Gestational diabetes support thread

[NoRoomForALittleOne]

I thought I'd start a support thread for those of us being tested, just diagnosed or being treated for GDM.

So collapse on a sofa, grab a low carb snack and come and chat about blood tests, finger pricks, diet changes, medication and birth plans...

Hi, I'm not yet pregnant but ttc no3 and have had gd in both my previous pregnancy (was insulin dependent from 16weeks last time).
Hopefully be joining you in a few months (been told to start diet from conception this time).

To give you my basic info, I'm 27 weeks with DC5 and was diagnosed with GDM for the first time ever a week ago. My fasting results were just over the threshold for diagnosis where I live. I've been testing my blood glucose levels four times a day for the past three days and have been prescribed insulin today for nighttime ony because my fasting levels are too high...

Have they not suggested the diet during TTC, Tarka? Insulin at 16 weeks is pretty hardcore from my understanding.

I think I'll be joining you. I had GD in my last pregnancy, diagnosed quite late after a urine test picked up high sugar levels. I had my midwife booking-in appointment yesterday (I am 10 weeks pg) and had high levels of sugar in my urine :( I will have a GTT at 16 weeks.

So I ought to start being careful with diet now. But i find it so HARD. Which is probably how I ended up with a BMI of 33 in the first place :(

I find the diet annoying and my BMI was 22 before I had hyperemesis. I've hardly had to change my diet at all but knowing that I can't have whatever I want whenever I want it is annoying!

Hi all! Great to see this thread! Ive been diagnosed with GDM a week ago and im finding it the same not being able to have what u want when u want is hard! Can anyone recommend food ideas? This is the first time and i have absolutely no idea about it all! Does this also affect your birth plan?

I believe it is recommended that you give birth in hospital in case the baby drops it's blood sugar or has respiratory distress and needs the neonatal unit. Birthing a large baby is also a potential factor to consider although hopefully with treatment none of this will be a worry. As far as I'm aware, most hospitals want you to have continuous monitoring do that rules out a pool birth and you need to be consultant led so most midwife led units won't accept you. Some hospitals insist on obstetrician and neonatologist being on hand at the birth. Some hospitals, however, are pretty relaxed if you are just diet controlled. I think it really depends on what your blood sugars are doing throughout pregnancy. I also know that some hospitals insist on induction/c-section at 38 weeks (in case the placenta deteriorated after that and causes a stillbirth) whereas others make a decision based on your treatment, blood sugars, baby's growth etc.

Noroom I am trying to be a bit careful whilst ttc but my postnatal gtt was fine so in theory I should be able to process sugar normally.

I was induced at 38 weeks with both of mine because of needing medication to control blood sugars, baby otherwise growing fine etc.

Diet wise it's all about managing carb intake. Baby needs you to have some carbs to grow but they will raise your blood sugar so need to be limited. Protein is your friend as it helps you cope with the carbs - eg pb on toast better than just toast. Sugar free jelly makes a safe sweet treat if you're craving sugar.

I've just added some peanut butter to my order as I'd forgotten that I wanted some!

Well, I actually want marmalade, but peanut butter will do!

Can I join? My gtt test was 0.2 over for baseline, but as there is family history of diabetes they want to monitor my blood. I've been pricking my finger for a week so far and have only had one morning ready a bit over, by 0.1.

I've been eating toast with peanut butter, glass of milk and banana for breakfast / soup, oatcakes, fruit for lunch / fish or chicken and veg for dinner with sweet potato. Worried I'll end up eating the same thing for the next 8 weeks as it seems to be working, fingers crossed.

I'm 32 weeks and trying not to panic about the coming weeks or use Dr Google....

Joining!

My GTT was slightly over so I now have GD. Been testing since Tuesday - blood sugar levels been mostly ok but not always - I don't really understand it, I had almost the same for dinner 2 nights running and one reading was 5.3 and the other was 7.9??

My hospital will induce at 40 weeks if it's diet controlled but earlier if any drugs are needed. And even if I go into labour naturally they won't let me use the MLU and will make me stay for 24+ hours post birth to monitor blood sugar.

I have been told to test 1 hr after meals - does anyone know if that's 1 hour from the start of the meal or the end? I quite often "graze" so could be eating over quite a long time.

I test an hour from the end of the meal.

I also was only 0.2 over the cut off on my GTT but my fasting levels first thing are all high hence why I've been prescribed insulin for overnight.

Oh and I've noticed how the same meal can have a worse effect one day than another. It's weird. In fact today my post-meal blood sugars have all been amazingly low. I have no idea why. I'm wondering what the morning will bring. As long as it is over my target, I'll start the insulin tomorrow. Can't say that I'm looking forward to it...

Hello everybody, thought I would join you too. Had gd (insulin dependent from 29 weeks) with my dd three years ago, and I've just been diagnosed again at 27 weeks with this pregnancy. Initially thought I had escaped it this time as I had a Gtt at 24 weeks that came back absolutely fine (fasting 4.2, 2 hour 4.5) but consultant insisted I should have another Gtt at 27 weeks just in case as my gd was way out of control with dd (despite being on an almost carbless diet by the time I was induced @ 38 weeks). Second Gtt came back: fasting 4.6, 2 hours 9.4 so been officially diagnosed this week.

Today was my first day of monitoring and had 8.1 two hours after lunch, gutted as it wasn't even a 'bad' lunch, turkey sandwich on granary bread and low sugar full fat plain yogurt. Dinner was better (6.4 after 2 hrs) but I had a tiny portion and am now starving before bedtime so had to have a little bedtime snack (will see how fasting results are in morning).

I think it may take me a few days to get back into the gd swing of things. Good luck to all of you with your gd.

Can I join please? I'm currently 33 weeks with dc3 - I've had GD in my previous pregnancies. I'm taking Metformin but am finding I can tolerate less foods than in my previous pregnancies. I'm due a c section at 36 weeks due to placenta previa but am seriously craving some chocolate tonight!

Morning All. Iliveonabuildsite if your levels are that bad after so little food then surely it would be better to have meds and be able to eat a more normal amount of food. As long as you are making consistently good choices and recording your levels then you have done everything you can with diet.

For those of you who do or have inject(ed) insulin, do you have any top tips for me before I start tonight? I'm not too worried about doing the injection (not loving the idea though) but I am a bit worried about risking a hypo.

Can I join in too please, am 13 +5 and had GD in my last pregnancy, due my GTT in a couple of weeks but have already been checking to make sure I know where I am up to. Managed to stay very controlled with diet and metformin last time and DS was only 6lb 11oz. Am just hoping this time is similar!

6lb 11oz sounds like a nice weight to me. I was given the GTT because DD3 was 9lb 13oz when she was born at 38+6 and she had a shoulder dystocia. I'm hoping to avoid that this time. There's nothing like remembering DD3's birth as a motivation to keep the GDM under control. I do wonder if I'm headed straight for a c section with a previous shoulder dystocia and now being put on insulin. I hope that I can manage a vaginal delivery at 38 weeks.

Noroom
Take a sandwich and a bag of sweets up with you tonight and keep your testing stuff by the bed. I had a few nighttime hypos. They would always wake me up and I would be incredibly bad tempered. So if you start raging in the night it's worth testing. Tbh I quite enjoyed the chance to eat a couple of sweets/chocolate guilt free.

I agree about my levels and being on some treatment NoRoom but I was with a different trust last time and where I am now they seemed doubtful that my levels were so out of control so quickly (despite a good gd diet on my part) and want to see how I get on for a week before changing anything. This morning my fasting results were 5.4, so not super high but still above my target.

As for insulin, my experience (from last pregnancy)of hypos in the night are similar to Tarka's just make sure you have you testing stuff with you at night and a quick sugar boost snack by your bed if you need it. I had a few hypos when on insulin last time. Also they might have told you to inject either in thighs on side of stomach? That's what they told me, I personally found that injecting in my stomach was very painful and gave me very large bruises because of how taunt my skin was, particularly at the end. I had no pain or issue at all with injecting in thighs though. Might be something worth bearing in mind.

Morning ladies, I am 15+5 with DC3.

I had my 12 week scan a couple of weeks ago and was put forward a week (they say baby is bigger than what I thought, although I am sure of when I ovulated)

M/W said I will need a GTT test as DD was born at 38 weeks weighing 8lb 2oz (which isn't even big!) and DS was 9lb at exactly 40 weeks.

I don't want the test and cannot see the point. Both of my children were born by c-section as will this one be (I had eclampsia in labour (seizures) with DS)

Am I being silly to refuse the test? I feel like I have enough going on without added complications.

This is only being tested for because both babies were born on the 92nd centile.

My Ex is 6ft 3 and they are both very tall children now (aged 12+7) so that would explain the weight? I am under 35.

Number3 have they explained the potential dangers from having untreated gd? They aren't all related to having to deliver a large baby. The placenta can age quicker and your baby can be at risk of hypoglycemia which can lead to neonatal death. I think there is also an increased risk of pre-eclampsia. Lots of people develop gd with no warning signs. In some countries everyone is tested as standard. It's definitely worth the three hours it takes to be tested. If you know you have gd you can control it and not be at higher risk from those things I mentioned above.

No, no one had explained that, they were just going on about bigger babies to deliver which I said was no issue as I am having a c-section.

I am very surprised they never mentioned the risks as I had eclampsia with DS and pre-eclampsia with DD.

I will defo do the test now - thank you for the info.