Gestational diabetes

[JLM1008]

I’m 29 weeks pregnant and just been told I have gestational diabetes. This is my third baby but I never got it with my previous 2 pregnancies. Can anyone let me know how they’ve found having GD? I’m guessing I will try and manage it through diet? Thanks

Hi OP, I was diagnosed about a month ago (I never had it in my previous pregnancies either) and for the most part it’s not been too bad. I’ve found that recently I’ve become more sensitive to bread so have completely cut it out now, and get my (very necessary) carbs from sweet potato, spelt pasta, chickpeas etc. I check my blood a lot, it helps me feel more confident that I know what I can/can’t eat. My blood sugar tester is synced with an app that my hospital use, so they get my results as I put them in my phone. Then they send me a message once a week (via the app) to let me know what they think of my readings. So far I’ve been able to control with diet (and exercise - if you do 20/30 minutes of what you can, the muscles utilise the glucose and it helps to drop your sugar levels) and water it super important.

Try to remember though that if you can’t control with diet, it’s not your fault, your placenta is just interfering with your carb tolerance more than can be managed with diet alone, and you need carbs for the baby, so do what you can but don’t stress too much if it doesn’t work. The gestational diabetes website has a lot of info, but basically you need to cut out refined sugars/carbs (white bread, pasta, and obvious sugars) and pair fruit with high fat food (yoghurt, peanut butter, cheese) to slow down how quickly you metabolise the fructose (fruit sugar) in them so you don’t get a big spike. Eggs are your best friend.

I have to say, a couple of times it has got me down a little, just because I’m 34 weeks and sometimes I just feel too exhausted to drag my ass for a walk, or I feel like I’ve eaten a perfectly diabetic friendly meal and my sugars run high anyway, but overall it’s been okay. My DH has made it a lot more manageable.

Good luck!

P.s. be very careful with sauces! They’re often full of sugar, and eat loads of veg!

@NotThatKindOfDoctor

Hi OP, I was diagnosed about a month ago (I never had it in my previous pregnancies either) and for the most part it’s not been too bad. I’ve found that recently I’ve become more sensitive to bread so have completely cut it out now, and get my (very necessary) carbs from sweet potato, spelt pasta, chickpeas etc. I check my blood a lot, it helps me feel more confident that I know what I can/can’t eat. My blood sugar tester is synced with an app that my hospital use, so they get my results as I put them in my phone. Then they send me a message once a week (via the app) to let me know what they think of my readings. So far I’ve been able to control with diet (and exercise - if you do 20/30 minutes of what you can, the muscles utilise the glucose and it helps to drop your sugar levels) and water it super important.

Try to remember though that if you can’t control with diet, it’s not your fault, your placenta is just interfering with your carb tolerance more than can be managed with diet alone, and you need carbs for the baby, so do what you can but don’t stress too much if it doesn’t work. The gestational diabetes website has a lot of info, but basically you need to cut out refined sugars/carbs (white bread, pasta, and obvious sugars) and pair fruit with high fat food (yoghurt, peanut butter, cheese) to slow down how quickly you metabolise the fructose (fruit sugar) in them so you don’t get a big spike. Eggs are your best friend.

I have to say, a couple of times it has got me down a little, just because I’m 34 weeks and sometimes I just feel too exhausted to drag my ass for a walk, or I feel like I’ve eaten a perfectly diabetic friendly meal and my sugars run high anyway, but overall it’s been okay. My DH has made it a lot more manageable.

Good luck!

Thank you so much! This is very helpful ☺️

I have this but not been diagnosed for very long yet so still finding my way too.

I am trying to control through diet, which is the first step for a lot of people. Failing that they can use metformin tablets which help your body to make better use of the insulin it has, or if need be insulin injections to actually give the body more insulin. I have been given some metformin to have at home in case I am instructed to start it. I am also using a blood test meter which syncs with an app that the nurses can review every couple of weeks, in the meantime I have to contact them if I have two readings exceeding the recommended maximum. I have been told to test first thing after waking before eating anything, this is the fasting blood sugar and has to be less than...I think 5.3, then one hour after each meal which should come in below 7.5. I have had a reading that was higher but they weren’t too worried about that as it was only once and probably after an ill advised meal choice.

I found it helpful to watch some video demos online about using the type of meter I have. Also would recommend warming your hands under hot water before testing and waving them about a bit to get the blood flowing, then when you do the pricking keep the hand down. It may not seem at first like there is any blood but if you massage from the wrist towards the finger and then up the sides of the finger it helps, then if not enough release for the finger to refill with blood and do the sides again. We were told to use each lancet four times, I am changing them a bit more often as I think that helps.

I am finding it very boring and unappetising right now but hopefully will be expanding my repertoire a bit soon. We need to keep having carbs but have slow release ones and to slow it down further eat them paired with a fat or a protein or best of all both.

One tip I have found useful is if having say, wholemeal pasta, cook the pasta a little ahead and then let it cool, then reheat to serve. Apparently this helps to change it somewhat so that the blood sugar spike is reduced after eating.

@Inkpaperstars

I have this but not been diagnosed for very long yet so still finding my way too.

I am trying to control through diet, which is the first step for a lot of people. Failing that they can use metformin tablets which help your body to make better use of the insulin it has, or if need be insulin injections to actually give the body more insulin. I have been given some metformin to have at home in case I am instructed to start it. I am also using a blood test meter which syncs with an app that the nurses can review every couple of weeks, in the meantime I have to contact them if I have two readings exceeding the recommended maximum. I have been told to test first thing after waking before eating anything, this is the fasting blood sugar and has to be less than...I think 5.3, then one hour after each meal which should come in below 7.5. I have had a reading that was higher but they weren’t too worried about that as it was only once and probably after an ill advised meal choice.

I found it helpful to watch some video demos online about using the type of meter I have. Also would recommend warming your hands under hot water before testing and waving them about a bit to get the blood flowing, then when you do the pricking keep the hand down. It may not seem at first like there is any blood but if you massage from the wrist towards the finger and then up the sides of the finger it helps, then if not enough release for the finger to refill with blood and do the sides again. We were told to use each lancet four times, I am changing them a bit more often as I think that helps.

I am finding it very boring and unappetising right now but hopefully will be expanding my repertoire a bit soon. We need to keep having carbs but have slow release ones and to slow it down further eat them paired with a fat or a protein or best of all both.

One tip I have found useful is if having say, wholemeal pasta, cook the pasta a little ahead and then let it cool, then reheat to serve. Apparently this helps to change it somewhat so that the blood sugar spike is reduced after eating.

Thank you so much - this is incredibly helpful. I’m at my first clinic on Thursday morning so will get my blood testing kit etc. Do you have additional clinics or scans because of GD?

I had the initial session where they gave me the kit, then every two weeks I have a phone call scheduled from the diabetes midwife. Although last time since things looked ok they just texted me. I think maybe they would be face to face if not for covid. Also I was told that I should get an obstetrician appointment within two weeks of diagnosis, which I did but again due to current times was just a phone call. They didn’t really ask or say much.

You should get extra growth scans yes, to be honest again my hospital is having trouble with provision due to covid and can’t give me any between 28 and 36 weeks which I don’t think is enough. I have decided to just get some extra privately rather than push for nhs ones as i am trying to limit trips to the hospital anyway. If you haven’t recently had a scan though, ie not since your 20 week scan, the hospital should scan you and see how things are going with the baby’s size and the fluid levels.

I know it’s all really daunting at first, I was really upset as I already have other risk factors, but I have calmed down now it’s sunk in. It’s a worry but I know quite a few people who have had it and apart from the nuisance of having to monitor their diet so closely they have been fine.

Hi Op, have you been on the Gestational Diabetes UK website and Facebook page? They are brilliant! Lots of ladies in the same boat and some great recipe ideas.

Their explanation of what to eat far exceeded any advice I got from the NHS and I was able to control it with diet.

You will have extra scans to check the baby’s size and placenta function.

@Teakind

Hi Op, have you been on the Gestational Diabetes UK website and Facebook page? They are brilliant! Lots of ladies in the same boat and some great recipe ideas.

Their explanation of what to eat far exceeded any advice I got from the NHS and I was able to control it with diet.

You will have extra scans to check the baby’s size and placenta function.

I have had a look today and it looks fantastic! Thanks for the recommendation! 😊