GD, not gaining weight, increasing carbs, insulin... someone help me understand this!

[RhiChiChi]

Oh hun, I know how much a VBAC means to you & I hope that whether or not you need to go on insulin does not have an affect on it. You'll need to speak to the hospital where you are going to be birthing at and find out what their & the OBS policies are. I am miffed that you haven't been able to get on top of this but like the op's have said, sounds like diet & exercise aren't going to be able to control your GD diagnosis.

[Indadhanu]

I start insulin today, appointment at 12noon to learn how to give myself insulin.

[RhiChiChi]

I start insulin today, appointment at 12noon to learn how to give myself insulin.

((hugs)) hun. First jab is hard (well from my IVF experience) then it is all ok from there. I hope the insulin stabalizes your results.

[leesha]

I know you don't want to hear it but from going they gd myself and all the educating and research I did it sounds like you just have no control over this by diet control ;(
Your body is going to need insulin and then you can go back to eating those healthy foods that will keep the weight on. It sucks I know but it doesn't mean you need to be induced if you can preempt it start doing those 'tricks' towards the end if your pregnancy to help labour start on its own

[sloane]

[Indadhanu]

It's nice and easy, luckily because I'm a bit of a sook!

Only on 4 units before lunch at this stage, with weekly check-ups now. I think that's the worst bit, the weekly check-ups with more monitoring... the parking at the hospital is shocking :-/ At least it's free though I guess.

[sloane]

i reckon the insulin is less painful than checking bsl for sure! although that could be something to do with the ample layer of fat covering my belly

it's good to start so low with the insulin - lots of room to move if you need to

[Linzy]

indadhanu: how you going with it all?

I'm 29 weeks with my third bub and GD as well, have been with all three, last pregnancy I was on 32 units of insulin a day and so far this pregnancy I am on 9 units in the morning before breakkie (I started on 4 units over a week ago).

As for diet. OMIGOD. I tried everything to stay off insulin, exercise, drinking more water, cutting most carbs and sugars and it got to the stage where I lost almost 3 kilos living on vegies and crackers! I was so happy at my 28 week appointment when I showed them all the levels I had recorded and my food diary when they told me I need insulin as it meant I could now eat some carbs again. I was literally starving myself. I would have oats, weetbix, rye toast anything low gi and it would be ok for a few days then bam 8.5 so I would cut it out. I'm still having trouble with breakkie, even with insulin oats, All bran, Guardian, Burgen rye toast is still creeping slowly back from 6 to 9's again so I'm pumpping in more insulin tomorrow to see if that will help at all. I spoke with the nurses today and they told me that my body is extremely touchy with foods, (I can't even eat fruit without going over) but also that hormones play a big part too so my levels are all over the place. I may need to try different insulins as well (last pregnancy I was on a mixture of fast and slow release injections) to keep my levels down. The upside is there is not long to go, 8 weeks for me due to a c section being scheduled at 38 weeks. And I've told hubby "don't you dare bring me flowers to the hospital, I want a sack of Mars Bars..Santa style!".

My mother in law is diabetic (type 1) and has been put on a strict no carb, only protein/vegie diet which is working for her but she reckons her cardiologist told her that eating carbs makes you hungry that's why he's given her this diet. I didn't know that about carbs, but I think I was hungrier without em!

[Indadhanu]

LOL I agree Linzy, no carbs makes me cray cray!

I had some bad GD days two weeks ago where anything and everything sent me over and it was frustrating, hormone surge apparently, and I was cutting down on everything and but before they could raise the insulin everything went back to normal, and this week everything has been more than be fine.... I even had 3 pieces of peanut butter toast for breakfast one day (serious craving I could not control, not proud but gosh it was good!) on white bread plus my usual coffee and got 5.6! And my levels throughout the day were fine as well. Had 6 nuggets and a regular fries and got 5.4. And today I ate a plate of potato bake for lunch (not really a craving, more like 'I've got nothing in the house to eat except leftovers') and got 5.2. Only gained 500g (plus the weight I had lost) since August 28, I'm now 66kg which is good, I didn't think I was going to go up over 65 for a few weeks there! But bub is very active and my fundal height is measuring spot on so it's not worrying me as much now. I've got a growth scan tomorrow to check it all out though

It's bizarre. Basically I've been told there's nothing I can do, I'm pretty much at the mercy of my hormones, and really won't be able to tell one meal to the next how my levels are going to be. Generally I have a fairly good idea judging by pre-meal levels, so that's extra BSL tests but I haven't had a high (>6.7) in over a week, and my fastings never go over 5.0, so I'm controlling it well just going meal by meal. it's frustrating but I'm counting down now, they'll only let me go for another 4-6 weeks. I am counting down to having Hungry Jacks. A Cheesey Bacon Tendercrisp with extra mayo has been my number one craving, and I haven't had once since July. There's about 60g of carbs in it, so I'm not even willing to risk it! I'll just pig out once bub is born hehe