If you had GD in your first pregnancy, did it return in your second?

[rosyryan]

And if so, how long did it take to flare up?

I was diagnosed at 30 weeks with DD1 and managed to keep it under control with diet and exercise. I'm now (very) newly pg with DC2 and I haven't yet been given any instructions on what to do this time. Do I assume that its fine to just wait until my booking in appointment and my bloods wont be going haywire already? I'm having "the guilt" every time I have anything remotely sugary!

Also is the GD support thread still alive and kicking? I can't find it.
Thanks in advance!

u r at higher vrisk if u previously had it but doesnt neccessarily mean it will happen. controlling your diet is the best thing u can do and try not to gain above thr reccomended two stone max. id talk everything over with your midwife and tell her your concerns so she can give u individual advice. im not sure about the gd forum xx

Thanks Lozza. It might be another five weeks before I see the midwife so I'm going to try to eat healthily until then and not stress. I only gained 9lb with DD - hopefully this little one will be the same!

I'm expecting to get gd at some point this pregnancy. I tested positive at 28weeks with dd. Then at my postnatal check they told me I had impaired fasting glucose (pre diabetes) so it's quite likely. I am also heavier this time round (although bmi still low 20s).

I haven't been watching my diet so far as it won't make a difference to whether or not I get it, and they'll be testing me next week at 14weeks anyway. I'm enjoying sugar while I can. I wasn't able to diet control last time so took metformin.

I think there are lots of misconceptions about gd. Although bmi is a factor it isn't caused by diet. It's caused by the body not producing sufficient insulin in pregnancy.

Hi Rosyryan,

I had GD in my first pregnancy, diagnosed at 28 weeks with a GTT and managed to control it with diet alone, but not for long as my DD arrived at 33 weeks, she is absolutely fine and is now 2 years old.
I am currently 30w with my second and my hospital have assumed I was going to develop GD this time so they got my doing the blood testing from 16 weeks (They have said GTT's are a waste of time, so I haven't been diagnosed either way). My levels have been, to quote the consultant, 'near perfect' which has led some doctors to say I don't have GD this time. I haven't changed my diet at all and am testing before a meal and 1 hour after once a day (last time I had to test 2 hours after eating, and am still not sure why it has changed!)

I think every hospital seems to have different criteria though, so you may be treated differently, my consultant did say at 23w (I think) that at that point he wouldn't expect my levels to change and that if I were to need a drastic diet change or drugs then it would have shown up by then.

Hope that helps.

I had confirmed GD in my last pregnancy (probably had it in all my pregnancies) and was diagnosed at 24 weeks with borderline results then. After a week of testing I was put on slow acting insulin as my levels were too high despite me cutting out too many carbs and then after the second week I was on insulin.

This pregnancy I was diagnosed at 8 weeks, as I'd finger pricked a few times since being pregnant and mentioned my results to the midwife. My results from the GTT were much higher than in my last pregnancy and I was started on metformin and insulin by 10 weeks.

I am being treated as a type 2 due to the early onset, but they know I almost certainly haven't got type 2 as I was tested for it a few months before getting pregnant. However, I had my anomaly scan at 18 weeks and a specialist cardiac scan (on the baby) at 22 weeks as high blood sugars in early pregnancy can cause congenital birth defects. I was also told to take 5mg folic acid a day until 13 weeks.

I had it in my first pg, but not my second. But I changed my diet to the one I was eating to control my sugars at the end of my first pg as soon as we started trying again (iyswim) and stuck to it all the way through my second pg.

Gestational diabetes is not caused by diet during pregnancy:

link

Oh, I did not know that Tarka, it was my gp's suggestion, but then, tbf, my gp is a bit of an arse.

At least I put on 2 stone less than in my first pregnacy

Sorry gobblers, I'm a bit sensitive about it because I've had a few comments already this pregnancy about how I should be eating better because I'll get GD.

i have a low bmi but a massive genetic predisposition for diabetes (3 out 4 of my grandparents have it). I wasn't able to diet control last time and had to eat really carefully (eg no yog/milk because of lactose sugars, whole potatoes not mashed etc) to avoid insulin injections. I had 4/5 meals which I knew would give me enough carbs without high sugars and I just rotated them for 3 months. It was miserable and there is no way I am doing it until they give me the diagnosis.

Thanks everybody. I suspect that if I do get GD I will get it far earlier than they will test for it, if they are going to leave it until the second trimester, so, given what Midori wrote about the horrible impact of high blood sugars in early pregnancy I think I will be cutting out sugar from the get go.

Is a miserable diet and I hate it but I couldn't forgive myself if I damaged my baby just because I couldn't eat healthily for a few months. Bloody hell, I hate the GD diet though.

yoir right tara it isnt caused by diet but the way u can control gd sometimes is by keepin weight gain to a minimum and eating healthy and then if that doesnt help medication may be used. i had a close friend have it with both her pregnancies x

lozza21, I agree once you have GD you have to eat in a particular way, but it won't held you avoid GD to start eating that way before you have it except indirectly if it lowers your bmi to healthier levels. But most people are told not to lose weight in pregnancy anyway.

rosy do you have any test strips from your last pregnancy you can use to keep an on your blood sugars? It is very rare to get gd in the first trimester (if they found it they would assume it was undiagnosed type 2 not gd). They should test you at 16 weeks as you've had it before. You didn't get it until 30 weeks last time, right?

Hi, I has gd with my last pregnancy (not first 2) diagnosed at 32 weeks and diet controlled until 35 weeks when ds was born. This time I was found to have it at 20 weeks, diet controlled until 26 weeks when metformin was added to breakfast. I try to (mainly) be careful with my diet and so far growth scans are showing baby to be just a little smaller than average which is not the norm lol!! I on the other hand have a huge bump measuring 34 at 27 weeks!!

I had GD diagnosed in my first pregnancy at 29/40 (had high random blood sugar at mw appt and then failed GTT). Managed to diet control & DD was born via spontaneous labour at just under 40/40, interestingly though, she measured small from the12/40 scan and was a tiddly 2.1kgs - completely going against the big baby belief!

Now nearly 3yrs later & I had my 20/40 GTT which came back ok
Got another one booked for 28/40, not being silly diet wise, but don't see the point in restricting myself too far without reason.

Interestingly a friend who was pregnant and had GD same time as me the first time (but at a different hospital) is pregnant again too & this time and hasn't been offered a 20wk GTT, instead been told she'll need to start a GD diet and be treated as GD from 24/40, I'm at this & advised her to go to her next appt armed with the NICE guidelines to have it out with them! She wonders if it was because she ended up on metformin last time.

Anyone else heard of this?!