Gestational Diabetes - Struggling

AnastasiaBeaverhausen09

I know most people haven't been tested yet, but for some reason I was tested at 24 weeks and am borderline GD.  I don't "technically" have it but met with a diabetic counselor yesterday and started the finger pricks.  I'm really struggling.  The thought of being on such a strict diet and pricking my finger four times a day for the next 13 weeks is making me feel really discouraged and sad.  Has anyone had GD in a previous pregnancy?

durbie92

I was diagnosed with GD at 14 weeks because I was "borderline" diabetic before getting pregnant. I check my sugar four times a day and take three shots: slow acting insulin in the morning and at bedtime and a fast acting insulin with dinner. So far we haven't had to do the fast acting at lunch. The diet isn't too bad, its healthy stuff we "should be" eating anyways. The worst part for me is the added costs. Each vial of insulin is $35 plus the test strips are $35. I go through almost three vials a month. Luckily my friend had about 300 test strips leftover from her pregnancy so she gave them to me. Saved a little money. It becomes routine after a while and I have to admit, i feel a lot better. I can tell when I overeat the "bad" stuff because I get really tired. I should be able to go off the insulin as soon as I give birth. Feel free to ask me.anything and good luck!! Oh, the best news.....I've only gained 7 pounds do far from eating so healthy.

durbie92

Oh....I am allowed 4-5 carb choices per meal and 2-3 per snack. One carb choices equals 15 grams of carbs. So for dinner for example, I can have up to 75 grams of carbs. That's not too bad. I still eat pasta and cake and stuff....just have to be more mindful of serving sizes. Instead of drinking milk (2 carbs) I choose to eat yogurt as it keeps me fuller and makes me feel more indulgence than chugging a glass of milk, for the same amount of carbs. I just like eating my carbs than drinking them 

AnastasiaBeaverhausen09

@durbie92 thanks for your response!  I don't find the actual food to be terrible, what overwhelms me is just making sure I eat the right things with the right things at the right time.  The timing of it all sounds so rigid and I am just not used to thinking this much about food.  Does the finger pricking get easier?  I've only done it four times but I get so anxious and it kinda hurts.  I can't even think about insulin at this point, I'm just trying to process the diet and finger pricks!

durbie92

I know, the planning and thinking about it sucks. But in time you'll get it down. It took me a good two weeks of carrying around a cheat sheet to figure it all out. I had one on the fridge at home, one at work and one in my purse. And I messed up a few times. The key I found is to always carry carb friendly snacks with you. I love Fiber One bars and have them stashed everywhere. Try and have every meal and snack contain protein and carbs. Individual bags of mixed nuts are good too.

 Make sure the lancet on the finger pricker is a finer grade needle so it doesn't hurt as bad. And most finger pricker things (technical name lol) have a dial on them.....set yours to the lowest number and see if it draws blood. The higher numbers go deeper and hurt more and more men use the higher number for their thicker skin. I have mine set to a 2. I hardly feel them. They definitely shouldn't hurt hurt. A tiny prick is all it should feel like. 

I promise it gets better!!! 

AnastasiaBeaverhausen09

@durbie92 My lancet is currently set at a 2.  It honestly does just feel like a prick with a bit of soreness afterwards but I think the anxiety makes it worse.  Like if something just pricked me in life like that I would barely feel it, but because I have to prep and push the button and I know it's coming it makes it worse.

MLS6212

*Lurking from March 2016*

Hi Anastasia (love the Will & Grace reference, by the way). I was diagnosed with GD at 28 weeks. I've been doing the finger pricks and controlling my diet for about a month now and luckily my diet changes alone have been sufficient to control my blood glucose readings.

I won't sugar coat it (no pun intended). It's still rough. The third trimester is supposed to be the time where pregnant women indulge in all the crappy food they want. My BMB Facebook group is flooded with pictures of decadent treats the ladies are enjoying while I'm counting carbs. I'm allowed 30g of carbs for breakfast and three snacks per day; I'm allowed 45g of carbs for lunch and dinner.

Here's a sample of my meal plan:

Breakfast - Carbmaster yogurt (available at Kroger...not sure if you have Kroger/Smith's where you live, but other stores might have a similar brand with low carbs and high protein) in cinnamon roll or banana cream pie flavor.

Morning snack - Beef jerky/small Slim Jims and cashews.

Lunchtime - Healthy Choice Simply frozen meals. There are a few that are low carb such as the Chicken Pesto and Vegetables. Or a turkey sandwich using sandwich slims (20g of carbs for the entire sandwich thin as opposed to 30g for two slices of bread), dill pickles and a Laughing Cow light Swiss cheese wedge.

Afternoon snack - Nature Valley peanut granola bar.

Dinner - Some sort of protein (salmon, tilapia, steak, chicken breast, cooked shrimp) and sauteed vegetables or a small wedge salad easy on the dressing, carrots, and croutons (all sneaky sources of carbs). I love smothering the salmon or chicken breast in pesto and then a light dusting of breadcrumbs.

After dinner snack - Since my morning fasting numbers have always been well in range, I let myself have something sweet as long as my post-dinner glucose test is under an arbitrary number I decided upon (90). I still stay under my 30g limit of carbs, but I don't care about the protein or fat content. I can have a Hershey bar, 2 Reese's Cups, or 2 squares of Ghiradelli chocolate.

As far as the finger pricks go, they'll get easier. I considered myself needle phobic before my one-hour glucose test. Now I've been through so many blood draws and finger pricks that my anxiety has definitely eased up. I still dread pushing that little blue button on my lancer but I remind myself it's only for a split second and then it's over. As PP said, make sure you're using the lowest setting necessary, but do make sure it works consistently. I tried to start out at a 2, but I kept wasting (expensive) test strips by not having enough blood and I'd just have to prick myself again. Now I can consistently get blood at a 4. It helps if you wash your hands with warm water beforehand.

I certainly didn't mean to write a novel, but I hope this information helps! Having GD can be a lonely and stressful experience, but it helps me to remember that it's usually only temporary and controlling your blood sugar can only help you and your baby have a smoother delivery and recovery. Good luck!

mello13

I had GD with my first pregnancy and just got the confirmation that I have it again this time as well. 

The biggest struggle for me was making sure I was balancing carbs and protein and making sure I ate at proper intervals. But once I got the hang of it it became routine. Use a cheat sheet as PP mentioned as long as needed. 

A couple of food suggestions that haven't been mentioned yet: Yoplait Greek 100 is fantastic! My diabetic counselor suggested this last pregnancy as it has a very high protein to carb ratio and doesn't taste bland or "fake". Turkey & cheese wrapped in lettuce (instead of tortilla) is great. Peanut/almond butter on graham crackers. Cheese counts as a protein too. Also, the Target Market Pantry protein powder (I like vanilla) is good, just get your doctor to approve it first. You can mix with milk, yogurt, soy milk or water, or sprinkle on oat meal etc. Also chia seeds are great for you. And diet A&W is nice (caffeine free too) when you need a treat that doesn't taste like diet!

As for the finger prick, my diabetic sister gave me the best tip last time, which is to test on the SIDE of your finger not the tip. MUCH less painful!! And you can get 2-4 pricks per finger that way (less soreness!). Also, wash hands with warm water before pricking or do a quick jog in place to get blood pumping so it comes out more easily. 

You will start to feel better/more energetic as you adjust to the diet. And you CAN still have cakes and chocolate and such, just with more balance elsewhere. 

My pregnancy last time was controlled by diet and exercise (walking/swimming) until the end when I needed a Glyburide pill to control the overnight fasting numbers (blood sugar naturally spikes at night, but that doesn't effect most people). I did not need insulin shots at all last time. Hoping it goes the same this time around. 

Good luck! We can touch base with each other in a weekly thread if you ladies would like as well. We'll get through this and it will definitely be worth it in the end!

AnastasiaBeaverhausen09

@durbie92  @MLS6212 @mello13 thank you all so much.  Seriously, I know no one in real life who has had this, so it's nice to hear from other people who can relate.  

I just got back from the pharmacy, where a wonderful angel of a pharmacist informed me that I was using the highest possible gauge lancet, so I switched to the smallest gauge and my post-lunch prick a few minutes ago was so much better.  Seriously I barely felt it, and no soreness afterwards.  I did have a few white chocolate chips with lunch just to see what would happen to my number and it was over my limit by 5 pts.

@mello13 I would LOVE a weekly thread, if for nothing else than to share recipes and food ideas!!

ayeshaohara

Pharmacist advice about the finger pricking and lancing device (the actual technical name )...make sure you use a fresh lancet EVERY time you prick your finger because they are blunt after one prick. Reduced the pain dramatically. Also great advice from PP about pricking on the side of your finger, although you should've been educated about that from the start. There's less sensitive nerves there. 

I I don't have GD but was paranoid about getting it so I've been voluntarily testing for months now just to ease my mind. I find I don't feel the prick at all if I test after a shower...warm hands helps!! 

Good luck and don't let it get you down too much!! 

AnastasiaBeaverhausen09

@ayeshaohara I've been calling it a finger pricker 

MLS6212

Oh! I almost forgot about an app I use to help keep track of everything. It's called mySugr Diabetes Logbook. I use it on an Android but I'm pretty sure it's available for Apple too. You can personalize it by setting it for gestational diabetes and then set your own blood glucose limits. I use it to track my blood glucose readings (and even make notes as to which finger I used to get my blood sample) and the foods I eat. There are lots of other features, but those are the two I use the most.

anijman

I was diagnosed at 18 weeks. Not only that my blood pressure was very high. So I am on such a strict diet now, low in sugar/carbs and salt. Plus insuline and blood pressure medication. I basically have to prepare my meals myself and can hardly buy any pre-made meals or snacks because everything has salt! I also have to prick my fingers each morning. I must tell you, I've never felt better. I also lost 14 lbs. Which my gyn assures me is not bad for the baby. I was overweight to begin with.

durbie92

I agree, I too had anxiety about pushing that button but now I've been doing it so long I don't even notice it. Kind of on autopilot. Also forgot about washing with warm water and pricking the sides of the finger! 

Reminesme

I totally understand the frustration. I got so upset near the beginning that I cried just thinking about the logistics of what I had to eat and when. It was very regimented and I wasn't used to it at all, but after a week or so it becomes like second nature and you pretty much go through the day's meals and snacks on auto pilot. Hang in there!  

As far as the finger pricking goes I usually just take a deep breath and press the button on the exhale. For whatever reason it helps a lot.

gracesmama

I left you a post on another thread, but like you I was just borderline high on one of the tests. So as a preventative am checking blood sugars a few times a day, keeping track of numbers, and keeping a food journal for the dietitian! Some helpful things I've come up with : for breakfast, pre-cooking sausage and bacon to heat up in the morning ( I'm alllllways in a rush) i make fresh eggs daily  but just nuke the meat! On the egg note, I eat a them a lot! Scrambled eggs with ground turkey and bell peppers/onions is good too! Lunch I'm usually on the run and have done 6inch flatbreads from subway, I have them steam the meat , Nature Valley has a protein bar that is delicious it comes in chocolate almond and chocolate peanut butter  and at just 14g of carbs is one of  the lowest granola I have found. I'll eat it in bar form for a snack, or crumble it up in 1/2 cup yogurt with a few berries (YUMMM!) . Carrots are a great afternoon snack - or any veggie at that! they are basically free they are so low in carb. Another great snack is pepperoni and cheese slices! google some fruit/veggie carb charts! That helped me! after a while you just kinda remember what they are.  

AnastasiaBeaverhausen09

@kannairb I saw both of your responses, thank you!  I have been tracking my sugars for about a week now and have gotten all good numbers, most in the 80s and 90s.  This is probably my own issue but I'm racked with worry.  I worry every time I eat and I worry every time I test.  I worry my sugars will get worse.  I am also super worried that it won't go away after I give birth and that I am doomed to get Type 2 later in life.  I am having a really hard time feeling positive and just have this terrible feeling like I was a healthy person before pregnancy and now I'm doomed to get diabetes by the time I'm 40.  

nerdymama15

This time around I said no to the whole eating schedule.  That had me so messed up last time and made my anxiety hit the roof.   I'm not doing it exactly two hours after my meals.  If I'm not hungry I'm not eating.  Plain and simple.  I will eat the recommended number of  snacks and I will make sure they are in the recommended carb count.  I just don't do it at the exact times they say to do it.    Doing the veggie thing is a problem for me since I hate most raw veggies.  Believe it or not, one of the things that works really well for me is Halos (those tiny oranges).