Actually just got back from the hospital today with insulin and needles as they said you can't just starve yourself to get the levels so I start injecting 6 units twice a day and we'll monitor that and see how I go.
The only concern (and they sent me for 4 blood tests to find out) is because I am so thin (was 38 kilos before first pregnancy, and 48 kilos before this one...I'm 58 now at nearly 8 months preggies) they think I could have an adult onset diabetes that effects underweight people called LADA or something. It's a Type 1 tho, so if I do have what they suspect I'll be on insulin for life. Eeeep!
Linzy, I meant to pop in here last week when I saw your post. Sorry about that.
I know how frustrating it is when you do everything right and your levels are still high! The first morning reading is purely hormonal, so if that's high there is nothing you have done to cause that. That was my first one to need insulin for.
I ended up on insulin 3 times per day with the most being 10units before bed to keep those morning levels right, but as Sloane said bsl's do tend to calm down towards the end of pregnancy. Mine did and my insulin was reduced and I was only on a small dose at the end.
I hope you can find something a bit more interesting to eat now I couldn't eat bread, rice, most fruit so it was frustrating. I lost weight in my pregnancy simply due to not eating much for a while there I think. I was so sick of eating the same thing over and over. Because of that, insulin was a bit of relief because I could have a little bit of rice, or a toasted sandwich.
Excercise helped my levels a bit too, but by about 33 weeks I was having trouble getting around with pelvic and back pain so I didn't do much at all.
Good luck, keep us updated with how you go once you start your insulin
Hang in there Linzy, it's not so bad. As a type one who has been injecting herself many times a day for over 30 years now I can tell you there are worse things in the world. If it is LADA you may be lucky and may go back to a period of what we call honeymooning where you may not injections for a while but yes if it is type 1 eventually your pancreas would cark it and you would nedd injections then. I know many people with LADA who have gone as long as 5 years or so after diagnosis without having to go onto fulltime injections.
On a good note at this stage you will find it all gets a bit easier usually from around 36 weeks.....most people tend to become less insulin resistant from about this time as the hormones shift around to get ready for birth so try and keep your chin up cos you're almost there now....and just think of all the xtra food you will be able to eat for the next few that you have been denying yourself...that has to be a bonus!
I don't have much to add, just to agree with what all the others said. I too was a GDer last PG and ended up on insulin. I hope you don't have LADA and that doing the insulin now helps to keep things under control. I do agree that starving yourself can't be good for you or bub.
Oh and while I'm at it - anyone else got any suggestions for trying to avoid GD? I've lost 8kg (from pre-preg weight first time) and am making sure i walk every day, eat well etc.... but PG again now and fingers are firmly crossed!
belfie - congratulations!!wishing you a very h&h PG
no real suggestions beyond what you're doing - the endo told me to do much the same but there's no guarantees it won't come back. wtg on the 8kg as well!
Belfie, congratulations . I managed to avoid GD in my second pregnancy even though I was on about 120 units of insulin every day with my first. But to be completely honest, I have no idea why. I was 5kg lighter before my 2nd and have permanently changed to low GI bread and rice but apart from that there isn't that much difference. I do have one theory though - prior to pregnancy #1 I was drinking a fair bit of Coke. I know that is one of the worst offenders for BSL spikes and I now suspect that it was one of the main reasons that I got GD (along with crappy genes, crappy eating habits etc) the first time but not the second when I had given it up.
So far my insulin isn't helping a great deal, so am going up to 16 units a day (8 in the morning and 8 at night) until monday, then the nurse is gonna call me to see how I'm going. They are a little confused as to why the insulin isn't helping my breaky levels as I'm only eating weetbix or multigrain toast with equal sugar or vegemite..and still getting over 10 bsl. Soooooo we'll see what happens, the nurse did use the 'induce' word though if we can't stabilise them really soon
. I managed to avoid GD in my second pregnancy even though I was on about 120 units of insulin every day with my first. But to be completely honest, I have no idea why. I was 5kg lighter before my 2nd and have permanently changed to low GI bread and rice but apart from that there isn't that much difference. I do have one theory though - prior to pregnancy #1 I was drinking a fair bit of Coke. I know that is one of the worst offenders for BSL spikes and I now suspect that it was one of the main reasons that I got GD (along with crappy genes, crappy eating habits etc) the first time but not the second when I had given it up.
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