Just diagnosed with gestational diabetes - any experiences?

[inuinnit]

Hi all - I'm 30w with my second child and have just been diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

Was wondering if anyone has any experiences to share as I'm feeling pretty low about it! Was already feeling a bit overwhelmed trapped at home, trying to wfh with a 2 year old and nursery closing.

I've been trying to think positively and be grateful that I've so far have had a really uncomplicated pregnancy. Was also planning a nice home birth (after a really grim medicalised induction where I was in labour for a week last time), and now that feels like it's all changed.

Has also come as a bit of a shock as I've been fairly healthy and active in this pregnancy, much more so than my last one. Last pregnancy gained 25kg (when normally weigh 50kg), this one less and I'm eating much better and much more physically active as I'm running after/carrying a toddler all the time and walking a lot.

I've looked at the diet guidance and it's terrifying because it seems to involve eating like I usually do (high protein, fat ok, low carb, low sugar) but in tiny quantities that wouldn't normally keep me full even if I wasn't pregnant :(. Also my online shopping order which I of course had to put in a week ago for today just cancelled 80% of my items, including all the meat and veg, so will now be delivering basically one box of TAUNTING magnums and a bar of chocolate, neither of which I will be allowed to eat...

Has anyone been through this? Sorry to be so whiny, really want to snap out of it!

Hi,

I was diagnosed at 24 weeks (I'm now 38+2) - this was literally just before Xmas and like you, I was so down about it. But I changed my diet and read up on what I needed to do to ensure I wasn't putting baby at risk of complications. I used to exercise and continued doing this - which really helps.

I've incorporated snacks between meals to keep sugar levels stable and have cut some things out of my diet (normal milk, sugary foods). There's lots of substitutes and sugar free foods which you can still have. I've had to reduce the amount of carbs I eat and started to eat low GI foods and foods that don't increase blood sugar levels - eggs, veg, cheese, nuts. If you want any snack ideas, let me me know.

Have you been given a blood testing kit? If you're able to control it, everything will be ok x

I was diagnosed with GD about 4 weeks ago (I was 31 weeks) and was really shocked and devastated, especially as I’ve been craving sweet things throughout my pregnancy and have NEVER had to control my diet before. I was such a drama queen about it I actually burst into tears looking at a restaurant menu because I couldn’t figure out what would be ‘safe’ for me to eat, and then I had a growth scan which estimated the baby to be on track to be a 9lber and I felt even more gutted- to the point that I posted on here and got lots of support but also someone telling me not to be a wimp, lol.

The good news is I’ve actually got used to it way quicker than I expected! I still eat loads of the same things I did before, just with a smaller proportion of carbs per meal (spag bol with less pasta but a big dollop of meat for example, still enough to fill me up), sweetener in my tea/coffee and then nuts and cheese (Babybel) or a piece of fruit for snacks instead of biscuits and crisps. The hardest meal for me to keep sugar down weirdly is breakfast, so I’ve started having one piece of wholemeal toast with philadelphia and a slice of ham which seems to keep me below target. I’ve got a good appetite and if I’m ever worried about a meal not being filling enough I try to pad it out with salad on the side.

Remember that meat, eggs, nuts, cheese and vegetables are all absolutely fine so you can eat as much of those as you want. Stick to no more than 2 pieces of bread per meal (preferably wholemeal), or if your carb of choice is rice, pasta or potatoes keep it to one quarter of your plate. You can also exercise after meals (go for a walk or have a bounce on your birthing ball if you have one) if you think you might have overdone it.

I’m still diet controlled and my baby’s growth seems to have levelled out a bit (phew!), so overall I’m feeling much better about it and I’m sure you’ll adjust perfectly well too. Availability of certain products in shops is going to be a challenge given the C word situation but hopefully that will settle down.

Hope that helps and I haven’t patronised you! Take care xxx

Also I wanted to say don’t beat yourself up about it, I was obsessed about whether I’d brought it on myself because I’d had a sweet tooth and probably didn’t exercise enough throughout my first two trimesters- but I had loads of people tell me it can’t be caused by eating a lot of sugar or not exercising enough or whatever, it’s pretty much just bad luck xx

Hi thanks so much for the replies and sorry for the late reply - was trying to be less obsessive/anxious about it until I at least saw the nurse. You are both right, having the blood testing kit and seeing a path through to control it has made me much calmer.

I'm trying to look on the positive side now and have come up with:

• it will force me to eat better and exercise more, which can only be a good thing;
• it would be much harder if life was normal at the moment... planning meals and eating on strict schedule much easier since we're all stuck inside and no restaurants;
• nobody needs to eat a chocolate eclair for breakfast every day (this is what I do when I'm pregnant ) and this is probably the universe's way of telling me that.

@DHMB20 I was beating myself up a bit so thanks for saying that! I've spoken to some v fit people who had GD so definitely think it's luck not lifestyle. I did however read that there's a very high link between GD and sleep deprivation (much much higher risk if you have less than 6.25 hrs sleep a night) and that also made sense to me - have a toddler who never sleeps so can see how that could also throw your system out of whack.

@mumma2b2020 congrats you are so close to the end! Have you made decisions about your birth plan? I saw the nurse today but she said it's all up in the air at the moment due to the CV situation and there's a huge chance that a few months some of the options (e.g. birthing centre) might be closed, so best to keep an open mind.

@inuinnit I gave birth on Saturday and now back at home with DD and DH ☺️

More specifically regarding the gestational diabetes and controlling this throughout the pregnancy, DD was teeny and weighed 5lbs 13 and is all healthy. So please do not get worried by ppl saying babies are bigger if you have gestational diabetes - yes if you don't control it then I'm sure they are but if you do what you need to then it will be fine.

Have you thought about your birth plan? x

Awww congratulations @mumma2b20!!! And what a teeny little baby! Did you have any estimates on baby’s weight from growth scans along the way? How did they compare to reality? I’ve been told growth scan estimates can either be scarily accurate or way off so just wondering what your experience has been. Also how was your birth experience given the CV issue? Were you able to stick to your birth plan? xx

@DHMB20 thank you! We had a scan 2 weeks before I gave birth and they said she was 5lbs 10 then which wouldn't have been accurate as she was 5lbs 13 when she arrived! They generally say growth scans aren't accurate anyway so I tried not to get too caught up on them but inevitably you can't help but be guided by them slightly!

My birth experience was amazing, the NHS staff are amazing. I must admit I didn't even think of CV whilst I was in hospital.

I didn't have a birth plan really, I went in with a very open mind about the birth in general and pain relief. Ended up delivering DD by forceps as she was back to back which made my contractions quite painful at times!

When are you due? How are you feeling with the CV stuff? x

@mumma2b2020 amazing, soo glad you still had a positive experience despite all this!! I’ve got a very open mind in terms of birth plan too, hoping to just take it step by step and see what happens. I’m only 36+2 (due 20 April) and first baby so got a while yet!!

Feeling a bit worried about CV as not sure how it’ll develop over the next few weeks, but just have to try and stay relaxed about it- the baby will come when she’s ready either way and I know it’ll be easier if I try to say calm. I mainly feel bad for my family because they’re sooo excited about me finally having a baby and now they possibly won’t be able to meet her for a while, but the main priority is that she’s healthy.

Thanks for the reassurance, nothing can be more helpful than talking to someone in the same situation! Xxx

I had this and remained diet controlled from 32 weeks to 39+2 when I was induced (for a non GD related reason!). I was on track for a water birth and everything, they work in a case by case basis at my hospital and they were happy for me to birth how I wanted. Baby was a normal 7lb 14oz and sugars were fine. You should get a blood monitor, a low carb high fat diet is better. There is an excellent Facebook group called "Gestational Diabetes UK" some great tips on there. Congratulations on your pregnancy!

@DHMB20 hopefully a while but you just never know! Is baby engaged?

Yes please try and stay calm although I know it's so difficult to in times like this. Ahh I know..it's heartbreaking. We were advised by the midwifes to have no visitors physically come into the house so we've had some of the family over before the lockdown but they were in the garden and we were in the lounge. Such sad times but we have to protect each other and get through this awful time.

How are you finding controlling the diabetes? xx

@mumma2b2020 aww bless you having to keep separate from visitors :( you’re so right though- we just need to think of the greater good and come through it as best we can.

At my midwife appointment on 4th March she said baby’s head had started to move down into the pelvis and she said this was really good, then at the growth scan on 18th March I was told baby is still head down and facing my back, also good! But I know they don’t always stay put and from baby’s movements I can’t ever figure out whether I’m feeling her bum or a foot or an elbow or lord knows what else sticking out!

I’ve been handling the diabetes better than I expected actually! There are foods I’m really missing but to be fair they are all unhealthy (chocolate hobnobs for example!!!) and it’s better if I train myself out of eating them anyway.. just hope it goes away after pregnancy and it doesn’t cause any issues with baby’s blood sugar.

Is this baby your first? How are you coping with everything? Are you breastfeeding and if so is it going ok? I can’t quite imagine my life with a little baby!!