Blood Glucose monitoring meters for Gestational Diabetes

[HappyNewYear2012]

Hi All,

Happy New Year!

...Ok, so I'm having to come to terms with the fact that I have GD (diagnosed today). Diet will take a bit of effort but I think I can handle that but as I have to type alot I'm slightly concerned about the soreness of pricked fingers as it seems I'll have to be testing my blood alot via fingertips to monitor my blood glucose levels throughout the day.

I've been "googling" this afternoon and find that there are meters out there that you can test not just on the fingers but on the thighs and other parts of the body to prevent too many stabs in the same place on the fingers, and those that need less blood to achieve results, again to reduce soreness issues.

Can anyone recommend any meters to this effect? I expect I shall be given the option of one on the NHS but if it costs me a bit more for one that will help me carry on as much as normal I'm prepared to spend the extra.

Thanks everyone,

hi there
i'm currently testing about 6 times a day, using an Optium Xceed monitor and disposable lancets that the hospital supplied. i think the Optium allows you to use blood from other areas than the fingers, but to be honest i haven't felt the need - my fingers aren't really sore at all.

hopefully you won't have any trouble with what the hospital give you. i found the monitoring to be quite stressful in the beginning, sort of like passing or failing a test after every meal, but i feel like i'm getting a handle on what works for me. there's a lot of trial and error involved. good luck!

Hi KDK, Thanks for your post. It really helps to hear others experiences because at the moment none of my friends have had this. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and hope things continue to go well for you too :)

At first my fingers were really sore but after testing for the past 17 odd weeks I barely feel it anymore. You should get used to it. I think they say to use fingers as you will get different results depending on where you test so it might not be as accurate for someone with gestational diabetes.

Make sure you're using the sides of your fingers and not finger tips as that will hurt more as there are more nerves there apparently. I don't feel the sides of my fingers when I type so it shouldn't affect typing really.

cheeseand... is right you should not use the fingertips it should be the sides! you only need a little blood for most of the monitors!