Anyone want to join in a support thread for those with gestational diabetes?

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Since it seems to be reasonably common, I thought maybe we could have an ongoing thread where we could discuss issues relating to it, and maybe share ideas of meals that work for us to keep blood sugars down.

I was just over the threshold on my GTT nearly 3 weeks ago, and have been monitoring my bloods 4 times a day since last Thursday. Had my first visit to joint diabetic/obstetric clinic this morning, which I found thoroughly impersonal and demoralising, so am feeling a bit low about it at the moment.

I am nearly 20 weeks, so still have a long way to go. Am hoping to control it just through diet, but consultant gave me a prescription for insulin 'just in case I need it'!

Am having the most problem with my after breakfast reading. Have been told to keep it below 7 one hour after eating, but even with the cereals they have recommended, I am getting around 8-9. Dietician has recommended trying baked beans on toast for breakfast instead. Is anyone else struggling with this one, as they said it is a common one to find raised due to steroids produced by the body in the mornings?

Banerjee misdee, same as me . Sounds like we'll finally get to meet then, as we will be at the same Monday diabetes clinic (assuming you do get it of course!).

hunker - egg on toast is the other thing the dietician recommended for b'fast, but I blocked it from my mind because she told me off like a naughty schoolgirl for having my eggs softly cooked. Obviously hasn't heard that salmonella has been eradicated from lion marked eggs . Bought some 'light' soya milk today too, so will try that on cereal to check whether it's the cereal itself that I can't handle, or just what I'm putting on it.

amitymama - although changing your diet won't stop you from getting GD, it will help to control it so that you can minimise the risks to the baby whilst you are waiting for your test (which I'm appalled still isn't being offered earlier).

i have GTT next week, if thats one clear then will have another done at 28weeks.

but yup, will probabl;y asee yu at monday clinics.

but also have anti-d clinics as well.

in fact i might as well live there. my booking in appointment was a bit of a shambles, and i was very stressed by the end of it. am glad that is over.

CSWT I told my dietician I was using light soya milk and I was told off and told not to use it. Not enough calcium in it for LO (or you).

I'm using goats milk - semi skimmed at the mo. Less sugars than cows milk.

I've got one with added calcium jw. She was happy with me using normal soya milk, as I explained that I can't tolerate much cows' milk (had to give it up for 18 months as dd was intolerant, and discovered when re-introducing that it seemed to have been the cause of my frequently upset stomachs that had disappeared!). If the alternative is making porridge with water then it has to be better than that!

as for milk i have always drank skimmed only
im of to see the day assemesment today as i have been feeling so ill
i havnt ate properly in a week i dont have any appetite anymore
im sick an awful lot and i have had keytones and glucose in my urine last 2 tests
eg. my BS yesterday were 5.6 i ate 1 piece of cheese on toast and 2 hrs later it was 14.1 thats was with my insulin at 18 units
mw rang yesterday and said my iron levels have dropped to 7.3 despite being on iron tablets
it sounds silly but i get breathless drinkn a glass of water its just to much energy to do it
baby moving around fine so im happy about that
but i guess its sensible to go have it checked out
otter thanks for that info it was very helpful
has anyone else felt this ill? could it be linked to anything
also otter my baby has craniosynostosis
he has fused skull bones in the front of his head
birthing him is going to very tough as his head will not mould to the shape it needs to
to enable him to be born quickly or safely,plus hes big
i have 2 other children with crouzons syndrome
this baby was suppised to be ok but things changed at around 27 weeks on scan
hope you other ladies are ok this morning

Oh disney, it sounds like you're having a really rough time of it. It sounds like they will probably admit you, so best of luck!

egg on toast = 7.6. I'm screwed!

oh disneystar you're having a tough old time of it, it seems

Ketones not good in urine as you know.

I hope you get sorted out soon with hospital - and don't forget to ask about the CS especially with LO having such a condition too.

CSWS it seems you are screwed old girl! Fresh air for you in future

Glad to see you found an alternative milk that's suits your BS

disneystar - I'd guess that your consultant would recomend a c-section or early induction, I would sit down with consultant, tell them the situation and ask for a c-section. Consultant will probably be relieved that you want one, they want baby and you safely through the birth process. Sounds like your going through the mill at little with bloods and everything. is it worth getting in touch with your diabetic nurse for some advice? Mine was really helpful?

CSWS - nightmare! have you tried going for a walk round the block after eating? it helps bring my sugars down. How does plain toast do for you? are you getting enough water?

just got back and had a heart trace on baby hes ok
seems the iron tablets are not workin my bloods were even lower so they are looking at injections thats the reason i keep faintin breathless and tired
my BP was 110/49 apparantly to low another reason why i feel ill
they found keytones ++ nitrates in my urine
i have a kidney infection as well
so im a bit rough but hes ok which im glad about
i have a appt monday with consultant and MW has asked me to ask for a elective c-section as liklihood transfusion would be needed for some reason
so im going to ask monday
but this would all explain why im so so tired i guess
also just put my insulin up to 20 units twice a day
my BS this morning were 7.9 i had 1 bit of toast and at the hospital it was 12.4
enough of me moaning on ive got another 6 to 7 weeks left im sure i can hang on that long
hows everyone else doing today?

Lordy disneystar. Glad they got to the bottom of your tiredness and breathlessness. Seems like you've got a few things going on there that they're addressing...which is good, better than leaving them. And I'm sure they're all really treatable

Really pleased that LO is fine through all of this.

Good news that your MW thinks you DO need a CS. Be firm with hospital people especially if there's a chance you'll need a transfusion.

And hey, what's another 2 units of insulin between friends?

Hope you're putting your feet up and watching some crap rubbish on telly with some hobnobs lettuce and a cup of gin water

Glad you're back safe and well and with a plan of action disneystar . Surprised they said that your bp was too low though - mine has been 90/50 and 100/50 at my last 2 appts, and they said that was fine!

Do you have 6 or 7 weeks left until the full 40 weeks? I'd imagine they'll do a CS around 38 weeks, so only 4 or 5 weeks to go then!

otter - a walk (not technically round a block as we live in the countryside where there isn't a block, or even a pavement ) isn't a bad idea in theory, but since I'm not normally dressed and ready to go out (dd likes a bath with me after breakfast) until close to an hour after breakfast, I'm not sure it would happen in reality! Maybe dh will just have to put up with having the cross trainer in the living room (we're building an extension to put it in, but it's in the shed at the moment), and I could hop on there for 10 mins. Still going to try porridge with light milk, and more of a cooked breakfast first though.

My appetite has really shown a marked increase over the past week or so. I just want to trough all day long. Not sure if it's where I am at in my pregnancy or I've turned into a fat, greedy oaf

I'm thinking about taking up an aquarobics class. Anyone tried it before? What did you think?

I've always been a fat greedy oaf .

I did some aqua-aerobics during my last pregnancy. Found a really good class, where the workout did actually make you feel like you'd had a workout, which was good. Have done other classes previously where whilst fun, I didn't feel like it was really doing me any good. Def give it a try and see what you think. I can't get to anything like that now as have no childcare (except Tuesday afternoons when I do go to the gym). Is this your first pregnancy jw?

johnwof - pmsl at gin/hobnobs comment... its like a window into my secret desires... most people want pregnancy over so they can have their figure back etc, I just want a biscuit. I dream in biscuits... I wasnt bothered before I couldnt have them...

CSWS - i do force myself to get dressed before i eat so that I havent got an excuse... I do have shower when i get back though? (i have totally stopped caring what i look like...)

re greedy oaf - I got really hungry from about 34 weeks, I just ate exciting things like celery as everything else was too much effort to prepare. Nairns oakcakes also useful if you get desperate... I ended up having a glass of water instead because I couldnt be bothered with the preperation... im so lazy

CSWS fraid not my first - it's my 4th. But previous 3 don't count as they're all at the age or over that they can vote We do have DSS aged 8 though who lives with us so he DOES count! But he's in school all day so I have a little bit of time to do something outside of work/home.

Think I will give the aqua workout a go. Not sure what I'll look like in a tankini Don't own one but there's no way I'm getting into a bikini and a one piece will make me look like I've swallowed a sofa.

I have the oat cakes in the cupboard. They're a bit like cardboard unless you spread half a pound of philly on the top - kinda defeats the whole object though I'm just trying to fill up on water and chant to myself 'not hungry, not hungry' as I loiter around the fridge door looking idly inside for morsels. I'm going to get a 'fridge tan' if I linger much more.

Oh! what I wouldn't give right now for a cream egg...........

cantsleepwont sleep no im only 30 weeks but the plan all along was inducement at around 36 weeks hence 6or 7 weeks to go
i was induced quite early last time
dan was 9lb 4oz at 36 weeks
also the longer the baby is inside me the more fused his skull bones get
johnworf i have a cream egg in the fridge
DH got it for me i cant eat it though hes always gettin me chocs and saying oh yeah i forgot
anyway got to get dinner kids starving and beginning to go a bit nuts on the WII
mario kart music gets a bit much mixed in with my 16yr olds music upstairs

have you tried the cheese flavoured oat cakes? they are less cardboardy...

i think about food more now than I ever have before, i plan every sodding mouthful! good news is that consultant has said that as soon as baby is out (i.e. 1 week if she has to be induced and doesnt come out before) i can eat cake... part of me wants to write a huge list of nice things I want DP to get in house so i can scoff the lot...

disneystar at cream egg... i've had no easter eggs this year at all... DP ate his in front of me the git!!

otter1908 didn't know they made cheesey oatcakes. I'm off shopping after dropping DSS off at cubs later today so I'll hunt them down. Thanks for the tip

I too have planned my post pregnancy feast. I'm visualising me (natch) doing a fine impression of Henry the eighth, throwing bones over my shoulder and belching loudly. It's the only thing that keeps me going...Easter passed me by this year as well

My DH never buys me anything as he's a thoughtless git so I don't have problems of stockpiled choccy or anything else for that matter (unless you count dirty socks)

Hello Ladies
Can I join you? I had GD with both DS's tho late diagnose (35 + 30 weeks) so just diet controlled.
I'm 18 + 5 (waves at CSWS!) and have GTTs booked for 20/24/28 weeks - so basically one amonth until I fail! Tho consultant - who treated me like a human being and listened to everything I had to say!! - said she didn't think all GD was best diagnosed by the GTT and she may get me finger pricking in the meantime. The good news was she said they wouldn't induce me till "around my due date" if I keep off insulin, given they tried to induce me at 39 weeks and it took a week to get me into labour.....
On the scores thing, with DS1 it was 2 hrs after eating and to score less than 8, then with DS2 they seemed tomove the goalposts to 1.5 hrs and less than 7
Anyway, enjoying poss my last week of relative normal eating...
good luck everyone who seems close to the baby + biscuit nirvana!

I found some oatcakes in the cupboard today, but actually spat it out it tasted so bad! They were a year out of date though, so hoping that that was the reason!

I got some low GI cake recipes from a friend at the weekend. She has made low GI brownies for us for our Friday toddler group the last couple of weeks - yum! Haven't made any myself yet though.

Welcome pepperrabbit - such optimism in joining this thread already!!
for taking a week to get the induction to work, and for such comparatively easy targets!

Hi just wanted to send my support to a you GD ladies. I had GD in my 1st pregnancy and remember how much hard work it was. I was on diet controlled to start with but just looking at a piece of fruit sent my BM sky high so I went on injections.

My best piece of advice is to find out everything about what will happen in labour and after baby is born.
I was tod very briefly that Iwould be checked in labour and baby would be checked after,but I was completely unprepared for what really happened.

At the risk of scaring myself, what did happen fiodyl?

Bugger. Tried porridge made with light soya milk today, and still scored 8.9, so def opting for a cooked breakfast tomorrow.

1 week to go for me now before I have my baby and much cake!!!

johnworf [humm] at your DH...

hello pepperrabbit i've managed to control via diet and I've got to 40+3 before they induce me so there is hope! Ive been told that if baby doesn't respond to the gel after dose 3 (day 2) Im getting a c-section... that you spent a week getting induced!

I do feel very lucky with my targets compared to you lot though, i have to be below 5 before meals and below 7.5 2 hours after food. you poor buggers!

CSWS - yes the plain oakcakes are rank, DP did try one and spat it straight out. This did make him much more sympathetic though (although he didnt stop eating the hobnobs) maybe any DPs/DHs that arent sympathetic and offer lots of cake upon birth of child should be forcefed them? rubbish for you with the porridge... until i got myself settled on porridge I was having lunch type meals for breakfast for a week of so? sounds ramdom but it worked for me and its not a fry up every day?

fiodyl - yeah, at the risk of scaring us all, what happened?