Support thread for those diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes

[HighFibreDiet]

Hi, it seems there are a few of us around and I wondered if you wanted to start a support thread? There seemed to be a good thread going through 2010 but I can't find one running at the moment.

My due date is 17 July. I took the OGTT at 30 weeks (not realising that the best time for diagnosis is supposed to be 24-28 weeks). I was only diagnosed last week, given my blood glucose monitor on Thursday and have been trying to tweak my diet to bring down the readings since then. Seeing my midwife today and have to phone in my readings next week to see what they make of them!

My main problem seems to be the fasting blood sugars and the endocrinologist I saw on Thursday said if I couldn't keep them consistently down, I would go on insulin, with 'no negotiation'.

Would love to hear from other pg women with GD, or those who have been through it before. I'd also like to compare how the antenatal 'care' varies with country, as I am in Australia and it seems extremely strict over here (e.g. my fasting blood sugar levels have to be under 5.0 mmol/l).

Looking forward to getting some responses

Cheeseandgherkins I am so sorry for your loss last year :( I am not surprised you are feeling so nervous this time round and I hope you are being well supported at your hospital.

I went straight onto insulin at about 30 weeks as I couldn't get my fasting levels down. They were always around 6.5, lowest 6.2. Honestly it is fine, it is all so user friendly and once you have the hang of it it is v simple. Please ask if you have any specific questions about it?

Also with regards to having a section, I had a section about 11 days ago due to GD at 38 weeks. I was scared and it is a surreal experience but a planned section is very calm and the staff are relaxed and friendly and you would be well looked after. I was able to have skin to skin straight away which was lovely. Again, please ask if you have any specific questions, but there are also loads of threads in childbirth about elective sections.

I hope your pregnancy is as straightforward as possible xxx

Hi Sprite21 and everyone else. Sorry not gone away, just had a busy few days! issynoko I get the feeling from my hospital that they will only induce if they really feel its needed. Not had another scan yet though (i'm 32 weeks they said they will probably do one around 35/36 as my bump is almost spot on at the moment) They have said I will have to have a hospital birth though. Not a problem for me as thats what I was planning anyway (its my first) but I can understand the disapointment if you want a home birth.
I've had to up my insulin dose over the last few days and have the feeling I might need to do so again soon. Doses still fairly small at the moment 6 in the morning 8 in the evening but if I keep going like this i've no idea how large they'll get! Hope everyones doing OK.

Cheeseandgherkins ment to reply to you aswell! So sorry to hear about your loss last year. I went onto straight onto insulin as a result of my GTT my fasting levels were very similar to MrsZB in the low 6's and my post meal were edging towards the cut off where I am as they were always in the high 7's. They started me on a low dose that I can then adjust as needed, I have been advised that I will need higher doses as the pregnancy progresses so I guess we'll see what I end up on. The insulin injections really aren't that bad its a very tiny needle and you don't really feel it - the first time is the worst as your not sure what to expect. I inject into my thigh although you can inject into your stomach instead if you prefer. Hope your OK and the hospitals looking after you well.

Hello - also very sorry to hear what you had to go through last year Cheeseandgherkins and really hope all goes well this time despite the old GD. I guess if it did have something to do with your baby being still born, at least this time you are being well monitored from the start so hope as the pregnancy goes on there is some reassurance for you. x

Also - this morning did my fasting reading as soon as I woke up - still in bed - and it was 6.7. Then got up and washed my hands and did it again - out of curiosity because it's been under the cut off (which is 5.9) every other morning. Did the finger next to the first one I used and repeated the test within 2 minutes - this time it was 4.9. Anyone know what to make of that? Does a different finger make a difference? Is the machine working? Are my sheets covered in an invisible film of raspberry jam which coat my hands during the night?! Will ask on Thurs but wondered if anyone else had done one reading straight after another and got very different results?

Thanks all. I was put on insulin today, but only 2 units before lunch and 2 before dinner. I have to go in and see the consultants on Friday morning to discuss everything. She thinks I'll need to have it before breakfast too soon but not just yet. I may also be put onto metformin as well but it depends on what they think of Friday.

MrsZB congratulations on the birth of your baby! My problem seem to be after lunch and after dinner, the morning has been fine so far but I do struggle to eat much in the morning. I usually don't eat until around midday but I've been trying to eat at breakfast time lately.

strawberry She told me to use my stomach and showed me how to do it. She surprised me by actually getting me to do it though! Without pushing down so I didn't get any insulin but I managed it and it was easier than I thought. I was really nervous and stressed though, took me about 30 seconds to do it! What dose are you on now? I suppose I should expect mine to go up as I progress?

issy thank you, it's definitely good that I'm being well looked after this time. I hope you find out if your sheets have some invisible jam on them though hehe! Does sound odd to me but I'm not very experienced at all.

Hi Sprite - when I had my booking appt with the midwife she did a urine test and that tested positive, but prior to that I had a blood test at the doctors and he said that showed up normal (it should have been a fasting one but I'd had a cup of tea before I went - so it had to go through as a normal blood test). Obviously I had to do the lucozade test at hospital last week and I'm still waiting for the result.

I haven't looked at google, I won't bother, but something the nurse said at the hospital scared me a bit :(

cheese glad it wasn't as bad as you thought, you'll get quicker as you get used to it . I'm now on 8 in the morning before breakfast and 8 in the evening before my main meal, though I think the evening one will have to go up to 10 in the next couple of days. I've been using insulin for about 3 1/2 weeks and those are up from 6 in the morning and 4 in the evening which I was started on. I would guess yours will go up but I'm not sure how fast as i'm a lot further on than you (32 weeks now). Hope you get used to the injections and they don't cause you too much stress.

Hi all, hope everyone's Ok. Feeling a bit sorry for myself at the moment, have developed really itchy psoriasis that just seems to keep spreading. Its on my belly, legs, arms, starting on my feet too. Saw doctor yesterday and got given some cream but it only works for a short while. She said it's possible it's a reaction to the insulin but she's not sure and to check with consultant at next appointment. Anyone else had this? Are they related or am I just being really unlucky?

StrawberryP - no experience of it and not on insulin (yet...) but wanted to send sympathies. Itchy skin stuff is horrible - you poor thing. I have rosacea, and although it doesn't hurt I look like someone whose just had a chemical peel unless I wear makeup and being pregnant makes it much worse and really spotty too. So...skin and hormones maybe? Stress - does that affect it? Sending calm and cool thoughts to you anyway.

Issynoko - thanks it could be skin and hormones, I was prone to itchy skin before I got pregnant but it hasn't been a problem the last 6 months or so. Never had psoriasis before though. I look like a badly made up Dr Who alien! At least it's not on my face ( yet) but its driving me nuts.

Meant to say sorry to hear your suffering too, glad you don't hurt with it though

Hi, happy to announce that our daughter, Eliza Penelope was born on thursday, Sept. 15 at 4:45 am. She weighed 7lbs 11oz. (so much for 38 week efw of 8lbs.9) and is healthy and well after a very drawn out 36 hour labour. Tummy also perfectly normal even though the scan showed 97th percentile.
Another interesting bit, the consultant had said no birth centre birth because of risk of shoulder dystocia and apparently 3 diet-controlled GD cases of this in the past two months at the hospital. But when I mentioned this to the midwife aiding my delivery she said they get shoulder dystocia all the time and suddenly the three cases seemed not necessarily linked to GD.

I did end up being monitored halfway through the labour but this was due to waters breaking early and not dliating sufficiently, rather than the GD, and I ended up on syntocin drip which as not fun. Epidural two hours later was a godsend!
I was also finger pricked hourly and they threatened to put me on insulin if my readings were over 8, which they did creep past after a breakfast of toast with thinly spread jam (mw had recommended sugar tablets to keep energy up so I thought a bit of jam would be fine but it wasn't). Luckily they went back down again in time to avoid drip.
Post-birth, they wanted to monitor the baby's blood sugars and said they wouldn't send me home until she had three pre-prandrial readings above 2.6. She didn't latch on at first to the breast so I was really grateful I'd been able to collect collostrum beforehand and I fed her 5ml by syringe an hour after birth and then continued to express for 24 hours before I managed to get her latched on to the breast.

Have to say that midwives were brilliant throughout and my only regret is not consulting them more with doctors out of the room when interventions were suggested.

So another happy GD baby birth story. Best of luck to all others on here and I have really appreciated the support.

GD management seems a distant memory and much less stressful than current sleep and breastfeeding establishment, LOL.

Yayyy!!! Lovely news Sprite! Am delighted for you, many congratulations! I love the name too, beautiful :o)

It's interesting how everywhere is slightly different isn't it, my little girl hadto have 3 readings above 3!

So glad your birth went well too. Am so pleased for you :D xxx

Great news sprite congratulations - enjoy you new wee girl

Funny that Grace only had one reading taken and as it was 3.6 they did not take any more, mind you she did take to the breast immediatly (within minutes of birth) though so maybe that was the difference.

Gorgeous name and lovely news. Thanks so much for taking the time to write it in these early days! Welcome to a wonderful world little Eliza! XX

Thanks so much ladies, I am loving motherhood and so glad she is okay, if a bit traumatised by the episiotomy they did for the forceps delivery, but that's another story. I have requested my hospital notes and will be meeting with the head midwife and obstetric consultant to discuss the decision mostly so that I feel more at peace with it.

It is funny how hospitals have different policies around pre-prandrial readings. I also questioned how accurate it was since they wanted to test 'before she ate' but surely this could vary between 1 and 3 hours so wouldn't that make a huge difference? All of Eliza's readings were over 3 anyways and similarly first reading was 3.6 but they continued to test.

I couldn't be bothered to test my bs when we got back as I had so many other things to take care of but did one this morning post-breakfast of branflakes, juice and fruit which would have shot my readings up sky high before and it was 5.5 so I am thrilled. Will continue to monitor intermittently. Still not looking forward to GTT test though.
Welcome to newcomers and thanks for info MorelliorRanger regarding GTT testing. I am very curious how this might proceed next pregnancy. Somewhat tempted to have a homebirth if they won't let me do the birth centre again as I really think it would have been a more positive experience with just midwives.
The doctors overall were arrogant and liked to tell me what they were doing rather than have any kind of conversation. Only one bothered to ask me what my concerns were around a particular procedure and this made such a difference in my decision around it.

Still, Cheese and Gherkins' experience has reminded me of what could have been and I am very grateful for a healthy baby. So sorry for your loss and I do hope this experience is much more positive for you.

Bit late but congrats sprite21 hope your settling into a nice routine and enjoying your little one. How's everyone else doing? I've had to up my insulin a bit but still keeping things pretty under control and I have a growth scan set for Tues to see how big baby is, fingers crossed he's not huge!

Hi sorry I didn't come back! Rubbish support I am!

Sprite- congratulations! Well done and welcome Eliza.

Cheeseandgerkins. I remember what happened to your baby girl last year. I can only imagine how scared you are. I also remember you had some family problems which some relatives. i hope these have been resolved and you have lots of support.

As for me- 35wks now. Both growth scans fine - average weight. Discharged from diabetic clinic. Now under local consultant who under on thurs for first time. Blood sugar levels fine. I do wonder if GTT was wrong. 7.9 I think.

Wonder if they will stretch and sweep me early. Want baby out when it's term as suffering from pelvic girdle Pain. Although today I was experiencing lots of period paid and back ache which scared me a little!

Hi sleepevader, strawberrypenguin, and others.
Eliza and I are settling in well, thanks. She is such a good baby I keep thinking it must be karma after the GD and long, difficult labour.

Hope your scan went well strawberrypenguin but they are pretty inaccurate particularly as they get closer to term. Really wish I had challenged consultant when she tried to scare me about shoulder dystocia and my baby apparently being in the 97th percentile for weight! In fact she came out 7lbs 11 at 39 weeks (not induced). They are such scaremongerers!

sleepevader 7.9 is very borderline... hard to know but I guess it doesn't hurt to play it safe.
Hope the backache and period pains go away, though it's not too too early.
Do keep us posted.

Hi Sprite21 glad to hear both you and Eliza are well, scan went OK thanks, they think he's a big boy though and will induce when i'm 38 weeks on 34 Oct. Suddenly makes the whole thing seem very very real I've gone from having potentially a month+ left to go to just over 2 weeks!