Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Gestational diabetes support thread

859 replies

NoRoomForALittleOne · 29/01/2015 18:12

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...

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
longestlurkerever · 04/03/2015 22:36

5.5 after another curry. Think I might have to make it my staple food! Have been needing the loo a lot today though, despite sugar levels being fine. Just a pregnancy thing or should I be concerned, do you think?

longestlurkerever · 04/03/2015 22:37

Ps thanks for the recipe. They sound delicious. Is honey ok then if offset by the fibre?

longestlurkerever · 05/03/2015 09:29

By the way, does anyone have any tips for getting more blood when using the finger prick thingy? When the mw did it on me it worked first time on the lowest setting but I keep getting very small drops even on the higher settings, then the strip comes up with an error message and I have to bin it (I think? Can't work out how to get the error message to disappear) and try again. Every test is taking me about 10 stabs and I'm getting through loads of needles and strips.

TinyTear · 05/03/2015 09:49

i have my pricky think on setting 4, and end up squeezing the finger a bit...
i found if the finger is too cold the blood won't flow as well

do you want to meet for lunch on Monday? I can show you my stuff...

minipie · 05/03/2015 10:03

I have trouble getting enough blood out too. I have the pricky thing Grin on the highest setting. Some bits of my fingers work better than others (generally if it hurts more I get more blood Hmm) so it's a bit of trial and error on where works best for you. also bending and waggling the finger often helps, not sure if this has the same issue as squeezing but hope not. definitely don't try the strip until you're sure you have a nice blood drop! I've wasted a couple that way.

I want a curry now...

Ellizardo · 05/03/2015 10:03

Lurk - yes think all the natural sweet stuff counterbalanced by the fibre.
I have mine set on four as well and massage my finger if it's taking a while, otherwise like you I have to bin it if there's not enough. How high a setting have you gone? Is the skin quite thick on yr fingers? I find the pinkie quite good and effusive!
Must try a curry!

longestlurkerever · 05/03/2015 10:41

Thanks. Will try the massage and the highest setting (am on 4 but was confused as mw got it to work on setting 1). Glad I am not the only one having trouble!

Lunch sounds good tiny and I am going to be right next to our favoured pret for a meeting at 2 on Mon so would be perfect except that I have already agreed to have lunch with a colleague! Will see if I can move that and get back to you. Otherwise later in the week?

TinyTear · 05/03/2015 10:47

later i can do tuesday only, as wednesday have a team farewell lunch and then I AM OOOOOFFFFFFFFF!!!!!! woohooo! maternity leeeeave!!!

longestlurkerever · 05/03/2015 14:10

Ooh mat leave, exciting!

Shit, post lunch reading was 9.4. I had a decaff coffee with milk after lunch which I was still drinking till 5 mins before the test - would that be why? I thought I was being good with salad (mostly lentils and beans with a boiled egg and other veg) and soup but dh thinks the work soup might be full of flour.

TinyTear · 05/03/2015 14:13

Yes! That would be why!
Usually I get to work, do my breakfast reading as commute takes me to about 1h10 after breakfast and then have my coffee...

The other day I got to work, got my coffee and did my test halfway through my latte and had 8.4 instead of the usual 6.0...

Main thing they told me is when you have a bad reading, write it down in your book, so when they ask you you can say, i had this bad reading because bla bla and show them you did different things to change it afterwards...

longestlurkerever · 05/03/2015 14:16

Thanks tiny. Coffee later it is.

Ellizardo · 05/03/2015 14:41

Why is coffee bad? Or is it the milk in it?

TinyTear · 05/03/2015 14:43

i would think the milk as I don't add sugar or sweeteners or anything to it, just a small latte from the work machine... and only have one a day

TarkaTheOtter · 05/03/2015 14:46

For those struggling to get blood out, I found washing hands in hot water helped. Also drink lots of fluids.

minipie · 05/03/2015 14:48

Could be sugar in the soup lurker or could be the coffee. I think in theory we are not supposed to have anything except water (or I guess milk free tea or coffee) for the hour between end of meal and testing time. I find that really difficult though especially post dinner.

longestlurkerever · 05/03/2015 15:28

Think I will avoid soup too. Coffee had no sugar and only a bit of milk.

Tmi but I am now feeling quite constipated and there was blood when I went to the loo which scared me till i realised it was from back passage. Could be a coincidence as know it's common in pregnancy but it could be a side effect of the diet as it's a new symptom for me. Any tips? Prunes are on the list of low gi fruit so wondering about adding those to porridge or snack.

WorkingBling · 05/03/2015 15:51

With your salad don't forget lentils and beans are carbs. And the dressing often has vinegar or sugar type things in it. Soup might have flour but more likely it's also got things like potatoe to thicken it. Also peas and green beans are carby.

I am actually having a scone. With just a hint of jam. I am feelibg really down and things are hard today. Just tired and a by stressed about everything I have to do before baby next week. Am I likely to be first? Induction booked for next Friday.

WorkingBling · 05/03/2015 15:52

Lurker - do you have piles? Is there anything worse than pregnancy piles? And they can bleed, especially if a bit constipated.

LIG1979 · 05/03/2015 15:58

lurker I wash my hands before doing the test (just incase there is glucose somewhere) and if I use cold water have lots of trouble with getting blood so I use hot water and that helps. I also often pulse around the area to get the blood to flow. I have also had backpassage issues recently and have piles now Sad - I have however still been eating fruit but staying away from high gi fruit like pineapple and mango.

Interesting about the hot drinks. I have been drinking tea in the gap between eating and testing and not worrying about it. I actually keep a food diary but only note in the diabetic workbook the meals that cause me to go over. It did mean I could explain any peaks such as my take away pizza and cake which went up to 8.7 - my comment from the diabetic nurse is that she was impressed it didn't go higher. I had one or two I couldn't explain except for lack of snacks and she suggested stress could cause the levels to rise which sort of makes sense as I was too stressed/busy to snack.

mini I didn't realise quite how much I grazed until I tried to not eat for an hour after meals.

I was quite happy with my doctor's appointment but I am not that keen on a waterbirth so didn't push the MLU. I am sort of thinking about an epidural if I have to stay after the birth as my main reason for only gas and air was more so I could leave immediately. ellizardo I would kill for a private room but where I am they are very sought after and last time there were none available post birth. I think I would be much happier staying if I could have a private room. My mum (bless her) said at least I can rest and recover following the birth if I have to stay but not sure she is aware of the reality of a maternity ward as my dad was a doctor at the hospital as so my mum got practically private care when my sister and I were born and things were very different those days.

LIG1979 · 05/03/2015 16:00

working sorry you are feeling down. Can you go for a brisk walk to reduce your sugar levels. I find that helps if I eat something that I think will cause it to go high. I think like mini I try and work the system to enjoy bad things and then walk it off.

longestlurkerever · 05/03/2015 16:06

working is that right? I thought lentils and beans were protein and therefore good? There was no dressing on the salad but think I will avoid soup. Bit depressing that my levels can rise so much with the odd carb. Who knows what would happen if I dug into all the sweets that are scattered round my office and everyone else is snacking on without a second thought.

I wasn't aware I had piles but guess I must. Joy.

Sorry you're feeling down. Not long to go!

Thanks for all the tips. I found the massaging helped but still a bit tricky as blood flowed rather than pooled and wasn't taken up very well by the strip.

longestlurkerever · 05/03/2015 16:17

Looked it up and lentils and beans are half protein, half carb. Meant to be low GI and allegedly a good choice for a low carb diet.

minipie · 05/03/2015 16:25

Lentils and beans contain mostly carb with a bit of protein. But they are very low GI carb so you'd have to eat a really big portions of them for that to be causing a spike Id say... sugar/flour/potato in the soup seems the most likely. Also if you hadn't had a mid morning snack that would also make a spike more likely IME.

Instead of avoiding soup altogether could you ask in future whether it has sugar etc in it? I've lived off pret soups recently, they all say their sugar carb and protein content in the shelf which is very helpful.

Oh and Yes do wash your hands before testing it makes a huge difference!

Blood might just be a tiny tear rather than piles! Prunes are ok in moderation but drinking loads of fluid and having plenty of fruit (apples are good, lots of fibre) and veg and exercise is the best bet...

LIG now I want pizza and cake, dammit! I am thinking probably epidural if I get induced and probably not if I go naturally... which now is hopefully more likely given the new 40+6 induction recommendation (though I have yet to discuss that with hospital, but they can't disagree with the latest NICE view right?!)

Ellizardo · 05/03/2015 16:38

Lurk - definitely eat dried prunes/dates for constipation. Also, I've found the iron tablets I've been taking for my mild anaemia (even just one a day) cause constipation too..or certainly more difficulty in that area than normal!

Working - really understand how you're feeling. Think having a walk is a great idea. I've also started downloading iplayer docs and programmes for hospital, just to keep some kind of focus...and I'm just behind you on the induction - I'm going in on the Monday 16th. The sooner we're in, the sooner we're out!

WorkingBling · 05/03/2015 18:00

Thanks everyone. Feel a bit better and did have a bit of a walk. Ears are blocked now. Sigh!

My dietician was of the opinion that the Amount of carbs I could consume didn't vary much but that I could be a bit more flexible with low gi. So I tend to take view that if eatin very low gi I can perhaps go closer to the 40g limit but bread etc needs to be much more like 30. She warned me about peas and chickpeas too

The problem with eating out is the hidden carbs - they sugar, honey, tomatoe to flavour things, flour or potato to thicken things, the sneaky bite of your friends fries.... It's really tough. I can't wait to just go out and order whatever I like. I had roast chicken and new potatoes at the pub the other day - delicious, but I really wanted the burger!!

Swipe left for the next trending thread