Question about gestational diabetes

[Secretlifeofme]

Had a GTT today and it looks as though I have gestational diabetes :( Due to see docs this week to discuss but I have a question and wonder if anyone can help. Can I literally never have any 'treat' food until after I give birth, or is it ok to have, say, one bowl of ice cream per week?

I'm the same chick they said my bmi is high and I have to have this test on the 6th . They are saying I'm not healthy ... So heres me thinking would they rather me be under weight and the baby not to grow to a healthy size of I be Abit fat and the baby be healthy ... although it may cause complications when I give birth as long as ik the baby is healthy I'm eating the right foods while I'm pregnant the baby is fine I just ignore them you do you .

I was diagnosed Friday at 37 weeks. At clinic today I was recommended a book and app called carbs and Cal's. The only exciting thing was that I can eat strawberries and cream but a portion is a handful, and homemade ice lollies using diet lemonade?! I have been told if it cannot be controlled they will take me in for induction. Good luck, it is hard work!

I'm 27 weeks. Just worried about my ability to last without for another 13 weeks tbh!

I was diagnosed a month or so ago and have been able to control it with diet so far. Once I found what makes me ‘spike’/gives me high readings it has got easier. I also found going for a walk at least once a day has helped to keep my readings down.

The dietician suggested bran flakes, porridge and certain types of bread, as well as some other carb options but I can’t seem to handle these. I can however have meals such as lasagne and filled pasta, as long as I have them with salad. I can usually have a few treats (e.g. few of squares of choc) after a main meal and stay in range.

I had gd in my last pregnancy, it’s was diet controlled and absolutely fine. Yes you have to restrict what you eat but I found that as I knew I was doing it for my baby it was easy.

There is a website/Facebook page called Gestational Diabetes UK Mums which I highly recommend, loads of advice, recipes etc.

As for ice cream, you can get low sugar, high protein ice cream (Halo Top for eg) which you can eat if you “pair” it with more protein, eg full fat cream.

So although you have to cut down on carbs and sugar, you can eat higher fat foods, so fill your boots with all the cheese!

Honestly it’s not as bad as you think, it’s for the good of the baby and as a bonus I didn’t gain any pregnancy weight.

To the PP up thread who says they plan to ignore the advice of a health professional, well that’s just fucking stupid, why would you put your baby’s and own health at risk for the sake of a piece of cake

Thank you I have had a look at that website and it looks great! The only snag is that I don't live in the UK and so quite a lot of things (like the Halo Top ice cream which sounds fantastic!) are not available here, sadly. But maybe it isn't as bad as I feared... I really like cheese and cream

Hello, I had it and was able to control it via diet. I could still have treats but specific brands and amounts. Your GD educator should tell you what you can have. I'm not in the uk either. Goodluck with your pregnancy x

I had this. You'll need to learn what food spikes your blood sugar levels, some people are more tolerant. I found I could have one slice of wholewheat bread and 50g of complex carbs (sweet potato or brown rice). No sugar at all. Even then I ended up on overnight and after meal insulin. My treat was Halo ice cream occasionally. I didn't make them but the GD Facebook group also has treat recipes such as brownies which don't include sugar or many carbs.

I just ignore them you do you .

@rosie1998 this is such appallingly bad advice, and very dangerous! You can't just 'ignore' medical practitioners and go on your merry way, putting your baby at risk. If I were you, I'd have a good hard think about the sort of advice I post on here.

So I went to the docs and now I am even more confused... She didn't diagnose me with GD but seemed to imply that she thought the result might be an anomaly, based on the fact that my scans have all shown normal growth and my weight gain in pregnancy has apparently been 'perfect'. She also suggested that if I have a healthy diet there might not be a problem. I was asked to do pin prick tests 4 times a day for a week and then to send the results in. I have now done this for 2 days and results have all been well within the normal range. My question is, do I have GD or not? I'm not in the UK so I wonder if procedures are different here. If I go the whole week with no spikes in my blood sugar, what do you think this will mean for my future treatment?

I’m in the same boat as you. I was diagnosed about 6 weeks ago but since then my scans have all shown baby’s growth to be totally normal and my finger prick tests have almost all come within range unless it’s been a special occasion/meal out. I’ve mainly cut down on how much fruit I was eating, down to maximum 2 pieces a day. I’ve actually been struggling to eat for most of my pregnancy anyway so I guess that’s helping, I think baby must be squeezing on my stomach. As long as they’re happy with baby’s growth at the next growth scan and you’re not overdoing the sugar and carbs it’s very manageable

Thanks @sarahelizabeth99, so do you still have to do constant finger prick tests? And are you 'allowed' to have the odd meal off, even though it creates a spike?

The thing is, secretlife, your baby doesn't get a day off from being in the womb, they are relying on you not to send them too much sugar as if they get too much they have to produce more insulin for themselves which is a growth hormone.

If you failed the GTT then you have GD - it's a progressive condition so will probably get worse as you go on. If you keep diet controlled, that's fantastic but if your levels get worse (the overnight fasting levels are the hardest to control as they are hormone driven), then medication such as Metformin or insulin will help keep them within targets.

Please look up the Gestational Diabetes UK website (it's on the front of your orange notes) and the Gestational Diabetes UK Mums Facebook group, there's so much helpful information. Great recipes too, including a fantastic chocolate cheesecake and chocolate brownie recipe, so you can have some treats!

Often the NHS advice re diet isn't really suitable for GD, as most women can't tolerate things like cereal, many fruits and toast, which the NHS advice promotes. I have kept my mealtime levels within target by following the '8 golden rules' like eating slow release carbs paired with fats and protein, drinking lots of water, walking after meals where possible. It's just my fasting levels which I have struggled to keep under target without medication.

I'm 35 weeks now and been diagnosed since 27 weeks - it's been really tough at times but I want to make sure my baby arrives as healthy as possible so that gives me the motivation to keep going.

That test is well known for false positives and this is why pregnant women are not tested in the UK routinely, only if you tick one of the criteria boxes.
If GP said you are fine then that should be eat. Just try to eat sensibly.
pathways.nice.org.uk/pathways/diabetes-in-pregnancy/gestational-diabetes-risk-assessment-testing-diagnosis-and-management.pdf

If you failed the GTT then you have GD
Not true. Again, lots of false positives which is why GO has told OP to do the finger test.
I sent the guidelines above.

OP, do the test as await for GP decision, eat healthily and wait for diagnosis.

A study on the test here too
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5032920/

@clottedcreamoverjam thanks for that pdf, very useful! do you know what precisely is meant by glucose targets 'not being met'? Does it mean no spikes at all in 1-2 weeks, or only a couple?

It seems to me your doctor was talking utter nonsense. It's not because baby isn't overly large and you're not excessively gain weight that you can't have GD.

If I were you, I'd ask for the blood results and see what the values are. If you're only slightly over, I wouldn't worry because they seem to be reducing the 'normal' values all the time to catch more people in the net (they are now lower than the normal values for non-pregnant women). I'd submit the values and then see what happens. As you've got the stuff to measure, I'd measure occasionally to check afterwards.

@Secretlifeofme it depends on your finger prick tests. Mine came back fine so doctor said just to do after meals now whereas first 2 weeks I had to do 7 times a day. It depends on your own results what they would advise you to do. Similarly as my results have been ok I’ve been allowing myself some treats every so often, and even with a smallish ice cream or a biscuit I usually stay under the targets. I’d advise be strict for first couple of weeks at least to see how your body reacts to sugar and carbs and then go from there and how your growth scans are.

I can't find that but OP 🤔

Bit not but

I had it in my last pregnancy and managed to control it with just diet.

Stress caused my levels to rise more than food oddly but the diabetes nurse told me that's actually not uncommon.

You'll learn quite quickly what sort of food you can eat. Everybody is different. Also the more active you are the more carbs etc you can have.