Gestational Diabetes question

[KDK12]

I've recently been diagnosed with gestational diabetes and am currently trying to control it by diet only.

I am testing my blood glucose 2 hours after each meal - the hospital have told me my after meal target is less than 6 mmol.

In a nutshell, is anyone else in the same boat? And if so, what are your after meal blood glucose targets? I am struggling to keep it under 6 for some meals, and from some amateur google research (!) it seems like 6 is a low target. Help!

Hi, I was to test immediately before eating and had to keep under 6 (until 2 weeks before my induction date when a stand in consultant insisted it should be 5 but I suspect he was talking p*sh....)

Anyway, things that I found worked for me were

Weetabix and skimmed milk
Chicken and salad
Jacket potato with cheese and beans
Cous cous with chicken and veg
Weight watchers recipe chilli con carne with a couple of spoons of brown rice
Lots of water
Veg soup
Lentil soup
Any kind of soup really

I basically just cut out carbs as much as possible and no sweets or sugary things at all. It's really about finding foods that work for you. My (normal) consultant was never too concerned about a single high reading so long as I was able to say why it happened ie if you've tried a new meal and it's not worked for you.

On the upside, I ate so healthily during my second GD pregnancy, I was a couple of pounds lighter at full term than I was when I got pregnant. Silver lining and all that...!

Best of luck.

6 is very low. I don't have GD but in both of my pregnancies they've tried to pin it on me (because of my high bmi) and so I've done regular testing at their request.

My targets have been less than 5.1 on waking and less than 7.8 two hours after meals. When I first did some tests earlier this pregnancy they wanted 7.1 but revised that later. I have never ever been quoted 6 ad a target, that's extremely tough.

At 38 weeks now I've only put on 8lbs so yes there is an upside! I would ask why your targets have been set so low though.

thanks for your replies guys, looks like both of you had lower targets than me. i just want to avoid any unnecessary intervention, although they've already earmarked me for induction at 38 weeks. i'm not really happy about that, but i'm resigned to it.

i'm concerned that the targets they've given me are unrealistic and i'll end up on medication that i don't need.

i have appointment with the high risk team next week, so i'll ask why the target levels seem so low?

sorry, should have said you both had higher targets, duh

My targets for dd2 and ds were higher than that (I think 7.8 two hours after eating too) I had to completely cut out potatoes, white bread and sugar, but was ok with new potatoes and small amounts of wholemeal bread.

I was told the 'we will have to induce at 38 weeks' line too, and will have to monitor throughout labour, baby will be 9lb+ (dd1 was 9lb1, dd2 was 8lb and ds was 8lb5!)

And I had dd2 and ds at home (but had to have several 'debates' with the consultant), luckily I had a great Community Midwife and the Head of Midwifery was behind me too.

I found out that the entire hospital policy on GD was based on one study that was done on pregnant women with existing type 1/2 diabetes, which is somewhat different... ...but after me they changed the policy...

thanks magpie - i have given up on my homebirth plans, the consultants at the hospital are like end of level baddies when it comes to going against policy and i just can't do with the stress of having to fight my corner.

my first baby was 8lbs 2 - i didn't have a glucose tolerance test for that pregnancy, as my bmi was within the normal range, but more than one consultant has mentioned that he was a 'big' baby (?)

7.8 though! i'd be sailing through if that was the case.

Hmm, my targets are between 4 and 7 mmol, which have actually been fairly simple to keep to, just been a case of avoiding anything overtly sugary, such as sweets and sugary drinks. Your targets do seem very low though.

Please look very closely at what you're eating wrt carbs/low GI, you could always nip over to the diet boards for inspiration.

Someone has suggested weetabix with milk and jacket potato with beans, both these meals are incredibly high GI! :(

i'm being very careful with my diet, checking the GI of everything and making sure to combine carbs with protein. I'm consistently under 7mmol, usually hovering around 6.1-6.3 after my evening meal.

the hospital still seem concerned enough about this to bring me in to discuss 'other' ways of managing my levels.

having said that, i took a 10 minute brisk walk after my dinner last night which brought me down to 4.7 by the time i took my reading. hopefully this will work if i do it every night - if i can show up with better numbers, i might be in a better position to refuse meds.

Alpine' I suggested weetabix/baked pots because they were food items that worked for me through two totally diet controlled GD pregnancies. If you read my post again you'll see that I said it's about finding what works for each individual so yes they might not work for anyone else but me but I think it's all about trial and error.

I found being diagnosed terrifying and came on here at the time for help, which i got in abundance . I didnt expect my attempt to help someone in a similar situation to earn me a :(. Ho hum.

don't worry piffpaff, i appreciated your help. you're right though, it's about finding out what works for you - i'm not having much luck with brown rice, but i'm fine with white spaghetti it seems! and i've even been able to have a teaspoon of brown sugar on my porridge oats with low readings after.

it's baffling, and a lot to take on board, but it definately helps to hear about other people's experiences.

No, I didn't mean it as a criticism and I did pick up on the bit where you said they worked for you. :) it's just baked potato flesh is "lethal" carb-wise and I've run glucose tests on myself before and after eating one and it was frightening!

Just that IME (and reading mn), people with GD are frequently advised to "diet" and the healthcare professionals don't seem to know what it should entail for this particular ailment. :(

My mum had GD with my sister and shortly after developed full blown type I diabetes, so it's a subject close to my heart.

I agree with that. As I said, I don't have it, but they are determined to prove that I have . Consequently I've done three lots of diet changes and monitoring this pregnancy including the current spell of 6 weeks and I've lost a fair bit by sticking to their diet sheet. Then they moan at me for losing weight but there's not really any way round it, they can't have it both ways!

Ok, sorry Christmas stress getting to me! KDK12, exercise really helped me too, I used to go for a wee walk at lunchtime every day.

Gwen, I hear you. I've got a high BMI and I think my hospital are almost disappointed I've yet to develop it. ;) they keep looking though. And tapping the blood pressure monitor... And asking the nurse if it's on properly.

the dietitian at the hospital suggested that 2 jaffa cakes would be a good between-meals snack! errrr, not really though, is it?!

then she gave me a list of the carb content of pretty much every fast food you can think of. it's laughable really. at no point did anyone suggest to me that exercise would help keep my blood sugar low

Lol @ jaffa cakes. How about a big bowl of pasta in tomato sauce followed by jelly beans for pudding with a lucozade chaser? ;)

Must be an old-school dietician counting calories? Amazing isn't it, that people with that kind of 'expertise' are advising and chastising the sick.

I had GD (and I'm still borderline diabetic now at 8 weeks post birth) 6 seems low for post meal readings, I was on insulin and was told my levels should be 6 first thing in the morning and around that area before lunch/dinner but 8or below 2 hours after. Do be careful you don't go too far the other way as well 4.7 is fairly low you really don't want to drop below 4, that's just as bad as being too high.

thanks strawberrypenguin, i just don't understand why they've set me such a low target? it's causing me tons of stress trying to acheive it and feels like they've set me up to fail. ugh.

anyway, 7.2 after my modestly sized Xmas dinner and a brisk walk, i'm not going to freak out about it, i'm doing the best i can.

good luck with the borderline thing, hope things get back to normal for you soon.

Hi, just wanted to say that I was given a target of below 7.8 1 hour after a meal. In terms of snacks, I found anything with less than 15g carbs (inc) sugar was fine, if you read the labels. This, for me, included most yoghurts and cereal bars. My favourite snack was an apple with a few slices of cheese. I also found I could have the odd square or two of dark chocolate with no bad effects.

A relative is a diabetes nurse specialist & I asked today why the strict range as they seem a really narrow & difficult to achieve.

She explained the reason is that glucose go straight to the baby. Insulin is then secreted by the baby's pancreas in response to maternal blood glucose levels. Therefore you don't want the baby working too hard & it's a growth factor, hence big babies.

She also mentioned implications with cord cutting & insulin regulation but I wasn't too clear that.

If you're struggling with just diet alone, metformin may help achieve the levels you need. Failing that insulin is the next option. I got the impression they were pretty rigid about it all. Hope this helps.

thanks mmmcheese, i have a bar of 90% dark chocolate that is getting me through the dark times (!)

cheers stripey, i appreciate you talking to your friend. i'd be interested to know whether she thought my particular targets were low though.

i'm finding it difficult with regards to the constant blood glucose tests making me feel like i am 'failing', and the guilt of how this might be affecting the baby.

i really don't like the idea of metformin, both because of the side effects and the lack of long term research into the effects on the baby.

ultimately, i want to do what's right for the baby. i'm just not sure what that is! i'm pretty stressed about it all, which can't be helping.

Hi, I have not read the whole thread but some bits I did read I wanted to pick up on.
I am a Type 1 Diabetic which is different in many ways to GD but I may be able to help with some aspects. For starters, as someone briefly mentioned, exercise is an excellent way to bring levels down. If your blood test readings are over what they want them to be (for a type 1 they are meant to be 7.9 or under) go for a walk or similar if you can. Swimming is also brilliant although I realise it's also not that conveninent! Also, instead of Jaffa Cakes, granola bars are better as they contain oats so are slow release carbs. They also come in packs with two bars in so have one and test an hour later.
Re the targets you have been given, OP, I think they sound very low but that is because I am basing it on Type 1 recommendations rather than GD. However, as mine have to be between 3.5 and 7.9 (an hour after meals for the higher readings) I am assuming that as long as your readings are in that range it won't be the end of the world. I think the problems with diabetes, all types, and pregnancy are with prolonged high readings as that can cause the larger babies and the baby having hypo's once it has been born as it has too much insulin in its system - this can be easily rectified though so please don't worry too much about this.
As I say, I am a type 1 rather than a gestational diabetic (ie I have been injecting insulin since I was 4) but if you have any queries / worries I can try and help.

that's useful to know babysaurus, and i've been trying to take regular walks after meals. i don't know if i've been eating too much today or what, but i had a 7.7 reading 2 hours after my lunch (xmas dinner leftovers - i only had 1/2 a potato though!), which had only dropped to 6.1 before i had my dinner. that doesn't seem too good, i'm definitely feeling a bit despondant about how things will go at my appt on wednesday.