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?

disneystar I know what you mean about being possessive. This is our first baby together - my 4th, his 2nd. He hasn't seen me in mummy bear mode and hear me growl . I guess we're all like that aren't we at first? Then they reach 2 and the tantrums and you'll give them to anyone who'll listen

I think the clinic mentioned Novomix but that's a way off (hopefully) for me yet.

It's hard to say when I'm gonna have this sprog. I'm officially due on 14th September. But I just know I'll have her before then.

We looked at Centreparcs this year....need a second mortgage for it . It's so expensive and when you get there you have to pay for all the extras. We opted for the slightly cheaper caravan in Cornwall instead. Yes, I am johnworf mcscrooge

i must admit i havnt looked at the prices yet i guess id better check them out before deciding
well of to have arest for half hour watching horrid henry with the boys
he thinks hes on a promise tonight im shattered here
drinkin an ice cold drink to get this little one to move a bit hes being lazy today
guess thats the male species for ya !

CSWS - I just got fed up of cooked food in the mornings. I like bacon as an ingredient or condiment. Get bored of it v quickly otherwise. I really recommend soya and linseed bread (Vogel's is best - the Burgen one contains sugar) - it was the only bread I could eat while pg and now I think other bread has a wierd texture.

yellowmama where do you buy Vogel bread? I can't find it anywhere......

yep johnworf beat me to it was gonna ask same question as i only buy bergen at the moment

I don't like Vogels - too dry.

Glad the bacon/ham was just a personal preference thing.

evening all, i don't know, I go to work for 2 days and there's 3 more pages of chat!
If i can be of any reassurance re birth things (as I don't know where to buy Vogels either ) my birth experiences weren't that bad...
With DS1 the midwife misread my notes and when I asked what tests would be done on DS or me, she said, "what do you mean - you haven't got GD, your sticker [on the notes] would be a different colour"
and that was that. I went off for 3 hours for a manual placenta removal, no-one worried about baby sugars and I BF when I got back!
Obviously that's not ideal.
With DS2, after the week to get into labour - the hospital diabetic menu is suicidally boring - they gave one set of 3x the gel which failed, then said I could have one more set but CS if that failed, it was the second dose of the second set that finally got me going.
No drip, lots of monitoring (including the one they put on the baby's scalp before it's born - "yuck" and "ow" sum that up). Tested DS2 pretty soon after birth - I'd say within the hour and again about 4 hours later and said he was fine - tho I planned to FF anyway (please don't hound me off the thread), so that reassured them I think, but they didn't seem to be too interested when he was fed tbh. Does that help or are you all bored to tears???
20 week GTT on thurs, am eating choc in the interim, tho it makes me feel funny.
May try Ben & Jerrys if that's Ok tho!

pepperrabbit so your DS was tested within an hour after delivery? That's very interesting. One of my previous posts mentioned that my hospital told me they'd test within the hour but I thought I was mistaken as so many posts said that they thought it was too early.

I'm scribbling away on a pad beside me now - the one I'm taking to hospital next time with lots of questions to ask. I really do have to clarify this and other matters Confusion rules!

Prolly not a good sign that chocolate is making you feel funny? Do you think you've got GD this time around? Btw, I think it's a bit odd, considering you've had it twice already, to have not tested you earlier. Or is that just me?

I remember that clip on the babies head (to monitor them) all too well. Oww going in and ouch for poor baby. I only had it on my first and she was born with a bit of a bloody sore where it had been. Awful and barbaric imho.

It's really up to you how you feed your baby. There's no pressure here - it's not a stoning offence you know

Agree that it's rather surprising that you haven't been tested earlier, but 20 weeks is still earlier than standard, so they obviously are taking it into account.

The head monitor thing isn't standard with a GD delivery is it? Hated the thought of that when I saw it on my hospital visit. Might have to add it to the list of things I don't want done. Am considering a doula to help us stand up to the hospital for the birth after reading all this.

Kipper sandwich no good (8.0). Think I need to limit myself to one slice of bread in the mornings.

(retentively arranges stones in size order )

johnworf, pretty sure it was about an hour after DS2 was born as we did the cuddle & toast bit then DH went to ring my mum etc as he's as brave as a dandelion about these things, while the midwife did the GD "admin".

The consultant seemed pretty relaxed about the testing but I wasn't diagnosed till 35 weeks and 30 weeks with DS1 &2 so perhaps they reckon I'm a late starter. I did tell her that lunch that day (16 weeks) had scored 8.5 tho I suspect cheese and pickle sandwiches are pretty high up the evil list!

Off to Waitrose in a mo, shall see if they do Vogels bread and report back....

CSWS, won't you just feel really faint if you only have one slice of bread fro breakfast? I'd be worried I wasn't eating enough?

CSWS had my bacon today - with 2 rounds of bread. Even worse than you - 9.2

That's with increased insulin before bed last night.

FARK!

Oh dear jw. What was your fasting before breakfast?

pepper - I won't just have the bread - can have eggs/bacon/mushrooms or could try kippers again with it, but I mean just one slice as my carbs.

CSWS i have got a doula this time round shes coming with me monday to see consultant
if all fails to have a elective section in there im probably going to run of in floods of tears
but basicaly i need her there for support i know i have my DH but tbh he wont have a clue about pain relief and when the docs walk in ans say we are just gonna do that he just lets them
i dont need a birth plan with her with me she is my birth plan

she already knows what i want and what i will accept
and being strapped to that bed for hours is not on my agenda if i cant have a natural birth my only option is my request
ive been on 40 units of novomix for 2 days now and BS are stable
thats the first time since insulin

Well done disneystar on BS doing good . I'm sure you'll get what you wish for at your next hospital appointment. I really don't see how they can refuse you. Afterall, you really do have a case for a CS.

CSWS I'm on and after day today - i.e. I only take my blood reading an hour after a meal. Dunno what it was before. I did it last night before bed and after my 10 units and it was 6.2 - that's at least 2 hours after food. I dunno what happens in the night to rocket it.

After lunch reading was 6.9 (scrambled egg, mushrooms, burgen) so not too bad really. Quite acceptable in fact.

Anyway, I've just been to the supermarket and stocked up on sausages, bacon, mushrooms. I really am looking forward to eating all of this stuff I've gone back on the Burgen from wholemeal too. Just waiting to hear if Waitrose do the Vogel - Sainsbury, ASDA, Morrions and Tesco don't do it, I checked.

DH not helping today; waving large toblerones in my face in supermarket, walking around the house tells me how great monster munch are.....

Apaprently Waitrose do have Vogels - though it was DH who went in instead of me so no promises!

sainsburys do i bought some today

Some of us live this all the time and never get the option. I would love to just have gestational diabetes and find the amount of whining about it annoying.

This mind sound a bit heartless but it is a bit like alcohol - you only have to give things up for a short time and it has a huge impact on your baby if you don't.

Fatback I suggest if you don't like our whining then don't read it. You're not forced to read this thread.

Thanks for you input.

i have no idea whats going on here
fatback you would love to have GD because????

Fatback - my brother has also lived with this since age 8, so don't feel like you're the only one. No doubt you talk to other diabetics about it for support, which is all we are doing.

We are quite aware that we only need to give things up for a short while, and are looking to each other to help find alternatives that we can eat. Maybe instead of being snide you could have suggested some foods that might be helpful to us.

Should we not have miscarriage threads because some people have had lots and 'moaning' about having one would upset them?
Should we not have any parenting topics, because some people can't have children at all, and it might upset them?

No, we should trust people to use their judgement and only read threads that are of genuine interest, or where they can offer genuine support. I would therefore suggest that if you aren't prepared to be helpful, then you should hide this one and go and be miserable somewhere else.

just to say i was a diabetic diet controlled before pregnancy so ive always had to eat like this for years now
been an type 2 for 16 years
switched to insulin when i became pregnant
i have found this thread very good for tips and ideas i never knew about
its also good to share thoughts with each other its helps you along

It would be preferable to be a gestational diabetic over a Type 1 of 30 yrs standing. Some of us do not get the choice of walking away from it after the birth. As pregnant at the moment and there is no thread for long term diabetics thought I would see how others are managing.

Having sat in the obstetric diabetic clinic listening to the whinging gestationals - it becomes irritating when people moan so much and refuse to listen to the advice given. then you see them in the life eating a choccie bar!

Congratulations on your pregnancy Fatback. How far along are you?

I can appreciate that having type 1 is worse than gestational, but it's still a big thing for most women, especially those who have never come across it before, so don't begrudge people a little moaning. I would think that if you'd read our posts you would see that we are not the types to stuff our faces with chocolate bars whilst bemoaning our hardship (much as we might like to!). We are all doing our best to get through this without harming our babies.

You are welcome to stick around on here if you can be supportive and accept that we are all working to the same goals.

Alternatively, you may wish to seek out Oblomov for some chat, as I believe that she is also a type 1.

Good luck either way.

I'm finding this conditions a learning curve. I've never come across diabetes of any type before I was pregnant.

I am on this thread to learn more about the condition, how to manage it and pick up tips from those who have experienced it before.

I'm not here to whinge about it (much!) and I don't eat chocolate!