The All New And Shiny Gestational Diabetes Support Thread

[midori1999]

The old thread seems to have died a death, so thought of start a new one for anyone who wants some support or just to chat about GD.

I'm 9 weeks pregnant now, had GD in my last (5th) pregnancy and had my GTT today, expecting to be diagnosed tomorrow as my levels are already silly.

[ExpatAl]

Showing my support for the inauguration of this shiny new thread. I expect to be joining it in the not too distant future. Good luck midori.

[StiffyByng]

Hello. I'm refusing to label myself with GD so have got the clinic to agree to call it 'high blood sugar in pregnancy'. Hmm.

I'm 31+4, flunked the GTT fairly narrowly about a month ago, and am currently diet controlled. I have been told by the Obs consultant that if I remain that way, I can have my homebirth, although we're yet to discuss the dreaded induction regime. This is number 2 for me, with my first born at home, trouble-free at 42 weeks, with no blood sugar issues during pregnancy. Currently all levels but fasting comfortably where they should be, but fasting is looking a bit wobbly.

[StiffyByng]

And why would you be joining in, expat?

[midori1999]

Thanks ExpatAl, have you had GD before or do you have risk factors etc? I'm not sure whether to say I hop eyou do or don't join us...

I hope you get your homebirth Stiffy. It's so frustrating to have high fasting levels, as there's not much you can do about it really. Well, not as much as if it were post meal readings anyway.

[StiffyByng]

I am contemplating just lying if the readings are only slightly too high, to be honest. My clinic medicates well below NICE guidelines and I remain to be convinced that slightly high blood sugars are the disaster some doctors make them out to be in any case.

[midori1999]

I agree that slightly high probably aren't a problem. Like I've said before, my fasting levels were never within target as I just couldn't increase my insulin fast enough and my post breakfast were mostly in the 9's or 10's too. My diabetes clinic felt my levels were under good enough control and all was well at the delivery, average sized baby, no hypo etc.

Can you lie though? My clinic used to download readings from my monitor.

[StiffyByng]

My lot seem to do self reporting. I keep a diary and I read out my levels over the phone to the diabetes nurse. My levels are under 6 still so not particularly scary and under the diagnostic level! Your story is reassuring. Looking at the old threads, no one with controlled levels had any problems at all, and my levels are lower than most of those.

[mumbaisapphire]

I'm 33 weeks tomorrow and was diagnosed at 28 weeks. So far so good though. I have been keeping my levels under with diet and exercise. My dietician recommended eating protein alongside carbs, so weekend breakfasts are egg and cheese in a toasted English muffin - wholemeal of course. Weekdays I can mange to keep my sugars around 7.5 after brekafast with porridge but if I have a boiled egg on the side then it reduces it to around 6. It's an odd combo I grant you but seems to work. My lunches and dinners are usually between 4.( and 6.5. The other advice they gave me was to exercise after every meal for 15-20 mins. So at work I just go for a walk either in the gym or round the block a few times and in the evenings I have taken to doing some kind of on the spot aerobics/marching and that works too. I find the meals with lentils or chickpeas or any kind of beans, really do work well as you are getting all the carbs but high in protein too. I've taken to making a big salad with a large can of green lentils, a tin of tuna, red onion, fresh herbs and some crunchy green beans or mange tout, and dressing it with balsamic and olive oil. It's really tasty and lasts for about 3 lunches in the fridge. I get really low 4 or 5 readings after that, even without exercise. I'm also doing the three snacks a day, morning, afternoon and evening (after dinner). What does everyone else find works?
Ps: am eating no fruit since that sends my levels sky high. So overloading on veg instead.

[CheapTarnishedGlitter]

Hi all... I'm 35 + 2 and was diagnosed at 28 weeks following GTT taken because there's history of type 1 diabetes in the family.

Controlling with diet at the moment and mostly fine - I get the odd slightly high reading but there's usually a reason (like a chippy tea...!)

Agree with combining carbs with protein or fat... I'm eating so much cheese now it's mad! Most brekky is half a bowl of bran flakes and a yogurt but sometimes swap cereal for peanut butter on toast or at the weekend a toasted roll split and topped with veggy sausage and poached egg.

I don't really mind testing my sugar and quite enjoy it in a geeky way but find liaising with hospital challenging. Supposed to speak to diabetic nurse each week which really means me phoning and only ever getting answer machine, leaving a long message with my readings, and never getting a call back. Also see consultant every fortnight but they have a bizarre practice of booking 2/3 appointments for each slot so are always running at least an hour behind by about half ten

No real idea still whether I'll be induced or not, and 38 weeks is fast approaching!!

[StiffyByng]

Hello MumbaiSapphire and CheapTarnishedGlitter. All this diet-controlling is very encouraging.

I feel better this morning. My fasting this morning was lower, and below treatment guidelines (NICE) so hurray. Hopefully I can get it a bit lower still with continued exercise. Last night my post-dinner reading was 5.0. We ate quite late but I had cheese and biscuits as a snack an hour later. I also took my cinnamon and physillium husk supplements. No pre-bed exercise so hopefully once my exercise DVD arrives I will be an evening exercise demon and being the level down just a tiny bit more to where I really want it.

Of course if this is going to get worse it will get more challenging. I'm telling myself that lots of people find it levels off at 36 weeks so I only have four more weeks to get through, and the consultant was happy to sign the homebirth off then too.

[StiffyByng]

Sorry, CTG, I meant to say that I'd love that level of involvement with my clinic! I was chuffed that I got away with an answer phone yesterday (I hope). But I can imagine by your stage you want a PLAN. Can you make an Obs appointment? They are presumably the people who decide on the birth plan side of things. If you're diet-controlled then there should be no need to induce?

[StuckOnARollercoaster]

Hello - had a GTT test yesterday as there is a history of (I think type 2 - the one you get in old age) diabetes in my mum and dads family.
The old thread was a bit long to get into and my initial dip into it was confusing - I may be able to keep up with this one!
Not sure if this is a valid opinion but I am expecting the result to be that I have GD as I'm not normally a sweet/carb lover but over the last few weeks I have had real cravings for sweet food. I try not to indulge each time but life is too short and I've definitely had a few more biscuits and lovely sweet brioche than I can remember before!

[rumtumtugger]

Hi all, marking my place...good luck in the battle against sugar!

[midori1999]

Thanks rumtum.

Hello Mumbaisapphire and CTG. Glad to hear you are managing to diet control. Exercise does help, I used to walk up and down the stairs loads of times if I couldn't get out late in the evening.

Stuckonarollercoaster, how long before you get your results back? I find if anything I crave more savoury food at the moment, but that might have nothing to do with the GD.

I was officially diagnosed today. The diabetic nurse rang me about an hour after the midwife did, so can't fault that for service. I have an appointment next week. She said to keep monitoring my sugars, but here they want me to check 4 times a day, fasting, pre lunch, pre dinner and at bedtime. No post meal readings at all, which seems really odd to me and is certainly different to how my last unit did things.

[CheapTarnishedGlitter]

Hi all!

Midori oh dear that's interesting about the reading timings! Have they said why?

Stiffy a plan would be lovely... when you get to see them you see them all - diabetic midwife, diabetic obstetric consultant, dietician and usually someone else thrown in for good measure. It's like facing the firing squad except all you get is "hmm, let's have another look in two weeks". Even those not managing it well get that!

Exercise does help. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea during pregnancy but I've found the best exercise for low readings is a spot of DTD ! DH thinks this is great...!

[NewChoos]

Hello,
I had GD with DC1 diagnosed at 24 weeks as big baby. Managed with diet until about week 32 and then started Metformin. Was due to be induced at 38 weeks but had a C section as he was breech (also had too much fluid). Now 22 weeks with DC2, started monitoring sugars at 12 weeks and had some highs with breakfast so have just started Metformin in the mornings only. Feel very guilty but have not been as good with diet as I could be (I was very strict in 1st pregnancy). I need to be better. Am still indulging in chocolate and crisps sometimes although sugars post have been fine
Have been told my diabetic midwife I will be induced at 38-39 weeks. I want a section though, last baby and found the to induce or not drama which went on for 5 days while I was an inpatient just too much......

[StiffyByng]

Midori, commiserations, although not a shock of course. Those reading times do sound strange. Are they forever or just till your next appointment?

Hi, NewChoos. I can understand wanting to avoid induction faff. Under NICE guidelines you should be able to request a section. Did they seem awkward about it?

CTG, I do hope you get your plan. We did try DTD the other day but I'm not sure at this stage it involves a huge amount of exercise for me!

Yesterday my blood sugars all day were brilliant, going down to 3.7 before dinner even, which is my first reading in the 3s. After dinner out at a restaurant I had a 5.2. So then I came back and did my exercise DVD for the first time. Imagine my annoyance when my level afterwards was 6.4! I ended up having a snack on that and going to bed. I barely slept because of a horrible sore throat and so my reward for everything was a fasting level just above where it should be this morning. At least it went down overnight, which doesn't usually appear to be the case but I'm cursing myself for hiking it up before bed. I feel pretty doomed today. Tonight no DVD!

[curiousgeorgie]

Hi everyone :)

I had GD in my first pregnancy so not having a GTT this time around, just been monitoring since 14 weeks, and so far okay.

(Except I had an Easter egg last night so didn't check after... But this mornings before breakfast 4.5 so can't be that bad surely? )

My DD was really big despite being well managed on diet only last time so just hoping I don't have that again...

[RoomForALittleOne]

Hello All. I'd like to ask a silly question. I'm half way through my GTT so please humour me! Before you were diagnosed with GD, did you suspect that you had it? I'm not thinking about symptoms exactly, but more of a gut feeling IYSWIM.

I have several symptoms (but they seem normal for pregnancy), I've had multiple incidences of glucose in my urine (again, I understand this can be normal for pregnancy) and I have a lot of family members with type 2 diabetes plus a history myself of having two large for gestational age babies. I can see why I'm having the GTT but my gut feeling is that I'm fine! Either I'm in denial or I'm going through hell having a GTT while I suffer from HG for no reason

[midori1999]

Thanks CTG and Stiffy. They didn't say why I have to test before meald on the phone and I couldn't really discuss it in detail as DD was in need of my attention and we were also trying to get out the door. It is for the full pregnancy though, so I am going to discuss it with them next week. I asked on the Type 1 thread about it too and no one there seems to think this is normal. Odd, as I think our diabetes unit is meant to be very good.

NewChoos, I think most people aren't that strict diet wise in pregnancy tbh. I know my friend said she would see people eating chocolate and drinking full sugar drinks in the waiting room in her first pregnancy. I was also super strict last time and although this time I wouldn't dream of eating a bar of chocolate, I've been having crisps as snacks and not been super strict. The same friend also told me she was eating her normal (goodness knows how she is so thin!) 4 bars of chocolate a day in her second GD pregnancy and openly told the diabetes team about it. She kept her levels down with brisk walks frequently throughout the day and a glass of red if they got a bit too high. She said the diabetes team were bemused to say the least, but appreciated her honesty.

curiousgeorgie, my first two children were biggish and I was checked for GD in my second pregnancy as I had glucose in my urine several times. They said I didn't have it, but DS was born at 38 weeks exactly weighing spot on 10lb. Then, when I did have GD with DD and was insulin controlled, she was born at 37+6, so almost the same gestation as my DS, ut weighing 6lb 15oz, so a whole 3lbs less than DS! I think some babies are just destined to be big regardless.

roomforalittleone, I didn't have a clue with DD. I had already had 4 pregnancies without GD, no glucose in my urine, ever and just had the test as my BMI was 30 and DS2 had been 10lb. I didn't give it a second thought after having it, until my next appointment when I found i had it. I was borderline at diagnosis (24 weeks) but by 26 weeks I was on insulin as it was obvious I couldn't diet control and by the end I was on whacking amounts of insulin.

[StiffyByng]

Hi Room and Curious.

Room, I had a weird inkling when my random blood test was done, despite not having had any problems in my first pregnancy.

Curious, I am being ridiculously strict based on my desire to stay diet-controlled and also The Fear of it not going away. But it's been so long since I had anything particularly sweet that I'm not really craving it anyway.

[StiffyByng]

I'm getting very concerned about how stressed I'm getting from this constant monitoring. The clinic did say I could do checks every other day if I wanted but I've felt too nervous to do that. But maybe it would do my sanity good? To have at least one day in two when my first thought isn't what my blood sugar will be. I called the diabetes nurse today about how upset I am about the whole thing and she said I needed to try to think about other things, so maybe it would bring my stress levels, and even my fasting numbers, down a bit?

[curiousgeorgie]

They do say that stress makes it higher. To be honest, i felt horrible in my first pregnancy and absolutely hated every second of diabetic clinic, monitoring and all of it. I wiuld cry and cry. But with this pregnancy I'm choosing to be the one in control of it and not let it upset me.

They told me to come back to clinic in two weeks, but I said, no, I'll come monthly unless I have a problem. And I'm not waiting around all morning to see nurse, midwife and then consultant, I'll just see one of you and then go because it's not fair on my DD.

Maybe monitoring every other day would actually make you think about it more?

[StiffyByng]

I also said I was only coming monthly, curious. And in fact, I cocked up the dates and it will be 5 whole weeks and I'll be 35 weeks by then.

I'm not sure monitoring every other day would do that but I suppose trying it out is the only way to know. It's my fasting result that's doing my head in. The other results are all fine.

I am so resentful of the whole system. My diagnosis was borderline and I am sceptical that feeding me into this clinic system, with the threat of insulin hanging over me if things go even a bit awry and therefore no sense that I can ask for constructive help, isn't causing more harm than good. I feel absolutely fine and I could be enjoying my pregnancy and looking forward to a lovely natural birth. I would happily have agreed to checking my sugars every now and then and contacting them if things were going very wrong. They can monitor the baby all they want. But as it stands, I am under constant pressure.

I'm so pleased you feel better about it all this time round. I've always wanted three children but thinking I can't go through this again.

[CheapTarnishedGlitter]

Curious can I ask how big was big? This is number one for me so the idea of a big baby feels a bit abstract!

room - do you get your results today? Fingers crossed for you... I sort of suspected I'd have it - my brother's diabetes plus my gran constantly telling me how her babies were all whoppers made me wonder if as a family we generally have insulin issues! I was only just over the limit on my test though...

I don't tend to mind the readings so much - it's fascinating in a funny kind if way! It's the appointments that stress me out... partly the constant running late and knowing I'll be late back to work and will have to pay more than I should to leave the car park, partly the knowledge that I won't actually get anything out of the appt, and partly the suspicion that when I've had a high reading that is explainable they'll take it is a sign that I need insulin rather than read my notes and see it was an occasion where for one reason or another I simply ate "bad" food!

And of course the other thing I dislike is the cupboard full of Christmas chocs that ordinarily would gave been long scoffed by now but which are having to wait