It always feels a bit shocking to arrive at this moment, mid-May, and to realise that we’re already at the half-year mark. Where I live, we are transitioning from long to short-sleeved shirts and full-length trousers to shorts. My toddler did a little jig this morning when I told him he could wear sandals to daycare. ‘It’s almost summer,’ I informed him. He was excited because we can now inflate the little pool on my in-laws’ balcony to cool down in the afternoons. It is still promisingly fresh. I am mentally preparing for those few weeks in August when it will get oppressively hot. Meanwhile, I’m configuring my postpartum wardrobe. 

I lost weight during both my pregnancies because of gestational diabetes. This time, it feels extreme because of the insulin therapy I needed to do to manage my blood sugar levels. The advantage was that I didn’t have to overly restrict my diet. If I wanted the alluring slice of cake, I could indulge, provided I took a shot of rapid insulin between five and 15 minutes before. Having this opportunity made me feel less deprived. I had to keep my blood sugar levels in check during my first pregnancy purely through my diet, which was fairly austere. After I gave birth and was breastfeeding, I went overboard, throwing restraint to the wind and eating like I had faced a famine. This time, I don’t feel overly seduced by high-calorie foods that are not good for me. A bite or two is enough to keep cravings at bay. Because the whole process of managing my diabetes felt so oppressive — having to prick myself four times a day to measure my glucose, having to jab myself every morning with slow insulin, and then with rapid insulin before every meal — I promised myself that I would do whatever was in my power to avoid a later diabetes diagnosis. Having had it twice in the past puts me at a higher risk for acquiring the disease later in life. One of the many diabetologists assigned to me while I was using the public health system told me it would be ideal for me to go back to my pre-pregnancy weight and maintain a nutritional diet. I told him that, unlike most people, I lost weight during pregnancy. He said I should then just stick to eating healthy and ensure there was always a certain amount of carbs with every meal — contrary to what most people tell you.