Gestational Diabetes Chatter #6

Hi there :hello:
Newbie to the thread here :( I just found out today I have GD. I didn't have it with my last pregnancy so I was shocked to find out I have it this time around.
I've got an appointment at the Diabetes clinic tomorrow. I'm going to look on the positive side as I know this is going to force me to eat very well and exercise regularly, but at the same time I'm worried it will dash my VBAC hopes.

I haven't had time to read the whole thread yet but I look forward to getting to know you all.

take care x

I know exercise is very important but when I have pelvice issues as it is.. WHAT ELSE can i do?

Didispunk - that's a tough one. I had a similar issue (hip) last PG and really struggled to exercise. Have you a physio or someone you can check with to see what might be possible? And the only other thought is swimming?
How are you finding the food? I always found that baked beans were supposed to be good low GI but they always sent my BSL's high, so it's sometimes very personal - takes a bit of trial & error to see what works for you. And sometimes there's no rhyme or reason, something that gives you a good BSL one day will send you high the next - might be due to tiredness, stress, illness, placenta, hormones... who knows! So don't give up on something straight away, as it may not send you high the next time. Also, sometimes it's influenced by what you ate the meal/day beforehand.

Mamaspice - sorry to hear you've got GD, but good on you for the positive attitude! You're quite right that you will eat better. I found I didn't put on ANY weight once I got GD (last PG). Regarding birth, well most of us here have not found that a GD diagnosis precludes vaginal birth, but I guess with a vbac the issue would be if you end up on insulin, they typically want to induce - which I think I know is a no-no for vbac, am I right? So saying, lots of girls manage to avoid insulin, so fingers crossed that you can too. Re food, I posted a link just before for Didispunk that has a good sample menu, I found it useful.

AFM, I was GD on insulin last time but am hoping to avoid it this time. Don't have it yet *touch wood* but have been told my risk is very high... so that's why I'm kinda *lurking* in here :redface:

Hi belfie! Thanks for your reply :)
I just looked at the link you posted on the previous page and there is some awesome info on that site, thanks!
I think the only reason GD may affect my VBAC chances is if I have trouble controlling it and bub gets too big. Yes you're right, I cannot be induced so if bub had to come out before I went into spontaneous labour, it would mean a CS. I'm determined to control this with diet though. My reading 2 hours after lunch today was 6.3. And my lunch wasn't exactly totally diabetes friendly as I have to head to the shops after work to get things like multi grain bread etc. They tell me as long as it stays under 7 so I'm all good so :crossfingers:

The other thing I was told by the dietician is to look at the serving size, and then look at the carbohydrate level for that serving size. 1 unit of carbs is 15 g of carbohydrates. Snacks should be 1 to 2 units (ie 15 - 30 gs) and main meals should be 2 -3 units of carbs (30 - 45 gs). This has helped a lot and my daytime readings have been good (well, up until today, when I actually went out, talked to people, had what I thought was my best guess and got a reading of 9 :( )

Unfortunately my night readings are crap - I'm up to 14 units of insulin. This level seems to be working well - reading this morning was 5.7 (and my night snack was not great). However my Obstetrician has now said that I will need to either be induced at 38 weeks or have an elective caesarian at 38 1/2 weeks. This has put me into a spin to say the least. However I've decided my action plan will be to see what happens with the 32 and 36 week ultrasounds and make decisions from there.

I just get so upset and want the baby out, I am doing all I can to eat ,, walk is IMPOSSIBLE.. and just be as good as i can.. I only started eating 6 weeks ago since having such bad Morning Sickness..

I am gong to ask for C-sec at 38 weeks.. that shoudl be fine.. i would think

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I just get so upset and want the baby out, I am doing all I can to eat ,, walk is IMPOSSIBLE.. and just be as good as i can.. I only started eating 6 weeks ago since having such bad Morning Sickness..

I am gong to ask for C-sec at 38 weeks.. that shoudl be fine.. i would think

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:hug: Didispunk, it must be so frustrating for you! I saw on the previous page that you had a high reading after apple juice. The diabetes educator I saw last week said to stay away from all fruit juices. Even though it might be low GI, apparently one glass of fruit juice is equilevant to eating 5 pieces of fruit all at once.

Are you still controlling with diet or do you need insulin? I've been eating "diabetes friendly" for 5 days now and so far my levels have been okay. My morning fasting glucose reading seems to always be around 5 and 2 hours after each meal, my readings have ranged from 4.9 at best to 6.4 at worst.

I've got a sweet tooth so giving up chocolate has been the hardest, although I haven't given up entirely, I still have a snack size snickerswith lunch and so far so good. I also have been haivng low fat custard after dinner which seems to satisfy my sweet cravings.
I mainly make sure I eat a low GI carbohydrate with each meal. I've switched to multigrain bread. And have cut out all juices, lollies and cordial. Oh and I also have one or 2 glasses of milo with low fat milk, each day and that seems to be fine. Also, for breakky the other day I had a crumpet with a little yellow box honey (yellowbox is low GI), with a glass of milo and that seemed to be okay as well.
HOpe that helps. It's hard isn't it.

Mama Spice - you are making me jealous. No way I could eat any form of chocolate if I didn't want my readings to spike :P

Didispunk - this is what I have:

Breakfast: 3 weetbix biscuits, splash of Pura No Fat Milk.

Snack: Carman Original Museli bar, 1 Red Apple

Lunch: Campbells Beef Soup 430g, 1 piece 9 Grains bread

Snack: 1 row Vitaweet, 8 pieces Bega Cheese Bites

Dinner: Chicken or Beef, stir fried, with veges and rice noodles (this changes, but basically this)

Supper: 1 9 grain toast with peanut butter.

What is driving me crazy is when the same meal over and over gives different readings (like the breakfast meal). Sigh...

:hug: Seachange. I guess I'd better count myself lucky being able to have a little snickers. I'm sure I read somewhere yesterday on a website that weetbix are fairly high GI? Around 70 I think. You wouldn't think weetbix were high GI though would you. Instant oats are also high GI which amazed me.

The same breakfast gives me 5.8 right up to 7.3 - even before the insulin. But yeah - drives me crazy!

well, I found today that the same breakfast I've had a few times before (which usually give me about a 5.1) gave me a 7 today!
And yesterday morning my fasting BSL was 5.6 and every other day it's never been over 4.9 :dunno:
At what point do they like to start you on insulin Seachange?

On a side note I was speaking to a teacher at DD's kindy this afternoon and she told me that her sister has had GDM with the last 3 or her 5 pregnancies. Apparently baby # 3 was born weighting 14 pounds! (and born vaginally) :omg: And her 4th and 5th were both born at about 33 weeks and already weighed 7 pounds. Holy dooly . . .

I think thats what drives me to distraction - you cannot predict what your BSL will be with any certainty.

I am taking overnight insulin - started on the 14/05 (week 29), as my fasting readings were high. The dietician told me that the slow release insulin would keep working until lunch time. The decision was reached after a meeting between my Endocrynologist, Obstetrician and Midwife.

Hooly dooly indeed! :o I think thats probably why the Obstetrician is pushing for a caesarian - I am definitely being monitored as I have an ultrasound at 32 weeks and again at 36.

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On a side note I was speaking to a teacher at DD's kindy this afternoon and she told me that her sister has had GDM with the last 3 or her 5 pregnancies. Apparently baby # 3 was born weighting 14 pounds! (and born vaginally) :omg: And her 4th and 5th were both born at about 33 weeks and already weighed 7 pounds. Holy dooly . . .

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If it's any consolation, with GD these days usually because it's picked up & monitored well - there's not the same issue with huge babies. I know most of us in here who've had it with previous pregnancies have had perfectly normal size bubbas. My fella was 7lb 7oz at 39 weeks - so nothing too drastic at all!

Also, regarding insulin different places seem to do it slightly differently :dunno: go figure huh. I know with mine that I got told once I'd had more than 3 readings over 7.5 or 8 (I can't remember exactly sorry). My endo said it didn't matter so much the three readings but it was also the general trend... everything was going higher and higher. And sometimes no matter how well you eat, it's the hormones & placenta doing the nasty on those readings. Soooo frustrating when you get different reads off the same foods.

GL to you both, I think you're both doing a fabbo job :clap: and I know how annoying it is!!!

It is crazy that you can eat the same meal and get different readings each time. What also got me was when I was sick, like cold or flu, my levels went haywire. It was crazzzzzzzzzy.

My DS2 was born at 39wk+3 and he was 8lb 10oz. Not too massive either. Even with my first pg without any GD DS1 was 7lb 15oz at 39wks.

Belfie and Jewel, that's re-assuring to know that not all GD babies are big.

Well I've gotten a slight shock this morning. my fasting BSL was 6 :omg: I don't understand why. Is there anything I can do about this? I'm guessing that if this keeps up I may need to go on insulin at night? The only other explanation I am wondering is that I have a cold and from what jewel has said I'm wondering if this could affect BSL's?

Your cold could be affecting your BSLs, yeah definately. Hopefully when you're feeling better they'll go back to what's normal for you. :hug:

As for the levels and when/if you need insulin, it's up to your doctors. With me as long as I had my levels between 4 - 7 before meals, and 4 - 8 2hrs after eating then he was happy. I guess you'd have to discuss it at your next appointment as I'm not sure if different doctors have different cut off points, you know. Sorry I can't help any.

xox

My Endocrynologist was much stricter - must be under 5.5 when fasting, must be under 7 after meals. Hence the insulin :(

Yup mine is ment to be under 5.5 fasting and under 7 two hours after meal. I am finding this hard to control but trying.
I am 30 weeks.... but measuring 36, they are concerned that the diabetes has made baby quite stressed and making baby pee a lot more then it should.. So i am now being monitored weekly for GD and for too much fluid, ultrasounds etc..

I am not in a good place at the moment, plus most the healthy foods i have been eating gives me heartburn.... so then i take heartburn tablets.