Bugger - hospital want to teach me how to monitor blood sugar at home following GTT

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Is this likely to mean that I have gestational diabetes, or that I'm borderline so they just want to keep an eye on it?

I'm 18 weeks and it was a routine GTT due to family history (and my weight).

Anybody know what the monitoring will involve? Please tell me it's not those hideous finger prick things, and that I won't have to use them every day.

It will be the finger prick thing or possibly urine tests.

I'd say borderline

But if it is one of those it really, really doesn't hurt. You'd have a plentiful supply of sharp needles, it's when they're blunt that they hurt. The needles are totally encased in the pen device so you don't see them shooting out and into the skin. Tiniest spot of bleeding. It's one of the least painful things to do. A bit of a nuisance until you get used to them (in essence, not forgetting to do them before- and after- meals or as indicated) but it's not that big a deal overall. Plus, of course, if you do have gestational diabetes there's a very good chance it will be gone once the baby is out. Good luck, please don't fret over the monitoring.

Blimey - sounds like a lot of pricking! They did a finger prick at the start of the GTT and it hurt more than them taking the full bloods!
My brother (diabetic since age 8) never got used to them either .

Really don't want to have GD though, as early induction and/or c-sec aren't part of my birth plan .

Forgot about your nursing background Jas! Good to see you back to you at last .

There are lots of other reasons, far more important IMO, not to want to have GD, which would affect the health of your baby. Just that if it is GD I didn't find the finger pricking difficult or painful. I think it's easier when you do it yourself than someone else (I know, I've allowed my DCs to do it). Good luck, it's much easier all round without GD.

Don't ever prick your finger tips. You have more pain receptors there. Prick the side of your finger.

You get blood easier if your hands are warm, not that you need much.

I was trying to avoid finding out too much about it and giving myself more to worry about, but I'm going to have to google after that comment .

Thanks for the tips Jennster .

I was given a machine tat reads the blood you just prick your finger let the paper stuff soak it up and then you get your reading.
I had to inject insulin too.

Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, you seemed to know enough about GD (that it may interfere with your birth plan).

I'll try and find a good website for this, maybe on patient.co.uk.

Oh gosh sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. There are loads of fab machines and finger pricking devices though that make it painless

Here's a short description GD
I wouldn't read up too much on it ATM, you haven't been diagnosed and may not be with GD. Bottom line is, there's something you can do to help if need be (there was a poster on MN a few weeks ago who personally didn't beielve in GD, but I don't think you're her). Take it easy.

No, you didn't scare me Jennster - we cross posted!

Thanks Cristina - will take a look in a mo. Was just having a read on diabetes.co.uk.

There are comments about reducing insulin (if it is needed) post birth once breastfeeding is established, but does anyone know of any potential implications on the fact that I am still breastfeeding dd?

A few years back the opinion was that breast feeding by diabetic mothers (which you are NOT! just at the early stages of being diagnosed - or not - with GD) may increase the risk of obesity in their children. I don't know what the consensus is now, I'll have a quick look on the RCOG website to see if there's anything more recent and authoritative.

I haven't read through these, but from kellymom, usually a reliable source of good info on all things breastfeeding.

Have now spoken to the hospital about my results, as I couldn't make the appointment they had given me (was for this afternoon and letter only arrived today!). Apparently my result was 7.9, and the threshold is 7.8. This means that they can't be sure whether I have GD or not, without monitoring me for a bit first.

They have told me to cut sugar from my diet (inc fruit juice and most cereals ) in the meantime, and to use sweeteners in everything. I avidly avoid aspartame, so am now stuck between a rock and a hard place, esp as dd insists on eating exactly the same food that I do. Ho hum - some imaginative meal planning required methinks.

Cansleepwontsleep - i got a diagnosis of GD through, got a result of 7.8 and am treated as a GD even though all my bloods since have been fine. However its not that bad.

Finger prick tests - dont ever do it on your pointing finger or thumb (it hurts lots more) and try do it at the side. you should be provide with a finger pricker pen thing, keep the setting low and prick the side of your finger... (keep tissue to hand) to get finger to bleed "milk" the finger from the hand end to the tip (stops it bruising so much)

birth - I also didnt want an induction or a c-section. however you will do some chatting to your consultant (you'll spend a lot of time waiting around for them...) about it. my hospital will not c-section unless baby/I am in distress and is needed. Induction will be discussed from 38 weeks. if you are in control of your bloods and babys weight is ok (you'll have scans to check) they will let you go to 40 weeks but not over. there are some really serious complications as a result of GD and it really is better to be careful. In birth your bloods will be monitored, if they go above a certain point (10.0) you will be put on insulin drip, you can still have natural/active birth.

food - yeah no bicuits for you... however, I have found that cutting sugar out of diet (you can still have fruit, because of the fibre and it being natural, just dont go crazy - acording to my dietian) also cut down on the carbs (which makes a huge difference...) the best thing I've found is to pretty much follow a low-gi diet, load your meals with salad/veg and keep your meat lean.

breastfeeding - guidelines recomend that you BF your baby as helps regulate sugar, sort breathing probs, temp etc etc. if this is GD you are fine as soon as you actually have the baby - its just that your body can't produce enough insulin due to pregnancy.

I actually found it easier to cut out sugar altogether rather than have sweetner (i really hated the taste)... hope all goes well for you xx

Thanks otter - that's a very helpful post, and gives me lots to ask to about when I get a consultant appointment. Am seeing the m/w who deals with this next Thurs, so will see how much she can advise too.

Was advised by some friends today that Splenda doesn't contain aspartame, so that will be my sweetener of choice. Also tried a piece of low GI brownie that one of them had made, containing kidney beans (!!), but you wouldn't have known to eat it.

My baby is likely to be big regardless of GD, as dd was 9lbs without me having it last time, so I may have to be quite persuasive. There's also quite a likelihood that I'll go over term, as they moved my date by a few days at scan to a totally impossible one. Will keep fingers crossed for a natural but slightly early labour (not too early, as dh's b'day is 4 days before due date, and MIL's 2 days before)!

Interesting that they are treating you despite only having a single result of 7.8. The m/w I spoke to yesterday was most definite that they would leave me alone if the monitoring suggested that I was ok. Still sensible to reduce sugar either way though I guess.

When are you due?

I think its just my hospitals policy to monitor. however im seeing a plus side in that I get to have regular scans that i wouldnt have normally...

we are pretty much left alone (just have to ring and check in with blood results once a week, and scans to check size about once a month) and we will be left alone in labour, i think the worst thing is to read too much - i got myself totally in a stress at first. Plus you can be fairly sure that you'll not pile on the weight in pregnancy