancies with my home birth midwife, I used something called the Fresh Test. It's a diagnostic glucose beverage used for gestational diabetes screening, but it has a different ingredient profile than some traditional glucose drinks. I personally found it much easier to tolerate than the typical Glucola drink that my OB gave me in my first pregnancy. If the taste or the ingredients of the traditional beverage are something you're concerned about, talk with your provider about whether an alternative glucose drink is an option for you. Some providers may also have other testing options or protocols they use in particular circumstances.
I've also heard women talk about monitoring their blood sugar at home instead of doing the traditional glucose test. But this is where I want you to be careful. That's certainly not something I would recommend you simply decide to do on your own. If you're considering an alternative to the standard screening, talk with your provider about whether that approach is appropriate for you and your situation, what information they need, and how they would interpret those results. The goal isn't to avoid information. The goal is to find a medically appropriate way to get the information that you need.
Now here's something I think gets missed in this conversation. Even if you don't develop gestational diabetes, understanding blood sugar can still be helpful, because nutrition isn't just about avoiding a diagnosis. It's also about the way that you feel in your body. And pregnancy can already make your energy, your appetite, and your mood feel so unpredictable.
For me, one of the most interesting things about paying attention to blood sugar was realizing that I could make small changes to my meals, and sometimes I would feel noticeably better afterward. Again, I'm not saying that every tired pregnant woman has a blood sugar problem. Pregnancy is exhausting. But I do think there's value in asking, "What foods help me feel nourished and satisfied? What foods give me steady energy?" Those are reasonable questions to ask yourself, and you don't need to become obsessed with your blood sugar numbers to ask them.
I want to talk about symptoms for just a minute, because this is where things can get a little confusing. Some people notice things like increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, or feeling shaky or lightheaded. But here's the problem: normal pregnancy can cause many of those same symptoms. So you can't diagnose gestational diabetes based on how you feel. In fact, gestational diabetes often doesn't cause obvious symptoms at all. That's one of the reasons routine screening is so important.
So if you're listening and thinking, "Oh, man, I've been thirsty all week. I must have gestational diabetes," take a breath. You don't know that. And if you're listening and thinking, "I feel totally fine, so there's no way I could have it," that's not necessarily true either.
So what can you actually do? This is probably my favorite part of this whole episode, because I don't want this to become another list of things pregnant women are supposed to control perfectly. This is not about fear, and it's definitely not about trying to control every single number your body produces. It's about stewardship and support. So here are some simple things you can consider discussing with your provider or incorporating into your normal pregnancy nutrition.
Pair carbohydrates with protein, fat, and fiber. This is a big one, and it's great even when you're not pregnant. Going back to my original example of my oatmeal for breakfast: instead of thinking, "Well, oatmeal makes my blood sugar spike, so I can't eat oatmeal anymore," I looked at the whole meal. Could I add more protein? Could I add more fat? How could I make this meal more balanced? For me, that made a noticeable difference, and this is something you can experiment with across all of your meals. Instead of thinking only about individual foods as good or bad, think about the overall meal. What would make this meal more nourishing and satisfying?
Pregnancy is not the time to be afraid of food. Your body needs energy and nutrients to support you and your growing baby. So if you notice that you're getting extremely hungry between meals, talk with your provider or a qualified prenatal dietitian about how you can structure your meals and snacks to keep yourself adequately nourished.
Build meals around nourishing foods. Think proteins, vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and other carbohydrate sources that work well for you. All in all, I want you to try to prioritize eating whole foods, real foods, not highly processed foods.
Also consider gentle movement when it's appropriate for your pregnancy. Take a walk after meals; that can be a simple way to get your body moving. Physical activity can help your muscles use glucose and can improve insulin sensitivity. But as always, your pregnancy is unique. If you've been given restrictions on activity, obviously follow those. Ask your provider what movement is appropriate for you.
You can also prioritize sleep and stress management whenever you can. If you have other kids at home, I know that is much easier said than done. But sleep and stress do matter for overall health and metabolic regulation. So maybe your version of this isn't getting a perfect eight hours every night. Maybe it's going to bed just 30 minutes earlier, or asking your husband to handle one bedtime routine so that you can get to bed earlier. Maybe it's prioritizing a 20-minute power nap in the afternoon, or stepping outside and taking a few slow, deep breaths when you're feeling overwhelmed. Think support, not perfection.
And most importantly, every body is different. What works beautifully for me may not produce the exact same response in you. If you have gestational diabetes or you're monitoring your blood sugar, use the targets and recommendations your own healthcare team gives you. And if you're simply trying to understand your body better, approach it with curiosity, not fear.
I also want to share a couple of resources that I have personally found incredibly helpful. One is a book called Real Food for Gestational Diabetes by Lily Nichols. I really appreciate the way she approaches nutrition through a real-food, evidence-informed lens, and she gives practical guidance for women who are actually trying to manage blood sugar through pregnancy. She also has Real Food for Pregnancy, which is more comprehensive and isn't specifically focused on gestational diabetes. And she has a third book called Real Food for Fertility, which is for mamas in that preconception season. I'll put the links for each of those books by Lily Nichols in the show notes.
And of course, if you've been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I would strongly encourage you to work with your own healthcare team and, if available, a registered dietitian who specializes in diabetes in pregnancy. Again, you do not need to figure this out on your own.
Now, I would love to bring us back to something that's even more important than blood sugar, because you can learn all of this information and still walk away feeling anxious and fearful, and that's just not where I want this conversation to take you.
Proverbs 4:7 says, "The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight." I love how simple that is. Get wisdom. Get understanding. But notice what it doesn't say. It doesn't say, "Control everything." It doesn't say, "Never make a mistake." It doesn't say, "If you know enough, you can guarantee the outcome." It says, "Get wisdom."
And I think that's such an important distinction during pregnancy, because there is such a difference between wisdom and control. Wisdom says, "Let me learn." Control says, "I have to make sure nothing goes wrong." Pregnancy is such a powerful place to learn that distinction. We can learn to release the things that were never ours to control in the first place. And that's where I want you to reside: not in ignorance, but not in fear either. In wisdom. You don't need to be afraid of information, and you don't need to worship information either. You can learn, you can steward, and you can trust the Lord.
So I would love to close out this episode with a prayer over you.
Father God, I thank You for the incredible bodies that You've given us and the way that You created our bodies to sustain life. Thank You for the gift of wisdom and for inviting us to seek understanding.
I pray for the mama who's hearing my voice right now who maybe feels anxious about her blood sugar, or the upcoming glucose testing, or the possibility of getting gestational diabetes. Would You please, Lord, meet her in that anxiety? Remind her that a screening result is information, and it's not a verdict about her worth or her ability to be a good mom. Give her wisdom to ask good questions. I pray that You would give her discernment as she considers her options, and give her humility to receive help when she needs it. I pray, Father, that You would just surround her with Your peace.
I pray that You would help us to care for ourselves and our babies without believing that we can guarantee every outcome. I pray that You would teach her to know the difference between wisdom and fear, and also between stewardship and control. I pray this all in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
So if you're listening to this and thinking, "You know, I really wish I had someone who could help me sort through all of this during my pregnancy," that is something I get to do with mamas. I offer virtual birth support for moms who want personalized, faith-centered guidance as they prepare for pregnancy, birth, and beyond. And because it's virtual, you don't have to live near me to work with me. I would love to talk through your questions and the things you're unsure about, and to help you better understand your options as you prepare with your care team.
If you're curious what that looks like, there's a link in the show notes where you can schedule a discovery call with me. There's no pressure and no commitment, just a chance for you and me to chat about where you're at, what you're looking for, and whether I might be a good fit to support you.
Because, mama, you were never meant to do this alone. Until next time, keep choosing faith over fear.
