Struggling psychologically with GD diagnosis

[Hoping23]

Hi all.

I guess I’m just reaching out to the internet for some support as I don’t feel able to talk to friends or family about this (except my husband but even then I don’t want to go on and on about it).

Got diagnosed with GD a couple of days ago at 27 plus 6. My risk factors were mainly my age (43) and my BMI (started out at 27.5). I didn’t have GD in my last pregnancy so I kind of thought I’d be ok.

Anyway my results were:

5.1 fasting (cut off 5.3)
11.1 one hour (cut off 10.6)
8.1 two hour (cut off 9)

So at the moment at least it’s my one hour spikes that are the problem.

I have extra scans scheduled already due to being older so we will see soon whether this has made the baby balloon in size. Very worried about that.

But to be honest I just feel kind of crushed and overwhelmed by the whole thing. This has been a tough pregnancy all round. I felt like trash up to 18 weeks so it’s really only been 10 weeks of feeling ok and being able to enjoy it and now GD.

I am maybe not handling it emotionally as well as I should due to feeling a lot of shame and embarrassment around it.

I’ve struggled on and off all my life with my relationship with food and with body image. I’m happiest as an 8-10 but I’ve been anywhere from a 4 to a 14, heavier more recently since the last pregnancy.

I used to have a lot of stress and self-loathing over food and body stuff, partly due to the classic issues experienced as a dancer and also some childhood trauma.

I’m really dreading starting this journey of hyper vigilance with food and my body.

And I already just feel so much more fixated on my weight again and how I look and what people would think if I was telling anyone, which I’m not.

Did anyone else struggle with these thoughts going forward with managing the situation?

My appointment isn’t till next week so I’m spiralling a bit in the void. I have cut all sugar and chocolate out though and started low carb.

I feel absolutely ridiculous for this but I haven’t been able to stop crying for long since the diagnosis.

I was diagnosed with GD my first pregnancy and was also a bit overwhelmed/guilty. I spiralled like you described, but then after attending a few sessions acknowledged it’s just support for people.
it’s a crass bench mark, and it’s better to be aware of it! That’s all ! Go to the workshops, learn about it and you’ll feel relieved

Ok, breathe don’t worry please , it’s gonna be absolutely fine.
it is not as bad as it seems .
The worst thing ever is not being diagnosed , now you know you have it and they’ll look after you and baby .

i had a pregnancy with hyperemesis, started 53 kg ( so was not big at all) and went down to being underweight at 47 kg by 12 weeks . It took me up to 25–26 weeks to feel better and regain a bit of weight and then I got the diabetes so I did not enjoy that pregnancy at all. Mine was also diagnosed later than I had it as I did not have any risk factors so the midwife refused to test me despite the GP finding blood sugar of 15 at random .

what I suggest you to do is joining a Facebook group called gestational diabetes UK. It’s amazing . They have a website too. They have tons of advice and recipes.

i could go on and on but I tell you the trick is into pairing what you eat . Don’t think you can’t have anything sweet anymore as it’s not true. Definitely not cereals though , they are terrible . No pairing will manage them , I don’t eat them anymore as I saw how bad they are for the sugar levels .

the rule is that fat and proteins digest much more slowly than carbs . So if you eat a slice of bread on its own it’s bad but if you pair it with a meal that has fat and protein you might well tolerate it . I thankfully LOVE cheese so I had A LOT of it . Also another snack was green apple slices dipped in peanut butter ( only 100% peanut , not sugar )
I found some low carb biscuits and used to spread mascarpone on them and have a couple like that . In the morning I would melt a protein bar in the microwave, add Greek yougurt , some cream for good measure and add fresh berries. Berries are good , they are low sugar . strawberries and full fat double cream 😋 I even managed some ice cream called oppo.
I didn’t put on weight as that way of pairing and eating high fat high protein is quite filling . Obviously salads are good but I realise not very appealing in winter .
ill admit having full fat isn’t considered healthy but diabetic people are allowed a bit more fat as you obviously have less carbs. It’s only temporary and ultimately you want your sugars to not spike .
also evening tend to be more forgiving , your cortisol is naturally higher in the morning and spikes your sugar so I could not have bread in the morning, but was fine in the evening. Found a seeded high protein brand .
i had a homemade cheesecake as well , as per recipe from the group . Again fat counteract the carbs.
hinestly it’s not all doom and gloom. And if diet alone isn’t enough they can start on medication.
I learn a lot about my body and eating in general , I am almost glad I got it ( almost 😅)
im pregnant again now , only early but im nowhere near as worried about potentially having diabetes again as it can be managed x

also yes , being overweight is a risk factor because it increases you insulin resistance. Thats for everyone. But as you can see I had 0 risk factors and still got it , its the placenta that causes insulin resistance, once is out it goes away . You just need to get tested once a year x

Thank you both for your replies. I will look into those resources!

I was diagnosed with GD both first and second pregnancy. It is really hard and overwhelming, you're allowed to cry. It's like grieving the pregnancy experience you thought you'd have. You don't know if it was your weight causing it honestly. I've always been a 6-10 my entire life (I think I have unresolved issues with controlling calories due to how I was raised but that's another story, so I get the insecurity about weight thing), but my body does not deal well with insulin in pregnancy. Mine's so bad both times I've had to go on insulin almost immediately, the diet has never worked alone for me. For a lot it's genetic. Please don't blame yourself.

You are also very unlikely to have harmed the baby. It's scary I know and they throw around a lot of scary words and are very strict with it. First time I was diagnosed at 26 weeks, on insulin within 2 weeks, baby was born perfectly healthy with good blood sugars and no NICU time. This time I was diagnosed at 8 weeks from my bloods at my booking appointment! On overnight insulin by 18 weeks. So who knows how long I actually had it last time without knowing. I know I do not have diabetes outside pregnancy as I've been tested.

Some good advice above on pairing and foods. Oppo ice cream I could also handle, and for breakfast I've found a high protein, low sugar granola with agave syrup and greek yoghurt can curb those sweet cravings. Also dark chocolate as it's not very sugary, protein bars and sugar free jelly. My body can also seem to handle pasta fine, and even rice, but bread is dodgy for me I've moved entirely onto sourdough which has the lowest glycemic index and even then I can't have much. Sourdough crackers seem good though, and I've bought myself fancy cheeses to treat myself! But every person is actually a bit different and you'll need to experiment around at the start. The goodish news is I was actually slimmer post partum than I was before pregnancy.

Good luck. Gestational diabetes sucks because it restricts you even more than you already are in pregnancy and does make you feel weird about food. But it'll be OK.

I had GD with my third pregnancy only. Delivered 38+1 ( baby was transfer so planned c section as didn’t turn) baby was 6lb 11oz. Four years earlier delivered at 38+0 at 7lb 15oz. Both boys.

GD disappeared after birth and 11 years later all my blood tests are normal, despite being older and more obese,