Anyone got GD?

[AliBellandthe40jingles]

I had a GTT yesterday and the antenatal clinic have rung this morning to say that my glucose levels were 'slightly increased' and that I need to go and see the GD midwife on Thursday, and she will then see if I need to be referred to the Dr or not.

So I don't know if I have GD yet, but is anyone else dealing with this atm?
I'm so upset, can't stop crying and just feel like a complete failure :(

Any advice or comforting words much appreciated!

[PussinJimmyChoos]

No experience of this but am having GTT at 28 weeks also because was ahem padded when got pg to start with so you aren't alone in having to have the GTT test and I'm flapping about mine as well

You are not a failure though... you may just have had more sugar in your system that day and it showed up - you may go back and find all is normal again

On the bright side, if you do have sugar issues, better that they find out now so they can monitor you and the bump

[kittypurry]

Mine was slightly increased, second one normal and was told I'm just abit sensitive to sugar- and told to lay off sweets and fizzy drinks.
Don't worry- slightly increased can be moderated with diet changes I was toldxx

[AliBellandthe40jingles]

Thanks :) I have got a bit of a grip on myself and managed to stop sobbing, which is a good thing! Poor DS didn't know what was going on.

I rang them back to get the actual readings, and fasting levels were completely normal, it was the levels 2 hours after the horrid drink that were 'slightly increased'. Apparently they will do more blood tests on Thursday, so we will see.

Puss - it is v.weird. I had one of these with DS because of my BMI, and didn't worry about it a bit. Never occurred to me that anything would be wrong, and it wasn't.
With this one, I've been really in a stew about it and I told DH off for buying me chocolate yesterday (I have a vile cold and he was trying to cheer me up, bless him) because I was so convinced that after today I wouldn't be able to eat it.
Not that I am trying to worry you - I'm sure yours will be fine :)

yy I agree it is better to know and monitor etc. Had been contemplating a VBAC, but rapidly going off the idea again now....

[harrygracejessica]

I had it with my last twins and have to have the test in 8 weeks with these ones. I managed just to control it with diet until 32 weeks when it all went haywire so they were putting me on insulin injections to help but I went into prem labour at 33 weeks so got away with it lol. Not looking forward to it this time incase I cant control it again.

[germl]

I also "failed" the GTT about 2 and a half weeks ago. I felt really, really guilty and like a complete failure. This is my second pregnancy and didn't have it with my DS. I don't know if I was slightly over or a lot as no-one has said, but they have me monitoring my bloods four times a day with a little monitor and just watching what I eat.

It may be that the levels are fine for your next tests, so you may just have to watch the sugary foods. All I would say is not to worry too much - I have wasted the last two weeks worrying about it all, and when I spoke to the diabetes nurse consultant today she totally reassured me - I feel more comfortable with it now and although the whole testing and watching what you eat is a pain in the neck, you fall into it pretty quickly!

Hope it all goes well!

[AliBellandthe40jingles]

Well I've seen the specialist diabetic midwife this morning, and I have to monitor my bloods 3 times and day and have a scan + consultant appointment every 2 weeks.

To my eternal shame I blubbered, the whole thing seems massively overwhelming to me and I am in a bad mood about not being able to eat unlimited mince pies over Christmas!

In reality it isn't going to be too bad in terms of foods, we already eat wholemeal bread, brown rice and pasta and loads of vegetables so it won't be a massive change.

One thing that she did reassure me on, is that they wouldn't be trying to give the baby formula straight away or doing a heel prick immediately post birth or anything. She said that even more effort than normal will be made to get me BFing asap, so that has made me feel better on that front.

[Deliaskis]

When I was worried about this before my GTT (turns out I am fine), one of the ladies on here made me feel a lot better when she said you can't give yourself GD by eating the wrong things or by doing anything wrong. It's not brought on by eating sweet things or eating too many carbs etc. It's brought on by your body's hormone production (as insulin is a hormone) being affected by pg and not working the way it normally would. We know that our hormones are affected in lots of ways by pg, and this is one of them.

That made me feel a lot better, and further reading I did concurred.

So you have been to eat a healthier diet, which it sounds like you are already doing anyway (I know the low GI style GD diet is not that unsimilar to what I eat anyway), you will be monitoring sugar and you will be monitored more regularly. None of those are bad things when you think about it.

But remember, you didn't do this, you didn't give yourself GD, and there is likely nothing you could have done to avoid it, it just happens to some people.

D

[FindingAManger]

I'm booked in for GTT too as I'm fat, old & my Mum is pre-diabetic. Will have test in Feb - about 30 weeks. I know it will be a huge shock to me to find out I have GD or am on the road to it. Still best to know I guess.

alibell bummer about the mince pies!! Hope you are feeling better now - it must have come as a shock. No shame in blubbing - you're pregnant Great news re BF'ing.

[RockinRobinBird]

You really have my sympathy. I had very late onset GD last time (38 weeks), was diagnosed on Christmas eve so I know exactly how you feel about the mince pies. It sucks :(

My biggest issue was with the heel prick tests and pushing formula and they did exactly that; I never bf. So if you have assurances from them that's a really good thing.

I know I'm going to have it again with this one. Too early to worry about it yet but it's pretty inevitable. As soon as Christmas is over I'm going to follow my dad's low GI diet (he's diabetic) so I can head them off a bit and hopefully reduce the stress I had last time.

[Ilovekittyelise]

i have no experience of GD but i have type 1 diabetes. obviously management of the condition is very different (i am obviously on insulin); i test my BG about 10 times per day and count my carbs (my diet is not limited in any way but i am very vigilant about knowing how many grams of carbs are in every single thing i eat or drink); I don't do anything different when im pg as manage it extremely tightly anyhow, all i can say to you ladies is don't panic, and follow the advice given to you. having GD does slighly pre-dispose you to developing type 2 diabetes later in life, so please watch your waistlines and keep active to make sure when your diabetes goes away, it stays away!

[AliBellandthe40jingles]

Thanks everyone :)

I'm feeling a bit better now, ate what would have been a normal lunch for me and sugars were right down again an hour after. Although I had to stab myself 3 times to get enough blood out, I'm sure I'll get better at it with practice.

DH is here today off sick, we've both got a horrid cold that's going on and on and he's sent me to bed with my laptop while he looks after DS and is about to bring me a cuppa so I'm feeling loved and looked after which helps :)

Delia - really glad you are fine, you are right about the guilt though. I feel as though I have caused this and it will take me a while to feel differently I think.

Finding/Rockin - good luck with your GTTs and I really hope they come back clear for you! :)

[jacquiel]

www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=18400&p=167087#p167087

this is a link diabetes forum and a post from a someone newly diagnosed with GD - good forum - why not get some support over there?

[AliBellandthe40jingles]

kitty - x-posts. I know I really shouldn't moan, hopefully this will be a short-term thing for me whereas you know you have to deal with it forever. I am worried about the long term, but I guess this is a big wake-up call about my weight. I have been overweight to a greater or lesser extent my whole adult life, and a large part of my teens, but once this baby is born then no more.

[AliBellandthe40jingles]

jacquiel - thank you :)

[Ilovekittyelise]

Ali - to find out that something is 'wrong' in pregnancy is extremely stressful whatever it is and by making the comment about watching weight and exercise i wasnt mean to point a finger or anything (im not exactly twiggy myself LOL ) but treating it in the way that you are (ie realising that this is something you can address before it becomes really problematic) is a really great outlook. theres always a silver lining to everything i firmly believe that; but please dont beat yourself up and blame yourself and feel bad about your weight - plenty of people are overweight and dont have any health consequences and GD is often not linked to your weight anyway; just make sensible sustainable changes to your habits and take plenty of exercise - lots of walks with the pushchair showing off the little cutie!!! xxx

[AliBellandthe40jingles]

No no I didn't take it as finger pointing at all, that is the reality of the situation. Thank you for being so supportive :) xx

[trixie123]

please don;t worry. also, if your sugars stay ok, ask if you can monitor them every other day, that way you don;t have to prick yourself quite so often! I am doing all this for the 2nd time and am being much more assertive. I have told them that I won't attend the clinic EVERY fortnight just to be told my levels are fine, which I now cos I took them! I speak on the phone to the diabetes midwife who is lovely and am negotiating my way through their sometimes rather over the top approach. Do try to get them to talk to YOU about what you want, especially when it comes to the birth - if you are not scanning big then ask WHY they think you should be induced early or on due date. I felt last tiem as though becaue I had GD all decisions were taken out of my hands and I was just put onto this policy of what they normally do with GD people rather than having my case looked at individually. The plus side is that I lost 1/2 stone in the middle of the pregnancy last time! Also, I should say, DS was perfectly fine, 7lb13. Best of luck - you will find lots of support on here for this.

[xkatyx]

Hi,

I have GD this is my 3rd baby i also had it with my 2nd baby!!!

I'm managing on diet alone .. also did last time.

It is hard exspecially when you want to just stuff your face at xmas, its rather deppressing.

I am 33 weeks tommorow.

I got diagnosed this time at 24 weeks, last time ot was at a routine 28 weeks glucose test.

xx