Gestational diabetes levels

[elliemcx]

Hi everyone

Has anyone else recently been diagnosed with GD?

I was on Tuesday and got my pen thing to check the levels and a book on dietary recommendations.

So far today, i've eaten as they recommend, i'm supposed to be 5 after fasting before breakfast but was 5.8. I'm supposed to be 7 after breakfast but was 8. Yesterday's afternoon readings were fine. Because of Covid 19, they will be ringing me every two weeks to take the readings.

I'm wondering does anyone have any tips? or when do i start panicking?

Hey,
I got diagnosed last Monday and have been struggling. Bloods seem to do whatever they please and theres no real pattern to it. For example, i eat the same thing for breakfast most days yet my bloods give totally different readings each day.

Some women are able to control it but others have to go on medication. I have an appointment on Monday to assess how big baby is and if ill need metformin.

Just try not to worry about them, stick to foods that wont affect sugars too much (nhs website or diabetes uk has lots of meal ideas) and keep your chin up. I know how hard it is to remain positive when bloods go over the levels theyve set. You will get there!

Re fasting - are you having a before bed snack? If you are, cut that out (so just have dinner and that's it) and see what your bloods are like in the morning. That was the advice given to me today by the dietician as i struggle with my morning fasting one and breakfast readings the most. Mine are normally 5.2 - 5.8 fasting and breakfast anywhere between 6.5 - 8.8!

Here if you need any help or advice xx

I have the opposite advice from the pp! I have found my blood sugar rises in the night if I don't have a snack before bed. You need the snack to stabilise blood sugar levels. There is a name for it! I find porridge is good. I'm doing quite well managing my gd but i have made healthy changes to my diet and have cut out a lot of sugar that id normally be eating. Eating a lot more veg too.

Thanks for the information guys! I'll keep going as i am and see if there is a pattern forming. I haven't had a snack before bed yet, so may try a small handful of nuts. Do you know when they make decisions about induction or caesarean or will not not be until much later?

Hello, I had gestational diabetes when pregnant with my DS and as worried like you at first. However please don't worry as there is some really good support out there. Please look up the Gestational Diabetes UK website and facebook group. They were invaluable to me as the NHS advice is awful and outdated.

DelBelleber- porridge and other cereals are amongst the hardest foods for people with GD to tolerate. If your result is coming in on target it may be that you have had a big rise and crash. Please try and avoid cereals. The websites mentioned above will explain it far better than me.

And yes a snack before bed helps many people. I'd often have some nuts or cheese and a couple of crackers.

@Teakind porridge is slow realise and is a good of choice

@delbellebar I’m afraid it’s really not a good choice for gestational diabetes. Please read the following link: www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/breakfast-cereal/

@Teakind My dietician said porridge was a good choice, providing it works for you but needs to be tested first. She's the one who also said if you're having snacks at night and bloods are too high then this should be skipped. What works for some women doesnt for others 🤷🏻‍♀️. Seems that we've all received different advice from different places x

@LuluPCB yes it's all very confusing. Was your dietician working for the NHS? The NHS are wonderful in so many ways but the GD diet advice isn't great.

Have you had a look at the link I posted? The advice on there is amazing and has helped a lot of women control their blood sugars without medication.

Of course, as you say, what works for some may not work for others but cereals in particular are something to be very careful with.

@Teakind Yes, she's an NHS dietician.
I have taken a look at the link shared, didnt even know that site existed! But it's a huge help, thank you x

This is from the NHS website in relation to gestational diabetes....

eat starchy and low glycaemic index (GI) foods that release sugar slowly – such as wholewheat pasta, brown rice, granary bread, all-bran cereals, pulses, beans, lentils, muesli and plain porridge. eat plenty of fruit and vegetables – aim for at least 5 portions a day.

@Delbellebar yes, and as previously stated the NHS advice for gestational diabetes is outdated. Please have a look at the link I sent you. There’s some amazing advice on there and it’s all backed up.

For GD, you ideally need to pair foods. So you could eat a small amount of the foods mentioned above if you paired them well with proteins and fats. For example, you may be able to have one piece of wholemeal bread if served with butter and something like eggs/cheese/ham.

@LuluPDB great I’m so glad it was helpful! I signed up to the website to get access to the brownie recipe which kept me sane I think. I used to have it with Greek yoghurt for breakfast : )

If your experience is anything like mine then the first couple of weeks will be quite rough with blood sugars all over the place as you work out what you can and cannot eat. As PPs said, the gestational diabetes UK website and Facebook group are invaluable. The advice from them, and my own experience, is that it is absolutely vital to pair any carb with a high amount of fat and/or protein as this slows down the speed at which the carb is broken down. I am using the myfitnesspal app to track my carb, fat and protein intake and have found that I can keep my blood sugar stable so long as any meal or snack I eat contains at least as much protein or fat as carbs. Sadly, this means that cereals and toast are a complete no go breakfast for me. Instead I'm having Greek yogurt with berries or a small sprinkling of porridge oats. Or bacon and eggs :-) Staying well hydrated is also critical - the days I've had high fasting blood glucose is after days where my fluid intake has been quite low. I'm making a massive effort to increase my fluid intake and it really seems to be helping!

I have to agree with others.

Porridge gives me super high BS levels, as also Weetabix.

You might be one of the rare ladies who can tolerate it thou, but most can't.

It is a trial and error and you'll learn what works for your body or not.