Gestational Diabetes Check in

bootsiebabe

@rrrrrachel - feel better!  

@christinanoelle - I love those bars!  The coconut almond one is reminiscent of an almond joy.  One with a glass of milk has been a good bedtime snack for me.  

alysemci

jbug88 said:

Thanks for your help @DaisyJanie, @christinanoelle & @mamrotu74 ! I had a 3/4 cup serving last night with chili for some chili mac, and my levels were 107 after eating it - so not too bad! I couldn't tell a major difference in texture or taste either, which was a nice surprise.


My next question - those of you that do protein shakes/smoothies and use a powder what brand do you use? I was looking for some this weekend and all of them said "not recommended for pregnant or BF women". Is this because they can be used as a diet tool and we shouldn't be dieting? Or is there a concern for harm to the baby from whey protein? I put a call into my OBGYN to ask, but thought I would ask here as well.

For sure, I use perfect fit protein which is 100% organic and plant based. It's has 0 carbs and 0 sugar and comes in chocolate and Vanilla. Checked it with my dr when I first got pregnant and he said it was good to go. You can order it online and it's not too expensive either

fourthnlast

Just got off the phone with my Endocrinologist, clearly the 100 units of insulin at bed time isn't doing anything, still waking up to fasting #'s near 200. So starting tonight I do 60 at bedtime and 60 first thing in the morning. Fingers crossed...

christinanoelle

fourthnlast said:

Just got off the phone with my Endocrinologist, clearly the 100 units of insulin at bed time isn't doing anything, still waking up to fasting #'s near 200. So starting tonight I do 60 at bedtime and 60 first thing in the morning. Fingers crossed...

Good luck! Hope that works for you. Will you be testing after the 60 units in the morning?

fourthnlast

He wants me to get my fasting #, then do 60 units of Lantus and then take Humalog as usual with breakfast.

Rrrrrachel

I'm finally feeling much better today. That thing was a beast. My numbers didn't get too crazy, but I couldn't exercise for two days and up went my fasting numbers! Back on the wagon today, plus I have a midwife appointment, hopefully they understand these numbers are an anomaly.

christinanoelle

@MrsEll my fasting numbers during the GD test were already high so my doctor advised me I would probably need insulin. I tested for one week and my fasting numbers were consistently high. I met with the endocrinologist after one week of testing and she put me on insulin once a day before bed. 

Their reasoning was that due to increased hormones, my numbers could only get worst in the following weeks and not better I'm sorry, i know this is not re-assuring but it's just my story.. Maybe they will decide differently in your case! 

alysemci

What are you guys doing about work? Working until 40 weeks/until you go into labor? Or taking time off because of the GD? I'll obviously talk to my doctor about what's best but I want to hear the general consensus

christinanoelle

alysemciver said:

What are you guys doing about work? Working until 40 weeks/until you go into labor? Or taking time off because of the GD? I'll obviously talk to my doctor about what's best but I want to hear the general consensus

I start my maternity leave 2 weeks before my EDD. I am in Canada though so I can take up to a year off in leave. If I had less time, I think I would try to go longer. While GD has been annoying, it doesn't affect my work so I've been managing. 

Laroo0220

I'm working right up until 39 weeks and then luckily we have spring break. I won't be coming back to work if I go overdue though. I would be at least 2 days overdue that Monday back and that just doesn't sound appealing to me. Who knows though. Maybe I will be super bored and want to go back for a few days

christinanoelle

Laroo0220 said:

I'm working right up until 39 weeks and then luckily we have spring break. I won't be coming back to work if I go overdue though. I would be at least 2 days overdue that Monday back and that just doesn't sound appealing to me. Who knows though. Maybe I will be super bored and want to go back for a few days

Even if you do get super bored, I say enjoy the boredom! lol I have a feeling we won't be bored for the next few years..

alysemci

Ya I always planned on going up until labor, but I've been reading a lot about it being high risk and that most people go early and I was just wondering what everyone else does. Im gone about 12 hours a day 5 days a week so a break would be nice haha

alysemci

MrsEll said:

I'm planning to work as long as I possibly can. Once I use up all my vacation and sick time, everything else would be unpaid (plus, I'd have to pay my own insurance premium on top of that), so I'm saving up as much as possible before the baby comes.

I don't think GD in itself is a reason to take off of work. Unless you have complications.

Ya I'm in the exact same situation

sweetmelissa0707

I'm a SAHM, so I don't have to worry about missing "work" unless I developed some kind if further complication and needed to go on bed rest.

Rrrrrachel

I only work part time and very flexible hours, so I will keep working until the last minute.

bootsiebabe

I'll keep working for as long as possible too.  My job is super flexible though and I end up working from home a lot.  

newter135

So I dropped my testing kit first on the floor this morning and had to reset date and time when I tested my blood it said 116 which I'm not that high ever (normally in the 70's low 80's) so I tested again within seconds and got 155??? I was so confused and dumbfounded I dropped the testing kit in the toilet...picking up a new one and hoping this morning was off because I dropped it

newter135

It definitely broke when I dropped it as when I got the new testing kit and tested after lunch I was at an 88 which is normal for me. Anyone else get low numbers like these and think that they don't actually have GD? I have yet to go over on any of my readings (with the exception of my broken testing this morning) and I'm usually in the 70's/80's....I know I failed the three hour but is it possible my body can handle real sugar just not that glucose crap?

sweetmelissa0707

@newter135
I frequently feel like I may have been misdiagnosed. My fasting #s have all been below 90, save for once in the last month since I've started tracking. I go into the mid to high seventies after some meals as well. The only time I get a huge spike is when I have an unusual amount of food (takeout vs. cooking at home, for example.) I'm overweight to start, so I wonder if they just assume I'm having sugar trouble in my daily life versus only when I have to drink half a gallon of straight sugar!

haziedaze

@Newter135 have you talked to your doctor about maybe just spot checking for a while? I was borderline so I was supposed to check fasting + one more after eating per day for a week. They've been fine except for once when I went back to finish the rest of a pear and it had only been 40 mins.

I think the bottom line is that GD is a continuum, not a yes/no thing. In the end your doc has to make a judgement call. I think most err on the side of being cautious.

Random thought: Anyone else planning a Vday splurge? I definitely want some fondue or molten choc cake. It's Valentine's and is the same day (29w4d) that I delivered DS. I want to bury all the worries in chocolate I guess :-)

rockstarlaw

Well, shit. Add me to the list. I just got the call minutes ago that I failed my 3 hour . Could be much worse news but I'm not looking forward to testing my blood sugar 4 times a day...or that dang 3 hour nutrition class! I mean, how long does it take to tell me no sugar and low/no carbs?!?!

fourthnlast

rockstarlaw said:

Well, shit. Add me to the list. I just got the call minutes ago that I failed my 3 hour . Could be much worse news but I'm not looking forward to testing my blood sugar 4 times a day...or that dang 3 hour nutrition class! I mean, how long does it take to tell me no sugar and low/no carbs?!?!

3 hours?! Holy shit. Mine was 30 minutes and was plenty long enough!!!

Rrrrrachel

My sister had to go to one that lasted a whole day!! It's really not low/no carb, but yeah, my 45 min consult with a nutritionist was plenty, thanks.

rockstarlaw

Well, I guess I'm glad it's not the whole day! Tell your sister I feel for her, @rrrrachel!

Rrrrrachel

And she had to go AGAIN for her second pregnancy when she had gd again!

Rrrrrachel

And yes I think some people get a false diagnosis, partially due to the nature of the test and partially because that's how all medical tests work.

rockstarlaw

I'm trying to stay positive. Heck, truth be told I could stand to cut back on my carbs. Maybe this will help me get in a decent diet routine that will assist with the transition to getting the baby weight off once he gets here. In the meantime, I am not letting the gelato I bought yesterday day go to waste. I'll just eat really small servings until that 3 hour torture class. Haha!

newter135

haziedaze said:

@Newter135 have you talked to your doctor about maybe just spot checking for a while? I was borderline so I was supposed to check fasting + one more after eating per day for a week. They've been fine except for once when I went back to finish the rest of a pear and it had only been 40 mins.

I think the bottom line is that GD is a continuum, not a yes/no thing. In the end your doc has to make a judgement call. I think most err on the side of being cautious.

Random thought: Anyone else planning a Vday splurge? I definitely want some fondue or molten choc cake. It's Valentine's and is the same day (29w4d) that I delivered DS. I want to bury all the worries in chocolate I guess :-)

I am spot checking now. My first two weeks was 4 times a day now I just do fasting and after one of my meals each day. Doctor said if my numbers stay low he may have me test even less, still annoying none the less.

We are totally splurging on valentines day going to a fancy restaurant and having a 5 course meal I already told my doctor not to judge my fasting number on the 15th because I was going WAY off my diet.

JennieCBBC

Just found out today I failed the 3 hour I had taken it once at 24 weeks and passed, they did an early one because of my weight. Now this one at just about 30 weeks and I failed. I'm so sad.. Waiting for the diabetic counselor to call for an appointment. Any advise you all have would be greatly appreciated. I failed the fasting by only a few points and the one hour by 20 points or so.. Two and three hour were good. Hoping to control things with diet.. I guess we will see how it goes.

Rrrrrachel

For me the biggest help with my fasting has been exercise!

haziedaze

Yeah, for Vday we're ordering in, I think I may avoid the pasta my chicken comes with and then go hog wild on molten chocolate cake.

Jesster11

Just survived my first day of testing! 

As someone who is terrified of blood and needles, I got over it my first time testing myself... Because it only took me stabbing just about every finger (some more than once) to actually get a reading (having problems getting it on the strip and then getting enough blood). 

Just did it the second time 2 hours after dinner and nailed it on the first try! Never thought I would be this proud of making myself bleed...

Dr Quarters

Rrrrrachel said:

For me the biggest help with my fasting has been exercise!

Do you just workout through out the day or before bed? My fasting numbers are always in the 90's and my doctor wanted them below that so I'm trying to get it down. I worked out tonight so we shall see what happens tomorrow.

Rrrrrachel

I was working out as late as possible but I got tired of that and started doing it late afternoon. Both seems to help. I really need to get close to an hour, though, for it to help.


I like to test on my pinky because I can use a shallower lancet setting and it doesn't hurt as much.

boxerbabylove

Thought I'd provide an update since I saw my OB and Diabetes nutrition specialist lady today. 

I've been struggling with my morning fasting numbers (only began testing on 1/31). I asked why it was that when I went away for a long weekend, ate boatloads of food and slept crazy hours my fasting was good (in the 80s) and then I came home and resumed my normal schedule and my fasting was typically 30 points higher (115). She explained that my fasting sugar is probably high do to the dawn phenomenon. In order to treat this with diet alone (my preference) I've been trying a lot of different evening snacks. Turns out that a lot of women have good luck with ice cream so I tried that first and i saw my numbers go down but not enough. So I have now transitioned over to protein shakes. They seem to be doing the trick but I have to give them a couple more days to be sure. The protein shakes I've been using have 22g of protein and 22 grams of carbs but I'm trying out a new one that is higher in protein and lower in carbs tonight to see how that goes. I know a bunch of you have been struggling with the fasting numbers too so I just wanted to offer up what I've found so far. Hope it helps. 

The dawn phenomenon is a surge of hormones that the body produces daily around 3-4am. People with diabetes don't have normal insulin responses to adjust for this, and may see their fasting glucose go up. The rise in glucose is mostly because your body is making less insulin and more glucagon (a hormone that increases blood glucose) than it needs. The less insulin made by the pancreas, the more glucagon the pancreas makes as a result. Glucagon signals the liver to break down glycogen into glucose. This is why high fasting blood glucose levels are common in people with type 2.

SoulTermination

6" Subway chicken and bacon ranch footlong sub for lunch = 115.

Other half of the same damn sub for dinner = 127.

Wut? *facedesk*  Does not compute.  Abort/retry/fail?

christinanoelle

I eat supper around 7 pm and go to bed around 10. I spoke with my nutritionist about the night time snack because I just wasn't hungry for it and she said I could up my carb intake at dinner. So that is what I have been doing and my fasting numbers have been fine. However, I am also taking insulin right before bed so that definitely helps too.. Otherwise, I just couldn't get my fasting numbers down. 

On the plus side, I had a growth ultrasound yesterday and baby girl is doing great! I have been stressing over this so much so it was definitely a relief. 

@fourthnlast how did the new plan work for you? 

@haziedaze I am going to splurge a little for Valentine's day. We don't go out but we usually do pizza - not sure who else mentioned that! and a move at home so we will stick to that. I've had pizza once before and my after dinner numbers were fine so I am hoping it works out again. 

ETA spelling 

Rrrrrachel

I find that if I eat dinner really early, like 5:30, that helps too. Of course I never know for sure what's really helping and what's a coincidence

haziedaze

mamrotu73 said:

Here's my ice cream pattern: I've had ice cream with success the past few days, just woke up to 81 which is the highest I've seen with ice cream yet (72 and 77 the two days before). I had a cup of Blue Bell No Sugar Added Country Vanilla at 8pm and went to bed at 9. Woke up at 5:00. I also added a half cup of frozen raspberries as topping. The previous days were Blue Bell No Sugar Added Dutch Chocolate.

Check to see if the chocolate one has more fat, it might. I'm a total broken record but I think fat really helps.

I also did a protein shake last night. We use Isopure, which seems to have less concerns about the trace metals thing and I use way less than a full serving in a day. That stuff has 50g of protein in 2 scoops (1 serving) and I usually put 1/4-1/2 a scoop in a shake 1-2x per day. I then add other stuff- coconut/almond milk, PB, cocoa, truvia, cottage cheese.

We did a PB one last night and then I had a huge thing of strawberries and I was 83 this morning. For me a good amt of protein with some fat seems to be key! My highest fasting (94) was when we took my son to the ER so I had 2 low fat cheese sticks and some pineapple chunks for my snack.

fourthnlast

christinanoelle said:

I eat supper around 7 pm and go to bed around 10. I spoke with my nutritionist about the night time snack because I just wasn't hungry for it and she said I could up my carb intake at dinner. So that is what I have been doing and my fasting numbers have been fine. However, I am also taking insulin right before bed so that definitely helps too.. Otherwise, I just couldn't get my fasting numbers down. 

On the plus side, I had a growth ultrasound yesterday and baby girl is doing great! I have been stressing over this so much so it was definitely a relief. 

@fourthnlast how did the new plan work for you? 

@haziedaze I am going to splurge a little for Valentine's day. We don't go out but we usually do pizza - not sure who else mentioned that! and a move at home so we will stick to that. I've had pizza once before and my after dinner numbers were fine so I am hoping it works out again. 

ETA spelling 

It's better! Woke up to a fasting # of 139 which is still high, but SO much better than it's been and all day my #'s have been low-normal.