How long did you have to monitor your blood sugar at home?

[december2020]

I'm 35 weeks pregnant and recently been told I've got Gestational Diabetes due to one blood sugar value being on the border and have been given a blood sugar machine to test my levels 4 times a day.
I got an emergency growth scan which came back with the baby in the 50th percentile and the tech saying he was super happy with everything he saw and measured.

I'm not entirely sure what all this means.
Has anyone gone through something similar? How long did you have to monitor your blood sugar levels at home for or is it for the rest of the pregnancy?
I'm on day 3, all my values are under the targets (I've made no dietary changes so far as wanted to see where my current diet would sit before I made any changes) and my finger is starting to get a little sore already.

I guess I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed by it all especially this late into the pregnancy.

Hi, I’m only 33 weeks so can’t say about the rest of pregnancy but I was told I would be testing up until I give birth. I think mine may have been borderline since I only have to test 4 times a day now when it was 6 times but always had readings well within target. My fingers were getting sore so I alternated between the last 3 on each hand and changed it each time which did help

2nd timer with gestational diabetes here😎 it will likely be till the birth as it’s important your sugars are well controlled for the duration, it’s great you are getting good readings so far on as they tend to be a bit more difficult to manage towards the end! That’s great your ultra sound was good too!!!

Also are you changing your Lance enough for the finger pricks? I ask because I got a bit lazy with mine and it was more noticeably sore as the needle was a bit blunt! I second the advice Of changing around the fingers you use too!

@DeeDee9898 I'm also on the 4 time a day testing. I definitely did not see this coming, as only got told late last week. Even the gestational diabetes team seemed confused. Glad all your readings are within target too! That's awesome! When did you find out about GD?

@Yummymummy2020 a veteran 😎! Yes I change my lance each time and alternate fingers and hands (and learnt my left ring finger does not bleed... ). Oh gosh the whole pregnancy! That's almost 140 needles to go (and that's only them finding this out this late)! You must be superwoman! I've been lucky so far as the little bit of chocolate or sweets I have had hasn't seemed to affect my sugar levels massively (yet)!

I've got my next assessments end of next week where I guess I get my "verdict" from the GD team and what my birth options are - all feels so surreal!

I found out just after 28 weeks, so nearly 5 weeks now. I’m the same as in my diet hasn’t had to change massively so I’m quite lucky so far but I know it could all change. I seem to bleed quite easily yet a friend of mine is the same and struggles to get blood

@DeeDee9898 it's crazy isn't it! How did you feel after you got diagnosed?
I've been doing the tests and looks like I was within the targets while I had huge work stresses and deadlines. As soon as they were done, I've gone more into the middle- low blood sugar range consistently now and I'm not on any medication (told midwife I usually have low blood pressure and blood sugar - but she sort of wrote me off). So it'll be interesting to see what their analysis is next week!

Hey!
37+4 with GD here, got diagnosed at 25 weeks. You'll be asked to test right up until birth, and definitely do follow what they say - they have yours and baby's best interest at heart Was diet controlled an all my readings were fine, but at my 36 week scan last week baby was measuring big so they have put me on metformin for the last few weeks or so to be on the safe side (which I would much rather they do than risk it with me just remaining diet controlled - like I say all readings were fine!) and am booked for early induction too. Not saying this to worry anyone, more to reassure - keep up with what they say, the scans will be the most telling as to how you and baby are doing (and definitely rotate fingers....I feel your pain there!) xx

@december2020 I felt gutted at first because I hadn’t really known much about it and thought it was my fault and I’d caused it by what I was eating. I now know that it isn’t and once I’d read up about it and spoke to the nurses I felt so much better when I understood it more. I’ve got my next growth scan in 3 weeks and like previous poster says, that will then decide how my diet controlled is going. I’m due NYE so an induction would take me over Christmas time but as long as she’s here healthy and safely that’s all that matters.

This is so helpful!! Thank you!
I've been doing a bit of trial and error and it looks like the 2 things that can cause it to spike outside of target is fruit sugar and then a lot of white bread like ciabatta, yet things like chocolate or candy/cakes is fine and carbs like sourdough or fries have no spike at all. How odd!

I'm a little apprehensive on the machine as my fasting blood sugar this morning was so low that I probably should have been in a coma, did a second test immediately after to check it wasn't an anomaly and it was in the perfect range well under target but not low 🤷‍♀️.

@DeeDee9898 I can totally relate, I think to an extent I'm still a bit in denial. Yet the readings don't seem to confirm or deny anything yet. Aah a NYE baby! Congrats! Yes agreed, the main thing is healthy and safely delivered babies! I hope your growth scan goes well!. ❤️

Hi OP. I really recommend the Gestational Diabetes UK Facebook group - it’s super supportive and there is loads of good advice and information (and on the website too).

I was really upset when I got diagnosed and I felt guilty too. But it’s actually been fine (was diagnosed at 28 weeks, now 36 weeks) and I feel really in control.

Hope all goes well for you!

@december2020 oh yes, that's another thing I have noticed too - that things on your hands can massive affect readings (eg if I don't wash my hands after putting on my moisturiser in a morning, and then so the before brekkie test, then my readings are sky high....it picks up the product in the moisturiser!) So always worth giving hands a good wash before testing (some handwash can affect it too, so worth its doing it with just hot water too) xx