The new thread for those with gestational diabetes?

[happycamel]

Just seen that someone has resurrected an old GD support thread. I'm newly diagnosed and would really appreciate a thread where women with GD (or people worried about it) can get support and advice from mothers who had it when they were pg or still have it now.

Jump on board if you feel it's relevant to you.

I've got my first clinic appointment with the diabetic midwife tomorrow so will report back then.

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Hi there - this thread is a little old. [[https://www.mumsnet.com/pregnancy/gestational-diabetes
If you want to read more about gestational diabetes, we’ve got some information here]]. MNHQ

Yep me, been put on tablets for it already and im 25 weeks, just cant control it with diet this time.

Hi Harry, I'm sorry to hear you're struggling. I guess this isn't your first pregnancy then. I guess tablets aren't as bad as injections but it must be pretty scary all the same.

I was diagnosed last Friday (at 29 weeks) and am trying to do it with diet control. It seems to be okay for me so far but I hate the ritual stabbing four times a day. I have a ittle internal battle every time before I can make myself get the blood sample.

Are the tablets helping? Did the diabetes go away after you had your baby last time?

Keep in touch, HC

Wish I'd thought of starting this thread myself! I just got diagnosed at 38wks and it's too late to do anything so they're inducing me at 39 weeks- on Monday! Good luck everyone else!!

Hi Debka, sorry to hear about your late diagnosis. Does your baby have a big tummy? Mine did on the scan. I have this vision of a pregnant baby with a body like mine

Good luck for your induction. Do let us know how it goes and tell us about your lovely baby when you can. I was aiming for a low intervention water birth - I guess that's all out the window now! It will be great to hear how you get on.

I'm sorry we didn't have a thread like this before, I should have started it last week. Anyway, how are you getting on with getting ready for hospital? Will you be panic shopping on Saturday?

Good luck, HC

Hi happycamel, yes, ginormous- above the 95th centile. Hope she doesn't look too odd when she comes out [vain mother emoticon]!! I've been imagining the same- pregnant baby!

It's #2 so we have about everything already- just packing my hospital bag at the moment and making arrangements for DD.

Hopefully if you can control everything pretty well you will be able to have as few interventions as possible, although the consultant told me that they tend to induce at 40wks regardless, 38 if you're on insulin.

Will let you know when LO arrives.

good luck for mon

I've got GD too. I'm 36 weeks and had a growth scan on tues and, like debka my LOs tummy is way above 95th percentile - my tummy is suddenly measuring a month ahead and my baby was predicted on thurs to already be nearly 9 lbs - am feeling a little as diabetic nurse thinks my readings really arn't too bad and doesn't want me on insulin (yet at least).

happy my birth ideas are quickly going out of the window too - have another scan in 2 weeks and they will prob then try and induce me at some point so feels like lots of sudden interventions (also GBS positive). eeek. I liked the idea of a home birth originally but glad I hadn't set my heart on it as don't think that would be an option now.

oh and when i say diabetic nurse thinks reading arn't too bad - I mean blood pin prick, not the baby size readings! Everyone is in consencus that this baby will be a big 'un.

Nope its my third pregnancy, 1st pregnancy I was always ok and no signs of diabetes and had DS at 39+1 and he was 8lb 12. Pregnancy 2 was twin girls and managed it by diet from 28 weeks but went into prem labour at 33 weeks and had them at 3lb 15 and 4lb4 but diabetes dissappeared. This time they have had me finger stabbing from 22 weeks and its not doing good. Only started the tablets yesterday and the readings were even hgher than normal so will give it a week and see if they settle down if not ill ring them.

My body obviously cant carry twins without going into meltdown which is a shame - bit annoyed that they have put me on tablets which can cause sickness and bad belly as sickness only stopped at 22 weeks and having SPD isnt great when your desperate for the toilet!!

oh harry that's rubbish. I've been told they won't consider tablets with me due to stomach upset side effects (and have IBS and nausea throughout) so it will be straight onto injecting for me if they decide to (they are iffy at the minute)

This is the problem I think, if i find I cant have the tablets then it will be insulin which I dont want - im bad enough finger pricking lol.

Ive also got belly problems and intollerant to wheat and gluten etc etc and it doesnt take much to make me ill. Im back in 3 weeks so will see how I go.

harry I'm wheat/gluten intolerant too (and vegetarian and avoid lots of foods due to IBS). I'm really interested - what sort of foods/meals have you been having as I feel soooo limited.

I think I'm lucky as I'm OK with pin pricking - doesn't really bother me. Injecting however, that's another matter

I eat most things but then not a vegi, just avoid pasta etc but if I want lasagne I buy the gluten free pasta sheets, im able to get away with eating 2 slices of bread a day but thats my limit. Also joined Coeliacs UK which has been helpful. I cant eat spices of any sort so tend to cook everything from scratch so I know what goes in my food :)

When I was having the colonoscopy last year for coeliacs they found a polyp instead so that got taken out and tested for cancers etc which wasnt a nice time but Ive now got to be tested every 2 years so at least they will keep an eye on me.

hi all, had GD with my first and did go away but has come back again. Am diet controlling ok at the moment but it does get worse as it goes along. OP it will take you a while to work out what works for you. I seem to be able to eat chocolate ok (ate a whole big milky bar polar bear yesterday and sugar was fine) but a sniff of pizza and it shoots up. Hope your appointment goes ok

Hi all, I was diagnosed with it too but was right at the cut off point of 7.8 so am not convinced I actually have it.
I do check my blood and control my diet though. I also find that I can eat chocolate or biscuits or even drink a glass of pepsi if straight after a meal, but can't drink a big cup of coffee without going over my limit.

Also orange after breakfast puts me dangerously near the limit.
I find that breakfast affects my blood sugar levels far more than my dinner or whatever i eat in the evenings.

The most difficult bit was to stop snacking inbetween meals for me, I was so used to just grab a couple of M&Ms or eat unlimited amounts of fruit, but I just can't do that now.

Also, I've gotten used to hot chocolate without any sugar in it. It doesn't taste nearly as bad as I thought it would

I have not been diagnosed with GD but have a GTT booked for next week(I will be 28 weeks). Reason being, that I have been measuring large at my last couple of check-ups by 3-4 weeks...and there is a family history of diabetes on my dad's side. Got a growth scan today.

Didn't realise that babies tummy becomes very large with GD?? Also, have had to do urine samples at every check-up and they have never shown up any sugar? Is there always sugar in your urine, when you have GD??

leila I believe that only checking GD through sugar in urine is very unpredictable as it won't necesarily show up even if you have GD - blood test is the only sure fire way to go.

hi ladies. I havent been diagnosed yet but I have a GTT test booked on 10th feb. Reading your stories its made me realise what a big impact it will have if its positive. No one has really explained what will happen if I do have GD. Quite worried now . Ive been trying to avoid panic googling!

Hi - I am not diagnosed GD but my first baby was big (just under 9lbs) so much later on they are going to test me (near the end).

To be honest I am totally ignorant about what any of this means. I would prefer not to have another large baby! He was so heavy to carry and grew SO FAST out of the womb and drank SO MUCH breastmilk. Maybe that was just him, though.

What should I do to avoid GD? Is it avoidable?

From speaking to a consultant I don't think it can be avoided- it's just one of those things. Obviously certain groups of women have a higher rate of developing it, ie: overweight, family history, certain ethnic groups etc..but in a lot of cases, there is no reason for developing GD.

mrsnich it doesn't have to have a big impact, only a % of gd babies are large not all of them. Also, many large mums have large babies weather they are diagnosed with GD or not.
GD is, imo one of these conditions which is overdiagnosed.
Baby grows bigger when your blood sugar is high a lot of the time but many people diagnosed with GD manage to control their blood sugar with just diet and exercise.

I found that if I only took a 20 minute quick walk in the evening (and stayed active in the day) then I could eat whatever I fancied without bloodsugar getting high.

my DS was 7.13 was he was born, very average indeed. GD doesn't always mean huge babies or anything - it is one of those things that hospitals seem to "red flag" and treat everyone who has it, no matter how borderline or controlled as high risk. I am pretty pissed off in hindsight that even though the GD was well under control and the scans were fine, they still induced me on due date that ultimately led to a CS so now, as I am absolutely refusing induction this time I am most likely going to have to have an ELCS unless I go into labour spontaneously within whatever timeframe they'll allow. Do try to get them to look at your individual circumstances and not just the diagnosis.

Mine has only happened in both twin pregnancies and not in the singleton one so I think my poor body just doesnt cope with twins.

Also I should say im not mobile at all as my pelvis is dire with SPD, sciatica and a hip problem from the babies pushing it out, wish I could do a 30 min walk daily but no chance!

Hi everyone, wow that's a lot of people on this thread already. I guess GD is more common that I thought.

I had 3.5 hour class at my antenatal unith today so I'll put down a few facts I got here in the hope it will help:
-you can't prevent developing GD
-family history, weight and ethnicity are risk factors but some people still get it anyway
-some people with GD can't produce enough insulin, others become resistant to it. Either can happen to varying degrees, it tends to get worse as baby gets bigger
-even though the mother has GD the baby does not have diabetes
-because it doesn't when mum's sugar levels are up baby produces more insulin and lays down fat. GD babies often have big tummies in proportion to their length. This is what is picked up on the scan, not the overall size of the baby, bein big but in proportion isn't an indicator

• babies tend to be born with low blood sugar (because they're producing extra insulin to cope with mum's high blood sugar, which has just been cut off) it is therefore very important to feed early and frequently
• having GD doesn't effect your breastmilk

-induction on due date is recommended because there is a higher incidence of still birth with GD babies

• in order to control baby's blood sugar there's around a 50% chance they'll need to go to SCBU and may need an insulin drip
• how well controlled your sugar levels are should impact how they care for you

-my consultant induces at due date partly because once baby is full term it will be better off on its own blood supply than mine

• this is partly because of the higher blood sugar that can happen but also because the placentas of GD women tend to fail earlier

-my hospital is getting me to start expressing and freezing colostrum from 36 weeks so that baby can have my milk from a syringe in case it needs more food than I can initally supply in order to control its blood sugar levels. Apparently a lot of GD babies used to be formula fed because it was given in hospital for their first feeds because mum needs to eat to control her blood sugar after labour and baby needs extra food because of its extra insulin.

I hope that helps, I'll post some more if I remember anything else.

Also, reading through I've noticed that several of us have food allergies or intolerances, I wonder if there's a correlation between that and GD.

sorry should have said baby may be in SCBU for an insulin or glucose drip, depending on its blood sugar.

Apparently I'll need to test my blood sugar every 2 hours from when they start inducing.

Also I'll be kept in for at least two nights after baby is born until both of us have stable blood sugar.

I seem to be having side affects to the tablets ive been put on, feeling sick and bad belly. Not ideal when I stopped being sick at 22 weeks and now feeling ill again at 25 weeks and cant get to the toilet fast with SPD and bad pelvis. HAD ENOUGH of it all