Gestational Diabetes General Chatter #5

[belfie]

Hey everyone,

Shannon22 and Leigh26 - so sorry to hear you've both been diagnosed, but you're in the right spot. I found everyone was sooo helpful when i first got diagnosed. Shannon - congrats on the twins! (I'm a fraternal twin myself tehe) plus there's others in here with twins too.

In terms of the GD... hmm someone asked me the other day what i'd say to someone just diagnosed, so here's my chance

• I found the diet wasn't actually AS bad as I thought it would be (sometimes the fear is the worst bit!). My dad has Type II diabetes and has to be pretty careful - but I wasn't told to be as careful as him. I found the emphasis was more on the right carbs as opposed to cutting down carbs - I guess when you're PG they really want you to still keep your calories up.
  
• Look at the Diabetes Australia site and the Low Glycemic index site - eating low GI is usually the main thing you need to focus on. There's some good menu suggestions for GD around, give it a Google.
  
• Having people say that they knew someone with GD who managed it fine is really REALLY annoying. But stupidly enough, it is true. You'll manage it really well and the stress will die down. But the initial shock of it is the difficult bit. I have a very restricted diet already (no wheat, onion, most fruit etc) so I cried for a weekend when I found out). Allow yourself to be upset or whatever you need, and post in here. It DOES get easier, and you will feel better about it over time. And occasionally it'll trip you up and you'll be annoyed at it all over again.
  
• Set your mobile alarm for your BSL's. It makes it SOOO much easier, and you don't spend all day watch the clock!! And remember to have your snacks once you've done your BSL. Sometimes I've mistimed it and end up feeling hungry while waiting to do a BSL - very annoying.
  
• With me, I think I had about 2-3 weeks before I went on insulin. I was eating everything right, but my levels were still just going up (one piece of seedy bread with baked beans & salad gave me an over 8 - puhlease!). My obs said it's a tug of war between your pancreas & placenta. Sometimes you may do EVERYTHING right, but your levels will go up regardless. It isn't your fault!!!! So remember not to blame yourself.
  
• The insulin needles aren't too bad at all. I was freaking out before I got shown - it's a very very fine short little needle into your tummy (into the podgy bits, assuming you have some!). The thought was worse than the actuality for me. One of the girls here said "think of it as medicine for bubs" and that helped me. Plus even though I never woulda CHOSEN to do it... I felt kinda "tough" for being able to do it, and proud of myself. So that's a weird silver lining I guess.
  
• Usually you test your BSL's after main meals. So your snacks are your chance to experiement and see what you can get away with. I find I can still have little bit so of junk food - I just have a very small amount and it helps me keep going.
  
• Someone else said that everyone will give contradictory information - soooo true! My diabetes educator says slightly different to my endocrinologist... says slightly different to my obs... and everyone is different in here! Some people test fasting (I don't). Some people have to stay under 7.5 - but i only have to stay under 8. Dunno why... but it sometimes helps to know that it's not that consistent!
  
• Think about what time you're finishing work. I was going to finish at 36 weeks, but moved it to 34.5 weeks. I found I was busier with appointments, and with my stupid diet, needed to prepare EVERYTHING I ate myself. Doing f/t work just wasn't working, and I was feeling really stressed. So I reckon it's important to acknowledge that it IS another thing on your prego plate and take it easy on yourself. You're making changes to your diet, you're probably more tired in 3rd tri and it's an added stress that you didn't want. I didn't have one medical professional tell me to think about stopping earlier, but in retrospect, I really made the right decision for me.

So what are the bonuses? You're more likely to maintain a good weight & may feel better from the dietary changes. I found I had less nausea in the evenings once I started insulin (go figure!!!). It's not forever. When I think of my dad doing this for the rest of his life, I think phew, I can manage a few months. You don't automatically have Type II afterwards - it's just increased risk, so you can manage that by staying healthy (kinda like you get a chance to try and prevent it). It can be hard to avoid stressing about the likelihood, but i'm pretty sure the stats say that 30-50% get it... within 15 years!! That's a huge timeframe, and staying healthy/active will really help reduce your risk.

Hmm, so I hope there's something useful in the waffle! Ask any questions or just vent as needed (I know I've done that plenty!). Big to you all.
Belfie

[Leigh26]

Hi Belfie - Thanks soooo much for providing all that info for me, it has helped me to understand GD more and helped me to try and prepare myself for what I am in for. I keep trying to think that being healthy now will help me to stay in the right frame of mind to lose all the baby weight quicker afterwards.

Type 2 diabetes is in my family as well and I keep thinking the same as you, at least I only have to do this for a couple of months, unlike everyday like some of my family members. I just cant wait til Tuesday til I am given all the info and be able to understand what foods to eat at what times.

[melbel]

Hey Shannon..... thats a bummer that you have to come visit in here.

You should try ans suss out the series of book called the New Glucose revolution by Professor Jennie Brand Miller. This will teach you all you need to know about how the glycaemic food index works and why. The for recipes you can't go past grabbing a copy of Diabetic lving magazine which is published every two months...cram packed full of recipes they are!
As for weetbix they are notoriously bad for causing blood sugar spikes...if you can handle porridge that is better for more stable sugar rises or even go to the low GI toast and eggs is even better again. Having said that I love my weetbix (but then I have 30 yrs to learn just how much insulin I need to cover them!)

Hope this helps and keep your chin up...your on the home stretch now!

[snowchickie79]

hey ladies,

I had 2 slices of pizza and a big bowl of salad - got a 6.6 so that was good.
I know exactly what you mean re eating the same things. I walk into the kitchen sometimes and just say to DH, what should I eat? I'm sick of trying to think of something!

I just bought some great PJ's from myer - button down top, light & stretchy, I figure they should be good for BFing.

Belfie - Well done on the slices of pizza and salad. I don't think from memory I made a homemade vegetarian pizza using lebanese bread once and it didn't spike my levels so if you bought a pizza then you are doing extraodinarily well.
Yep highly recommend the button down PJ's for BF'ing in hospital. I took about 3 pairs of PJ's and in the first night went through 2 of them so my lovely mother took them home and washed them and bought them back. Also recommend some really comfy track pants. I got some from Jay Jays and wore them after about Day 3 to have some sort of normal clothing and especially good when I knew I had visitors coming.

Hi Ladies

Hope you dont mind if i join you, I am 28 weeks pregnant with boy/girl fraternal twins and found out last Monday i have GD, must admit its been pretty crap week sugar withdrawals and trying to balance my levels and find food that doesn't throw me up to an 8 (still in shock that 2 of my three bad readings were after weetbix!). I see the ob tomorrow to find out if i need insulin etc but really hoping to avoid it.

Hope you are all having a good weekend

Shan

Shannon22 Welcome to the thread. You've come to the right place to ask questions and by all means ask as many as you can think up. I found I was good with WeetBix, it became my staple breakfast, but I also used to eat the Hi Bran variety so they may be worth a shot. Porrdige also was my 2nd staple breakfast. I'd either have weetbix with sultanas, strawberries (these are an ALL YOU CAN EAT FOOD FOR GD) along with either an "almost" ripe banana or a few slices of peach. I'd generally have the same fruit items with either weetbix or porridge. On the porridge throw in a sprinkle of cinnamon and you've got a really yummy and filling breakfast.

Hi Girls,

I posted the other day telling you all I had just been diagnosed with GD. Been reading your posts over the last few days and know too that I will be sick to death of having GD by the time my baby is born. I am so scared that I will be stuck with it after the baby is born.

I have my appointment on Tuesday with the Diabetes educator at my hospital, I am sooo nervous to go but will be good finally knowing what I can and cant eat & knowing how to control it properly. Not looking forward to checking my BSL's after each meal though. For those of you who have to inject yourself with insulin how long did they give you to try and control it by diet before they made you go on insulin injections? Also where on your body do you give the injection? Jeez I am totally clueless about all this stuff.

My hospital wasn't even going to test me for GD, it was only that I asked to have the test done. I keep thinking what would've happened if I never found out that I had it?

Sorry for the ramble but its just good to talk to someone who knows what I am going through.

Leigh26 - Ramble Away!! You had the exact same fear I had regarding it staying around. Majority of the women who still have diabetes after giving birth, actually had diabetes prior to getting pregnant but just didn't know it. I know 2 ladies who had GD and both of them it went away after the birth and they are now in their 40's and do not have diabetes. I do not get tested for another 2 weeks yet but I've had no signs of diabetes and I've done some random BSL's including after a bowl of OH SO yummy ice-cream complete with chocolate sauce and they were under 6.5 and under. It is still a huge fear but ultimately have to look at the positives.
Would highly recommend you read through some of our old threads as there has been heaps of food ideas and suggestions. You will find though that foods some people had no problems with and vice versa so it really is a trial and error thing. Best time to give new foods a try is during your snacks as it gives you more time for your body to break down the sugars and largest gap between eating and having to test.
If you hadn't asked for the GD test it could have meant you may have had a bigger than average baby, but it also isn't a given. My baby girl was 6lb 14oz so don't assume that as you have GD that you'll have a big bubba.

In terms of the GD... hmm someone asked me the other day what i'd say to someone just diagnosed, so here's my chance

Belfie

Belfie - Well done on the tips for GD!!!!

[kgb]

Hi Shannon welcome to the forum, I have been controlling my GD with Diet for the past 3 weeks I am in week 33 and have been 95% of the time under the acceptable ranges. Anything can happen for the rest of the pregnancy as I was told week 36 is a real challenge. I am not going to worry about it now, worst case I will end up on insulin which I have been told isn't too bad.

I have been told that the GD should go after pregnancy, its the pregnancy hormones that stop the release of insulin.

Belfie, I am puzzled I was told to measure my BSL 2 hour after finishing my meal, are you timing from the time you start a meal?

Yesterday we had my daughter's party for her 4 year old b'day which is actually on this Thursday. It was torture not being able to have b'day cake I have some left over at home which I will give away today.

KGB

[angelraelz]

hiya

wow belfie - well done on the tips.

kgb - each hospital etc or person who is looking after you will have a different view on how it should be done. I had to do it like you. 2 hours after finishing a meal.

welcome shannon and Leigh. I am pregnant with twins - only 16 weeks but i had GD with my last pregnancy so i have been hanging out here. I had some pretty high levels at the beginning of this pregnancy. I am awaiting my results from my 2 hour GTT which i get tomorrow.

Don't panic its really not as bad as its made out to be. You get bombarded with alot of information but once that all settles down and you get in a routine with it all its not really that bad. I lost weigh with Isaac. The insulin isn't to bad - you get use to it and i hated needles.

vent, ask questions everyone here has been or is in the same boat.

angel

[1MOREPLZ]

kgb ~ i am like you.. been told to do my BSL 2hrs post meal i also measure before breakkie. I am 35 weeks, on insulin before breakfast (8units) before dinner (8 units) and before bed (4units)
I have been told my level before breakkie should be below 5.5 (which it is sometimes) and every other time after meals below 7.0 (last couple of days it hasn't)
I have today really gone off my food, not feeling well at all.... just want this boy out now!!!

[belfie]

morning ladies,

Yup, I was told to test from the start of my meal - more contradiction hey! I found a few times if I was even 10 mins out (say i mistimed it, or used a different clock or something) it made the difference between getting and 8.2 or a 6.1 !!! Pretty huge huh! And my DE kept saying, it should be exactly 2 hrs after I had my first mouthful... hence i started setting my alarm.

Plus if my limit had been 7 (instead of 8), I would have been putting my insulin up HEAPS! It kinda annoys me that they all say different things.

Oh and did I mention i'm having a boy too? a week to go today till my induction. I'm excited!

KGB,

I have been told that the GD should go after pregnancy, its the pregnancy hormones that stop the release of insulin.

that's what i was told too. He doesn't even want me to measure BSL's post birth (but I probably will cos I'll be curious!). I just have to do the GTT 6 weeks later. Plus I haven't heard of anyone who had GD still having diabetes immediately after birth.

Oh and totally agree on the porridge. I think I read somewhere that cinnamon is really good as a natural agent to help regulate your blood sugars too.

Happy monday to you all
Belfie

[Shannon22]

Hi Ladies

Thanks for the warm welcome I have had a much better weekend starting with a protein breakfast eggs etc and havent been above a 5.5 so feeling a lot better and more in control. And fantastic news the dr is happy to not have insulin for the next 2 weeks until my next check up.

Thanks also for the breakfast tips, that is the meal i am struggling with eggs are good on a weekend but a little hard to shove down at 630am before work.... bring on maternity leave!

Also did anyone find that they lost weight? I lost 2kg in the past week.

Shan

[1MOREPLZ]

well... as of 10mins ago.. i am now on insulin 4 times a day
they have upped my breakfast jab to 10 units, i am now on 4units pre-lunch, 8 units still before dinner, and now 6 units before bed... soo bloody frustrating... i am NOT feeling the best (wish this damn GD would go..)and i wish this boy would come now....
I am constantly on the verge of tears... and to top it all off i am sick

[belfie]

Aaww Katones, hope you feel better soon .

Shannon - I've lost .5 kg since 28 weeks... so I haven't lost heaps... but then I haven't gained ANYTHING and I thought I would. I'm sure i've lost some podge though . When I asked my obs, he said he wasn't worried until I'd lost 5-10 kg. If I were you though, I'd just double check with your Dr. Better safe than sorry and they may want to check that you're getting everything you need in your diet.

[Jewel]

Hey Shannon22 & Leigh26.
Sorry to hear about your GD, and joining us here in this section.
Good luck with your GD, I hope it goes really well and the time flies.

Katones - I'm sorry, sweet. BIG HUGS It's hardwork but totally worth it in the end and once yuo're holding your bubba, everything will be perfect. You're doing a FANTASTIC JOB. You're a strong person and you should be proud of how you're going with GD.

Shannon - 5.5 and under are great!!! Awesome job. I lost my own weight in the begining when I found out. It always showed I was the same weight for weeks but what I was losing from my own body fat, the baby and all that jazz was keeping me at the same weight, if you know what I mean. It wasn't until the last few weeks I started to show some weight gain, and it was only like less then a kg a week.

Lately I've been thinking how strong I was to go so well in pg with my diet control. I am still shocked that I did it. At the time I felt so alone and I basically did it all myself without DP doing it with me. I can't believe I did it for so long.

everyone else.

Btw, congrats on the twins Shannon. Exciting stuff! I'm a fraternal twin too.

xoxo

[Artechim]

Hi there, just wanted to pop in and add my two cents about remaining diabetic after the birth - I was on quite a bit of insulin (42 breakfast, 24 lunch, 32 dinner and 32 before bed) and it went away very quickly after DS was born. I was told to look at it as a warning, that if I did nothing to change my lifestyle then I would be more likely to end up with it in the next 5-15 years.

Belfie, not long to go now!

[Leigh26]

Hi Girls,

Well I had my session with the diabetes educator this morning, there were 6 of us in total and we were given all the info and our blood sugar monitors. My level was 4.6 after lunch today which I was happy about, I am scared about my reading after dinner though. I get nervous everytime I have to do it. We were told to keep our levels between 4 - 7 and 5.5 first thing in the morning.

One of the ladies in my session had GD with her last pregnancy too and said her fingers were so sore from *****ing that she couldn't pick anything up, jeez hope mine don't get like that, have any of yours?

If you girls go for lunch somewhere what do you usually get to eat? Even if its at a shopping centre? I am so afraid I'll eat the wrong foods that will put me over the level. Do you find you eat the same things over and over almost everyday?

[belfie]

Artechim - that's very heartening I think - it's like we get an early warning to avoid it! And yup i'm gettin' excited!

Leigh26 - re lunch, I'm probably not the best person to answer, but I'll throw my 2 cents worth in anyway . Because I can't eat wheat/onion/lotsa stuff, that virtually ruled out anything shop-bought for me. Plus what works for some people doesn't always work for someone else, so you may find it's a bit trial & error. I think some of the other girls mentioned trying the low GI breads, or having seedy breads. I used to bring lunches in... things like... seedy bread for a toasted sandwich (we had a sandwich press at work - i'd just heat some ham to give some protein) with a salad, leftover curry (basmatic rice), chicken satay with vegies & rice or noodles, ryvitas with salad, re-heated home-cooked chicken in a roll with salad. Oh and if you have time, all-day brekkies are great - have eggs, spinach, mushroom, minimal bread and it's a great lunch!

For snacks, I also found that fruit smoothies from those juice bars were an ok snack for me. I'd also have yoghurt, nuts, ryvita's, a bit of sugar-free chocolate, or a sugar-free hot chocolate (those chocolatte ones in the packs at the supermarket are ok).
I also found this menu plan really useful too. But yes, there were some days when I was racking my brains and I'd look at DH pathetically and say what should I eat honey? I must admit it's been easier since i've been at home.

ETA: oh yeah and I agree with Tenny - I haven't had sore fingers... nor bruises. Occasionally I hit a bad spot & it hurts when I do it... but doesn't stay hurting. I really only like doing my middle fingers too.

[Jewel]

Leigh - When I first started testing I got a few bruises on my fingers, it could have been cause i liked to use the same few fingers too. I'm weird, I know. Lol. I never ever got like that lady told you though. Maybe she was pr!cking her finger onthe tips instead of the sides. Great after lunch level!
Re: Lunches - Mine changed alot. Sometimes I'd have a tuna salad, or a salad roll. It depended on what I felt like. Sorry I'm not much help.
Sometimes I felt like I had the same kind of things over and over, but I sometimes feel like that normally anyways. Lol.

The bread that worked great for me was 9grains. The one with pumpkin seeds is the best!

Goodluck. You'll do great! xx

[melbel]

She might also have had the finger pri##er dialed up too high...most finger pri##ers have a depth dial on them nowadays..too much depth equals ouchy fingers....but then...you could have my fingers..29 years of mutiple daily finger pri##ing equals calloused finger tips which are a bugger to get blood out of sometimes!!

[1MOREPLZ]

well this morning i finally got a reading BELOW what it should be :P only just though.... and i have now started having porridge for breakkie.. and 2hrs post breakkie yesturday was a good reading
i just have to keep saying to myself.. 28 more days 28 more days....