Gestational Diabetes - Anyone Else?

[Romily]

Hello

I know there was a gestational diabetes thread previously however it has been quiet for a while and I thought I would start a new one

As for me I had it diagnosed when I was 14 weeks as I was in a higher risk group, I am now 16 + 3 weeks and on insulin. I wondered if there was anyone else out there in the same position so we can share hints and tips.

Hi, how wierd you start this topic just when i need it! I'm off for the 3 hr test in the morn. Nerves preventing sleep obviously!! Am 30 weeks tomorrow too. I do know what to expect in morning, and have yet to research beyond that point. So easy to scare yourself if you know what i mean. Any tips would help massively. How is it all going for you?

Yes, I'm on my second pregnancy with GD. I was diagnosed at 8 weeks this time and have been on metformin and insulin since about 10 weeks. I'm 33 weeks now. It feels like I've had GD forever as last time I was diagnosed at 24 weeks.

I don't think I've really got any tips you won't get from your diabetic team, except to just say to try and relax about your readings. Often I get totally random highs and its impossible to make any sense out of them.

Hello,

I was diagnosed with GD at 16 weeks, tested earlier because of my & my family's medical history. So far I've found keeping my sugar levels within the acceptable range a breeze (I'm diet controlled) but since hitting 28 weeks last Fri, I've had 3 high readings (8+) three evenings in a row, having eaten meals which I have had before & haven't caused me any problems. I need to speak to my diabetes nurse to see if there's a reason for this.

I'd be interested to hear about the experiences of those ladies on metformin & insulin. I'm really hoping to avoid those routes, especially the metformin as I took that for a long time prior to getting pregnant (for PCOS) and didn't like the way it made me feel.

Hope everyone is feeling well!

Hi everyone!

romily I am exactly same situation as you. Diagnosed at 14 weeks, insulin controlled since about 16 weeks.
I'm now 20 weeks and finding it really hard to keep my blood sugars stable. I hypo a lot at night (mainly toddler night waking related), then yo-yo high/low all day trying to correct it. I had a look on the T1 in pregnancy thread out of desperation the other day and it seems that managing insulin in pregnancy is quite challenging even for those who are used to it!

I have GD, I'm diet controlled. Have found it chellenging but easy to keep my sugards down.

But I do know everything can change as the baby gets bigger and the placenta can muck up the insulin.

For those going to do the GTT its not that hard to do, the drink isn't nice but its bearable. If you don't feel well while your waiting for your second blood test then tell someone. I will say I felt very ill after mine and took the whole day off work. I was diagnosed at 28 weeks.

Testing my glucose levels four times a day can be taxing but it has to be done. I just have to keep telling myself that my body isn't mine at the moment, and I need to make sure my baby is healthy.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences, it is reassuring to hear how others are coping.

Metformin was never considered for me, I went from nothing to insulin within a couple of days of blood readings.

I am on a morning dose of background insulin and I have found the injections fine to administer so far however my evening readings are high so I think I will have to inject before my evening meal soon too. They have said I may be injecting up to 5 times a day by the end of my pregnancy. What I do find hard is the 7x a day blood tests.

My care team have been excellent and they have me check in twice a week by phone so I feel as supported as I can be. It is a lot to process though on top of pregnancy.

I'm GD, diet controlled was diagnosed just over a week ago at 27wks. Had it from the same stage with my first pregnancy.

Hoping to continue with diet control as managed this first time round, but am sure that while still within limits at the moment (& my hospitals limits are stricter than the NICE guidelines), I think their running a bit higher than I was typically last time round & know the next 8 wks are going to involve more & more hormones!

Interestingly, DD was born at full term (spontaneous labour 2 days before induction was booked for!) weighing only 4lb 10oz, but she'd measured small from 12wk scan so wasn't restricted due to the diet. Am having a boy this time & think he's a bit bigger (but not much) - will be strange having a more normal sized baby!

I've found Livlife seeded bread from waitrose really useful - only 3g a slice (v filling despite being small) :-)