Gestational Diabetes General Chatter #2

**Jewel** · January 14th, 2008, 10:38 AM

Great to hear, Sandles.
Congrats on your levels.

It's getting easier for me, lately. It took me about 2weeks to adjust, but I'm going okay now, I think. Lol. I've been getting in the 5's. I got a 4.9 after lunch yesterday, which is odd. I did exercise before testing though, cause I didn't have anything all that great. You know, nans and the old style cooking with fat.. Lol.

So how long have you got to go, Sandles?

Sandles · January 16th, 2008, 02:47 PM

Great to hear, Sandles.
Congrats on your levels.

It's getting easier for me, lately. It took me about 2weeks to adjust, but I'm going okay now, I think. Lol. I've been getting in the 5's. I got a 4.9 after lunch yesterday, which is odd. I did exercise before testing though, cause I didn't have anything all that great. You know, nans and the old style cooking with fat.. Lol.

So how long have you got to go, Sandles?

I am 30 weeks so still a while to go.

I met some friends for lunch today and had a sandwich from the deli. The bread was wholegrain but thick. I pulled a 6 which is high for me so I am definitely finding that bread is not my friend. I stick to the Molenberg range for lunch times and that sits ok with my levels.

Cazmx, the only urine test I have had was when I did the GTT test at the hospital. I asked why and they told me that you can tell alot about someone through their wee, such as when they last ate and keatones (??)

**Cazmx** · January 16th, 2008, 06:55 PM

This urine test strip im guessing is normal practice in the hospital im attending Because the admin lady tells you when u first arrive to do your pee strip, its like a pool chlorine pool test strip, u dip it in the urine and theres little pads on it that change colour if there is a trace of glucose or protein. I Have had a proper urine test that had to be done at the lab when i was 12 weeks. doesn anyone else have these test strips done at their appointments? and if so had traces of glucose?

**shell_120308** · January 14th, 2008, 11:19 AM

haha on the chocolate instead of flowers idea - love it!!! Might start saying the same. Mind you some of my friends know that I will be dying to eat alot of chocolate once DJ is born.

**Cazmx** · January 15th, 2008, 03:35 PM

I am 33 weeks and it wasnt until my last 2 (28 & 31) appointments my urine strip showed that my urine contained a slight trace of glucose. The first time was at my appointment with the Dr. and i asked if i should be concerned but said it was nothing to worry about, a couple of weeks later with the midwife, the same again so i asked her if i should be concered. She said i should start cutting out white bread, pasta, rice and sugar and if my next test still has a trace i will have to go for more tests. (I generally eat healthy but must admit i do have my splurges) Will these tests be for gestational diabetes? Im doing really well on keeping my eye on what i eat now but wished the Dr. pointed this out at first so i could have actioned it quicker and kept myself from over indulging over the christmas break.

Has anyone else had this happen, then with the correct diet and exercise have had the urine test come up with no trace? any comments would be greatly appriciated.

**shell_120308** · January 15th, 2008, 03:58 PM

Haven't had a urine test since my first glucose testing so I am not sure. I suppose I may find out at my appt next week. My blood sugar levels have been low, so hopefully I can keep it up.

Don't worry, we all splurge, more so for me on the quantity of food. I am just sooooo hungry..... But I still end up with a low blood sugar reading if I do eat more than I should, so that is a good sign :-)

Shell xx

**Cazmx** · January 15th, 2008, 04:19 PM

I have not had a glucose test yet so maybe thats what the midwife is talking about. Guess ill find out at my next appt in 2 weeks. Just have to wait and see!!

**melbel** · January 16th, 2008, 08:00 PM

ah urine tests...the good old days...you know blood testing wasn't invented until the 1980s so before that all we had was wee strips for glucose testing...very inaccurate but served a purpose. They are killing two birds with one stone really cos they are looking for that protein and as yet there is no simple blood test for that which can be done on the spot at a widwife appointment.
urine tests are great to show if your kidneys are spilling any glucose but not really any good at telling how much glucose is in the bloodstream. ho hum...takes me back that does!!

**kirsten74** · January 16th, 2008, 09:01 PM

Every visit I have to take my little cup of wee and they do the strip test. They are looking for protein in the urine which can indicate kidney problems caused by pre eclampsia and diabetes. I did one a couple of weeks back that showed traces of blood as well (sorry TMI). He gave very little info on it but was not worried and the next test was all clear, so guess it was a once off!

**teachmum** · January 17th, 2008, 09:09 AM

I have to test my wee each time I go and record if there is any glucose or protien. I've got diabetes and the glucose test has always been negative though I have had traces of protien. My diabetes was diagnosed through a blood test because my keytones were 3+++ whatever that means. So I didn't have to do the yucky GTT.

**Jesstibb** · January 17th, 2008, 07:32 PM

Hi

I've been a bit of a lurker on the forums for a while. I first found bb when we had a downs scare at 20 weeks and had to have an amnio (everything fine luckily) but have had a dreadful pregnancy, including extreme MS (four times on drips and lost 11kgs), aneamia, low blood pressure and now GD.

My GTT was only 8.2 (d'oh) and I have been testing my blood for the last two days and have had a couple of highs (7.2, 7.7) and a couple of exacts (5.0,7.0) but am in that 'lets see how this affects me" stage lol. I had one month of people (ie Mum and hubby) congratulating me on eating doughnuts and chocolate (at least your keeping something down) now its all, "you're going to eat that?" lol. So I've cut out all the sugary badness I love so much.

My biggest problem at the moment is the anaemia and low blood pressure means people are telling me not to exercise too much etc because I have these fainting spells.

Has anyone else had this combination of problems? I guess I'm just having a bit of a whinge lol, and wanted to introduce myself. I've found bb really helpful and useful over the last couple of months. I'm hoping that over the next few days I can really keep my levels within range so I can show I can do it on diet alone, and that the next seven weeks speed by!

**Jesstibb** · January 17th, 2008, 08:41 PM

Dammit I just tried to test my blood after dinner and the bloody thing won't calibrate grrrrr. I really wanted to see how the little piece of lasagne and salad affected me. So annoyed.

**shell_120308** · January 18th, 2008, 06:05 AM

I have been fairly lucky so far (touch wood). My next apt with the diabetes doctor is Thursday next week and my levels have been great, only 2 or 3 at 7.4 and that has been my highest. Otherwise I have kept them under <7.0 and my first one of the morning has always been under <5.5. So, I am pretty happy with myself. Just have to keep it up. We were out for dinner last week and I had potato chips with dinner because I was so hungry. I was going to leave them on the plate, but I was just too hungry. Anyway, my reading was 7.4, which is high but not too bad.

I have been exercising as well and noticing I am really hungry so sometimes I eat more than I should of the rice portions, but because I am eating low-gi rice, it isn't affecting the levels too much (what a relief!!!).

**kirsten74** · January 18th, 2008, 12:11 PM

I have a question for everyone out there. I wasn't feeling baby move much yesterday so I thought I would push up my BSL as that usually gets the little guy going. When I mentioned to my Ob this morning what I had done, he said that I had probably done more harm than good. I always thought that continual high readings were bad for the baby, but I didn't know that one-off readings which were high could be harmful. Anybody have any idea why? My sugar hit about 9.0, so not hugely excessive.

Sandles · January 18th, 2008, 12:53 PM

9 is high according to my doctors and I would not be happy going there. But my doctors also say that you can go high once in a while, just so long as you know WHY the number was high. Having said that I am blessed with low numbers. My birthday yesterday and I ate italian bread, baked potato then a slice of cheesecake and I got 5.1. My family was stunned. Not sure what happened but I was expecting my highest number so far.

Jesstibb - I have anameia on top of everything but my blood pressure is good this time round. It was very low with my first baby and I had to record my blood pressure everyday. I have also had an amnio this pregnancy after 5 miscarriages between this bub and my 4 year old. I also had down syndrome confirmed with my last miscarriage at 4 months gestation. That was not fun as you can imagine. Emergency D&C, genetic testing on DH and I (which came back clear) and an autopsy type procedure on the fetus.

So being told I have GD this time round, I just shrug my shoulders and wonder what nature will throw at me next. Apparently the factor causing all this is my age and drawing the short straw to quote my oby. I turned 36 yesterday. I am normal weight, no history of GD or diabetes in the family at all and a good diet.

**Caz1971** · January 18th, 2008, 02:08 PM

I had a quarter pounder for lunch - no fries. Reading was 5.3! (low).

**Jesstibb** · January 18th, 2008, 02:47 PM

I had two english muffins with a little marg and vegemete for lunch and my reading was 7.6! On Wednesday I had the same thing and had 5.2. Is it usual to have such different readings for the same food?

I had one of my funny dizzy spells this morning and have been wiped all day could that affect it?