About Lady Clay: Living with Type 1 Diabetes, Motherhood & Wellness
Nearly two decades of learning, adapting, and growing
I was 17 when I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. At that age, I didn't really understand what the diagnosis would mean for the rest of my life. I knew there would be insulin, blood sugar checks, doctors' appointments, and a lot to learn. What I didn't know was how much diabetes would become part of every chapter that followed. Nearly two decades later, I can look back and see just how much has changed. I've grown up with Type 1 diabetes through high school, college, graduate school, work, marriage, pregnancy, and motherhood. Along the way, I've learned that living with diabetes isn't about getting everything right. It's about learning, adapting, and finding ways to keep moving forward.
Growing Up With Type 1 Diabetes
My diagnosis came when I was 17, during my teenage years, at a time when life was already changing quickly.
I had to learn how to manage diabetes while also figuring out school, friendships, growing up, and eventually becoming independent.
For years, diabetes was simply something I lived with. Sometimes it was easy to push into the background. Other times, it demanded my full attention.
There were good days, frustrating days, and plenty of days when I simply had to keep going.
Becoming an Adult
As I moved through undergraduate and graduate school and eventually into my career, diabetes came with me.
It became part of everyday decisions that other people didn’t necessarily have to think about: what to eat, when to exercise, how to handle a busy day, what to do when blood sugar didn’t cooperate, and how to make room for diabetes when life was already full.
Over time, I also learned more about myself.
I learned that managing diabetes isn’t just about numbers. It’s also about patience, flexibility, and accepting that some things are outside of my control.
Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes Changed My Perspective
Pregnancy was one of the biggest chapters of my life with Type 1 diabetes.
Becoming pregnant meant paying attention to diabetes in a completely different way. There were more appointments, more monitoring, more decisions, and plenty of moments when I wondered whether I was doing enough.
My pregnancy had its easier moments and its much harder ones. The third trimester was particularly challenging, both physically and emotionally.
But in 2023, I became a mom.
And suddenly, diabetes wasn’t the only thing I had to think about.
Motherhood
Motherhood brought a completely new rhythm to my life.
Sleepless nights, feeding, routines, constant movement, and a little person who needed me throughout the day. Diabetes didn’t pause because I became a mom. If anything, finding time and energy to care for myself became more important, and sometimes more difficult.
I also breastfed for two years, which became its own meaningful chapter of motherhood.
Eventually, I realized I didn’t have to earn self-care after taking care of everyone else. It was part of caring for my family, too.
Finding Strength Again
After spending years focused on pregnancy, motherhood, and breastfeeding, I started thinking more about my own strength and wellbeing.
I began with Zumba and eventually found my way back to strength training.
I wasn’t trying to completely transform myself. I wanted to feel stronger, healthier, and more comfortable in my own body again.
It became another lesson in learning to start where I am and build from there.
Why I Created Lady Clay
Lady Clay is a place to share the parts of this journey that I’ve learned along the way.
I’ll write about living with Type 1 diabetes, pregnancy, motherhood, diabetes technology, strength and wellness, and the everyday experiences that don’t always make it into a doctor’s office.
Some posts will be practical. Some will simply be stories.
And because this is a personal space, I want to keep it honest. Diabetes isn’t always neat or predictable, and neither is life.
I’m also choosing to keep Lady Clay anonymous. The focus isn’t on who I am, but on the experiences and stories being shared here.
What you'll find on Lady Clay
Lady Clay explores the real-life experience of living with Type 1 diabetes while navigating pregnancy, motherhood, health, fitness, and everyday life.
Type 1 Diabetes
Personal experiences, diabetes management, insulin, CGMs, pumps, and the everyday realities of living with Type 1 diabetes.
T1D & Pregnancy
My experiences navigating pregnancy with Type 1 diabetes, including blood sugar management, pregnancy changes, and becoming a mother.
Motherhood
Stories about motherhood, routines, breastfeeding, parenting, and finding balance while living with Type 1 diabetes.
Strength & Wellness
My journey with fitness, strength training, nutrition, wellness, and feeling strong again.
A Space for the Journey
Nearly two decades after my diagnosis, I still don’t have everything figured out.
I’m still learning.
Still adapting.
Still figuring out how to balance taking care of myself with being a mom, working, staying healthy, and simply enjoying life.
That’s what Lady Clay is about.
Living, learning, and growing with Type 1 diabetes: one chapter at a time.
You’re welcome here. ♡
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Frequently Asked Questions About Lady Clay
What is Lady Clay about?
Lady Clay is a personal blog about Type 1 diabetes, pregnancy, motherhood, diabetes technology, strength, wellness, and everyday life.
Who is Lady Clay for?
Lady Clay is for people living with Type 1 diabetes, navigating pregnancy or motherhood with diabetes, and anyone interested in realistic wellness and everyday life.
Is Lady Clay medical advice?
No. Lady Clay shares personal experiences and general information, but this does not replace advice from a doctor or diabetes care team.
A note from Lady Clay:
Everything shared on Lady Clay is based on my personal experiences and is intended for general informational purposes only. It is not medical advice and should not replace guidance from your doctor or diabetes care team. Everyone’s experience with Type 1 diabetes is different.