Gestational diabetes - help!

[hunkermunker]

Just rang the hospital for the results of my glucose tolerance test. Was told quite snootily they'd have rung me if there was a problem, but since there had been a question mark over whether I had gestational diabetes in my last pregnancy and I wasn't phoned then, I asked if they could just check anyway. Plus I've been madly thirsty and keep waking up in the night to go to the loo, so I had an inkling all wasn't quite as it should be.

Good job I did - apparently it's high and she's going to get the diabetes midwife to ring me back (but will phone again if I haven't heard by lunchtime as I don't quite trust them to ring me!).

Has anyone else had gestational diabetes and what did you do? Any tips on diet? Did you have extra scans to monitor your baby's growth? DS was 8lb 10oz and this one was described by the midwife at my 28-week check as a "chunky child"?am I going to give birth to a toddler?!

Awwww Hunkermunker >> soo sorry you're feeling pants. I had days when every time I'd eat anything I'd just be crying so hard that I could hardly swallow. Speak to MW hon - could you not call tonight just for a bit of reassurance? they may be able to give you a better perspective on it just for tonight & you can have a proper chat (or even go in for one)tomorrow or monday. They're always available after all! I do feel for you and know what it's like (i've just gone into temporary denial until my appt on Tue btw)
Chin up darlin' and, as everyone has been saying, it's really common and will go away as soon as babe's born. Temprorary glitch, that's all. xx

hi iris, hope you're doing ok .

actually, i stopped work at 34 weeks, but what's a couple of weeks here & there...

Thanks, you've really helped Have eaten (pah!) and am waiting to test my levels. DH being very sweet, baby kicking my hip loads (wish s/he was kicking my ribs, but hey ho!).

Diabetes midwife only works part time at hospital, but will ring her on Monday for a chat. Am feeling better - I know there's a chance I'll need insulin as I had been doing so well and am not now, but heck, at least I'd be able to eat if I had insulin!

Thanks again. Phew - my first MN wobble. First of many, no doubt - babies do that to you, right?!

Bugger. 9.1 again, after eating vegetables (not potato-type veggies either) Bugger. Going to bed now to wake up loads and drink a gallon of water. Woo.

Hi there - Hunkermunker
Hope you're ok today & that you're having a nice cosy day out of the cold. Good luck for tomorrow btw and don't forget - only 6 weeks to go!!!x

Hi there, hunkermunker. Just realised you've been having some problems. I really feel for you, its a miserable existance when you can't cheer yourself up with a tasty treat, isn't it?

9.1 after veg?? Thats a bummer, without a doubt. Also, having spd means you can't even go for a good walk to help burn up the carbs, either. As hoxtonchick says, maybe the insulin will improve how you feel & also get you back eating nice food again. If it's any consolation, I was told at the hospital that insulin resistance plateaus at 36wks so it's not likely to get much worse after that. Also, with your GD being so labile they'll hopefully induce you at 38wks which will get it all over with. I, sadly, have shot myself in the foot by managing it with diet alone so they're going to let me go overdue.

Good luck & let us know what the diabetic people say.

how are you today hm?

blatant hi-jack, HM wilunderstand - hoxtonchick my email is down so I have to tell you on the boards that my ds1 was talking about paddling on the Heath pool with your ds today, waxing quite lyrical. How are you anyway?

oh bless him suzy, how clever. we're all fine, dd enormous & ds a sometimes-stroppy almost 4 year old. we are possibly, maybe thinking of moving out of london. hope you're all well. xx

antenatal expressing of colostrum update

Hunkermunker - how are you??? Did you speak to your MW yesterday? (am seeing mine today) I'll be back later this pm so hope you're about then

Hunkermunker - how are you ?

I am a diabetic (of 30 years, since aged 1) and my sil had gestational.

It is very common for insulin needs to shoot up in the last stage of pregnancy - thus less food, more tablets or transfering over to the dreaded insulin injections, might be necessary.

What did MW say ?

Hunkermunker - not seen you around for a while -is everything ok? did you get to see your MW?
If it makes you feel any better I am now firmly in the same boat as you. Thought I'd got the diet thing sorted but am now getting awful readings. Have another weeks grace though (saw MW Tue & consultant yesterday) but my plans for a homebirth have been kicked well and truly into touch. Need hypnotherapy more than ever now to get over my fear of hospitals let alone to help with the birth!! Hope you post soon to let us know you're ok

I am 12 weeks pregnant and have been waking and gasping for water in the night for weeks now...this has never happened to me before (this is No4)...I think the penny has dropped that I might have a problem - can it be diagnosed this early?...I did have a GTT with No 3 late in pregnanacy but no action was taken. I have a scan next Fri and they will take bloods - should I go earlier?..what is the advice apart from cutting out sugar. Bizarrely a acoupl of weeks ago I picked up a leaflet from the Chemist about diabetes for my husband - who is convinced he has diabetes because he is so thirsty...however when I read the risk factors they all applied to me (overweight, no exercise, babies getting bigger, GD in preg - although this wasnt confirmed or at least no action was taken)...quite worried now...pls tell me what I should do

Should have asked what are the symptoms of GD?...what are the risks to you and baby?

knakered, the dangers to you are it may increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. For your baby, it can make them macrosomic (large for dates) which can affect the delivery eg. shoulder dystocia (getting stuck in the birth canal) also her blood sugars can drop after the delivery making her drowsy & unable to feed. This can be corrected. However, they are more at risk of respiratory distress syndrome. Speak to your mw for what can be done to avoid these risks. Good luck.

Sorry, have neglected this thread - am a shocker

Have been doing better (well, until tonight, when after some blinking soup my level was 8.9, but has been under 6.0 all day, so that's OK), so hope I can control it with diet.

Iris, how are you?

yes you have HM - apalling neglect!!!

I'm so glad you've not been moved onto insulin either. I'm struggling with the diet control but that's only because I hate diets (well, restrictions in general TBH !!!) but I'm managing to keep it low enough at the moment for the consultant to give me another 3 weeks!!.

Have you been told what effect the GD is going to have on your plans for delivery?

I've had mixed messages as, since I'm not insuling dependant, I'm clearly not high risk but, with a clear intolerance, I'm not low either. So far they've said I can't have a home birth or even labour in water - let alone deliver(will be challenging the labouring bit) so my 2 top choices have been kicked into touch. Seeing them again next week with lots of questions. When do you have to go back?

Hiya - sorry it's so hard for you - I know just how you feel! I just want to run into Woolies, sweep piles of sweets off the shelves into a big bag and run out again, cramming handfuls into my mouth!

I'm going back for another growth scan on Tuesday (are you having growth scans?). At the last one, the baby was measuring a tiny bit small (millimetres, nothing to worry about), which I was surprised about, but growth scans aren't always accurate.

I'm seeing the consultant on Tuesday and the diabetes midwife as well, so will be a long day at the hospital, I think! Last time I was there from 9am till gone 2.

As for delivery plans, the consultant I saw last time said that my sugars were good enough for me to have a waterbirth, so hope that continues. I can't see why you'd not be able to labour in water, even if they want you to deliver on land, if you're not on insulin.

The consultant did say that they'd not let me go over 40 weeks though, so as DS was 10 days late, that could mean induction, which I don't really want. But she did say that even if they induce me, there's a good chance I can be in the water, which is nice!

I really hope you get some better answers to your questions this time - ask why a lot if you're not happy with what they're saying to you. If there are proper reasons for you to not be able to do things, it's easier to accept, IME.

It's nice to know there's someone else out there dealing with this at the very same time, isn't it?! x x x

Can I join you in Woolies?
Had GD last time - late diagnosis, lots of panic, blood tests etc, induced at 41 weeks and DS was only 8lb 13 despite dire warnings.
This time, despite history and glucose traces all the way thro (am 23 wks) won't test me till 28 weeks but suggest I adopt diet in meantime!
Very cr*p IMO, esp with Christmas in the middle. Seeing midwife this pm so have been v careful today & hardly eaten - does that count as cheating?

Only the kind of cheating I've done in the past

Yes, room for you in Woolies, I'll try to leave you some choc!

My midwife said occasional "treats" were OK and I've been out for lunch/dinner a few times for celebratory reasons, but it's made me feel so awful that night and the next day that I'm not sure it's really a treat. Still, looking forward to Christmas Day - that's going to be a day off from testing, for definite!

Think the GTT is usually done at 28 weeks, so perhaps there's a reason not to test earlier? Don't actually know though!

"the dangers to you are it may increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes later in life."

Can I just say that I didn't think this was true. Yes you are more likely to develop it but I was under the impression that the tendancy was already there, just undiscovered. I had glucose problems with both DS1 and 2 and lo and behold, my father was diagnosed with type II diabetes last year so there is a genetic tendancy there.

(and I can sympathise with the sweet craving - with DS2 the only pregnancy craving I had was bl**dy Kit Kat chunky bars. I had a king sized one sitting in my fridge awaiting DS2s delivery. Needless to say, when I could have it I didn't fancy chocolate at all! Grrrr.)

blimey - there are quite a few of us aren't there!!

Hunkermunker - am seeing gynae & diabetic consultants next wed (& having 2nd growth scan - in the last one DS was bang on target with a big closeup of his bits thrown in, to the delight of DH ) I was so focussed on avoiding insulin that I didn't really ask much about their delivery protocols though. It was only after when I spoke to the MW that I asked a few questions. I'm going to get them to confirm what they agree to in writing on my notes so that when the times comes there's no confusion (if I can get them to just agree that I can labour in water I'll be chuffed). I did check their policy for bf/expressing if he's hypo though and they appeared shocked that I would even think they might use formula so that was a huge comfort. Good luck for yours on Tue

amanada - I agree with you - it does seem wierd that they're not testing yet but maybe it's because the placental hormones that supress your insulin production don't kick in unitl then so maybe they just don't feel the need to do it twice if your sugars aren't that high at the mo.
I've been controlling mine with a low GI diet (my peaks are accountable through pure piggery!)and it's not actually that bad but some people do carb counting (dietician at the hosp gave me quite a good carb leaflet) - there's details further down the thread.

DoesntChristmasDragOn - I have genetic predisposition too - dad, uncle & aunt all have type 2.

I really really really want mince pies - I have, however got a stash in the freezer ready for afterwards!!

Hello all you lovely GDers! Iris, since you mentioned BF/expressing, have you considered antenatal expressing of colostrum to freeze & give to your baby in the first few days to avoid hypos? I got lots of info from mears about this & here's the thread.
here
Go to Monday 21,Nov at 5.05pm for an explanation on how to do it.
I didn't get much as I started too late but I did express once I had her. After a feed I'd hand express into a cup which was then syringed into her mouth. I did this a few times & her first 2 sugars were slightly low but the 3rd & 4th were normal.I was glad the hospital didn't insist on formula as I was against it. The only thing I was upset about was they put a little cannula in her hand in case they needed to give her IV glucose. Poor thing