Gestational Diabetes General Chatter #3

[Jesstibb]

Yeah the January newsletter actually named a couple and had their GI numbers.

[Artechim]

I didn't know the drip thing during labour wasn't very common. I didn't have diabetes pre pregnancy and I had very well controlled levels but my BSL started climbing even though I hadn't eaten for nearly 12 hours.

Niamh, here you will probably have to take your BSL every morning and two hours after the main meals. They will put you on insulin if you can no longer control it with diet. I had to pay for insulin.

[gkk33]

Hello every one

I'm living in Ireland but will be moving to Maroochydore in June but i have had GD on all my pregnancy's and had insulin the last time they have me down as diabetic in the hospital and im on the diet already very hard when im feeling so sick food is the enemy at the moment
but i have a few question I hope you can help me with

if you do need insulin is it covered by Medicare or if you are public it is here i got every thing for free.

what way do the doctor / hospital work at the moment I go to the diabetic clinic every 4 weeks i get fasting bloods taken then eat go back and have more bloods taken an hour later then see the two doctors baby and diabetic doc to check every thing else if my blood sugars dont behave they take you in and ten its on to insulin

hope you can help thanks niamh

Hi Niamh,
I live on North side of Brisbane, not far from where you are. I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes two weeks ago. There are a few things you need to do:
1) You must contact Diabetes Queensland and get a membership card for the National Diabetes Service Scheme. This will entitle you to get test strips at a really low cost (about $6 per box compare to $30-50 at the Chemist), I would assume that the insuline will also be of cheaper cost once you have your card. See website Diabetes Australia for further details. They have shops in Brisbane as well, one in Cabolture Hospital. Not sure about Maroochydore as I live near Cabolture.
2) Sign up for a Diabetes Seminar at the hospital you are going to. They gave me a booklet with very usefull information about eating and also had eating plans which I have followed and kept things under control. It is very easy to loose focus, so a book like that is really helpful for reference.
3) The hospital should provide you with a gluco meter that you can hire if you don;t have one yourself.

I go and see the doctor and a Diabetes Educator every second week. Not quite sure yet what is done at these appointments as I have my first one tomorrow.

When it comes to feeling sick, try to look at what food you are having. Maybe something is giving you high sugar and making you feel sick? Try to have as much vegetables (not starchy ones though) during the day in various forms. Maybe try some cuppa coups or make your own vegetable soups and have that with burgen bread. I know it's not so exiting.....but it's better and you will feel better too. I found that frozen vegie packs from Birdseye 2 minutes in the Micro sometimes is a good snack to make the energy levels go up or a simple carrot.

Hope you are feeling better soon. Take care of youself.
Gina

[shell_120308]

Well I went to the diabetes doctor today and he said I don't need to go on insulin and just to make sure my BSLs are under 7. My next apt and last apt with him is in two weeks time. But he thinks I will be right without insulin as long as I am careful over the next 4 weeks :-)

[teachmum]

Niamh I am going to a public hospital in Perth, Western Australia. I have to pay for my insulin, I got given a BGL Test kit and I go to the clinic monthly where I get to see the diabetes educator, dietician, diabetic dr, ob. Don't know if the system is the same in Qld. I have to keep a record of my levels and every couple of months they do a blood test (can't remember what it's called) that gives them my average BGL. As far as I know you only do fasting levels to see if you have GD once they know you have to test using a BG monitor. Hope this helps.

[Jewel]

Hi Niamh.

I found out I had diabetes at like 8weeks. At first I had to see my OB and diabetes educator every week, but then I got my diet, and exercise going well, so at the moment I don't know when I have to see my diabetes educator next. I've only had the blood tests at first to find out I had diabetes, and the one that tells you what my average levels were for the last 3 months, but other then that I haven't had to have anymore.


Good luck with your diabetes, diet and all that.
xx

WOW. All you ladies are coming close to your due date. Exciting. I bet you can't waittt.
As for me, I'm dying to find out the sex of our baby. It's in 3 weeks. I've been really happy lately... with myself and with how i'm doing with my BSLs. They're almost all in the 5's and 4's, only like one 6 in 2-3weeks.(it was cause I made a poor choice with food. :P)
Now, I feel like I have more freedom as to when I test. My OB said I can cut back to 2 times a day testing, but sometimes I'll probably do 3, depends how I'm going.

[Jesstibb]

I've fallen off the wagon a couple of times this week. (I feel like a naughty schoolgirl). I threw up my breakfast on yesterday and was so starving by lunchtime but felt so ill only wanted something really simple that I had a bowl of cereal and putting the milk back in the fridge spied a da da dummmmm dark flake! OMG it tasted great, took about 3 hours to eat it, had to savour it. My BSL was in the 8's.

Also had Maccas tonight because we were out shopping. Had a crispy chicken burger with bacon, diet coke but only ate about 8 fries. My BSL was 6.2 so was pleased with that. Everything else for week has been 4's and 5's so feeling ok about it. But its been nearly four weeks I think now and starting to get burn out with thinking about food all the time.

[Caz1971]

I've fallen off the wagon a couple of times this week. (I feel like a naughty schoolgirl). I threw up my breakfast on yesterday and was so starving by lunchtime but felt so ill only wanted something really simple that I had a bowl of cereal and putting the milk back in the fridge spied a da da dummmmm dark flake! OMG it tasted great, took about 3 hours to eat it, had to savour it. My BSL was in the 8's.

Also had Maccas tonight because we were out shopping. Had a crispy chicken burger with bacon, diet coke but only ate about 8 fries. My BSL was 6.2 so was pleased with that. Everything else for week has been 4's and 5's so feeling ok about it. But its been nearly four weeks I think now and starting to get burn out with thinking about food all the time.

Oh a flake, when i was at a supermarket once, I bought a fun size one. I love my choc and when baby is born can't wait to have a cadbury creme egg or Lindt bunny! I sometimes get that Low carb cadbury chocolate - its pretty good.

[teachmum]

Jesstibb we all fall off the wagon, even long term diabetics. I find it better to eat those treats as a snack if my BGL's are low or as my supper. The longer it takes me to eat them the greater it seems to affect my levels. I was always a bit of a grazer but can't really do that anymore.

I'm on insulin and didn't feel well the other night but I still had to take insulin and have something to eat so make sure you monitor you levels when you're sick.

[Caz1971]

Hi girls, made these this morning. They actually looked/tasted more like a mini scone and a bit dry but OK.

Cinnamon Cookies

Ingredients

2 eggs
2 Tablespoon (30 mL) water
5 teaspoon (25 mL) granulated sugar replacement
1 teaspoon (5 mL) cinnamon
1 1/2 cup (375 mL) flour
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) salt

Directions

Beat eggs and water until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar replacement and cinnamon. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in sifter; sift half of the dry ingredients over egg mixture. Fold to completely blend. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets, 2 to 3 inches (7 cm) apart. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 C) for 10 to 12 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Serving size: 1 cookie
Yield: 20 cookies
Exchanges: 1/2 bread
Nutrition: 41 calories

[Jesstibb]

Mmmm they sound yummy, I love cinnamon.

I phoned my BSL's through yesterday and the DE said I could go down to testing twice a day. I actually declined. I said that the testing helps me stay honest. I'm afraid I'll weaken if I don't have to account to anyone

[AndiE]

Hi guys,
Thanks for the recipe Caz, might give it a go. As we're talking about "falling off the wagon", I have to admit that I bought a cadbury chocolate bar at the supermarket earlier today. Figure that one piece per day can't hurt ... surely?? Guess I'll find out in the next day or two!
I started maternity leave yesterday, so I'm actually hoping that it will help me control my BSLs even further. My levels aren't too bad, but I do seem to push a few high 6s. I'm also hoping to exercise a bit more too - lately my feet have been swelling up in the afternoon (when I normally walk) and the old jogging shoes are a bit too tight for comfort! I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that with 5-odd weeks to go, I'll make it through insulin-free.
But trust me when I say that the first meal I'm having after the baby arrives is a whopping great bowl of pasta, followed by some kind of sweet desert! Reckon the thought of those things will get me through labour, truth be known (ha ha).
Cheers, Andie

[Niamh75]

Hi Niamh,
I live on North side of Brisbane, not far from where you are. I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes two weeks ago. There are a few things you need to do:
1) You must contact Diabetes Queensland and get a membership card for the National Diabetes Service Scheme. This will entitle you to get test strips at a really low cost (about $6 per box compare to $30-50 at the Chemist), I would assume that the insuline will also be of cheaper cost once you have your card. See website Diabetes Australia for further details. They have shops in Brisbane as well, one in Cabolture Hospital. Not sure about Maroochydore as I live near Cabolture.
2) Sign up for a Diabetes Seminar at the hospital you are going to. They gave me a booklet with very usefull information about eating and also had eating plans which I have followed and kept things under control. It is very easy to loose focus, so a book like that is really helpful for reference.
3) The hospital should provide you with a gluco meter that you can hire if you don;t have one yourself.

I go and see the doctor and a Diabetes Educator every second week. Not quite sure yet what is done at these appointments as I have my first one tomorrow.

When it comes to feeling sick, try to look at what food you are having. Maybe something is giving you high sugar and making you feel sick? Try to have as much vegetables (not starchy ones though) during the day in various forms. Maybe try some cuppa coups or make your own vegetable soups and have that with burgen bread. I know it's not so exiting.....but it's better and you will feel better too. I found that frozen vegie packs from Birdseye 2 minutes in the Micro sometimes is a good snack to make the energy levels go up or a simple carrot.

Hope you are feeling better soon. Take care of youself.
Gina

Hi Gina,
Thanks so much for that , i think my MS is easing well fingers crossed any way have had a good two days always feel sick at dinner time but i struggle through ive actually been eating lots of veg and fruit i only eat brown bread but im not eating much of that at the moment im actually wanting food i wouldn't normally eat in the first 3 months . strange thing today i had a sandwich pepper chicken a tiny bit of cheese i had half an orange and after ward i got that feeling you get when you get high sugars i drank two bottles of water after felt really weird not sick though.

ive ordered a glucose meter on line im going to keep a good eye on my sugars dont want any other problems from high blood sugars like last time i kept getting sick any way i bstter stop going on a bit thank you!

[melbell45]

hi girls,

i need some advice ! im 33 weeks pregnant with gdm diagnosed at 26 weeks and was quickly put onto insulin at dinner and before bed, the problem is i keep having to increase my night insulin, currently on 24 units protaphane and need to increase it again today as my morning sugar is still high, this sounds like a lot of insulin to be on.....is it ? we initially talked about induction at 38 weeks but i had an ultrasound last week which showed baby just under normal size so doesn't seem to be affecting the growth but i dont know what to do as obviously im going to need more and more insulin as the weeks go by, whats best an induction at 38 weeks or huge amounts of insulin ? (i was induced with DD so that doesn't phase me)

thanks for any responses

Melinda

[shell_120308]

Melbel - I haven't had to go on insulin in this pregnancy I have been pretty lucky so far. I am not sure about insulin and induction. I just know my ob said to me I may need to be induced at 39 weeks depending on the baby's size...

Andie - don't worry a small amount of chocolate is ok, well depending on the person. I find that if I have a small amount of chocolate like a Twirl or Flake it doesn't affect my blood sugar levels at all.

[kirsten74]

Hey Melinda, sorry to hear about the GD. I have been on insulin since 15 weeks and although it has been a pain, it has also become quite routine. I am taking 40 units of actrapid before dinner and 40 units of protophane before bed. My GTT was normal except for the morning fasting reading. It took awhile to find the right dosage to keep my levels down, but I haven't had to change my amounts in about 2 months. So just increase your protophane until you start gettin gyour readings under the magic number (5.5 for me). There isn't a lot you can do to bring this reading down as I used to find that no matter what I had to eat before I went to bed, even if it was something a bit naughty, it didn't affect my morning reading. I asked my specialist about this and he said that some people tend to make sugar when they are asleep, so no matter what they do, they can't bring their morning fasting reading down. So the only thing to do is to keep upping your dose until you find the right amount. Once you find the right amount you might not have to increase it again. I haven't. And as for induction, I think if your baby is actually showing being slightly smaller than normal, there should be no reason why you should be induced. I thought that people were only induced early with GD because of the risk of big babies, and if yours is normal then there should be no problem. Talk to your OB about why he wants to do you early and see what he says.
Good luck

[melbell45]

Kirsten & Shell thanks for your replies. my insulin has been increased to 8 units novarapid with dinner and 26 units protaphane and night, will see how i go with that. the intention for induction was because of the diabetes and the problems that can develop with that, i'll see how i feel about things in the next few weeks as to whether i agree or not

Melinda

[shell_120308]

My levels have been pretty good, even valentines day dinner I managed to stay around 6.0 which I was happy with considering it was a 5 course dinner, must have been completely low-gi..... I can't imagine the ice-cream at dessert being low-gi though haha

I have my last diabetes doctor appt this week Thursday Yipeeeeee and then my ob appt on Friday as well, so shall be interesting to see how my bub is growing and if I will need to be induced. I am hoping I can just go naturally.