diabetes in pregnancy

[happymumtobe]

hello just wanted to know if there are any mums on here that is also a diabetic? i am in my 6th wk of pregnancy and i am also a diabetic would be intrested to meet and chat to other mums that are diabetic and pregnant or have been pregnant with diabetes.....thanx

Hello everybody i hope you don't mind me joining this thread i'm looking for some advice.
I am 32 weeks pg and this is my second child.
I was diagnosed with GD 3 weeks ago as my fasting result was 0.1 over the cut off but my glucose drink result was fine.
I have seen a dietician and given a booklet of what i should eat and what to avoid and have been passed onto a diabetic MW and need to check my blood 4 times a day i need to be between 4 an 7.8 an hour after meals.
I have been very strict with what i'm eating and am now only 5 pounds heavier than my pre pregnancy weight.
My waking readings are usually ok-only been above 6.0 four times in the last 3 weeks and the lunch reading and evening meal ones are fine as well but i'm really struggling with my breakfast readings-too high after 1 hour but are fine after 2 hours.
I have tried porridge (went to 10.7),burgen bread toast-too high,every "good" cereal has also given me a high reading.
I'm tearing my hair out to try and find a breakfast that works for me-any ideas greatly received.
What bread does everybody eat?
The hosp seem pleased with my readings but have said i will probably end up on meds.
I'm worried about the Metformin as it hasn't been liceinced in the uk and would rather not go on meds for just 1 hour a day of high readings.
What do you think?
Blimey, sorry that was a bit of a essay.

nobody it sounds like you are being hit with what is known as the 'dawn phenomenon'. Everyone's blood sugar spikes in the morning, no one exactly knows why, but the theory is that it is to give you a boost and wake you up. Personally, I've been eating just regular brown toast from Tesco in the mornings or a bowl of whole wheat cereal called Grape Nuts (its American, like me!).

Don't worry about the metaformin as I know tons of women who have taken it during pregnancy with no problems. Personally, my endo doesn't believe in oral meds for mums so always goes for insulin right away if necessary. I really do not find it difficult to use the insulin, the injections don't hurt and it has brought my out of control (like 9 fasting and 10+ 1 hour after meals!!) blood sugar down within days.

I am now so regulated that the difference between my fasting and my after meals numbers is usually +/- .2!! Just like a non-diabetic! I do go low a lot, which can be scary, but carry glucose tabs everywhere I go, just in case!

Sorry for the essay back, but I hope it helped!

nobodysfool I'm on metformin, and have been for years for PCOS. I took it through my last pregnancy on the advice of my consultant, in the hope I wouldn't get GD!

My best breakfast reading has been egg and bacon, but adding toast to it sent my readings right up. Do you add anything to the porridge? I had dried fruit with mine which turned out to be a very bad idea...

Tee oohh i like grape nuts but thought they were quite high in malt.
I'm not worried abouth the insulin 'injections' but apprehensive about having any drugs in my system while i'm pregnant-i will sit with headache for ages till i take a paracetamol.
llaregubb Thanks for the metformin info-good to know.
I also had good readings with bacon,egg,mushroom,toms etc but couldn't stomach it every day.I used half milk and half water for the porridge with nothing else and had silly readings.I have tried nearly EVERY bloody cereal our supermarket sells that is 'low' in carbs and sugar but the all sent them up.Getting so fed up with breakfast i'm just running out of bread or toast free ideas apart from the grill up.

nobodysfool I am not sure if they are high in malt or not, but I am also not aware as to why that would be a problem! I like them because they stay crunchy in milk! I hate soggy cereal!

tee i have no idea either but another mnetter said they were high in malt and maltose so would probably send my level up.
I'm going to try them in the morning.

Okay, nobodysfool. I have no idea the connection between malt and blood glucose, so give them a try!!!

me neither but i thought it was me being a gd novice

nobodysfool did a search for Barley Malt (which is its proper name) and raised blood sugar and found this:

"Barley malt and brown rice syrup. Sugars derived from grains, including barley malt and brown rice syrup, retain some complex carbohydrates and provide a slower insulin response than white sugar. Barley malt also contains B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and vitamin E. However, those with severe gluten intolerance may want to avoid barley malt because it could contain trace amounts of gluten. Both grain-based sweeteners impart a hearty, earthy flavor."

From here: link

interesting about the malt - DS1 seems to be sugar sensitive (vile first thing and ok after a sugar hit ie rice crispies, but then vile again after the sugar high abates maybe I should get him tested for sugar tolerance - he already has dairy/wheat/egg/sesame/dustmite allergies - poor kid would need this like a hole in the head )

FWIW My readings were 4.9 after 1hr (why I tested then I don't know - but the low reading freaked me a bit - maybe it was the wine & I didn't have many chips) but now 5.2 after 3 oat biccies so that's better I'm hoping ?!. I'm starting to get worried about going too low now (think I need an emoticon with a sticky out lip and furrowed brow!)
I'm such a wuss (sorry to be so crap at this - how anyone copes with this all the time escapes me!)

interesting about the malt - DS1 seems to be sugar sensitive (vile first thing and ok after a sugar hit ie rice crispies, but then vile again after the sugar high abates maybe I should get him tested for sugar tolerance - he already has dairy/wheat/egg/sesame/dustmite allergies - poor kid would need this like a hole in the head )

FWIW My readings were 4.9 after 1hr (why I tested then I don't know - but the low reading freaked me a bit - maybe it was the wine & I didn't have many chips) but now 5.2 after 3 oat biccies so that's better I'm hoping ?!. I'm starting to get worried about going too low now (think I need an emoticon with a sticky out lip and furrowed brow!)
I'm such a wuss (sorry to be so crap at this - how anyone copes with this all the time escapes me!)

Who should give me my carb counts?Have seen the dietician and diabetic mw and neither have given me this info.
It must be easier if i had a guide line to the amount of carbs i could eat.

tee Sorry to sound daft but is that just a long winded way of saying that they are a type of sugar but slower to be released into your system.My brain isn't functioning tonight.

iris I was told to measure one hour after I eat and those numbers are fantastic! I was told anything under 8 is what the doctors want after eating. And lows won't hurt the baby, only highs.

nobodysfool I received mine from the dietician. I can't believe they didn't give you any!! What did they tell you? I would ring them and ask. And, yes, that's what that says. That it is a type of sugar, but that it releases slowly, so better for diabetics!

tee The dietician just told me what foods to avoid and whiche were usually better fir a diabetic.
Although she seemed to know her stuff i didnt come away with any solid rulse for me apart from everybody is different so you have to see what works for you.
Not really much help eh?!Will give her a call to see if she can give me some carb counts that may work for me.

Morning all hope you all had a good weekend
Have been reading all this stuff about carbs with interest as i wasnt advised to count carbs either, just advised what not to eat. Perhaps its because they are expecting this to be a temporary situation or something i e it will get better after pregnancy, im going to stay type 2 diabetic now according to docs as i was before pregnancy but didnt know it. The thing is i just try not to eat sugar and dont really take much notice of the types of carbs i eat although i do try and stay away from refined ones - the hospital just keep chucking my insulin up 4 units or so every week so by my calculations in another 5 weeks ill be at the top of the pen and giving double injectings 4 times a day ... good job the end is in sight now - 9 weeks this friday!

I cannot believe what unhelpful advice some of you are getting!

Yes, avoiding sugar is a good idea. But you do still need to eat carbs, the baby needs them! If it was me, I'd be calling my diabetes nurse or educator and getting more information. Or at least researching on my own! But that's me!

Afternoon- the thing is aboout carbs that i have found for me anyway is that the 'safe' carbs still send my readings up.Whats that all about?
I know i still have to eat carbs but im getting paranoid about it.
I really hope this all goes when the baby is born.

Define a 'safe carb' nobodysfool. I'm not sure what you mean.

Things like rolled oats,heavy grain bread,rye bread, pitta bread,all bran can't think of any others i have brain freeze.These were the type of things i was told that should be fine in moderation.

This is why I am annoyed for you!! There are no such thing as 'safe carbs'. Some are safer than others, true. Vegetables, for example, eat as much of those as you want!

This is why you need to get exact carb counts from your dietician. But to get you started, here's my day:

Breakfast - 50 carbs
snack - 20 carbs
lunch - 40 carbs
snack - 15 carbs
dinner - 60 carbs
snack - 10 carbs

And I do eat all of those carbs each day. Of course, I am on insulin, so that helps, but those are the same amounts the dietician gave me before they put me on insulin.

So at least that gives you a ballpark!!

Thanks for that.
I really feel at a loss with all this.
So, for example for breakfast if you are allowed 50 carbs and say a bowl of porridge is 38 (as the one i usually eat is) do you mean you can eat it with no problems to your readings and still be spare 12?
If that is right maybe that is why the dietician hasn't given me any as i couldn't even have half a portion of porridge without sending my levels too high.
Maybe my body is just beyond medical help

If half a portion of porridge is sending your numbers to high, you need to be on insulin, in my absolutely not medically or in anyway trained opinion.

Do you have another appointment with them soon to go over your numbers?

And I eat the bowl of porridge and 100mls of orange juice so that I am eating the total carbs they want me on!

My next appt is in two weeks to see the diabetes MW.
To be honest she really wasn't much help but said that my number seemed ok and that the breakfast one was the the only concern and that was only some days.
I have carbs at lunch(sandwich) and tea time(rice or potatoes) but just can't seem to find anything thats working for breakfast.
This morning i has a pear and a mini baby bel for breakfast and levels were ok.God i would love a bowl of cereal .
I will give her a call in the morning and see what hey can come up with.

How do you count carbs? I've never heard of such a thing.

I've been having 40g of porridge for breakfast but after chatting to the specialist diabetes nurse today she is going to put me on insulin on Wednesday. Basically my blood was fine going to bed but was 7.0 this morning before lunch, so not good at all.

I have nothing against carbs per se, just the portion sizes....

llareggub not sure what you mean by 'nothing against carbs, just the portion sizes'.

You count carbs like you count anything, read the label. If it is high fibre, you can subtract the fibre amount from the carbs to get the actual carbs, but I don't usually bother. And the sugar content should be under 10 g.

I hope that answers your question!