Gestational Diabetes check in 12.21-27

ohana112610

@Whitfry‌ thank you, thank you for the info. That makes me feel so much better. Seriously.

ohana112610

@jarrard1983‌ at this time I'm not on insulin. But I'm only 2 weeks in so I'm sure there is a possibility of it happening.

Ahamlin82

First glucose test I was slightly elevated...went for the 3 hour and one of my blood test was "slightly elevated" and was told to have to go for another 3 hour test. I am 31 weeks....is this really necessary or are looking for money from my insurance? Vim meeting with my ob on Friday. Anyone else had similar circumstance?

melleasndrs

Ahamlin82 said:

First glucose test I was slightly elevated...went for the 3 hour and one of my blood test was "slightly elevated" and was told to have to go for another 3 hour test. I am 31 weeks....is this really necessary or are looking for money from my insurance? Vim meeting with my ob on Friday. Anyone else had similar circumstance?

I ended up doing the 3 hour test twice. I was fine on the first test and really failed my second. If they say to retake it then I'd listen. Blood sugar levels as we are finding out in this group are very serious and very hard to maintain. Better to know if you need to adjust anything or not.

ohana112610

Ahamlin82 said:

First glucose test I was slightly elevated...went for the 3 hour and one of my blood test was "slightly elevated" and was told to have to go for another 3 hour test. I am 31 weeks....is this really necessary or are looking for money from my insurance? Vim meeting with my ob on Friday. Anyone else had similar circumstance?

I would definitely do it if they asked for it. In my opinion, it's serious and I would want to know to keep my baby healthy. And @melleasndrs‌ is right. The more we are all here chatting and sharing the more we are realizing how important it is. We are here to support you.

jarrard1983

ohana112610 said:

@jarrard1983‌ at this time I'm not on insulin. But I'm only 2 weeks in so I'm sure there is a possibility of it happening.

Is this your first diagnosis with GD? I was to the brink of tears when she pulled out the insulin pen. It's honestly easier and less painful than checking my blood though.

Whitfry

Ahamlin82 said:

First glucose test I was slightly elevated...went for the 3 hour and one of my blood test was "slightly elevated" and was told to have to go for another 3 hour test. I am 31 weeks....is this really necessary or are looking for money from my insurance? Vim meeting with my ob on Friday. Anyone else had similar circumstance?

Different doctors have different cut-off points for requiring further testing. My OB has a cutoff of 139 for the 1hr test. I would ask what their cutoffs are and what your numbers are so you know what they mean by "slightly elevated". If they're elevated enough to test again, I'd do the test.

TBH, I doubt they are fishing for money. Left unchecked and unmanaged, GD can create serious problems for your baby. It's not just that you may have a big baby. Their pancreas starts functioning around 28 weeks, which is why we get tested then. Their pancreas will automatically function properly, but if our own pancreas isn't doing its job because of the hormones our placenta is producing, baby's body will be flooded with excess insulin and it won't know what to do with it. So it will convert it to fat, causing baby to get too big. But it can also create insulin dependency, requiring a hospital stay and treatment for baby after they're born and there are other possible long-term health effects as well. That can be a lot more expensive than a little blood work.

That's why it's important to know 100% whether you have GD or not. If you do, then you can control it by diet and medication and not only hopefully avoid a huge baby, but also protect your child from some serious medical problems after they're born. The one good thing about this dx is that we can do something about it. But it's not something you can ignore and hope will go away by itself, because it won't go away until a few weeks after you deliver your placenta.

ohana112610

jarrard1983 said:

ohana112610 said:

@jarrard1983‌ at this time I'm not on insulin. But I'm only 2 weeks in so I'm sure there is a possibility of it happening.

Is this your first diagnosis with GD? I was to the brink of tears when she pulled out the insulin pen. It's honestly easier and less painful than checking my blood though.

Yeah, first pregnancy.


I saw the PA today who is our good friend and the way she talked based on my numbers I'm going to have to keep an eye on it after he gets here too. I was ready planning on it but the whole thing is so overwhelming. Plus we had our growth ultrasound so I'm waiting to hear my PA's take on it all.

jarrard1983

I certainly understand it being overwhelming. Right now it seems like a full time job. Planning meals bas do around carbs, grocery lists, pre meal injections of insulin, post meal and fasting blood sugars, nighttime insulin, diabetes appointments, 2 NST's a week. I don't know how people are able to find time to do anything other than manage GD. I'm sure it will get better as time goes on and the diets become more natural for us.

melleasndrs

Having a rough day craving sweets. Hoping my goat and sheep cheese and fruit platter later will help. I really could use a giant candy bar =P~

jarrard1983

melleasndrs said:

Having a rough day craving sweets. Hoping my goat and sheep cheese and fruit platter later will help. I really could use a giant candy bar =P~

Jello pudding dark chocolate mousse is only 6 carbs

I also found a recipe for a mock Wendy's frosty as well. I'll try it tonight and share the recipe if it isn't garbage.

Whitfry

melleasndrs said:

Having a rough day craving sweets. Hoping my goat and sheep cheese and fruit platter later will help. I really could use a giant candy bar =P~

I feel you on the sweets! I'm having a helluva time with it. I'm going to make DH pick me up a piece of no sugar added pie on his way home from work and eat it after I test my sugars for dinner.

melleasndrs

I'm thinking maybe even half of a snickers bar should help. Idk. my dad bought cheesecake and I drool every time I open the fridge.

I'm going to shove my face full of steamed shrimp tonight as our NYE tradition. SO got steak to go with it and I'll end up having sweet potatoes and a salad for my side. If I don't have many sweet potatoes I can have a real full dessert!

What's everyone else's NYE dinner tonight?

anniehearts

Chocolate protein powder from GNC is my rock & saftey net. If I crave sweets or if I know I'm going to have extra carbs I make sure to drink one with a scoop & a half of chocolate powder & my numbers do a lot better. I also try to measure my meals by making sure my protein intake is higher than my carbs. (I.e. 30g of protein 15g of carbs). It makes count carbs less of a hassle. I hope we get to see our little monster again soon. At my 20 week scan he was 30th percentile, & everything looked good. They did mention that with gd starting so early with me (I have been self monitoring since the beginning & started getting rising numbers at 14 weeks) they are going to start measuring the fluid around his heart. I doubt there will be issues but I live 4 hours from the closest NICU, so the extra caution may be stressful but I'd rather that then have to be life flighted after he's born.

jarrard1983

So the mock Wendy's frosty was amazing. 1 cup skim milk, 2tbsp sugar free fat free chocolate pudding mix, 2tbsp whipped cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1tsp unsweetened cocoa, 2 packets of sweetener and 7 ice cubes. Blend and enjoy. It's only 14 carbs. I added mocha flavoring to mine.... So so good. Much better than begging my husband to take me to big boys and split a chocolate fudge cake.

Whitfry

melleasndrs said:

I'm thinking maybe even half of a snickers bar should help. Idk. my dad bought cheesecake and I drool every time I open the fridge. I'm going to shove my face full of steamed shrimp tonight as our NYE tradition. SO got steak to go with it and I'll end up having sweet potatoes and a salad for my side. If I don't have many sweet potatoes I can have a real full dessert! What's everyone else's NYE dinner tonight?

My dad just called and begged DH and I to come over for dinner. I guess he has four steaks for the night, and my brother won't be home until late, and my mom has two deliveries to do so she won't be home until god-knows-when (But she might get to deliver the first baby of the new year in our town. Theres always a little competition for that amongst the OBs and midwives). So I think we're having steak and baked potato and salad for dinner. And fuck yes, I'm going to eat that real russet potato! Because why not. He was really sweet, though, asking if I was able to eat them. 

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Whitfry

The potato went well. I would stab a bitch for crab Rangoon, omg. That sounds sooooo good!

I found this coconut milk ice cream at the store tonight and it has saved my life. I'm a coconut junkie and it's really good. But it gave baby J the hiccups.

jarrard1983

@Whitfry‌ how many carbs is in that? I couldn't find a low carb coconut ice cream.

Whitfry

18 carbs in half a cup. So it's not low carb, but my snacks are 20 carbs apiece and it's really rich so I feel like I'm eating more than I really am. And it's low glycemic so I process it a little better.

It was either that or a donut, lol.

jarrard1983

I'm pretty sure that was less than the ones I found. I ended up with no sugar added Klondike Bars..... Not very good.

Whitfry

The flavored versions of this brand had much higher carb content. The chocolate hazelnut was like 25 carbs. I can't do soy products, so all that stuff is a no-go for me. And the sugar-free options I found had the same number of carbs as this one. So I figured what the hell. I can splurge on this or I can splurge on a candy bar... but I'll feel better about myself if I eat the ice cream, lol. 

djoliet

My dietitian last pregnancy told me to avoid the sugar free candy and stuff because the sugar alcohol or whatever is used to make them instead of actual sugar basically acts like a laxative. Yeah, I listened to her on that one haha

Whitfry

Mine hasn't said anything about sugar substitutes. Though this ice cream wasn't sugar free. It did use agave, though I don't know if that's better or not.

In the end it doesn't matter, because I went on to eat half of DH's honey-lavender ice cream sandwich. And some chips and salsa. So we'll see what my fasting number is in the morning. But it's New Years and nobody is perfect. Sigh.

anniehearts

I had a small cup of icecream last night with some magic shell. I feel happy. I mysteriously can't find my bs machine this morning. I think it's my husband telling me to relax. Protein shakes, salads & chicken for me today.

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kaydedid

Whitfry said:

Mine hasn't said anything about sugar substitutes. Though this ice cream wasn't sugar free. It did use agave, though I don't know if that's better or not.

In the end it doesn't matter, because I went on to eat half of DH's honey-lavender ice cream sandwich. And some chips and salsa. So we'll see what my fasting number is in the morning. But it's New Years and nobody is perfect. Sigh.

Agave still has simple carbs, but it's quite a bit sweeter than sugar so they can use less of it.

jarrard1983

I took short acting insulin and long lasting insulin last night before dinner.... I made chicken, brocolli and cheese and a salad. Woke up to high sugar. I'm not sure it matters what I do anymore.

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Whitfry

jarrard1983 said:

I took short acting insulin and long lasting insulin last night before dinner.... I made chicken, brocolli and cheese and a salad. Woke up to high sugar. I'm not sure it matters what I do anymore.

The worst part of this whole thing is that it's caused by the hormones produced by our placenta. Which means that, as our hormones fluctuate, our reactions to foods change. It's so unpredictable and frustrating. Did you have a snack before bed? Did you sleep okay? Stay strong, mama. You can do this! 

ETA: my breakfast sugar today was 150. Last time I ate the exact same meal I measured out below 120. Sigh.

ETA again: I tested on the other hand and it was 128. WTAF. 

melleasndrs

Today's craving is alcohol lol! I was compiling a list of cocktails I want to try....then I realized I'll be checking my sugars for a while after this. Now I have to figure out recipes with no sugar and that means most of what I've seen is not going to work I just want a frozen margarita and/or a chocolate martini. I'll be making smoothies for while. Any good recipes for a decadent smoothie I should try? I have no allergies and eat literally everything.

jarrard1983

@stefmxo‌ not giving up, it's just frustrating to be on medication and a diet and still not able to control things.

@Whitfry‌ I had a few slices of frozen peach before bed. I also slept pretty well. I feel like I'm going to be shooting up insulin all day long soon.... Ugh.

jarrard1983

What does everyone's meal plan look like? I get 30 carbs for breakfast, 45-60 for lunch, 15 for afternoon snack, 45-60 for dinner, and 15 for evening snack.

They have made no adjustments to my diet, the just keep pushing insulin, which seems to be making matters worse. The new insulin I'm on makes me feel like I have low sugar, without actually getting low sugar. I called the Dr and she said to just lower my dose, but my sugar still ends up high.

Does anyone have a successful diet plan? Is the carb limit that was set for me pretty standard across the board? I'm really getting tired of poking myself for no reason.

djoliet

@jarrard1983‌ your doctor didn't recommend medication before going straight to insulin? My doctor put me on medication as a first option and said insulin will be the next step if the medication doesn't work. I was put on Glyburide at my 22 week checkup and it's working great so far.

jarrard1983

@djoliet‌ I asked about other forms of medications. They said they don't offer them. Perhaps it's time for a second opinion.

Whitfry

I know my doctor would do metformin or glyburide first, and insulin as a last resort. Is it a diabetes specialist putting you on insulin or your OB?

My diet is 45-60 carbs per meal and 20-30 carbs per snack. I tend to go lower on the meal carbs, though. Today I had a sandwich and some fries knowing it was a bad idea and my number was definitely reflective of my choice. But otherwise I've been successful with managing based on the plan they gave me. I do a lot of eggs and bacon and cheese and nut-butter. I've been ordered to eat higher fat foods because I'm having issues with weight loss and they want it to stabilize. I can do whole grain breads but no white bread. And jam or jelly knocks me out of the park for some reason. I'm okay with potatoes, though, and most corn products.

djoliet

@jarrard1983 I would definitely try to get a second opinion especially since you mentioned the insulin isn't really doing anything for you. Usually the way it works is first step is diet control, if that doesn't work then they try medication, and if that doesn't work then insulin is the last resort.

djoliet

@etherhay‌ I'm in the same boat as you. Diagnosed at 28 weeks first pregnancy and tested and diagnosed at 14 weeks with this pregnancy. I spent the first 8 weeks just using diet to control which the doctor said was working okay but she decided to go ahead and put me on Glyburide 22 weeks because she said and I quote "I feel like you're starving on this diet and this will help you to be able to eat better". I wasn't gaining any weight with the diet and I have been able to be more lenient on what I eat now. I'm hoping the meds keep working. I'm almost 29 weeks and on 2.5 mg twice a day. She said she will up my Glyburide before putting me on insulin. Really hoping to avoid insulin. I've also come to terms with the fact that I'll probably have it with any future pregnancies too

jarrard1983

I talked too the nurse just now. She said that she feels that oral medications would not be effective for me, especially since the insulin hasn't been effective. She kept my short acting insulin the same, but told me that I may be restricting my carbs too much and told me I need to eat all my carbs when they are assigned. Boo. She upped my long lasting insulin, apparently I will be going up until or little ninja gets here.

@Whitfry‌ it is my diabetes specialist making the call.

Whitfry

jarrard1983

Well I'm definitely no professional, so if it's your specialist making the call I'd go with it. Thats frustrating, though. I hope your numbers end up settling themselves!