Can I avoid gestational diabetes with #2?

[justpeachy1234]

Hi,

When I had DS2 I was diagnosed around 32 weeks with gestational diabetes. I think a test was missed which might have caught it earlier. By that point it was hard to control. I ended up injecting insulin 4 times a day and it still wasn't controlled well. I couldn't up the dose quick enough to catch it. I found it very stressful and it caused a lot of anxiety. I had a CS at 38 weeks and everything was fine with me & baby.
I had a blood test 6 months after birth at the GP and told all was fine.

I am now pregnant (5 weeks) with #2 and I really want to get on top of it this pregnancy.

Has anyone managed to avoid or better control GD in a second pregnancy?

Will the hospital put me in touch with the diabetic team at the right time?

Thanks

I have had the GTT with both pregnancies (never had GD though so not completely the same) but I saw a consultant after my 20 week scan due to 1st baby being born on the 97th percentile and she booked me in for the test at 24 weeks which I think is the earliest they will do it so I imagine they will likely want to get you booked in for a similar time with your history. Sorry I can't advise about managing GD but hopefully an earlier test might help. Good luck with your pregnancy ☺️

From people I know who have had GD, they had it with every pregnancy unfortunately. But you'll definitely be monitored more closely this time to intervene earlier. Good luck.

Hi - just to add, I had GD in my first pregnancy also only picked up at 33 weeks. I’m 29 weeks now and have had two GD tests already in this pregnancy and I don’t have it, so it’s not a guarantee you will get it again. My midwife said they aren’t going to test me again as they think in my last pregnancy I probably had it earlier but it wasn’t picked up because I wasn’t tested earlier. I only had the GD test because my baby’s tummy was measuring large on the scan.

that’s not to say I may not get it later on, but so far nothing. I’ve not done any thing special in this pregnancy not to get it, if anything because of my HG my eating was worse, so I do think you can get it no matter what you do or don’t do. But it may not hurt to maybe start eating as if you have GD already to help control blood sugars and be active if you are able to. Now that my HG is better I’m trying to pair my foods better etc.

As you had GD 1st time round you should be invited for earlier screening around 16 weeks.

I had it twice interestingly much milder the second time round. I did nothing different and no one could explain why.

I’m no expert but there is a great book by Lily Nichols called ‘Real Food for Gestational Diabetes’ which has lots on prevention. Also do you know about taking Myo-Inositol, 4g daily? There have been studies showing it can reduce the chance of GD if taken through pregnancy.

I never had a GTT which I think is where it went wrong.
Hopefully they will test me earlier this time. I really struggled to manage my levels and it caused me a lot of upset.
I wonder if my GP will give support early on 🤞🏼

Do you still have your blood testing equipment from last time? Nothing to stop you checking your own levels...

Congratulations! 👶🏼🍼 That's interesting isn't it! I wonder why you got it with one pregnancy and not the other.

Did you take insulin in the first? Or metformin?

I didn't have any symptoms but my test results were off the scale! I was in and out of hospital seeing the team most weeks so if I can do anything to avoid it, I would love to.

Thanks, il make sure I get an early screening.

Were you offered any medication early the second time? I wonder if taking metformin early might help?

Me 👋

I had in the first time and not the second, but I did manage to diet control the first time so I think that's what set me up well.

Overall I had to try and limit sugar so I just rationed myself. Not east, but achievable.

The biggest changes I made were actually carbs nor sugar. E.g. Weetabix was better than Cornflakes. Brown bread. Brown spaghetti, smaller portions. Boiled or baked potatoes not mash or chips. And definitely no double carbs, so no burger in a bun with chips, for example.

You should definitely get the tests at the right time, which should get covered at your booking in, IIRC.

Thanks, il take a look. I did buy a recipe book last time. I struggled and any advice I followed didn't work. I spiked on the foods they told me to etc. I think everyone reacts differently.

I have been taking apple cider vinegar for years while TTC (PCOS) this is the first month of taking inositol & folate, and I got my BFP! I'm not sure if it's related! But should I keep taking it?

Thats true, il have a look and see if I can dig it out?

@FoxtrotSkarloey
That's great to hear it is possible to avoid!

Last time it didn't go well so I'm nervous about it. I really struggled to find the right balance before but I don't know if that was because it was caught soo late. It felt like everything I did was wrong and I was soo worried about the baby.

Did it take a while to find what worked for you?

I had it with DC1 but not DC2. It was caught late with DC1 and I was able to control it with diet - similar to the PP by using only wholemeal stuff and trying to keep active.

With DC2 I was more mindful but didn't change much. I was very sick I that pregnancy which probably did help in the early days. I did all the tests to check for GD but we're all negative.

However DC2 was a BIG baby (4.5kg). No issues during or post birth though for her or me so actually quite a relaxed and easy birth...

Yes this is the main study on myo-inositol. I am taking it myself for this same reason. My obstetrician is very much in favour. Her husband is diabetic so she knows lots about this.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36790138/#:~:text=Myo%2Dinositol%20is%20one%20of,women%20in%20preventing%20gestational%20diabetes.

@PitterPatter3

Thanks, il have a read. Is myo-inositol and inositol the same? Iv been taking the ziti west powder daily (4000 mg inositol)

@BadgersArses

I'm happy to overhaul everything if it means less worry about the baby. I'm not sure I know where to start as last time was awful. I felt I couldn't do anything right. At one point I could only get a green reading with no carbs and exercising after eating, but then I got told off for that 🙈

You want myo-inositol specifically. I have to say I’m not a fan of Zita West. I used to go to her clinic and it was such a shambles. She is mainly just interested in her own ego.

@PitterPatter3 thanks, il look for some online.
I got the zita west ones as it's a name I know, rather than a random off Amazon. It's soo hard to know what supplements are any good.

I wonder if the inositol & folate made any diff when conceiving this month! I was expecting it to take a few months to see a different

Please don't worry! You're aware and sound keen to do things, so that's a great start. Were you able to see a dietician last time? It's moving away from what I know about, but perhaps if you were down everything correct but still getting bad readings, then that's exactly what the medication is for?

No nothing different to pre pregnancy as far as I remember.

Hey, I got diagnosed very late this pregnancy, I'm currently 40+1 but some advice from my Dr has helped, he advised changing the order in which I eat things, veg first,then protein,then carbs last, was weird to start off with but apparently it helps the way they are processed by the body, haven't done lot of research in to it but it was a small change and I've managed fine with diet control so could be with trying this or looking further into it

Hi OP, I had GDM picked up at 30 weeks with my first, but mine wasn't that bad and I managed with diet only.

I think it takes a long time to learn what foods are good and how to eat with GD so hopefully if you had it again you will have a head start this time.

I'm 10 weeks atm with baby number 2 and have a glucose tolerance test booked for 16 weeks but they also checked my wee for sugar at my booking appointment.

I'm also trying to work on general fitness, keeping my step count up, staying a healthy weight, to put my body in the best possible position with what's to come.

I also found the GDUK Facebook group really helpful last time

@FoxtrotSkarloey
No I didn't see a dietitian, they just gave me info sheets and websites to look at.
They would give me set meals but nothing really worked.
They could only up my dose of insulin slowly so I never got the correct amount to help. It was all very stressful. And soo many trips to the hospital! I was going every other day at one point! 🙈

@Frogs32 that's interesting. I need to do some research.
I'm still very early pregnant so don't want to get too carried away! But hopefully Everything will progress well 🤞🏼