When I was pregnant, I was able to gain and attain tight blood sugar control. My HbA1c level was between 4-5%. I tested often. I primarily was looking at how my body reacted to certain foods. I had noticed that if I ate high-fat foods such as Mexican, Chinese, and Pizza, that my blood sugar levels would peak many hours later–sometimes six hours later. Because of this, there were some days that I tested every couple hours. I meticulously logged my numbers and made notes on the circumstance, time, etc.
Due to this, I started to notice patterns in my blood sugar numbers throughout the day. My morning blood sugar numbers were always a challenge. Things would get better through the day. My blood sugar levels would dip in the late afternoon. My levels would spike in the night and crash and sometimes I would wake with extreme lows. I would rebound and my waking numbers would be high.
This information revealed I needed to be on the lookout for lows in the late afternoon. I would keep a peanut butter cracker sandwich on my nightstand. When I woke up to go potty around 1-2 a.m., I would take a bite. This helped avoid the spikes in the night and improved my morning numbers. Remember, we are all different. Your patterns may be different and what worked for me may not work for you.
Nowadays there are insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors to make things easier. However, if you do not have these at your disposal, then you can still look for patterns using pen and paper. Other options include apps, software, and websites. My favorite online blood sugar log and tracker is SugarStats. This site can be very helpful if you are trying to have tight blood sugar control.