Gestational Diabetes

[clairehr]

Hi all,

I'm 28 weeks and have just been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Currently awaiting first appointment, but isn't until next week.

Just looking for words of wisdom/support/advice from anyone who has been in the situation 😊

I was told by the diabetes nur se that high fasting levels cannot be improved with diet and have to be medicated.

I’ve had GD since about 10 weeks.

My diet is really varied. Which helps with sticking to it. I only have supper if I feel like it as it doesn’t impact on my fast levels.

Yesterday
Low gi toast w cottage cheese and banana
Crackers with hummus
Lamb curry and rice
Mang tout w dip and chocolate biscuits
Steak salad and fries
Apple and cereal bar

Just to add I take insulin overnight for fasting and only need insulin at meals if it’s high carb. I’ve found the flexibility of the insulin helps me manage eating out. Although I still need to be careful I had pastries at lunch on Wednesday took insulin and was still over. I just don’t tolerate white flour.

@clairehr
That's one thing which frustrates me too! My fasting sugars are often higher than 2 hour post-meal. Eating different snacks before bed didn't work for me, they raised the levels even higher :(. The only thing that really seems to make a difference is basically fasting for 12-14 hours. So if I eat dinner earlyish (7pm) and then go to bed with a post prandial value of less than 5.5, then the morning reading is usually very good. My current method is just to eat a huge dinner with lots of meat, fat & veg so I don't get too hungry until bed and can skip the late-night snack.

However the hospital nutritionist also said that too much fasting is obviously not good, especially in pregnancy! She didn't seem too concerned with higher morning values...said it's the post prandial ones which matter more. The critical limit is basically 7.8mmol, regularly going above that is when glucose levels become dangerous to you and the baby. It's highly unlikely that fasting values can ever reach 7.8, however post-prandial ones may spike above that. Ideally, levels should always be under 6.7, which don't post any threat to the baby.

I think that hydration also makes a difference so I drink a large glass of water after waking up and then wait about 30mins to measure. This dilutes your blood so the glucose is less concentrated.

@orangejuicer did they no offer to induce you?

Thanks so much for all your help above, saw consultant on Friday and they're happy for me to stay diet controlled for now. Have managed to keep my fasting levels in control at the moment so keeping fingers crossed I can continue 😊

Excellent OP! My DS came early at exactly 37 weeks last Friday, I wanted to reassure you that his sugars were perfect at every test after birth and mine went straight back to normal even an hour after a long difficult labour and despite the jam and toast they give you straight after birth!

@MrsStrowman Oh my gosh, huge congratulations to you!!!! So pleased little one is happy and healthy.

I have my first growth scan this Friday to check baby is doing ok, just keeping fingers crossed that we can do what you've managed to!

Enjoy your bundle and all the best for the future!

Is anyone pretty slack with the blood glucose testing. I hate doing it and find it really hard to psyche myself up doing it but I have been doing it on and off since diagnosis 3 weeks ago. My levels are pretty consistent so I'm just mostly changing diet and still testing but only some days or if I have eaten something new. Does anyone else do this? I find I can not tolerate much bread but can often eat porridge or chocolate etc and be ok. Pasta is a bit of a no. Great recipe ideas from previous posters. This is my third baby but first time with GD x

@Cloud9889 I was really on it with my first, never did anything wrong, the I started noticing other women at diabetic clinic eating chocolate and drinking full sugar coke and thinking WTF? 😂 I wasn't so strict after that

I've been really strict with mine to be honest as the complications that can arise from poorly controlled blood sugars scare the living daylights out of me, I know I personally couldn't bear the 'what ifs' should anything go wrong, or the worst happen, so I want to know where I'm sitting and what I'm doing right or wrong at the moment. Think everyone tackles it differently though :)

@clairehr luckily for me my blood sugar was always on point other than the morning one 😩

I've been very strict with myself since I'm worried about falling off the wagon. If I give in to one treat then it might start happening more often until all the good work has been undone :(. I'm less worried about the baby at this stage since all scans are good but more about being able to keep a healthy and disciplined diet well after pregnancy.

I never thought I could detox from sugar and I'm quite irrationally proud to have done it. Now I realise it needs to be a long-term commitment to avoid being the 50% who end up with type 2 diabetes, which is a really scary thought. If I fall back into my old eating habits after birth then it'll be like playing with fire.

I've also been super strict with both diet and testing. I've not had a blood level over 7 yet.

That said, this is an IVF pregnancy after three years trying and a miscarriage and I can't bear the thought that something might go wrong.

I feel a bit cheeky for not testing so much. How often and when do you all tests? I think I might try and test most days 1 hour after eating. My before meals levels have never been high unless I have snacked a lot so might not do those as it is causing me stress too much testing

I test my fasting levels on waking and then an hour after each meal - from the end of the meal. So four times a day.

I eat three small meals a day and three balanced snacks. I'm never actually hungry, which I hate, and I feel horribly infantalised by the constant snacking/carrying food with me. My preference is to eat two to three meals a day no snacks.

I'm exactly the same as silver, I test on waking and an hour after each meal. I try to have a small amount of complex carbs with each meal (except I can't tolerate any at breakfast.).

I'm strict with myself now because I've lost babies and couldn't bear to lose another potentially due to something I have/haven't done properly. It also gets progressively worse as pregnancy continues so something I tolerate now, in a week or two I may not, if I don't test I won't know, if I don't know I can't keep levels stable which is what affects baby, can mean they don't pass their bloods after birth and can cause issues for me.

I think not what @clairehr says is really important, tolerance to food can change over time. You could be fine with a wholemeal wrap one week and not the next. If you don't test everytime you eat, you're not going to know.

The other thing that's super important is low levels. Fasting levels of 2 or lower can indicate placenta and cord failure. It's rare, but can be a side effect of gestational diabetes. You need to keep an eye on that as well.

Sorry, that should read "I think what" no idea where the random not came from.

HJWT no, we discussed it as a possible option early on but with the GD and his size we all agreed on ELCS at my 36w appt. Definitely the best choice for me. We were in briefly the night before delivery and a lady was being induced at the timr. It did not sound fun

clairehr you sound like you are doing your best. You can do this and your GD team will help you.

Omg I am just failing miserably . I’ve been invited to so many parties and struggling not to eat my body weight in chocolate. I was spot on for breakfast. Tested before and after and numbers fine but due to choc binge I’m not gonna test until after dinner as it’s too late anyway. Everyone on here seems so good. I don’t know if it’s coz it’s my third baby and most of my readings are fairly normal that I’m being slack - I need a kick up the bum! Healthy tea for me tonight but it’s the snacks and lunch I find hard

It can take me up to 10-15 minutes to do a reading too as I’m scared of the needle #big woos

@Cloud9889 would some "acceptable" snack ideas help you feel less deprived?

For example all of the below are on my snack list and none of them cause sugar spikes (in me anyway)

Options hot chocolate with spray cream
Hobnobs with Philadelphia cheese
Chocolate chip Nairn oatcakes with a slice of cheddar and a square of dark chocolate
Single stick of kinder Bueno

Thanks that is really useful. I’ve had a good healthy stir fry for tea with noodles and still only 6 for my post dinner reading so pleased with that. I think i can def tolerate the odd biscuit etc it’s just I’ve noticed I’d say I had some pasta and a biscuit that would cause some problems !

That's great @Cloud9889, well done for testing as it must be hard when you're scared of needles.

You need slow release complex carbs at each meal - sweet potatoes, brown rice, wholemeal pasta - and you need fats cheese, yogurt (Greek whole fat) humus, avocado, cream etc to combine with your protein and veg. That'll give you nice even readings. Mix the not so good snacks in with a handful of nuts, humus and carrot sticks, a small bunch of grapes with a slice of cheese and you'll be away.

The only way this works for me is taking food with me for each meal and snack while I'm at work. If I don't prepare then things go downhill.

www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk is a great resource. Have a read - the advice isn't what the NHS usually say, but it really works.