I have gestational diabetes. Any advice please?

[dreamerkr]

I’m 26+5 weeks and just got the call that I have gestational diabetes. I’m really worried about what effect this can have on baby, and how I can control it. They’ll give me an appointment next week so that’s good but any advice guys? This is my first pregnancy that I’ve come so far and I have no idea about GD at all.

1. What is GD caused by?
2. Can I not go on to have a normal vaginal delivery with it?
3. Breakfast, lunch and snack ideas please?
4. If you had GD, when did you give birth? Normal delivery or c-section?
5. Any lifestyle changes to control GD?
6. Can’t I eat any fruit at all?

Please help guys. I have no clue about any of this and I’m so worried and scared! My diet usually consists of carbs (every meal) and protein, and I drink fruit juice everyday. What can I eat and what can’t I eat? I’m so upset thinking what harm I could have already caused to baby. 😭😭😭

Also, did your gestational diabetes go away after you gave birth? 🥺

Hello! I had GD in my third pregnancy. Baby was born last thurs. I honestly felt devastated when I was diagnosed and like it would never end, but it did and was worth the pain.

What is GD caused by? Placenta

Can I not go on to have a normal vaginal delivery with it? Yes you can

Breakfast, lunch and snack ideas please? You need to see what you can tolerate. I often had:
B one toast with peanut butter or full fat greek yoghurt with berries
L eggs, ham, avocado, one toast with butter
D small serving pasta with lots of protein, low carb veg and cheese

Essentially you need to pair carbs/ sugar with protein/ fats. Nature valley protein bars are Oppo ice cream can both be eaten unpaired and are good treats.

If you had GD, when did you give birth? Normal delivery or c-section? 38+1. C section for other reasons.

Any lifestyle changes to control GD? Walking after eating helps to lower glucose levels

Can’t I eat any fruit at all? Yes you can. Berries are good as are apples. I ate apples with no added sugar peanut butter/ berries with full fat greek yogurt.

I would recommend joining the GD UK facebook group, and visit the website. Both have loads of tips and advice.

Hi OP, I'm just waiting for results of my GTT so have been reading to prepare myself. If diagnosed, I will be spending a lot more time on the GDUK website, which seems like an excellent resource. Be prepared to find lots that seems to contradict the official NHS advice - and I have to say that I personally would be getting all my guidance from GDUK instead.

Fruit juice looks like one thing that causes problems for everyone. You might need to prepare yourself to give that up - but it's only until your baby arrives.

Lots of info on GDUK about birth options. It's a really accessible presentation of peer-reviewed scientific research, and you should find plenty to give you hope about labour and birth. It seems that GD is often lumped in with pre-existing Type 1 in terms of labour management, but that there is a lack of evidence this is necessary. Read, inform yourself, take heart! Again, if diagnosed myself, I will be pushing for a similar spontaneous MW-led vaginal birth to my previous two babies.

Good luck!

I had GD

1. midwife told me it's caused by the pregnancy hormone interfering with the production of insulin, which usually controls our blood sugars.
2. I believe you can have a VB yes, you may not be able to go to a midwife led unit or have a home birth though.
3. Breakfast - 1 small slice wholemeal toast (look for the reduced sugar loaves) with either cottage cheese or a boiled/ scrambled egg. Lunch - omelette if no egg for breakfast, chuck in a load of veg such as peppers, spinach etc, or a chicken salad with lots of leafy greens and veg to bulk out. Dinner - mostly vegetables in some form with some protein eg fish or chicken (nothing battered obviously) or peppers stuffed with veg and cheese or an omelette if no eggs for breakfast or lunch. Snacks - Greek yoghurt, small amount of cheese, cherry tomatoes. Best to try not to snack though.
4. I had a c section at 39 weeks, not related to the GD, due to previous birth injuries.
5. Aim for at least 2 walks a day. If you want something higher in carbs or sugar, go for a brisk walk of at least 15 mins after to try to reduce sugar levels.
6. I was advised no more than 2 portions of fruit a day and go for tarter fruits as they naturally have lower sugar. Pair with something high fat as this controls the release of sugar, so for example you could pair full fat Greek yogurt and blueberries or banana and peanut butter.

Essentially aim for low sugar and low carb. If you are eating sugar, pair with full fat as per my examples. You will have to test your sugars after eating and that will tell you what you can tolerate eg I could not have any pasta or rice at all, my levels shot up. Other people are fine with a modest portion. I was fine with the fruit examples I mentioned, others might avoid fruit totally. I'd cut out the fruit juice and stick to plenty of water. It sucks but it's not forever.

Thanks guys. Anymore breakfast ideas? I think that’s what I’m gonna struggle with the most. And snacks?

I had GD with my 3rd dc, I have just had the test again this pregnancy at 14 weeks due to having it before. It came back negative but will have to be tested again at 26 weeks.

I was induced and had a NVD at 39+5. My consultant would have let me go to my due date but I asked to be induced because my due date was so close to christmas.

I had a diary to record my readings in and so long as I could explain why my reading might have been slightly high (ie a sneaky takeaway) all was fine.

Yes, breakfast is tricky. I got sick to death of omelettes and bacon! You need to think outside the box of traditional ‘breakfast’ foods. Sliced ham, salad , cheese are all good. A full English without toast is also fine but maybe not so good for your cholesterol!

No reason why you shouldn’t have a vaginal birth. I did have a section but it was because he was breach rather than anything to do with the GD.

I used to replace pasta with shredded cabbage or salad leaves when eating dishes like bolognaise . Broccoli with curry instead of rice/Naan bread. Generally salad or veg instead of chips/potatoes.

Snacking was tricky. Slices of chorizo were good with cheese. Full fat yogurt but do check the sugar content.

Remember you do need some carbs. My consultant gave me a bit of a ticking off - “pregnancy is not the time for the Atkins diet Mrs Watto!”

I was lucky that my GD totally went once ds was born but I’ve been told that I have a 50/50 chance of developing diabetes in later life.

in short, it’s a bit of a pain but doable and it’s only for a few weeks. On the plus side, I weighed only 2lbs more the day after I gave birth than I did on the day I discovered I was pregnant!

Follow glucose goddess on Instagram - I’ve just been reading about GD today in her book and how you can help things by adjusting your diet.

Thanks guys ❤️

For me my Gestational diabetes was genetic as both my mum and my sister had it (nobody with a big BMI)
Yes, i had a normal vaginal delivery. Went into labour naturally at 38+9. Baby weighed 6lb 7oz at 8 days early. Very quick and easy birth.
It did go away for me.

38+6*

Take heart! Medical care for managing diabetes in pregnancy is very good in the UK and you will be in good hands for the delivery, whichever way birthing goes. Also as my Diabetes Obstetrician put it, while the risks increase compared to non diabetics, the risks of complications are still v low eg 1/500, etc.

I'm type-1 (for 5 years now), & in 3rd trimester, so I think they're a little more relaxed with diet rules for us than for gestational, because we're insulin controlled, but here are some general tips that might help:

• I was told by my diabetes midwives to aim for 120g carbs minimum per day, but be sure to check with yours what they recommend. Might depend on your bmi etc.
• Citrus & berries are great low carb fruits, as is avocado, which also has good fats. Sadly I have to stay away from bananas as they send me through the roof!
• Breakfast: I poach eggs in the microwave for brekky. I also have 1/2 avo, 1-slice toast & a small bowl of oats & berries - it's a lot but then I dont snack in the mornings, so it keeps me going until lunch.
• caffeine can affect blood sugar, so if you drink coffee just be aware of that when looking for patterns. Drink lots of water.
• Cheese & raw nuts are my go to snacks. Sugar free peanut butter on celery too. Miso soup. Or beef jerky or pork scratchings if I'm being naughty.
• beware hidden carbs in milk, and also veggies like carrots & corn, which can be sweet.
• when we have Mexican etc we have it as a salad, or as lettuce cups (instead of tacos etc). So you get the flavour but it's lower carb.
• get the Carbs & Cals app & Glass Onion app if you've been advised to carb count
• there are lots of sugar free fizzy water drinks like Dash which are good substitutes for soft drink or cocktails when you're at BBQs, dinners etc
• remember it's the average blood sugar that matters, so you might have a bad day or bad run of days and it's ok, but it's when your blood sugar is steadily high for weeks and weeks that complications can arise. That's according to my GP. So don't beat yourself up about it.
• that said, find out if you need to monitor for ketones & how, and what to do if you have them.

Diabetes in pregnancy is really tough but it's entirely possible to have a normal birth & even healthier pregnancy than a non-diabetic, or so I've been told by my care team xx

This is a really good website

www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk

there is also a face book group

www.facebook.com/groups/gestationaldiabetesuk/?ref=share

good luck.

Thank you so much everyone 😌

I was diagnosed with GD at 28 weeks although my level after the gtt test was only slightly higher than the maximum (7.9 rather than 7.8). I'm now 37 weeks and have been using diet to control blood sugars (I test my blood sugar levels 1 hour after each meal). It's taken some trial and error to figure out what sort of foods work for me, they are:

• berries and 5%fat fage greek yogurt with nuts and seeds
• Seeded sourdough bread (with anything really)
• Replace all white cards with wholewheat/granary. So brown pasta and rice
• Try to replace traditional carbs with whole grains. Pearl barley is delicious and works well for me

In terms of food to avoid for me:

• Whole rolled oats (send me sugars through the roof)
• Any white cards

And if you want to splurge and have a burger and fries, do it on a day you're really active, like a day walking around town or a mall. It really helps lower blood sugars.

Good luck 👍

Hi, I had GD with both of my previous pregnancies. Family history and PCOS were my risk factors.

You can have a normal birth as long as your baby doesn't get too big, in which case they might recommend an induction/C section if they are worried about shoulder dystocia. If you stay diet controlled you can use the birth centre and have a water birth (if they have to glucose monitor you, you can ask them to do it intermittently so you could still do it).

Really try to stay diet controlled if possible. Low GI foods - low sugar, low carb, high fat/protein - especially in the morning (blood sugar spikes highest earlier in the day). Eat little and often. Go for a walk after eating.

You can eat fruit but try and stick to low sugar fruits or combine them with fat/protein. You can ask for a home glucose monitor and test before and after meals to see how your sugar levels are doing.

Inositol supplements help lower blood sugar. I would start on these.

I had two vaginal births, one in the birth centre and one on the labour ward. All good and straightforward. The only difference was checking baby's blood sugar after birth (was normal both times).

Good luck x