Gestational diabetes ... 29 weeks pregnant

[Babygray2020]

I literally had my GTT test 3 days ago, and got a call today confirming my numbers are very high and I have gestational diabetes. Part of me was expecting this. I just feel like a failure, I have pneumonia, a blood clot, pelvic girdle pain, HG and now this. I can only feel defeated by my own body. I guess on the plus side I get to have more scans.
Can anyone offer any advice ? What happens ?
I’m petrified of needles ... I hope it doesn’t come to that.
Thank you

[Jesskir89]

Try and keep it diet controlled and you'll be fine. I'm 35 weeks tomorrow and diagnosed at 27 weeks it's a pain but you'll be OK

[mumma2b2020]

I was diagnosed at 24 weeks (I'm now 33+4) - try and keep it controlled and you'll be fine. I've found it relatively easy to control but have had to adapt diet slightly. X

[CinnnemonBeauty]

Really try with your diet - in my first pregnancy I had it and was given really rubbish advice by the NHS eg that I could still have weetabix for breakfast. Important to have plenty of fats and protein with your carbs/. Keep the carbs whole grain and control your portions. For example if I wanted fruit I would always have a nut butter with it - my face snack was an apple and nut butter.

[CinnnemonBeauty]

*fave snack. Look for ideas on line there are loads. But the fats are important it helps your body regulate the blood sugars. Plus points I didn’t put on any weight! In fact I lost weight eating healthily.

[LajesticVantrashell]

I had it. Was diet controlled and had a MWL natural birth at 41 weeks.

As a PP said IGNORE the NHS advice, it's aimed at those with T2 diabetes. Your tolerance will be much much lower.

I ate a lot of protein, eggs, chicken, cheese, any carbs had to be eaten with protein too. There's a website and FB group and they kept me on track. There's some great recipes on there for things like GD friendly brownies etc...

They also explain the 32 week spike where your tolerances all go to shit. I went from being able to eat porridge to it spiking my bloods overnight.

Good luck, stay focused and you'll be grand

[Megan2018]

Mine was easily diet controlled, didn’t have any impact on birth or baby who was not large (6lb 10 and had normal sugars).
You will have to stay in for min of 24hrs after birth as baby has to have sugars checked.

Bonus was I didn’t put on much weight in pregnancy and returned to previous size post birth very quickly. Obviously that is unimportant but there had to be some reward after no cake or chocolate.

[LajesticVantrashell]

www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/

[LajesticVantrashell]

"You will have to stay in for min of 24hrs after birth as baby has to have sugars checked"

Not necessarily. I had 'normalised' my pregnancy by 38 weeks and so was allowed to give birth as if I didn't have it. I had DS in the birth unit at 10.39am and was discharged less than 12 hours later.

[Yummymummy2020]

You poor thing! I was similar terrified of needles! I didn’t have to go on insulin I went on metformin which messed up my liver enzymes so came straight off it and they decided to chance diet alone and now I have a happy healthy five week old that was not even big at birth! She did need intensive care a few days but that was not just the diabetes I had pre eclampsia too and she was grand after that. I had to do finger prick tests to monitor my levels a few times in the day, I was even wary of that and it was totally fine and easy after the first one!!! I too had a load of health issues and I understand how crap and guilty it makes you feel! But it’s not your fault, and you are doing all you can for you and your baby so please don’t feel bad. You are more than half way through now and the next few weeks will fly by. I don’t know if we are allowed name companies on this but I used a lot of skinny food company snacks towards the end like oat cakes with their chocolate spread, was like a chocolate digestive without mucking up my blood sugars! I found my blood sugars were difficult to manage between 34/36 weeks, apparently it’s really common so just prepare yourself mentally ahead that you may get bad readings randomly around that time no matter what you do! I hope you get on ok and I wish you and baby all the best!❤️

[Megan2018]

@LajesticVantrashell different trusts do it differently I guess. Mine always monitors babies for 24hrs.

Mine was also “normalised” and had no impact on birth (which took only 6hrs).

I enjoyed being in though and transferred to a fantastic local community birthing unit for 3 nights where you had on tap BF support and amazing food. The chocolate fudge cake was heaven after the deprivation.

[ChickenNugget86]

I was told last week my blood sugar levels are high also. I felt really down about it also. Waiting to have an appointment, sounds like I have to diet control for 2 weeks, get re tested then if it's still high go on medication. My hospitals policy is that you have to stay in for 24hours if you have gestational diabetes.

I'm dreading that I could end up being type 2 after giving birth.

I was surprised with the results as I haven't really been eating much as I've been so sick since week 5. My BMI is over 35 though so maybe that could be the reason?