Gestational Diabetes at 28 weeks

[Helpdesk3]

Hi,

I had a GTT test and found out that my glucose at 0hrs was 5.2 and at 2hrs 7.8

I have always been healthy and can't seem to understand why this is happening.

Does GD affect my baby?

@Helpdesk3
I found out I had GD on the 22nd at 28 weeks. I started testing on the 24th, which was also my OH birthday. My results that day were all in range, even an hour after my evening meal which was pizza from Ask Italian 🤭

My highest was after breakfast the other day ( I had 2 plain weetabix with a sprinkle of sweetener, about 5 raspberries and 6 large grapes) reading was 9.0! Stayed away from it since. Now, for breakfast I simply have a slice of whole meal toast with smooth peanut butter and a small wedge of mature cheese or toast, bacon, scrambled egg and cheese. These give me good readings.

I even managed a takeaway pizza tonight, just cheese and chicken. 12” but only had half. My reading an hour after was 7.4, so just in range 😌

I’m happy to post a picture of my readings since I started testing tomorrow morning if it’ll help you in any way?

Thank you, I find my readings spike when I eat any type of rice (even smallest amount of brown).

I now have quinoa and eat lot more cheese to get full. I have managed to keep my levels within range, just about. Hardest I'd evening meals, I am close to the edge at 7.1 to 7.5...

This is a pain lol

@Helpdesk3 yes for me I've found brown rice, porridge, cereal, potatoes etc don't work for me at all. Of fruits, I can only have pears and berries, and that's only if I combine them with nuts or plain yoghurt. Bananas etc were a total disaster.

Wholemeal pasta and seeded brown bread i do okay on (levels of around 6 if food combined properly). I haven't tried quinoa so I will, thanks for the tip! Roasted butternut squash has been good for me. Also home made cauliflower broccoli cheese with breadcrumbs has been a low reading one for me (and it's something I like and is filling). Carbonara is another one, something about all of the eggs and cheese and olive oil etc that brings the levels down.

I actually got put on insulin due to high borderline levels and ketones - so my levels after eating were hovering around 7.5-7.8. I had probably three readings over range (7.8) in a week. And that was just because the diabetes nurses were watching trends as my pregnancy progressed - my levels getting harder to control compared to previous weeks even if not in the red zone. Now I've been on insulin for a week or so I can eat bigger portions which is nice, as I had been starting to lose weight (and am low end of healthy bmi, so have little to lose)

Sorry my message below was confusing. I was put on medication because of multiple readings of 7.5-7.8, even though they're technically in range. I had gone over by small amounts 3x that week (levels of circa 8-8.5after eating). They took this as evidence that it was worsening, as previously I'd managed to keep the readings in the 6.2-7.3 range. So it might be enough to trigger medication, depending on your health trust and team.

Lentils are carb heavy. You need low carb, not no carb. But watch out for the risk of constipation. Regular kiwi fruit and prunes to avoid constipation. Cut your servings of carbs in half. Don't eat lentils, chick peas etc with other carbs. Plenty of veg such as cauli, broccoli, carrots, aubergine . The diet advice you get for GD from the bus isnt fit for purpose. You will be fine if you pay attention to your readings and adjust accordingly.

As PP said, it's trial and error and you need to try and work out what your body can tolerate and what works for you. I remember after dinner (which is usually larger meal than others for me) I used to get up and pace up and down our flat for 20-30 mins which helped keep levels down. It's tedious but worked for me.. (on top of keeping an eye on carbs of course). I was not and am not overweight and do exercise etc so I didn't have any obvious risk factors. It all bounced back to normal after giving birth.

The nhs not the bus! Obv

FWIW GD felt like s curse st the time but it really helped me to understand and manage my weight in the long term. Way after my babies were grown I am still reaping the benefit of the lessons I learned having to monitor blood sugar levels. It's tough I know but try to stay positive.

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 I'm.surprised that just going slightly over the range promoted medication.

As you suggest they are following a trend, and so getting ahead of the rise by starting medication.

Can I ask what gestation week you started medication? Also, any reason why they didn't start you on metformin first?

@Helpdesk3 yeah I was surprised also, but I'm wondering if it's because I had ketones in my urine and wasn't gaining weight also. I had a choice of insulin or metformin - I personally chose insulin because it doesn't cross the placenta, has been used on pregnant women a lot longer, and doesn't cause the gastro upsets that metformin does. I only take it twice a day atm, and it's helping me be able to eat larger portions which is good. Hopefully won't have ketones at my next midwife appointment 🤞

Also weeks 32-36 are meant to be the worst for hormones, so maybe they just wanted me to be on medication for these given my readings were going borderline

@Helpdesk3 started at towards the end of week 30

With the evening meal, are you having any form of “pudding”. What I did was eat the main dinner, wait an hour, test, then if the reading was ok have something else (a Nairns biscuit, apple, small amount of dark chocolate or a nature valley protein bar). I know some other people will eat half a portion of a more risky meal, test, and then if reading is ok eat the rest. Also be careful about carb portion sizes, I used to roughly halve what carb portion I had eaten before GD (i.e half a baked potato, one slice of bread) but then eat more of the protein/ veg part of the meal (or add cheese!). As others have said, a short walk or a drink of water can also help.

Can I join this thread please? Read all the posts so far with interest. Found out on Friday that I have gestational diabetes. Have an appointment on Monday, so spent the weekend so far trying to get my head around it. (And feeling sorry for myself at the prospect of Xmas without wine and now without chocolate too!)

I can't remember the exact readings but apparently my fasting result was normal but the one 2 hours later was over 9, which from what I've just read is quite concerning!

I've been feeling absolutely awful for the past few days. Diarrhea, constant urge to wee but no able to, extreme fatigue. Is this normal for any of you when your GD isn't under control?

@lillg think that what you’ve described sounds like the symptoms of GD so hopefully they will start to lessen once you start the GD way of eating but definitely see your midwife/ consultant if they don’t. As above I’d really recommend the GD website and Facebook group. Do start being really strict about sugar and carbs ASAP though if you want to avoid too much medication- some trusts don’t really allow much time before they start recommending insulin etc if your readings are over. On the GD website I think there’s even a page about Christmas and some of the nice things you can have at Christmas and I think some ladies even did the whole thing again after the baby was born! Also yes it’s a pain but you’ll get a nice baby at the end of it, you’ll probably lose weight and also it’s really good that your fasting results were low as these can be the hardest to control.

Thanks. I've got appointment tomorrow morning so will discuss everything with the GD midwife then. I've also got an appointment with my consultant Thursday, so plenty of people to help me.
I've been quite strict this weekend I think, I've given away all of my white rice and pasta so I can't get tempted and will buy brown/wholemeal. My husband has claimed my advent calendar and is apparently helping me out by eating my chocolate!
I could do with loosing some weight once the baby is here, my BMI was about 29 when I fell pregnant. So the diet and new way of eating may help in the long term. It will definitely all be worth it in the end.

@Helpdesk3
Here are my levels. I've just started this week testing. I was diagnosed 3 weeks ago. But I've been doing the diet wrong 😂😂! Ive pretty much been starved all week hahaha! So now I know how to do carb intake I will see what me levels are like starting tomorrow 🙈!

I've been told
15g carbs snack
30g carbs breakfast and lunch
And 50g carbs dinners.

I didn't realise you were to go by nutrional value. I have literally been weighing 50g of pasta etc 🤦🏻‍♀️ I've been so hungry every day. I ate dinner tonight and it's the first time I've felt full because I followed nutrional value! Got a reading of 5.3 after dinner so I'm so glad

How does everyone log their food and then track their readings from it? Good old pen and paper or is there a decent app?