Patient Success Stories

Local mom manages gestational diabetes during two pregnancies

To her complete surprise, 36-year-old Tracy Millon of Chicago Heights was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during her first pregnancy.

Like most expectant mothers, Millon received a glucose screening at 28 weeks, and in most cases, the results are normal. But for Millon, the results showed an elevated blood glucose level that required repeated testing and careful diet control throughout the rest of this pregnancy as well as subsequent pregnancies.

Thanks to the help of Lisa Szafranowski R.N., M.S., C.D.E., diabetes education coordinator, and the Ingalls Diabetes Management Center, Millon maintained a healthy weight gain, nutritious diet and excellent control over gestational diabetes throughout her first and second pregnancies. (She delivered a healthy baby boy at Ingalls in 2000 and a girl in 2002.)

"I followed a special diet low in carbohydrates, sugars and starches and did finger sticks four times a day throughout both pregnancies to make sure my blood sugar was under control," she added. "Lisa really helped me out a lot."

"The complications of gestational diabetes are usually manageable and preventable," Szafranowski said. "The key to prevention is careful control of blood sugar levels just as soon as the diagnosis of gestational diabetes is made. Tracy is a great example of how careful management of gestational diabetes can result in healthy pregnancies and healthy babies."

For more information on the Ingalls Diabetes Center and endocrinology services, call 800-221-2199.

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