The All New And Shiny Gestational Diabetes Support Thread

[midori1999]

The old thread seems to have died a death, so thought of start a new one for anyone who wants some support or just to chat about GD.

I'm 9 weeks pregnant now, had GD in my last (5th) pregnancy and had my GTT today, expecting to be diagnosed tomorrow as my levels are already silly.

Wow...no pressure then! Although you sound like you're getting good, measured, advice.

I am almost past caring, Mummy. The good thing about it is that it forced me to experiment with carbs and find that I can actually eat more than I'd assumed. The doctor said better to have readings in the high 6s and eat more carbs than readings in the 5s and eat fewer. I've gone in two days from +4 carbs (should have been hospitalised to be 'flushed' on an IV but wasn't thanks to doctor reckoning it was my carb-free breakfast) to trace (entirely normal) so upping the carbs was fairly straightforward.

Today my levels have been very high within range but I think my blow out dinner last night, including not only more carbs than advisable but also salted caramel chocolate things, was bad enough to affect my fasting level. Fingers crossed that they subside a bit tomorrow!

+4 ketones, that should say. Not carbs.

I hope tomorrow is a better day for you. How many weeks are you? Hopefully not too long to go?

Thanks! 35 weeks now. Scan in a week and if all well, consultant will send me back to the low-risk population. So one more clinic visit, fingers crossed. Frankly though, there is no buggering way I'm going on insulin at this point, whatever happens!

35 weeks...there's light at the end of the tunnel!!!

Boarding - sounds horrific!! But I don't know whether the hospital staff or eejits drinking all that coke would have got my wrath... was it specifically a gd session? Never mind the sugar, what about the caffeine?? Mine wasn't like that at all - I was asked what I knew, which was a fair bit as my brother's been type 1 for as long as I remember - and so she just showed me how to use the meter.

Stiffly - yep, mine seem to be getting lower again. What a relief! !

I'm 38+5 now and at the last meeting with consultant they booked me in for induction on my due date. I'd love it if he came along before then but as I don't have any occasion the "bowling ball between my legs" feelings that seem to occur when baby's engaged I'm not holding my breath... Will have section if necessary (of course) but if I can avoid the six weeks of no driving I'd be happier!

Hi, I am due to have GTT test in thurs after a urine sample tested 3+ for glucose. .mw really didn't say a lot and I've been left feeling guilty and worried. Where's the best place to get info?

Well NHS online is a good start, however, you may want to wait till you've had your GTT as it could be clear?
I found this thread very helpful...real people dealing with GD. So you could post any specific questions here.

Just popping in quickly, I'm exhausted today and have a hospital appointment this afternoon which I have to take my toddler to and my house to sort out as my Grandmother is coming tomorrow. Stupidly yesterday we decided to swap all the children's rooms around, so everything we didn't know where to put was chucked in our room, where my Gran is going to sleep! Oops...

Stiffy, in my last pregnancy my dietician (who was fab and very realistic) told me that carbs were really important for foetal development (I got a serious bollocking for dropping too many in an effort to diet control when first diagnosed) but if someone had managed to diet control throughout the pregnancy they would see dropping carbs as acceptable in the last few weeks to avoid resorting to meds. So maybe see what they say? It really is surprising what you can eat, different things seem to affect people differently too.

Midori...I was googling something about GD last night and came across an old thread from your previous pregnancy I guess...so thanks for that as it was very very useful!
I've booked in to see a dietician tomorrow as think I am controlling the GD by not eating enough, as I am losing weight which doesn't feel right at this stage of pregnancy. Just need some sensible advice as endocrinologist told me I could eat all the fruit I wanted, but I don't think that's true...as it does make sugar levels high. Also need advice about what I can take for a packed lunch as still not sure about that!
Anyway have to say this thread (and old ones) are so helpful!!!

I've completely avoided fruit!

Midori, thanks. I've eaten carbs all the way through but not huge amounts. I'm now eating way more! My readings are more in the 6s than 5s but they said that was fine. To be honest I feel more relaxed about the whole thing now, have had a couple of lapses without stressing too much, and I seem to be able to eat more stuff with less drastic results. So I hope it's OK from here.

Stiffy...yes I think the fruit has been not great...will see what dietician says. I've been avoiding carbs and filling myself on fruit after an insubstantial meal...which having read this thread now realise is not controlling through diet correctly!! Last night for dinner at a pasta/courgette/cheese/egg bake with a potato casserole, no fruit after and had a low post meal reading! In the afternoon are watermelon and strawberries as a snack, and then tested myself after to see and it was higher than the carby dinner!!!

Grr... Fell asleep on sofa after dreadful day and awful hospital appointment as I had to take my tired toddler and was kept waiting 3 hours!!! Just woke up here.... I've got to start insulin now as well as the blasted metformin, but I couldn't wait to see the diabetic nurse as DD was having a meltdown by then, so I've got to go back later in the week. Annoying!

Mummysaysno, fruit is ok. My previous dietician said 3 pieces a day, this one hasn't limited it. However, it's about the amount you eat as well as what. An apple or pear has 10-15g of carbs, which is fine for a snack, whereas even a small banana will have around 20, a large banana up to 50, which is about a meals worth of carbs. Strawberries are low GI from what I remember, but again, of you eat too many it'll make your levels go up. I usually stick to apples and pears fruit wise. Veg is better for filling up, either half of your plate at mealtimes or sticks of veg with or after meals. For lunch I often have a whole meal Pitta filled with Greek salad or chicken and avocado and then sticks of celery and cucumber and some radishes and beet root.

Advice for diabetics, including GD diabetics generally these days is to eat a low fat, low sugar, low GI/high fibre diet with lots of fresh fruit and veg, but obviously stick to what suits you within that.

Still waiting for GTT test but just wondered if being hungry all the time is a sign of .gd? Or just pregnancy? I'm 26 weeks.

Most people have no symptoms of GD, Smiler. So just pregnancy!

I should venture into fruit. To be honest, I don't have a very sweet tooth and far prefer vegetables, so was eating very little fruit on my pre-preg low GI diet anyway. So it isn't something I miss.

Midori, I can just imagine! Sounds like a grim morning. Do you think you'll feel more relaxed on the insulin again?

Just to share the fruit advice I got...to watch portion size with fruit, so no more than one serving of fruit (one apple as a size guide) and to eat fruit either with a meal (at the end) or with cheese etc as a snack. For me this was helpful as I was filling myself on fruit.
Also, I asked about could I eat a slice of birthday cake...response again was yes...either with (at the end of) a meal, or if mid afternoon to top it with whipped cream etc to up the fat!!!
Anyway I know we're all different but thought I'd share that!

My 36 week scan shows a completely average sized baby (also a head down one - ) so unless the consultant does a complete u-turn next week, I'm on for my home birth. No more scans. I'm rather hoping I won't have to go to the diabetes clinic again after my next visit too. Neither the diabetic or obstetric consultant seem remotely bothered about my numbers, and I'll be 36+4 by then. If I offer to keep phoning in and stick to my diet then hopefully I can be FREEEEE.

That is wonderful news!!

Good news StiffyByng

My sugars have been better, saw consultant this week and have had my scans booked for 28/32/36 weeks. No mention of birth plans - I now feel a bit more open minded towards options.

Have found Ciabatta doesn't raise my BM's like other bread. I might have some toasted now!

Really interested to hear what 'treats' people have? I bought some chocolate coated nuts today...thinking the combination of sweet with the nuts could prevent the sugar spike. Not sure if I will eat them but they can at least be in stock for after!!
I'll be induced at 38 weeks so it's suddenly less time to deal with this so feels a bit more manageable. Hope to stay diet controlled if I can. So far so good.
Has anyone discovered little treats they can get away with?

Ice cream was my guilty treat. The high fat content slows the absorption of sugar. Where I lived at the time I could buy a scoop of high quality sugar free dairy ice cream too. It didn't occur to me to make my own with low sugar/ sweetener but I expect you could.

Ice cream...good idea!

Ditto to ice cream, a small amount before bed. Roast potatoes are fine too. Chocolate cake doesn't do much to my BG pleasingly.

My visit to the clinic today was splendid. Discharged at 36+4 with 'perfect control', HBA1c 5.3. I won't be recalled for a post birth GTT as they are sure it will disappear. Signed off as ideal candidate for home birth, no induction, hospital note for insulin should my level go above 7 in labour but 'that won't happen and anyway, you'll be at home'. Slightly reeling actually. But very pleased.

My guilty treats: aero mousse or bananasand cream! Ooh, and a Costa or Starbucks sugar free decaf iced caramel latte!! Even if I did feel like such a pratt asking for a super-faffy drink...

However, all that's in the past (I hope...) since LITTLE ONE'S HERE!!!!

I went in for induction at nine am on Sunday, having been given the go ahead from the consultant to go up to my due date, and was holding him by 10.06 that evening. I was asked throughout the day to keep checking my sugars - thankfully they stayed ok - and I had to have a clip on his head throughout delivery so they could check his heartrate - also ok. The only negative impact I'd say the gd had was that at about six pm they brought through the evening meals. I really didn't want any but the mw advised to have some to keep my sugars up - a waste of time as it was all thrown back up not long after! To be honest though, GD or no GD, the real lesson there was that some midwives are incredible and others really not, and if you're not confident with one it's ok to stand up to them! I was pleading with this same mw for pain relief and she was really reluctant, saying that we needed to save it for later on when labour was more established - and then about five minutes after she finally relented and let me have two paracetamol (woo!) the shift change, her replacement gave me an examination straightaway (this mw hadn't done one for about three and a half hours) and told me I was 8-9 cm!!! Thankfully she moved me into a delivery room nice and quickly - but I wish I'd been more insistent and had trusted my body's signals a bit more.

Post labour and all seems well. My little boy's blood sugars were a bit low but midwives and doctors had the common sense to see that that was because he's struggled to latch on so didn't take in much milk in his first day rather than anything sinister and diabetesey. And I'm loving the chocs again