Feeling down about gestational diabetes

[Blossom993]

Hello all, I’m just after some advice if possible.

I had my GTT a few weeks ago in the UK, and got the dreaded call that iv got gestational diabetes. My fasting rate was 4.5 (although it’s usually 4.1) and my end result was 7.9 ( I think that’s 0.1 over the threshold)

I would like to say before I go any further I did fast for over the advised 14 hours and vomit a little during the test so iv asked to be retested just for my own piece of mind. But I’m not hopeful that the results will be any different…. Probably higher trusting my luck.

in the meantime I’m doing the daily testing and I’m just finding my myself become more and more anxious each time I check my glucose level. I’m actually starting to become scared to eat.

is anyone doing through been/ through the same ? And if so one I’m sorry you feel that way but any tips on how to not feel so crappy ?

It's tough. I had GD too. Please check the website www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk there is ton of good information.

I had the GTT test 3 weeks ago which came back that I do have GD with this pregnancy (didn’t with my first) and it’s definitely been an up and down two weeks with getting to grips with my diet and finger pricking. It’s extremely overwhelming and there’s so much information out there that you get a little lost in it all, but you will find your way. I joined the GD Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/share/g/15pPxkPkzf/?mibextid=wwXIfr and scoured website https://www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/? They’ve both been invaluable sources of support, and everyone on there is so helpful in responding to any questions that you have, or just simply sharing their own experiences so that you feel that you’re not alone. I’m heading into the third full week now and feeling more confident in what I’m doing, and have a better understanding of how to manage my own levels.

You're not alone, and in a little time you’ll start to feel less crappy. Best of luck for the journey ahead.

I had GD and can understand how you’re feeling.

first off, you need to know this isn’t your fault and you can’t control how your pancreas is reacting to the presence of a placenta. What you can do is manage your diet and exercise and keep check on your sugar levels to respond to this condition. If you end up needing medication then that’s not a bad thing, it’s just another tool in your arsenal.

Diet:
Carbs are not evil and should not be eliminated, they do need to be controlled though. Complex carbs like whole seeds, grains and from green veg are the best sources, they come with additional vitamins and minerals and they take longer for your body to breakdown which means you don’t have the sudden spikes in blood sugar.
When you do have carbs you should pair them with protein, it helps your body to breakdown the sugar and convert it. So egg on toast, apple slices with peanut butter, pasta and meatballs.
You may find there are certain carbs that you just don’t do well with, potato has always been one of mine. Half a jacket potato raised my sugar level sky high.
Steer clear of ‘low fat’ marketed products, one of my worst ever readings was from a Muller Light yoghurt. Full fat Greek yoghurt (not Greek style) is a much better option and delicious.

if possible try to stop eating after your dinner and avoid evening snacks, it gives a nice big window of time for your body to just work through the sugar it’s got rather than having to keep starting over. If you are really hungry then have something carb free, boiled egg, babybel, yoghurt, cottage cheese…

Exercise:
A small amount of exercise can do wonders, a 20 min brisk walk after a meal made a huge difference for my readings.

You should look at the first week or so as research and calibration. Write down what you eat and what your readings are, see if you have any trigger foods or any really good meals. You should be set up with contact with the diabetes team who will want to go through that log and will make the determination on whether you need any medication.

Did you tell them that you vomited? I was told that if you vomit, it's invalid and you have to do it again. (I felt really sick from the drink but luckily kept down)It's tough but hopefully you can manage with diet since you were only just over

I’ve had GD with all my pregnancies, getting progressively worse so by DC3 I was on insulin by 12w. I was distraught the first time but it does become second nature.

There is some really good advice here. Make use of your diabetes midwife and look at the website above.

The finger pricks etc get easier and diet actually isn’t as awful as it sounds.

Never eat a naked carb. Fat as well as protein is a good thing here and will help to neutralise the effect of some carb intake. Nuts, cheeses and so on. A small slice of heavily seeded bread is filling and should spike you less where I couldn’t even sniff white bread without sky high reading.

What you are trying to do is avoid spikes, so little and often is better than 3 meals a day. I would have eggs for breakfast, sour apple and peanut butter in the middle, tuna or cheese with salad, mayo and seeded bread at lunch, then a chocolate Nairn biscuit with cream cheese. Few new potatoes with butter, green veg and chicken for dinner. Full fat Greek yoghurt before bed. Small portions.

Aim for 2l of water a day as it helps flush it through, and a twenty minute march down the road after all meals really helps.

Plan your post birth feast when you really feel down. After DC3 I had scones with homemade jam and cream in my hospital bed and it was probably the best thing I have ever eaten!

@RinklyRomaine my MiL bought me a large vanilla latte and slab of brownie from the local independent cafe that do epic cakes, it was the best post-birth breakfast ever.

@InfoSecInTheCityIt is amazing isn’t it, that first meal where you can do what you bloody like!

My youngest is 4 now and some of those habits have stayed with me - it makes post pg weight loss that bit easier as long as you don’t over indulge too much!

Thank you all so much for your advice, iv made notes on it to keep in mind going forward. Just reassuring to know that I’m not alone. I think another reason I’m so down is because no one on my side or my husbands side has had GD so whilst everyone’s been lovely they don’t understand what it feels like.

Did anyone find that the glucose reader machine gave different readings ? Eg the other day I had some potato and checked my glucose level and it was high I think 9. Something. I then thought to check again right away as I did pair with veg and protein and it was 7.5.

I was told to use the 3rd and 4th finger of my hands for the readings but my fingers are now getting so sore :(.

The advice to plan my post birth feast is amazing ! @RinklyRomaine thank you. There is a Costa at the hospital so I’m praying I give birth during the day already so I can have a raspberry and almond bake (or a few) with a nice caffeinated vanilla latte.

@Eenameenadeeka (if the username is a reference to the Bollywood song I totally sang it) I did tell them that I vomited but midwife told me fasting too long and vomiting would cause my reading to be lower. Regardless she’s asked for me to be retested and im waiting for an appointment but the local hospital is really understaffed so if it does get rebooked im probably not gonna have the appointment for a while. My MIL was a midwife (retired 15 years ago) and she said even if you didn’t have GD at 28 weeks there is a possibility because you get more insulin resistant as pregnancy progresses that by the time they retest I do have GD.

When it comes to the finger testing, make sure you are doing it at the timings they have given, I think when I was testing it was 2 hours after finishing the meal. Also make sure you have clean hands and that you do the test on the sides of your finger pads not in the centre. That way you’re not going to be constantly pressing things with a sore bit.

i now have T2 diabetes, and hate the finger prick testing so I decided it was worth the cost to buy freestyle Libre sensors, its worth a look but take advice from your nurses as they know best.

Yes. Wash and dry your hands thoroughly and definitely use the sides of your fingers, making sure to rotate. Warm hands helps as well. I used the sides of my middle finger on my left hand as well so more time between pricks.

Your mil is correct and honestly 7.5 at 2 hours would make me think you do. What are your fasting sugars like if you don’t mind me asking? I found those quite hard to keep under control for obvs reasons. Some women find potato very hard to tolerate so you may have to do some trial and error.

Potato is my downfall, I just can’t tolerate it. I’m ok with rice, small portions of pasta and seeded bread in small quantities but half a jacket potato wangs my readings sky high.

I find I really really miss jacket potatoes so my ‘hack’ now is that I save the peelings when I’m making something for DH or DD and I air fry the peels with a bit of salt and oil till they go proper crispy.

Tastes like jacket potato but loads less carbs.

You can also try double cooking spuds, you cook them, let them cool completely then cook again. It releases some of the starch and breaks it down before it gets into your body.

@InfoSecInTheCity iv been told to test after 1 hour and have been washing my hands thoroughly before testing. I think maybe my hands are getting sore because one of the things I have during pregnancy is really really dry hands regardless of how much or which moisturiser I put on them they just remain the same. I’ll try double cooking and see how I get on thank you. If you don’t mind me asking did you develop diabetes after pregnancy ? this is another thing I’m scared about. the whole you’re 50% more likely to develop it if you’ve got/ had GD.

@RinklyRomaine yeah MIL said that she thinks iv got GD but am just holding out on some hope that when I get retested I miraculously don’t 🥹. Don’t mind you asking, my fasting sugars are usually either 4.1 or 4.2 if iv had a sugar the night before it has gone up to 4.5.

yep lots of trial and error iv found that I can’t tolerate potato in any form - the 9 I spoke about earlier is the highest reading iv got. have switched from normal wholemeal bread to the warburton thins. but oddly I can tolerate Nutella with porridge and a heap of berries 🤷‍♀️.

pregnancy is such fun 😅🫠

Yes I developed T2 last year, 10 years after GD. I also have PCOS and have had since I was a teenager so my risk was high of both GD and T2.

you will need to get a blood test looking at your HbA1C levels yearly after having your baby, make sure you do it. No-one ever told me I’d need that, and the Dr at my 6 week check when I asked about the GD just said, no that’s all over now you’ve had the baby, don’t worry about it!

Then last year I felt really poorly for months, couldn’t get a Dr appt, ended up doing my own research and suspected diabetes so started testing my sugar levels. Results were BAD, 21 nmol 2 hrs after meals level of bad. Called 111 who sent me to A&E who put me through a battery of tests and then shot me up with insulin.

I’m amazed Nutella and porridge and berries is okay for you! Lucky.

Yes sounds like she’s right. I went through all this the first time too. Cried my eyes out and pretended it could not possibly be.

My Hba1C has been creeping up with my weight and into prediabetes. I started Mounjaro last year, lost 3 stone and my bloods were back down to 30 this year (well out of T2 territory) which is great. You do need to test every year as @InfoSecInTheCitysays, but try not to panic too much. T2 is manageable if you have to but hopefully with good habits you absolutely won’t need to.

@InfoSecInTheCity yes I have been told about this and one of the midwives advised us to put a date in our Calendar three months post baby to have the first blood test which iv already done based on my expected due date.

Yes it seem that was the mindset back then, even my MIL wasn’t aware women who have had GD are told to get yearly blood tests and she was a senior midwife for years.

That sounds horrible bless you 😖.

@RinklyRomaine yes it is odd isn’t it, what’s what makes me have a little hope that I don’t have it lol. It’s weird I can tolerate things I shouldn’t be able to but, I’m still preparing myself more and more for the inevitable.

It seems it’s just a whole push to adopt a healthier lifestyle in general. My last pregnancy I ate and drank rubbish the whole 9 months and put on a lot of weight and this pregnancy oddly enough I was adamant I wouldn’t do the same so . So maybe it’s just the universes way of forcing me to keep to that.

So sorry you've had a GD diagnosis! It really sucks, and it's ok to say so!

You could also have a look at The Glucose Goddess and her insta/books, as she's really clued up on this topic, and is a really accessible person to hear it from. Not all her info is GD appropriate, as the condition does have some special quirks, but it really helped me get my head round a new way of eating.

One benefit I found was that I lost then maintained a much healthier weight, rather than feeling like a bloated whale!

The susceptibility to T2 diabetes is upsetting to hear, but it's just a warning that your body is one of those set up to genetically welcome it in!! Again, this was a real wake up call for me, and a lot of what I learned during my time with GD, I've carried into post-pregnancy life.

It sucked, and I hated the bloody sight of eggs for a long time, but I am thankful for it, and how it reset my approach to my diet and long term health.

Wishing you all the best!

@MissKittyFantastico84 thank you I have checked out her Instagram and it seems very helpful. I’ll take some time to look at it properly.

Im hoping that I will be the same going forward, my husband has always said I eat like a teenager and need to stop. Now he jokes that I’m finally eating how I should be but like you’ve said I do honestly feel better for it less bloated etc.

thank you all for your help !! Much appreciated !!