Thinking of you ladies who are stuggling with fasting numbers. I know that must be uber frustrating. This is only day two for me but I'm feeling pretty good about this. My fasting number this morning was 97. I had two eggs with cheddar cheese, two slices of center cut bacon and a piece of dry white toast this morning (because I wasn't going to throw out what we already had in the house) 2 hours later my sugar was 97. Im thinking I can do this. Hang in there ladies. It's only temporary.
Maybe I need to grab some popcorn or eat some goldfish crackers before bed. I usually eat dinner around 5:30-6:00 and go to bed between 10:00-11:00. I might have a snack in that time frame; I was eating a bowl of ice cream or something like that, now it's SF/FF pudding.
Last night for dinner, I had a bratwurst, Brussels sprouts, a handful of sweet potato fries and a serving of unsweetened apple sauce. My sugar was 125 an hour later. Then all I had after that was a SF/FF pudding and some Werther's SF caramels. No other food.
This morning I had two sausages and two eggs and I mixed 8 oz of milk into my coffee as I drank it (I can't stand plain milk). Sugar was 124 an hour later.
My doctor has me checking 1 hour after meals plus my AM fasting, BTW. I'm not sure where I'd be after 2 hours, but I might check a few just to see.
What do you have to be under after one hour? In the booklet she gave me it says it should be under 130 for one hour? In mine she crossed those off and changed to under 120 after 2 hours.
What do you have to be under after one hour? In the booklet she gave me it says it should be under 130 for one hour? In mine she crossed those off and changed to under 120 after 2 hours.
It's 130 after 1 hour, 120 after 2 hours. The range is the same, my doctor just has me testing after 1 hour instead of 2. Don't know why.
What do you have to be under after one hour? In the booklet she gave me it says it should be under 130 for one hour? In mine she crossed those off and changed to under 120 after 2 hours.
It's 130 after 1 hour, 120 after 2 hours. The range is the same, my doctor just has me testing after 1 hour instead of 2. Don't know why.
That's interesting. For me it is <140 after 1 hour and <120 after 2. I test after 1 hour.
Seen the dietitian yesterday. I told her I had bren cutting my carbs incredibly low and still spiking. She said I need the carbs. She put me on a diet of 2 carb choices for breakfast, 2 for snack, 3 for lunch, 2 for snack, 4 for dinner, and 2 for bedtime snack. Thats a lot of carbs!! I said I was worried about my numbers with that but she said thats what I should be eating and if it doesnt regulate then I need to be on insulin. I see the high risk doc on the 26th to decide. Btw, me and baby werent gaining weight. No gain for 3 weeks because of my lack of carbs, which is why she says I need them. Been on this diet since yesterday afternoon and my numbers are awful. Looking like it will be insulin for me, but hopefully me and baby start gaining some weight.
Seen the dietitian yesterday. I told her I had bren cutting my carbs incredibly low and still spiking. She said I need the carbs. She put me on a diet of 2 carb choices for breakfast, 2 for snack, 3 for lunch, 2 for snack, 4 for dinner, and 2 for bedtime snack. Thats a lot of carbs!! I said I was worried about my numbers with that but she said thats what I should be eating and if it doesnt regulate then I need to be on insulin. I see the high risk doc on the 26th to decide. Btw, me and baby werent gaining weight. No gain for 3 weeks because of my lack of carbs, which is why she says I need them. Been on this diet since yesterday afternoon and my numbers are awful. Looking like it will be insulin for me, but hopefully me and baby start gaining some weight.
I think if you weren't able to control your numbers on a low-carb diet, you probably do need the insulin. I've only been doing my GD diet a couple days myself, but I noticed that my after-meal numbers are at least within range, if not ideal, when I cut back on carbs. At least if I cut out bread.
I've had some fruit and I eat cheese and last night I had sweet potato fries, and I'm ok then, but 1 slice of toast and I'm over.
So I don't know if which carbs you eat would make any difference, but it seems to have helped me.
It must just be how our bodies handle it. I have toast every morning (today with fruit even) and a sandwich with each lunch and I'm always under on my tests. I think it's just how you balance it out with what else you are eating with that bread.
It must just be how our bodies handle it. I have toast every morning (today with fruit even) and a sandwich with each lunch and I'm always under on my tests. I think it's just how you balance it out with what else you are eating with that bread.
I definitely think some of us are naturally more sensitive to carbs than others. When I had bread and got numbers in the 130s, one meal was a peanut butter sandwich (made with reduced sugar PB on while grain bread), baby carrots, and no sugar added diced peaches. The other bread meal I had was 1 slice of toast with 1 egg as some sausage.
I was suggesting to @aschafke that maybe carbs other than bread might help her get the carbs she needs without messing with the sugars. I could be wrong, but that's what's worked so far for me.
Met with nutritionist today. She advised spikes are any one number above the values I was given. Which means I was on my way there since week one and they didn't wanna break the news. I start with insulin before lunch and before bedtime. And we will see how next week results come out. In addition I must go for monitoring of baby twice a week for 30mins. Now when I went to OB appointment, he said if I'm on insulin, baby will be delivered at 38 weeks. Right about now I dunno how to take all of this in. Ice cream sounds so good.... but yet so not right.
Im actually not a huge bread person so my carbs have been coming from elsewhere. Such as fruit or noodles. My numbers are still to high today but I am seeing them start to come down a little. 140 after meals instead of 160.
Carb count sounds about right. I'm supposed to get in 15 a day. I just try to make sure I get a veggie in there to counter act the carbs!
15 a day? With insulin, I am allowed 2 servings at each meal at 15 each, and 1 at each snack at 15 each, so 135 1 day!!! Makes you LOL right?
I think she referred to 15 carb servings for the day. For a total of 225 grams of carbs. So far I'm at 12 carb servings, which makes me at 180 per day. Yikes
Met with nutritionist today. She advised spikes are any one number above the values I was given. Which means I was on my way there since week one and they didn't wanna break the news. I start with insulin before lunch and before bedtime. And we will see how next week results come out. In addition I must go for monitoring of baby twice a week for 30mins. Now when I went to OB appointment, he said if I'm on insulin, baby will be delivered at 38 weeks. Right about now I dunno how to take all of this in. Ice cream sounds so good.... but yet so not right.
So does this mean if you're supposed to be at 130 1 hour after meals and you get 131, that's a spike?
I am a dietitian and while I'm a specialist in geriatrics, I still thought "I've got this" when I was first diagnosed with gestational DM. I was diagnosed in mid July and despite all my efforts I could not stop my fasting sugars from creeping up the further along I got. Thankfully, diet and walking was able to bring my post meal levels within goal but it took a lot of trial and error over a week and a half. Despite knowing that fasting blood sugars aren't usually helped with changes in diet/exercise (because of the body's response to fasting, like others have mentioned), it still felt like I had failed.
If one of my patients showed me the sugars I've been getting, I would be over the moon and pat them on the back! I've shared my results with colleagues and they all say the same thing! But again, totally opposite end of the life cycle! Tells you how completely different the range is for pregnancy!
Tonight is my first dose of glyburide, 2.5mg at bedtime. I'm not sure how I feel about an oral agent vs insulin at this point, but if it helps our little boy, I will go with it. I have to wake up at 3 am tonight and tomorrow to make sure I don't go too low. On the plus side, I can increase my bedtime snack carbs... I think a little ice cream is in my future! I was told by my OB that I will be delivering at 39 weeks and will begin weekly fetal heart rate monitoring.
This is my first time posting on The Bump and it has been so comforting to read everyone's experiences and thought maybe it was time to share what I've been experiencing in this crazy roller coaster of pregnancy! Its unbelievable that we will be meeting our son in less than 2 months!
I failed diabetes test! it makes me angry and sad! I have to prick my finger now after every meal, I know it was due to my diet which im changing, but honestly didn't think I'd get gd I want it to be over with. I don't know what to eat what to have im always hungry and obviously want to do right thing for the baby but all I want is some chocolate I wake late at night craving sugar I honestly don't know why to do im so disappointed in myself for getting gd wish I had of been healthier less stressed anything.
@kirsty100, your diet didn't cause you to get GD, your hormones did. You may be able to manage your sugar levels by dieting, but you didn't cause the GD. So don't beat yourself up.
I've been testing and dieting for almost a week. It sucks but it's doable. I can't prick my finger without jumping a little, but it's becoming part of my routine now. You get used to it.
@StephHember, welcome to TB and thanks for sharing.
Well that makes me feel a little better THANKYOU! I know I can do this just seems so hard hasn't been easy being pregnant, I don't take it for granted im so lucky it's just really a lot harder then I thought it would be. @MamaOwl15
Ok I'm confused/have a question regarding fasting numbers. It seems no matter what I do, every day, it's higher. This is day 4 of testing in the morning and I've gotten 91, 93, 99 and 104 respectively.
The rest of the day, I've noticed that, if I avoid bread, I can keep my numbers within range. The two times I had over 130 1 hour after eating were when I had bread with my meal (interestingly the whole wheat wrap I got from Chick-fil-A the other day didn't spike me, only sliced bread). After last night's dinner of tuna, cheese, and kale, my sugar was at 89!
But fasting seems to be the issue. Last night I had a pretty big snack - a huge bowl of sugar-free/low-fat banana cream pudding - and had my highest fasting number yet. Previous nights have been smaller servings of pudding, or a 100-cal pack of almonds or SF Werther's caramel chews. I've also had, on one occasion, two spoonfuls of ice cream and on another, a small handful of jelly beans. It seems no matter what I eat at night, my sugar gets higher each morning. The average amount of time between
I've read that some of you have some kind of carb snack before bed and get fasting numbers within range, but I guess that's not the case for everyone.
Does this mean I'll have to go on insulin? Or other medication? (I'd really like to avoid having to give myself an injection as it's hard enough to prick my finger).
Well....no dice! 106 fasting this morning! I'll see if the weekend has any effect. I had way betters numbers over the weekend and that is the only time I had fasting under 95. Maybe it's because I'm more active on the weekend than I am during the week!
Welcome @StephHember! I'm going to try to start this each Monday so we can share what we are going through! What's working and what's not! It just seems so weird that everyone seems to follow something different and some get directed on insulin right away and some dietitians work with you to prevent that. And how different our body responds to it all!
I know @MamaOwl15! It's so frustrating! And I've tried to get a hold of my dietitian so she can look at what I'm doing and hopefully point me a different direction with my late night snack but she has not responded. I would really like the chance to change something in my diet first before being put on medication. Make sure if you hear something from yours to let me know in regards to fasting!
All the rest of my meal numbers have been great with just two exceptions. I even had spaghetti and meatballs last night for dinner and my result was 103! But I made sure I balance it with some carrots and get a veggie in with each dinner. It is just weird how I can have bread carbs with each meal and be fine and you are the opposite! I just at least make sure if I'm having carbs that I balance it with veggies like baby carrots or a salad.
Had full sugar ice cream last night, then cheese at bed again, 91! @mamaowl15, how many carbs are we talking in the sf banana pudding? I ate like 30 carbs before bed.
Had full sugar ice cream last night, then cheese at bed again, 91! @mamaowl15, how many carbs are we talking in the sf banana pudding? I ate like 30 carbs before bed.
6 g carbs per serving, but I technically ate 4 "servings" so 24.
Carb count sounds about right. I'm supposed to get in 15 a day. I just try to make sure I get a veggie in there to counter act the carbs!
15 a day? With insulin, I am allowed 2 servings at each meal at 15 each, and 1 at each snack at 15 each, so 135 1 day!!! Makes you LOL right?
I think she referred to 15 carb servings for the day. For a total of 225 grams of carbs. So far I'm at 12 carb servings, which makes me at 180 per day. Yikes
@mamaowl15, those slowly elevating fasting numbers are the biggest challenge! Mine for the past week and half were 105, 101, 103, 92, 100, 108, 109, 99, 97, and often with the same night time snack! My GDM is managed by a perinatal clinic and they decided that we did a good faith effort but it was time for some nighttime coverage and voila, glyburide (an oral med, not insulin). Fasting level was 94 this morning, so an improvement from the weeks trend. I don't think they would have started meds if we hadn't exhausted all other efforts. My RD was sweet, before recommending to the MD to start meds she asked if I have been more stressed this week (stress response raise blood sugar). I laughed and said, "Well sure, about these dang sugar levels!" Have to find the humor in this situation somehow!
@jenspeake, if you feel like you still have room for changes and experiments with your diet, I wouldn't hesitate one bit to say to your providers, "Give me another week to try a few things before we go to meds." We have to be our own advocates. Especially because gestational diabetes seems to be such a highly individualized beast to deal with! If I have more than 15g of carbs with breakfast, my levels are through the roof! But other people can have 45-60 g in the morning with no issues. The body is an amazingly fickle thing!
I'm so tired of this! I'm tired of being on a stupid diet and feeling like a piece of shit if my numbers are high! I'm just over it! Sorry... Rant over.
I'm playing around with my nighttime snack options to see if I can get my numbers down, but if not, I don't mind taking meds. Anything for DD's health.
I've noticed that I can keep my after-meal numbers in range if I eat things like meat and vegetables, even blueberries. But my lunch was awful. I ate SF jello, SF/FF pudding, baby carrots, and some goldfish crackers. An hour later I was at 142!
I blame the jelly beans I had 3 hours earlier, even though I also had some almonds.
Its a little silly, but i've actually started eating certain foods out of measuring cups. Especially dairy (Ice cream, yogurt, even cottage cheese but I count that more for the protein to balance), because that seemed to be a huge trigger for me. Its been great because my husband can stay involved without having a good understanding of the specifics of the diet.
I found that I've really haven't given protein foods the credit they need. Non starchy vegetables are awesome, but if i don't get enough protein, its game over and up the sugars go. I've been a big fan of string cheese as my quick protein, especially with snacks.
@mrsfaust1432, I have felt the same way so many times in the last few days!! We should make little buttons, "I am not my blood sugar numbers!"
Today was the first day in three weeks where I simply forgot to take my blood sugar level after a meal! It just slipped my mind entirely. In my defense, the time to check was during my first fetal stress test appointment, but still! Pregnancy brain needs to have more public service announcements!
Are any of you ladies double checking food labels for carb counts before you eat or buy something? I find myself so obsessed over it that I just don't wanna buy anything after I check those numbers.
I'm.honestly eating the same things I was before and have great reads after my meals. I just make sure, like with dinner out tonight, that I have a side salad with my breaded chicken in buffalo sauce. I even had a dilly bar for my afternoon snack today and had my lowest numbers yet after dinner. I just don't go crazy on the carbs like I would....For example eat three rolls at Texas Roadhouse...Just one will do!
Hi ladies looks like I am joining you. I failed 2 out of the 4 in my 3 hour test yesterday. My midwife called and let me know she prescribed the meter and I need to start testing 4 times a day. I am waiting to get into a class with the dietician. So I totally feel like I have no idea what I am doing. I was given no instructions except cut out carbs.
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If you're having higher ketone readings, eat more protein in your nighttime snack. It helps level them!
Also, those of you worried about your fasting numbers, there's nothing much you can do to control them--it's all about hormones, which increase as your length of pregnancy increases. I take a dose of insulin right before bed (not as scary as I thought it would be--you can't even feel the needle! Finger pricks hurt worse!) and I started with 6 units/night and am now up to 24. My endocrinologist has told me time and time again, this is nothing I'm doing wrong, it's hormones!! Insulin has helped a lot!
If you're having higher ketone readings, eat more protein in your nighttime snack. It helps level them!
Also, those of you worried about your fasting numbers, there's nothing much you can do to control them--it's all about hormones, which increase as your length of pregnancy increases. I take a dose of insulin right before bed (not as scary as I thought it would be--you can't even feel the needle! Finger pricks hurt worse!) and I started with 6 units/night and am now up to 24. My endocrinologist has told me time and time again, this is nothing I'm doing wrong, it's hormones!! Insulin has helped a lot!
At least your endocrinologist has been positive and sounds encouraging . My nutritionist just lectures off the carb count to me again and again. Had cereal with milk for lunch and carrot sticks and even with insulin that was thru the roof after 2 hours. That is after a 20mins walk outside and a vacuum run clean up in my room. So back to salad and smart entrees for lunch. This numbers are taking over my daily routine. I can't touch anything without feeling I must know the carb count and must set a reminder to eat 2 hrs after that. Too stressful
Today is the day I lost my cool:( I knew I was hungry but nothing sounds good at all or ever anymore. I am so sick of eating, counting and testing. My husband keep asking what I wanted to eat and all I can do is cry. I am going to attempt a Pinterest dish for dinner but I don't think I can do this for 69 more days. #sofrustrated
Re: GD momma's update 8/10
Last night for dinner, I had a bratwurst, Brussels sprouts, a handful of sweet potato fries and a serving of unsweetened apple sauce. My sugar was 125 an hour later. Then all I had after that was a SF/FF pudding and some Werther's SF caramels. No other food.
This morning I had two sausages and two eggs and I mixed 8 oz of milk into my coffee as I drank it (I can't stand plain milk). Sugar was 124 an hour later.
My doctor has me checking 1 hour after meals plus my AM fasting, BTW. I'm not sure where I'd be after 2 hours, but I might check a few just to see.
I've had some fruit and I eat cheese and last night I had sweet potato fries, and I'm ok then, but 1 slice of toast and I'm over.
So I don't know if which carbs you eat would make any difference, but it seems to have helped me.
I was suggesting to @aschafke that maybe carbs other than bread might help her get the carbs she needs without messing with the sugars. I could be wrong, but that's what's worked so far for me.
I start with insulin before lunch and before bedtime. And we will see how next week results come out.
In addition I must go for monitoring of baby twice a week for 30mins.
Now when I went to OB appointment, he said if I'm on insulin, baby will be delivered at 38 weeks.
Right about now I dunno how to take all of this in. Ice cream sounds so good.... but yet so not right.
I think she referred to 15 carb servings for the day. For a total of 225 grams of carbs. So far I'm at 12 carb servings, which makes me at 180 per day. Yikes
I'm going balls out tonight! Eating sherbet for my snack and eating it later after 10...we'll see what my fasting is tomorrow!
I've been testing and dieting for almost a week. It sucks but it's doable. I can't prick my finger without jumping a little, but it's becoming part of my routine now. You get used to it.
@StephHember, welcome to TB and thanks for sharing.
The rest of the day, I've noticed that, if I avoid bread, I can keep my numbers within range. The two times I had over 130 1 hour after eating were when I had bread with my meal (interestingly the whole wheat wrap I got from Chick-fil-A the other day didn't spike me, only sliced bread). After last night's dinner of tuna, cheese, and kale, my sugar was at 89!
But fasting seems to be the issue. Last night I had a pretty big snack - a huge bowl of sugar-free/low-fat banana cream pudding - and had my highest fasting number yet. Previous nights have been smaller servings of pudding, or a 100-cal pack of almonds or SF Werther's caramel chews. I've also had, on one occasion, two spoonfuls of ice cream and on another, a small handful of jelly beans. It seems no matter what I eat at night, my sugar gets higher each morning. The average amount of time between
I've read that some of you have some kind of carb snack before bed and get fasting numbers within range, but I guess that's not the case for everyone.
Does this mean I'll have to go on insulin? Or other medication? (I'd really like to avoid having to give myself an injection as it's hard enough to prick my finger).
I see my OB again on Monday.
OH GEEZ! Wow that's nutty! On no meds?
@mamaowl15, those slowly elevating fasting numbers are the biggest challenge! Mine for the past week and half were 105, 101, 103, 92, 100, 108, 109, 99, 97, and often with the same night time snack! My GDM is managed by a perinatal clinic and they decided that we did a good faith effort but it was time for some nighttime coverage and voila, glyburide (an oral med, not insulin). Fasting level was 94 this morning, so an improvement from the weeks trend. I don't think they would have started meds if we hadn't exhausted all other efforts. My RD was sweet, before recommending to the MD to start meds she asked if I have been more stressed this week (stress response raise blood sugar). I laughed and said, "Well sure, about these dang sugar levels!" Have to find the humor in this situation somehow!
@jenspeake, if you feel like you still have room for changes and experiments with your diet, I wouldn't hesitate one bit to say to your providers, "Give me another week to try a few things before we go to meds." We have to be our own advocates. Especially because gestational diabetes seems to be such a highly individualized beast to deal with! If I have more than 15g of carbs with breakfast, my levels are through the roof! But other people can have 45-60 g in the morning with no issues. The body is an amazingly fickle thing!
I'm playing around with my nighttime snack options to see if I can get my numbers down, but if not, I don't mind taking meds. Anything for DD's health.
I've noticed that I can keep my after-meal numbers in range if I eat things like meat and vegetables, even blueberries. But my lunch was awful. I ate SF jello, SF/FF pudding, baby carrots, and some goldfish crackers. An hour later I was at 142!
I blame the jelly beans I had 3 hours earlier, even though I also had some almonds.
Any ideas to cope with it?
Also, those of you worried about your fasting numbers, there's nothing much you can do to control them--it's all about hormones, which increase as your length of pregnancy increases. I take a dose of insulin right before bed (not as scary as I thought it would be--you can't even feel the needle! Finger pricks hurt worse!) and I started with 6 units/night and am now up to 24. My endocrinologist has told me time and time again, this is nothing I'm doing wrong, it's hormones!! Insulin has helped a lot!
Had cereal with milk for lunch and carrot sticks and even with insulin that was thru the roof after 2 hours. That is after a 20mins walk outside and a vacuum run clean up in my room.
So back to salad and smart entrees for lunch.
This numbers are taking over my daily routine. I can't touch anything without feeling I must know the carb count and must set a reminder to eat 2 hrs after that. Too stressful