3/28 GD/Diabetes Check-In

Monicagail1

Gestational Week:

Successes:

Challenges:

Recipe/Tips:

Questions:

allaire314

Gestational Week: 37 weeks!

Successes: Numbers are still good when I'm testing, and I've found it pretty easy to stick with the diet when I'm not testing.

Challenges: I was up 8lbs in 2 weeks!!! AHHH!! Based on the size of my feet/legs, the Dr said it was probably mostly water weight, but it's something we are going to be monitoring more closely.

Recipe/Tips:I used cauliflower instead of potatoes in my chile con carne - obviously not the same, but a decent substitute.

Questions: Nada

mellabelle28

Gestational Week: 31

Successes: Stuck to the diet through Easter dinner/dessert and my 2 hour post-prandial number was still under 120!

Challenges:  I'm getting SO frustrated with my fasting numbers.  I've been testing for 10 days and so far, my daytime numbers are perfect, but I've failed 6 out of 10 fasting tests. :-( They have been ranging from 87-98, with this morning being an all time high outlier of 103.  Last night, I tried having about 1/2 cup of cottage cheese @ 2:30 AM, thinking maybe I'm rebounding in the morning, but that just made everything worse.  Its really bumming me out and I'm concerned that they are going to put me on meds...

Recipe/Tips: Wish I had some...

Questions:  How do I control these fasting numbers?? I've tried 15 carb snack before bed, 30 carb snack before bed, snack in the middle of the night, no snack before bed... nothing seems to fix the problem.  If I'm routinely getting fasting numbers of 96, 97, 98 - is this high enough to warrant meds??

Monicagail1

@mellabelle28 It sounds like you are doing all you can to try to control your fasting numbers.  In my experience fasting is the hardest to control.  Sometimes the hormones driving your insulin resistance are just too strong to be managed by anything but meds.  Are you getting any exercise/activity during the day?  30 min of walking per day, or even a 15-20 minute walk after dinner or before bed might be one more thing to try.

When's your next appointment?  Personally, after seeing majority higher numbers for 10+ days I'd probably call my doctor's office to discuss, especially if you have awhile until your next appointment.  They will decide if you need meds, but I think that at 31 weeks you're likely to continue to see an upward trend as your pregnancy progresses.  It's not your fault, just a function of how the insulin resistance often progresses later in pregnancy.  Going to meds can seem like a scary proposition (I've definitely been there, trust me) but if it helps keep your baby safe, and remove some number stress from your life, it will be a good thing in the end.

Good luck!

Monicagail1

@mellabelle28 also, if you're going to try a middle of the night snack, you might try something with more carbs than cottage cheese.  It seems counterintuitive, but my understanding from my diabetes ed class is that sometimes at night the liver is going into overdrive pumping sugar into your bloodstream thinking you're body is being starved.   You might be able to trick it a little bit with something with 10-15g carbs.  Maybe add some applesauce or berries to the cottage cheese, or drink a glass of milk, or something like that.

Monicagail1

Gestational Week: 36 weeks, getting to the home stretch

Successes: Numbers overall have stayed in a good range, and I haven't had to increase any of my insulin doses in quite awhile

Challenges: Managing cravings lately.  It's been such a long road for me this time around, managing pre-ex diabetes from day 1 of the pregnancy (and prior to pregnancy).  I'm getting sick of the shots and constant testing mostly, although I also know that that is one of the major motivators for me to stay on track.  It's so tempting to bump up my insulin dose for this meal, or that special occasion, and pig out.  I really want to stay on a good track now, so that it's hopefully easier to stay on track after delivery and hopefully stopping the insulin and going back on my regular oral meds.

Recipe/Tips:

Questions:

allaire314

@mellabella920  I would suggest a walk before bed to help with your night time numbers... also try something non dairy for your snack and see if that helps your fasting numbers. Good luck!

@Monicagail1 kudos to you for resisting the urge to bump your insulin for a meal! I've admittedly gotten a little lazy with tracking ... oooh that's 45 ish... ha ha, but now that we are in the home stretch I feel more motivated to really stick to it!

mellabelle28

Thanks @allaire314and @Monicagail1for your suggestions and encouragement!  I forgot to mention exercise - yes, I've been doing a 15 minute walk after dinner each night and most days, I get a 20 minute walk in after work in addition.  Dinner is so late for me... we usually start to eat around 8:30-9, then i'm in bed around 11:30-12.  Wish I could make it earlier, but I have after work commitments nearly every night that get me home late.  I'm sure the late dinner doesn't help much either.

I spoke with my midwife this afternoon and she's giving me 3 more days to get consistent fasting numbers and if I can't, I'll have to see the endocrinologist.  Fingers crossed!

allaire314

@mellabella920 since you're already getting a walk in, hopefully non dairy snacks will help! Fingers crossed that your numbers level out!!

korpatch

@mellabelle28 I read a post a while back on a different GD board where ladies were eating icecream as their bedtime snack to control fasting numbers. They would do a serving of vanilla icecream and peanuts... I've never had an issue with fasting numbers, so I never have tried it, but supposedly the extra fat helps or something... I don't know, but maybe it's something to bring up with your nutritionist?

korpatch

Gestational Week: 39 which means this will be my last check in!

Successes: my attitude was a bit better this week. I was really hoping he would be born on Friday. That way I could enjoy family Easter foods. No such luck! But I guess it means he needed more time to cook! Sugars have been impeccable this week.

Challenges: I've again been struggling emotionally after reading everything they have to do to monitor his blood sugar while we're in the hospital. I still feel like it's my fault sometimes, even though it's just a random thing that happens to some women. I feel guilty for worrying about him being a "big baby" and not fitting into what I envision  the perfect baby to be like ( my nephew was literally the cutest baby I have ever seen and he's grown into the cutest toddler ever.). 
And the fact that I can't load on delicious carbs when I feel all down for being selfish is frustrating.  

Keep up the good work ladies! The end comes WAY faster than I thought it would! I was told by my doctor that many women who are diagnosed with GD don't end up caring or doing anything about it. Way to go! Seriously! 

Monicagail1

@mellabelle28 and @korpatch -admittedly, ice cream at bedtime has been a pretty good stand bye for me. I had excellent results with it in my first GD pregnancy, and have also had pretty good results this time. It could be worth a try! I recommend a full fat version, as the fat/carb/protein mix is better. And I personally try to limit artificial sweeteners, and sometime the "low fat/low sugar" versions have added Splenda And such. 

Monicagail1

@allaire314 I can't say I haven't bumped my meds to indulge here and there but I try to save it for special occasions.

*edit because autocorrect ...

Sienna516

ok you guys I've totally been craving ice cream hardcore, but thought it would be bad bc of the sugar. now after a few of you have suggested im going to get some for my bedtime snack!

Jheaps

Gestational Week: 36

Successes: Still no meds!  The folks at CHOP think my numbers look great.

Challenges: A random part-time midwife who I saw for the first time last Friday because I went in for an emergency "my little guy is not moving as much" appointment yelled at me for not bringing my numbers.  When I told her they were just reviewed by my specialists at CHOP on Monday and would be reviewed again the following Monday, she told me I needed to take this more seriously or my baby could die.  What an *sshole.

Recipe/Tips:  @mellabelle28.  I was having trouble with my fastings at first, too.  What worked for me was 1/2 hour walk post dinner/pre-bed (we eat late too, so often I was walking at 10pm), then 1/2 a cup of greek yogurt with blue or blackberries, walnuts and cinnamon (alas, the ice cream trick didn't work for me).  If my fasting numbers were high, I would drink a big glass of water, wash my hands with water only, and test another finger. I've found my fingers can vary in the morning where I can test 98, 103 and then 92 right in a row, all on different fingers. Good luck! 

Questions: 

allaire314

Jheaps said:

Gestational Week: 36

Successes: Still no meds!  The folks at CHOP think my numbers look great.

Challenges: A random part-time midwife who I saw for the first time last Friday because I went in for an emergency "my little guy is not moving as much" appointment yelled at me for not bringing my numbers.  When I told her they were just reviewed by my specialists at CHOP on Monday and would be reviewed again the following Monday, she told me I needed to take this more seriously or my baby could die.  What an *sshole.

Recipe/Tips:  @mellabelle28.  I was having trouble with my fastings at first, too.  What worked for me was 1/2 hour walk post dinner/pre-bed (we eat late too, so often I was walking at 10pm), then 1/2 a cup of greek yogurt with blue or blackberries, walnuts and cinnamon (alas, the ice cream trick didn't work for me).  If my fasting numbers were high, I would drink a big glass of water, wash my hands with water only, and test another finger. I've found my fingers can vary in the morning where I can test 98, 103 and then 92 right in a row, all on different fingers. Good luck! 

Questions: 

I can't believe someone would say that!!!!