Gestational Diabetes / high sugar levels

[Daydreamer1989]

Hiya
This is my first pregnancy and I’m 10 weeks atm. I’ve just found out that I have quite high sugar levels and there’s a family history of diabetes and I’m of South Asian heritage so again more at risk of diabetes. I’m really nervous about what impact this will have not only on my baby but on life in general. I’ve got a glucose test booked in next week but wondered if anyone has any experience of this and any tips on what I can do to help reduce my sugar levels.
TIA

Had you eaten or drunk something shortly before your urine test?

I’ve always had a GTT around 28 weeks but if it’s the same when done at 12 weeks, it’s simply fasting overnight. Then a blood test, drink a sugary drink and read a book for two hours before another blood test. Results the next day.

Join the gestational diabetes uk Facebook page. Invaluable help and support on offer there.
If you test positive for GD you'll be given a blood sugar monitor and have to test your blood sugars via finger prick test when you wake and an hour after every meal. You'll start with trying diet to control it and then if needed get started on metformin or insulin to lower levels. Good luck

@YellowGlasses I’ve been so nauseous for the last few weeks that all I’ve been eating are cereal bars and carby food.

@angel0071987 thanks for the tip.

I came on to recommend the Gestational Diabetes UK site and Facebook page too. They are so helpful with lots of lovely meal ideas.

I’m on my second GD pregnancy and have been diet controlled throughout both. It’s a case of reducing sugar and carbs and eating a lot more protein and fats. Honestly I’ve eaten so much cheese but haven’t put on much weight at all.

Please don’t worry about the impact of the baby as it looks like it’s been picked up really early on. That means you can do everything you can to limit the baby’s exposure to sugar. You’ll also get lots of extra scans to monitor the baby, which is a lovely positive in my eyes as it’s nice to know what’s going on anyway.

I’m 30 weeks and my GD was picked up at 26 weeks following the GTT. It’s quite a shock and I felt quite stressed and sad at times, but adjusting my diet has been easier than expected. Do take a look at the Facebook group, and read up on pairing your carbs with protein and fat.

I’m still able to tolerate rice and pasta okay in small portions, and have found that post-meal exercise, even just a 20 minute walk, really helps keep my sugars manageable. It’s a lot to come to terms with, but it is manageable and it’s only for a short time.

I really feel for you. I was diagnosed with GD at 28 weeks (currently 31). I have often thought about how hard it must be to manage at the beginning because I had awful sickness and only craved carbs. Hopefully some people on the Facebook group will have some advice for you about that. The key thing I've found is I really can't eat carbs at all for breakfast - my go to is Greek yogurt, berries and nuts (but I absolutely couldn't have eaten this in the morning in early pregnancy - I would've been sick!). After I've done my post breakfast sugar reading, I have something like a slice of high protein toast with peanut butter. Later on in the day I can eat a bit more carbohydrate but I can't get away with much. Some carby things work better than others, like lentil pasta (particularly if I eat it with lots of protein, eg meatballs and cheese). I hope you start feeling better soon.