Anyone else got gestational diabetes? Top tips welcome!

[Angelico]

Hello all

Currently 35+2, got diagnosed with GD a couple of weeks ago after repeat GTT ('passed' the one at 25 weeks for raised BMI, seems to have come on around the 30 week mark). Got finger pricker etc last week so 6 days in to blood testing and aiming to control with diet only as due for CS at 38+4.

Have't seen dietician yet and struggling to find conclusive info online. Certain foods (pure orange juice, sweet stuff - even a couple of bites! - mashed potato) seem to send blood sugar high (highest reading ever today 9.3 after mash and literally 2 bites of DH's banoffee! ). I was wondering what other people have found useful foodwise? Any good suggestions for meals?

A typical 'good day' for me (ie super low blood sugars)...

Breakfast:
Slice of brown toast with either cheese and beans or scrambled egg. No orange juice.

Snack (11am or 4pm depending on what I'm doing):
2-3 oatcakes with cheese / hummus

Lunch:
Bowl of leftover dinner from night before (see below) or homemade lentil and tomato soup with cheese and ryebread.

Dinner:
Steak stir fry with noodles, spag bol with wholewheat spaghetti, stuffed chicken with roasties and veg, oven cod in batter with oven chips and plenty of veg.

I would love to hear some other good suggestions for meals or any warnings about particular foods. Or if you just want somewhere to vent feel free to jump on board :)

Hi everyone, hope you're all well, not sure how my sticking to sensible diet plans are going, still such a novelty to be able to eat normally ! Dd is doing well, feeding well, just won't lie in her cot at night and feeds constantly, feel like I haven't slept in weeks, can't remember how long this lasts! Thinking we'll be moving house in two weeks so busy times... Hope you get some rest Angelico!

Just popping in and waving before tomorrow! :) Sugars have gone a bit weird the last few days, but last night I stupidly had Chinese with DP and the stepkids and got an unsurprising 8.2 for my trouble. Other than that they've been occasionally unexpectedly low (I think due to the blood sugar lowering antibiotics I'm still taking) and occasionally unexpectedly high (I never am over 6 after breakfast but this was since the 8.2 last night). Seems most on here who have had their babies have 'gone back to normal' so fingers crossed! Was feeling zen about tomorrow but am having a rather stressful day that lacks personal space and the ability to nest/potter in a way that would calm me so I guess I'll just have to roll with the stress and try and mentally force my way into a stoic frame of mind! Lots of love to all x

FjordMor - good luck for tomorrow! I had planned a wonderfully relaxing day the day before my IOL, but after a week of the children's sickness bug I succumbed on the Saturday morning, couldn't eat all day, and was throwing up etc until well into Saturday evening. I felt physically exhausted, and couldn't sleep that night because I felt so hot/thirsty/uncomfortable and developed a funny kind of indigestion that was not sorted with Gaviscon. By the time I went to hospital was all over the place, and they said I had ketones and protein in urine etc. Not the best preparation, but... a few hours later I had a baby and it all seems a distant memory now!! You will be absolutely fine, just try to stay calm and it will all be happily over soon. Thinking of you can't wait to hear more news!

Good luck Fjordmor, hope you get some sleep tonight and look forward to hearing how it went.

I just wanted to pop in and say that my gorgeous boy Freddie arrived on Tuesday.

I had insulin for my gestational diabetes and was told to expect a 10lb-er. He came in at 5lbs!

So, just to say, that not all diabetic mothers have bigguns!

He had a few breathing difficulties at birth but was fine after 24 hours in intensive care.

Goodluck!

Congratulations Emmie! Glad Freddie is doing so well now. Wow that is a massive difference from what you were told. I find that amazing how many babies are less than expected when the sonographers are so sure, it really must be an inexact science.

May I ask, were you induced and did it go to plan?

Hello, new to this thread as I've just found out that I have gestational diabetes. Am 29+4. The midwife on the phone said that my numbers were "a little bit raised" so I'm hoping i'll be able to control it by diet. I was a bigger BMI to begin with but have put on zero weight during the pregnancy even taking into account the weight of the baby so am currently feeling a bit down as I thought I was doing well at managing my risk. But am about to read through the thread for all your tips and good ideas which I am sure will lift my spirits!

Welcome Secondsop - hope you find lots of support on here, I certainly found it really helpful as it can be a bit of a shock when you find out you have GD. I managed to control mine with diet, and although it was a tough few weeks, it doesn't last forever and all is well with baby now. Hope you're ok.

Hi Secondsop, I had pretty much the same experience as you - raised BMI, healthy pgy with minimal weight gain and then just slightly over the limit for the GTT.

Good luck with the diet control but remember if you do need insulin/metformin don't take it personally, it's just your placenta; it was something I really struggled to accept but now it's just one of those things. breakfast is my hardest meal, porridge didn't work for me (but should for most), now I stick to wholemeal/low GI toast with pb or an egg. My medical team seemed almost panicky at the beginning but now are much more relaxed and happy with my progress.

All the other GD-ers so far have had good successful inductions or ELCS so I am feeling more confident about my induction in 3wks.

Hi happynappies and blonder, thank you for your posts - you've made me feel a lot better. I've been on a low carb diet before - the India knight book - and found it very manageable so I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to get through it. I think it's just the shock of finding out and of having to need yet another bit of medical attention (the pregnancy hasn't been very straightforward so far).

blonderthanred - I had an ELCS! All went well and baby is happy bunny :)

Just checking in to see if there have been any more arrivals? Its all gone quiet

Yes I was wondering how Fjord was getting on.

Emmie I'm glad your ELCS went smoothly. Hope you're enjoying Freddie and he is thriving!

Shanelle in case you are looking for this thread I'm bumping it. Good luck with your GTT tomorrow but if you get a positive result you can read below for lots of lovely stories from those of us who have been diagnosed.

Hello, found out today my appointment at the diabetic clinic is next Tues. It's not at the antenatal diabetic clinic because that's on Mondays and I don't have a way of getting to the (miles away) hospital before my husband gets back on Tues but on Tues I'll get the blood tester machine thing. I've been advised to follow a low GI diet in the meantime and to have one portion of carbs with each meal.

I've also been reading that regular snacks are important (alongside small meals). What kinds of things are you ladies having as a snack before bed?

Hi Second. Pre-bed, I tend to have a piece of wholemeal or Bergen (low GI) bread and butter, a small apple or some plain yoghurt (I've found Onken natural set is the lowest carb). Your body may react differently to different things so once you have the testing kit you can check.

They wanted me to check my BS 4x a day but at the beginning I did some extra checks after snacks etc just to understand better what worked for me.

Thanks blonder - I had a small serving of porridge last night and I definitely feel better for it today. And, congratulations on your baby! Have read the whole of this thread now and it has been really reassuring about the things that I've been worrying about - the positive induction stories in particular.

Mine is still incarcerated at present but due for induction in 2 weeks and 6 days (not that I'm counting down...)

But there have been lots of babies on this thread and all the inductions and ELCSs have gone very smoothly it seems (compared to the horror stories you seem to read when you are trying to find out about GD at first). They've also all been given the all clear in terms of blood sugar I think so the GD has gone away, and more importantly their babies have been healthy too.

Ah sorry blonderthanred I must have got confused when reading the thread. Not long now for you though!

Hi seconds and blonder and anyone else! Just checking in while feeding DS (again...he likes his milk!) Out of curiosity I thought I'd do a blood test this morning an hour after a breakfast that made me ill during PG before diagnosis, porridge with honey and banana, and I got a 5.2 reading so I hope that means the GD has gone!

I've also agreed to be part of a study of babies born to mothers with GD to see how the GD was managed and how they grow in the first two years and they took DS's reading just after a feed on Monday and he was 5.6, which they said was good.

So, there can be positive induction stories and outcomes - at least I feel quite positive about my experience - which I never thought possible when I first started googling GD!

Hope all are well and hope to hear from Fjordmor soon!

Smicha congratulations on your baby!

What happens with birth plans for GD babies? Does it all go out of the window or is there still scope for me to put one together? Presumably it would be in conjunction with the diabetic antenatal clinic as that is where all my antenatal appointments will be from now on.

I think it's still worth writing a birth plan but be prepared for all eventualities.

I had an antenatal birth class this afternoon and the mw was so positive, said I can still push for use of water in labour, it's still worth getting a TENS and altogether the birth can still be as natural as possible - however I have to be relaxed about the possibilities of epidural and CS. The same goes for mobility - you can request to be as mobile as possible but of course the situation may arise that you can't be completely.

Also, things like music, lighting and so on can still be under your control, who is there, all that stuff.

ps that is great news Smicha, I want to be in the study too! This thread has been fantastic for positive information and stories, I had the same panic when first diagnosed and googling frantically.

Seconds I had quite a detailed birth plan because although I was being induced I wanted as natural labour as possible. Although I had continuous monitoring I was on my feet the whole time, checked my blood sugar levels throughout and didn't need any GD intervention. I think if you are a birth plan kind of person it is important to write one, and mine definitely helped me, I wanted to convey how anxious I get during labour even though it was my fourth time, needed a lot of patient support from my mw, who was brilliant!

Thank you blonder and happynappies. This is my first baby so feel a bit clueless generally and even more so when there have been so many complications to be managed throughout.