Gestational Diabetes Check in

Laroo0220

Ok so just did my first testing of ketones and have moderate amounts. I'm freaking out. Apparently I have not been eating enough I guess. Has this happened to anyone else? I just feel like I can't do anything right here

Laroo0220

Oh and I am calling my dr as soon as they open bc they told me to do that. Just looking to hear if this has happened to anyone else

Rrrrrachel

I refuse to test for ketones. I would make myself crazy and so far my hcp hasn't suggested it. My attitude is it's not even known for sure if they're a problem, and healthy pregnant women produce them, too. Any one who has morning sickness is most likely producing ketones, and no one freaks out about it then so high are we freaking out about it for women with gd?  It CAN be caused by not eating enough total calories but it can also be a way your body copes with insulin resistance. 

Here's a write up about them I thought was good. Keep in mind harm has only been shown for very high amounts of ketones and even that is controversial. 

https://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/gd/gd_ketones.htm

Laroo0220

Thank you so much. This makes me feel way better. I just had the class yesterday so haven't had any time to research this and they made it sound like this is so bad if it happens. I'm sitting here feeling guilty as hell that I hurt my baby

Rrrrrachel

You may want to up your overall calories and make sure you're getting those regular snacks in, but I don't think it's worth freaking out about, no. Some people do make a big scary deal about it, like gd isn't enough to deal with?? They will probably come down on their own just as your learn to control your sugar better (big swings in blood sugar can cause them, too).

zoopsiedaisy

My GD test isn't until Tuesday right before 28w. But I have a question if you ladies don't mind.

Did anyone have physical symptoms before your diagnosis? I find that throughout the day I get fatigued, my heart beat increases and feels stronger, I get a little dizzy and yucky feeling in general. I can't pinpoint if its related to eating or not. Maybe I need to chart it. Thanks ladies and I hope you don't mind me infiltrating your check-in!

Rrrrrachel

Typically gd is symptomless. Those do sound potentially blood sugar related,though, so who knows.

SoulTermination

Meeting my nutritionist for the first time today... I hate meeting new people (yay, social anxiety  ).  Some good news, though - my A1C results came back yesterday perfectly normal, so I haven't had diabetes lurking around for a while and I'm hopeful that it won't haunt me after the Little Miss is born. *whew*  Too worried and anxious to sleep for two nights, but finally got some rest last night after hearing that!

fourthnlast

SoulTermination said:

Meeting my nutritionist for the first time today... I hate meeting new people (yay, social anxiety  ).  Some good news, though - my A1C results came back yesterday perfectly normal, so I haven't had diabetes lurking around for a while and I'm hopeful that it won't haunt me after the Little Miss is born. *whew*  Too worried and anxious to sleep for two nights, but finally got some rest last night after hearing that!

That's good news! I had an A1C test done in October when I was diagnosed and it was 13.1. I just had it done again a couple of weeks ago and it's down to 5.8. I'm still highly insulin resistant (which is why this is Type 1 and not GD), but the Dr's are hopeful I should be able to back off on the insulin a little after baby arrives.

Rrrrrachel

That's awesome that you got your a1c down so much! Mine was normal back at the beginning of my pregnancy, but who knows now.

bootsiebabe

Heidiman said:

My GD test isn't until Tuesday right before 28w. But I have a question if you ladies don't mind. Did anyone have physical symptoms before your diagnosis? I find that throughout the day I get fatigued, my heart beat increases and feels stronger, I get a little dizzy and yucky feeling in general. I can't pinpoint if its related to eating or not. Maybe I need to chart it. Thanks ladies and I hope you don't mind me infiltrating your check-in!

If I had not been diagnosed then I don't think I would have ever put two and two together, but I was EXTREMELY thirsty and drinking tons more water than usual.  

boxerbabylove

Update: The diabetes center had a cancellation so I saw my endocrine/nutritionist yesterday for my initial consultation and got my glucose meter. It was determined that not eating enough carbs so I have to do keytone tests every morning to ensure I'm not in starvation/storage mode and testing my sugar levels 4 times a day. The diet says to keep protein and carbs together and in the following allocations:

30 carbs at breakfast

30 carbs at morning snack

60 carbs for lunch

30 carbs for afternoon snack

60 carbs for dinner

30 carbs for evening snack

I've adjusted my MFP to make carbs about 45% of my daily diet. So far the only thing in the last 2 days that has been outside of normal has been slightly elevated keytones. Hoping the vitamin D I'm taking and adding int he carbs will be my solution. 

BTW my insurance gave me a VerioIQ with the delica lancets and they are way nicer to my fingers and I can still knit!

Rrrrrachel

You definitely need more protein with breakfast. You are eating (what for me would be) a lot of carbs, but for you it might be fine. I would say in general you need more protein, except maybe morning snack and lunch. I try to get 10g of protein at least at each snack meal so I can get to 70 g by the end of the day, which is what the nutritionist told me. Don't be afraid of fat, either. It really helps satisfy you and up to a point helps your body process the carbs. I'm eating a loooooot of nuts.

bootsiebabe

@mrsell - I agree with @rrrrrachel .  Sometimes I feel like I'm not even ready to eat when it's time for my next meal or snack because the protein keeps me full longer.  

My typical day looks like this:

Breakfast: Eggs scrambled with something else (sausage, potatoes (just a little bit), bacon, spinach, turkey) and cheese and a piece of fruit (but not if I do potatoes)

Snack:  Apple w/ PB

Lunch:  Chicken salad on low carb wrap, string cheese, handful of nuts, 2 clementines

Snack:  1 c. cottage cheese drizzled with a bit of honey

Dinner:  Cheeseburger w/ a salad/Spaghetti squash w/ chicken alfredo sauce/chicken fajitas (only 1 wrap) with black beans/chili/stir fry w/ 1/2 c. rice (just a few examples)

Snack:  1/2 c. ice cream or yogurt/dark chocolate and a glass of milk 

christinanoelle

@MrsEll I also suggest more protein at breakfast and your afternoon snack too - especially if you're having a late dinner. I always try to make sure I have snacks that are high in protein. I actually feel like I am eating a lot more than I used to and not hungry that often. 

Today's meal plan:

Breakfast: English muffin with egg, cheese, 2 slices of bacon and a latte with 1 cup of skim milk

Snack: Nuts plus a greek yogurt

Lunch: Shepherd's pie (easy on the corn and mashed potatoes

Snack: Peanut butter and saltines 

Dinner: TBD

fourthnlast

MrsEll said:

So are you guys constantly hungry? I'm trying to follow the guidelines now even though I haven't had my consult yet, and I've just been starving all day. Like 15 minutes after I eat, I feel like I could eat another entire meal/snack.

It will get better after a couple of weeks. The first two weeks I seriously thought I was going to eat my arms off. It's been since October now, and I can go a few hours between meals and sometimes have to force a snack.

fourthnlast

MrsEll said:

Help please?

7am - Breakfast: 1 slice ww toast with 1 slice American cheese, handful of raspberries, 8 oz. coffee with splash of cream

9am - Snack: apple with 2 tablespoons peanut butter

11:45am - Lunch: half red bell pepper stuffed with ground beef/parm/rice mixture and 2 clementine (small) oranges

2:45pm - Snack: 8 melba round crackers (20g carb) with 3 tablespoons boursin cheese (3g carb)

Am I eating the wrong stuff or what?

Add in protein, it will help so you aren't hungry and will help keep your numbers in the right ranges.

fourthnlast

bootsiebabe said:

@mrsell - I agree with @rrrrrachel .  Sometimes I feel like I'm not even ready to eat when it's time for my next meal or snack because the protein keeps me full longer.  

My typical day looks like this:

Breakfast: Eggs scrambled with something else (sausage, potatoes (just a little bit), bacon, spinach, turkey) and cheese and a piece of fruit (but not if I do potatoes)

Snack:  Apple w/ PB

Lunch:  Chicken salad on low carb wrap, string cheese, handful of nuts, 2 clementines

Snack:  1 c. cottage cheese drizzled with a bit of honey

Dinner:  Cheeseburger w/ a salad/Spaghetti squash w/ chicken alfredo sauce/chicken fajitas (only 1 wrap) with black beans/chili/stir fry w/ 1/2 c. rice (just a few examples)

Snack:  1/2 c. ice cream or yogurt/dark chocolate and a glass of milk 

You're my new best friend lol. I've been eating the same thing day after day meal after meal, because it works, thankful for some new meal ideas

fourthnlast

I love how everyone is sharing their meals!! Love the new ideas Here's what I had today.

Breakfast: Egg sandwich (whole wheat english muffin, egg, canadian bacon, cheese), Carbmaster yogurt. If you have a Kroger near you, get this yogurt! It has only 4grams of carbs and they are 10 for $4. I eat them all the time.

Snack: Chocolate Shakeology (I used to be a Beachbody Coach and still have a ton of this stuff) mixed with coconut milk and 1/2 a banana.

Lunch: Leftover spaghetti squash with spaghetti sauce and parm cheese, orange 

Snack: Apple and peanut butter

Dinner: Steak fajitas- I use corn tortillas instead of flour.

Laroo0220

playingonadream said:

Update: The diabetes center had a cancellation so I saw my endocrine/nutritionist yesterday for my initial consultation and got my glucose meter. It was determined that not eating enough carbs so I have to do keytone tests every morning to ensure I'm not in starvation/storage mode and testing my sugar levels 4 times a day. The diet says to keep protein and carbs together and in the following allocations:

30 carbs at breakfast

30 carbs at morning snack

60 carbs for lunch

30 carbs for afternoon snack

60 carbs for dinner

30 carbs for evening snack

I've adjusted my MFP to make carbs about 45% of my daily diet. So far the only thing in the last 2 days that has been outside of normal has been slightly elevated keytones. Hoping the vitamin D I'm taking and adding int he carbs will be my solution. 

BTW my insurance gave me a VerioIQ with the delica lancets and they are way nicer to my fingers and I can still knit!

That looks pretty identical to my plan as well. Now that I'm writing everything down I realize I am usually under my carb allotment surprisingly.

I have heard nothing about this a1c test. Should they be doing this?

boxerbabylove

Laroo0220 said:

Update: The diabetes center had a cancellation so I saw my endocrine/nutritionist yesterday for my initial consultation and got my glucose meter. It was determined that not eating enough carbs so I have to do keytone tests every morning to ensure I'm not in starvation/storage mode and testing my sugar levels 4 times a day. The diet says to keep protein and carbs together and in the following allocations:

30 carbs at breakfast

30 carbs at morning snack

60 carbs for lunch

30 carbs for afternoon snack

60 carbs for dinner

30 carbs for evening snack

I've adjusted my MFP to make carbs about 45% of my daily diet. So far the only thing in the last 2 days that has been outside of normal has been slightly elevated keytones. Hoping the vitamin D I'm taking and adding int he carbs will be my solution. 

BTW my insurance gave me a VerioIQ with the delica lancets and they are way nicer to my fingers and I can still knit!

That looks pretty identical to my plan as well. Now that I'm writing everything down I realize I am usually under my carb allotment surprisingly. I have heard nothing about this a1c test. Should they be doing this?

I've struggled the whole pregnancy with a lack of appetite so meeting these requirements is a major challenge for me. The only reason I'm getting close to that this weekend is because I'm away with 12 friends for a long weekend getaway. Everyone is eating around me all day which makes it easier to remember to eat.

I too have not been told about any additional tests but I'm guessing it is because my fasting levels are in the normal range and I only marginally failed my 1 hr and 3 hr tests. 

My doc said that the higher the fasting sugar the more likely they are to order more tests and prescribe insulin instead of meal changes alone. 

Rrrrrachel

The a1c is not universal. I had one early in my pregnancy because I had a higher risk (age, weight, and family history).

Laroo0220

Rrrrrachel said:

The a1c is not universal. I had one early in my pregnancy because I had a higher risk (age, weight, and family history).

Oh ok got it. I wasn't sure why I had not heard anything about this.

fourthnlast

nao618 said:

Is anyone starting stress tests soon? I start on Feb 10th and will have an ultrasound and stress test every week. Yesterday my doctor said that they won't let me go past 39 weeks. 

Good news: I did have an ultrasound yesterday and it looks like the GD hasn't effected the baby so far That made me happy. He is perfectly proportionate and in the 38th percentile. Thank you Jesus!

They haven't started yet, but they will be soon, I think my OB said around 30 weeks, I'm not sure. It depends on how my ultrasound goes on Monday. My c-section (repeat x4) will be sometime around 38-39 weeks, but I have yet to have a pregnancy go that long.

fourthnlast

Rrrrrachel said:

The a1c is not universal. I had one early in my pregnancy because I had a higher risk (age, weight, and family history).

Same.

newter135

Anyone have good ideas for take out? DH has decided to go drinking with the guys tonight and they are eating at a pizza and burger bar (so not really within the GD diet guidelines) and I am home with an empty fridge (only have egg muffins which I have already eaten today) and a cupboard full of carbs...

SoulTermination

*facedesk* Nutritionist wants me to check my blood glucose four times a day, plus ketones.  Of course she does.  But I have no idea how expensive the copay for the strips, lancets, and ketone strips will be, or even if our insurance covers them at all.  We have about $80 to get us to DH's next paycheck.  I feel like such a useless loser it's not even funny.  I was the one anxious to move out on our own because the ILs were driving me up the fucking wall, and now it just seems to be expense after expense.  I know there's not really anything I can do about having GD, and I know DH wants our baby to be healthy, I just... I don't know.  I want to dig a hole, crawl in, and pull the dirt in over me.  

Laroo0220

newter135 said:

Anyone have good ideas for take out? DH has decided to go drinking with the guys tonight and they are eating at a pizza and burger bar (so not really within the GD diet guidelines) and I am home with an empty fridge (only have egg muffins which I have already eaten today) and a cupboard full of carbs...

You could do a burger without the bun or a sandwich with only the bottom piece of bread with a side salad. I don't know. I haven't braved take out yet bc I'm clueless as well. I will be looking to see if anyone has ideas

Laroo0220

SoulTermination said:

*facedesk* Nutritionist wants me to check my blood glucose four times a day, plus ketones.  Of course she does.  But I have no idea how expensive the copay for the strips, lancets, and ketone strips will be, or even if our insurance covers them at all.  We have about $80 to get us to DH's next paycheck.  I feel like such a useless loser it's not even funny.  I was the one anxious to move out on our own because the ILs were driving me up the fucking wall, and now it just seems to be expense after expense.  I know there's not really anything I can do about having GD, and I know DH wants our baby to be healthy, I just... I don't know.  I want to dig a hole, crawl in, and pull the dirt in over me.  

((Hugs)) hopefully everything is pretty reasonable. My insurance covered everything except 40 dollars worth and that was for a 3 month supply (more than I even need)

Ktn8413

Thanks @Rrrrrachel. My birthing center is also okay with it as long as it is controlled by diet as well. Thanks everyone else as well for the menu ideas and just the support and ideas.

Rrrrrachel

I've been drinking a lot of red raspberry leaf tea the last couple of days and I think it may be helping? It's so hard to tell with stuff like that!

newter135

Laroo0220 said:

newter135 said:

Anyone have good ideas for take out? DH has decided to go drinking with the guys tonight and they are eating at a pizza and burger bar (so not really within the GD diet guidelines) and I am home with an empty fridge (only have egg muffins which I have already eaten today) and a cupboard full of carbs...

You could do a burger without the bun or a sandwich with only the bottom piece of bread with a side salad. I don't know. I haven't braved take out yet bc I'm clueless as well. I will be looking to see if anyone has ideas

Yeah so far the only take out I've done is a salad from chipotle. It's wierd I have not craved pizza or burgers my whole pregnancy but now that I "can't" have them it's all I want...in fairness I don't care about the burger nearly as much as the fries...I miss French fries...

Laroo0220

newter135 said:

Laroo0220 said:

newter135 said:

Anyone have good ideas for take out? DH has decided to go drinking with the guys tonight and they are eating at a pizza and burger bar (so not really within the GD diet guidelines) and I am home with an empty fridge (only have egg muffins which I have already eaten today) and a cupboard full of carbs...

You could do a burger without the bun or a sandwich with only the bottom piece of bread with a side salad. I don't know. I haven't braved take out yet bc I'm clueless as well. I will be looking to see if anyone has ideas

Yeah so far the only take out I've done is a salad from chipotle. It's wierd I have not craved pizza or burgers my whole pregnancy but now that I "can't" have them it's all I want...in fairness I don't care about the burger nearly as much as the fries...I miss French fries...

I was going to have a chipotle salad be my first out to eat thing too I want fries so bad. I'm tempted to get some and see if my blood sugar can handle it bc my #s have been so good. I'm getting too confident though. I'm sure if I even had a small fries it would not be that way

newter135

Laroo0220 said:

newter135 said:

Laroo0220 said:

newter135 said:

Anyone have good ideas for take out? DH has decided to go drinking with the guys tonight and they are eating at a pizza and burger bar (so not really within the GD diet guidelines) and I am home with an empty fridge (only have egg muffins which I have already eaten today) and a cupboard full of carbs...

You could do a burger without the bun or a sandwich with only the bottom piece of bread with a side salad. I don't know. I haven't braved take out yet bc I'm clueless as well. I will be looking to see if anyone has ideas

Yeah so far the only take out I've done is a salad from chipotle. It's wierd I have not craved pizza or burgers my whole pregnancy but now that I "can't" have them it's all I want...in fairness I don't care about the burger nearly as much as the fries...I miss French fries...

I was going to have a chipotle salad be my first out to eat thing too I want fries so bad. I'm tempted to get some and see if my blood sugar can handle it bc my #s have been so good. I'm getting too confident though. I'm sure if I even had a small fries it would not be that way

That's how I feel too. I haven't been over 100 yet or 95 when fasting but I don't want to push my luck the first week. FYI I had the chipotle salad with chicken, cheese, guacamole, tomato salsa (mild) and sour cream, when I tested my number was in the low 80's so definitely a safe bet. I like that on their website you can create a meal and it tells you the nutritional facts including carbs and protein. I know it's not exact but nice to have an idea

fourthnlast

So upset right now. The last few days, it doesn't matter what I eat or how much insulin I take, my numbers keep going higher and higher. Emailing my endocrinologist this morning to see what is next.

SoulTermination

Supplies totaled about $80, so we can't pick them up until Friday.  Hope my OB and nutritionist/endo don't get all bent out of shape about me not charting a week, 'cause there's not really anything I can do about it. x.x;;

Rrrrrachel

You track carbs NOT net carbs.

I just tracked my stuff using a spreadsheet, my sister uses glucose buddy to track her sugar numbers and one of the diet apps to track food.

macuevas

I was diagnosed at 14 weeks. I was tested super early guessing since diabetes runs on both sides of my families.

I was diet controlled for a long time but am now on meds before bed.

Cheese sticks, water and lots of protein have been super helpful. (: a lot of it feels like a game of chance since I hit the third trimester foods that used to work aren't anymore. /:

I'm doing better now, when I was first given the news I was crushed. But now it isn't too bad I feel like I have a handle on it and still have no idea how labor will actually go. One doctor says induction at 39 weeks and the others say if baby is healthy and not too big I can go to 40. So guess we'll see. I do love seeing baby girl on ultra sounds every week though. (:

Laroo0220

Just had my first time testing and being over I washed my hands and tested again and was under but just barely. Anyone else thinking milk is making their levels higher? My levels after dinner are the only ones over 100 consistently and I've been having a small glass of milk with dinner. Ironically it's the only time I make sure to walk for 20 min too so that's weird to me that it's still high. I knew I was getting too cocky with my #s being so good.

Rrrrrachel

Milk works well for me but I've heard from several people that a lot of women struggle with it. Sorry! I know those high readings sting a little!