Gestational diabetes signs

[FreeWee]

I'm high risk for gestational diabetes but won't have a glucose tolerance test for a while (only 11 weeks). I've got all day everyday sickness as in my previous pregnancy except in that pregnancy eating chocolate, muffins, pastries etc made the sickness better. This time it makes it worse. I was wondering if that was an early sign of being at risk of gestational diabetes?

Anyone have any thoughts?

Surely thats a good thing as less treats less likely GD?
Why are you high risk?

That's why I was linking the two naty1 I wondered if it was my body already rejecting high levels of sugar? I didn't get GD last pregnancy despite my dreadful diet so wondered if it was more likely this time given my body's reaction to sugar? I have a parent, aunt and uncle all with type II diabetes.

Less treats has absolutely nothing to do with GD. You can't cause it by what you eat.

In my last pregnancy I was borderline NOT diabetic. It is still very early for you but later in pregnancy I would wake up at night and my mouth was so bitter that I had to drink lot of water.

Both my parents have Type 2 Diabetes but I was told I wouldn't have a GTT unless my blood sugar was high when blood was tested (it wasn't). One symptom I was told about was a big baby (a couple of weeks ago my bump was 4 weeks too big but luckily baby was only a week and a half big).

Although it's good to eat healthily in pregnancy I don't think diet causes GD -but it is necessary to control it if you do have it.

You can control it by what you eat however.

I did the glucose test in every pregnancy, as I was regnant in the US where the test is routine. For my first three pregnancies my result was negative. Fourth, borderline, and I was not sent for the glucose challenge, fifth more than borderline and the challenge confirmed I had GD.

I had horrible nausea every time, and craved a lot of salty and high fat foods but only as long as the nausea took over my life -- cheese, salami, pepperoni, blue cheese (mostly on the Do Not Eat list in the UK but not in the US in the 90s). Also chocolate and junk like cheese puffs/wotsits. Apart from the odd indulgence my diet was what it would have been normally, however. I was 34 when DD3(DC4) was born and 37 when I had DD4.

I was recommended a strict diet to control my GD, and I tested my blood sugar at least four times daily, with results in a notebook that I showed my midwife at every visit. I was successful and DD4 was induced on her due date (there can be problems for babies going past term if mothers have GD.)

[lol] pregnant not regnant...

I gad no symptoms first time around and I didn't notice anything second time either (when I was looking out for them). I thnk if you're going to get it, you're going to get it but there's no harm in cutting out the sugary stuff now. Google Low GI diet for guidance on what is best to eat. I controlled mine by diet both times.

symptoms things like excessive tiredness and dizziness

so easily fobbed off as normal pregnancy symptoms

I had gd with my third pregnancy, an needed insulin 4 times a day. It was horrible! The symptoms are much the same as normal diabetes tbh, thirst, extreme tiredness, wee more. Gd is not brought on the usual way diabetes is. I had to follow a strict diet, tested, insulin. The plus side was I weighed the same as my pre pregnant weight within 5 day of giving birth. Baby weighed 9lb at 37 weeks and he was non diabetic and so was I staight after birth. Hope you don't get it as nothing worse than craving food when you can't have it!

I was tired and dizzy with DC5 and it turned out I had anaemia too. It really is easy to mistake GD for normal pregnancy symptoms -- frequent peeing, tiredness, etc are all general pregnancy symptoms and women tend to be dismissed when they report them ('yes dear, you are pregnant, remember'.) I think every pregnant woman should be tested as a matter of routine.

Thanks for all the clarifying. I was concerned my diet was affecting my risk levels. To be honest I'm so sick, eating anything is a bonus so I can't worry about the healthiness of my diet till the sickness goes. Not had fruit for nearly 3 months (tried half a satsuma uurrrgh). Just wondered if my non sugar tolerance might have indicted poor glucose tolerance already?

An article on cravings and GD.

I hope you'll feel better soon, FeeWee. Nausea sucks the life out of you. I was usually out of the woods at about the 16 week mark and I remember feeling like a new woman every time.

mathanxiety thank you for that link very interesting. Makes me feel reassured I might also avoid GD in this pregnancy. Unfortunately I was still taking cyclizine at delivery with DD but I took it earlier this time so who knows. 'Sucks the life out of me' is exactly how I feel and I've just got cold number 2 of this 11 week pregnancy

I have just had GD. I was absolutely knackered, beyond normal pregnancy tired, and strangely (tmi warning) my wee and body odour smelt sweet, I was also weeing a lot. I was mainlining white bread and cake at the start to stave off the morning (all day) sickness which they told me was akin to eating pure sugar. They found out quite late and my sugar was so high I had to go straight to insulin injections and could barely eat any carbs at all and certainly no biscuits, cakes, sweets etc for the last few weeks. I felt much better though once the insulin and diet got my sugar under control.

I've had ds now and currently not diabetic and hoping I'll stay that way, it's a very different way of experiencing food!

Hopefully you're just experiencing normal pregnancy symptoms but ask for a glucose test if you're worried as if they catch it early you can manage it with diet rather than all the injections.

I had GD with twins. The main reason that they tested me was that I was HUGE, huger than even twins should be. I think from about 20 weeks they tested me. It was quite bad at the end, lots of insulin to try and control it. My Mum is Type II, but they never asked me that. Is there a link between Type II and GD? Twins were a good size!

If you get GD you have a higher chance of developing type II later in life. So you need to watch your diet and lifestyle after pregnancy and don't get into habits that will have a negative effect on your health. You need to do that anyway, but it would be smart to really pay attention to it after GD.

I don't know if there is a link the other way round. There is one member of my extended family with type II diabetes. He was a fairly heavy drinker until his diagnosis, but I do not know if this would have contributed.

I think the link is that Type II runs in families, and as GD is such a big signifier of possible future diabetes, it just means you are more likely to develop it if you have Type II in the family already because you are more likely to develop T2 diabetes full stop.

It really is a useful early warning signal. It's likely I would have walked straight into Type II otherwise.

I had it with my first baby and controlled it easily with diet. I had to test my blood 4 times a day. I did notice that taking a walk before or after eating had a huge effect. It helped as much as controlling what I ate.