Hi ladies, I was diagnosed with GD about 2 weeks ago and took my class a week ago (and I've been lurking on this board since). I'm following the diet and exercising after meals, but I'm still struggling with random high numbers, mostly fasting & after breakfast. I was told fasting should be under 90 and 1 hour after meals should be under 120. I have had the exact same breakfast & morning routine for 3 days and my 1 hour post numbers have been 98, 120, and 136! I'm so confused and frustrated. I would really appreciate any suggestions for getting number consistent and under control. Also, any of you who are on insulin, how and how quickly did they make that decision? I'm really trying to avoid it & but I'm nervous they won't be happy with my numbers at my follow up tomorrow. Sorry for the long post!
@LAMurray808 I've learned that if I skip my nighttime snack that tends to make my fasting/breakfast number high. Also I know all doctors are different but they told me that my number had to be below 120 2 hours after a meal, not one. That seems pretty strict. Also I've had a few random high numbers and I've only been on the diet for 2 weeks Friday. I was thinking about it the other day and I would probably refuse if they tried to put me on it so early. I'm still trying to figure the diet out and what my triggers are. I know it's all about the baby's health but none of my numbers have been extemely high just a few high numbers after breakfast and my fasting number.
@Lynnlove28 I agree about refusing insulin so early. My hope is that tomorrow morning at my follow-up she will give me a few new things to try instead of jumping straight to medication. I also feel like my limits are strict based on what I've seen online, but it is what it is! Thanks for the response...I'll let you know how tomorrow goes!
Sounds like some of you are struggling like me with morning fasting numbers. I know they are supposed to be less than 95 and mine fall into the 90-105 range. Now they want to put me on glyburide (sp?)... any of you have experience with this?
@lamurray808 - I had a similar experience where my numbers would increase even though I was eating the same thing. The clinic told me that something I was eating was throwing the numbers off, and to change it up a bit to figure out what to stay away from.... Ritz crackers do that to me.
Sounds like some of you are struggling like me with morning fasting numbers. I know they are supposed to be less than 95 and mine fall into the 90-105 range. Now they want to put me on glyburide (sp?)... any of you have experience with this?
Ugh, the bump ate me response! I have been on glyburide. It has helped my morning numbers. There was some nausea week 1 and for me the trick was timing. Rather than a specific time (10pm) that the nurses were saying based on an assumed bedtime/sleep schefule I don't keep I found that they want you to take it 1 hour before sleep and about 30 minured to an.hour after your snack.
I've been doing pretty well with my numbers most of the time. I've pretty much cut all bread out of the equation though. A few days ago, we were visiting family and we cooked hotdogs over the fire. I ate1 in a bun, 1 without a bun and like 6 doritos, and I was 161 an hour after!!! I was horrified! That is the highest my numbers have been! It's frustrating, but I'm just trying to stick to a lot of salads with different meat and dressing combinations. I also often have applesauce with my salads for lunch. Tonight it was a delicious Taco salad and for lunch I had a chicken salad with Ranch. I eat Nutrigrain bars for snacks during the day while I'm working, because at work, I'm so active that I burn it off so quickly it doesn't get a chance to raise my sugar. Swimming is also good for my numbers...helps keep them really low! Activity is key if I want to splurge a little!
@liljabee Thank you. My problem is I eat my snack and then pretty much go to bed before 9pm. The nurse berated me yesterday about that, but sheesh, I don't sleep well, and I go to bed early. I start tonight, so I will definitely do what you suggest.
I'm having the opposite problem with my fasting numbers - they suddenly dropped last week. I started out in the mid-80s every morning and now they're consistently in the low 70s. Maybe I'm not eating enough carbs? My after-dinner numbers are usually 100-110 and I have a Yasso bar before bed every night (yep, still completely obsessed with those!).
I have my OB appointment tomorrow and check-in with the dietician on Friday so I'll ask them... but was curious if anyone else has had this happen. I've read it can happen when you get close to labor... At 35 weeks I'm hoping that's not the case!
@liljabee Thank you. My problem is I eat my snack and then pretty much go to bed before 9pm. The nurse berated me yesterday about that, but sheesh, I don't sleep well, and I go to bed early. I start tonight, so I will definitely do what you suggest.
It is so strange that they don't understand how different people have different sleep schedules! Good luck, once I got the timing right it controlled the morning number nicely.
I feel a Smudge guilty because I had a piece of the cake at my baby shower. It didn't spike my glucose too much, but it was over range. They were so kind though, all the food was GD friendly (other than the cake and the sherbet punch). Little cut out PB&J sandwhiches, cheese playe, hummus dip...
Hi all, my nutritionist told me that a small, protein rich snack before bed can really help your fasting numbers such as a small serving of nuts or some cheese. I had high fasting numbers and this has helped.
A protein rich snack and/or an evening walk can help, but often the hormones from the placenta are just too pwoeful and you need the medI cation to the job. It can be hard to allow yourself to take the meds, but sometimes it is just what you gave to do.
My OB indicated that fasting numbers are the ones most closely correlated to fetal outcomes. She also emphasized that often no amount if life style intervention will bring them down, they are the hardest to control. Certainly try all the strategies you can (protein snack, evening exercise, bedtime mediration, good night's sleep, daily exercise) but medication is a tool to, and sometimes one you need.
Well, I was put on the slow acting insulin to get my fasting numbers down and now I'm on a few units of it in the morning because my lunch numbers started creeping up. It's very frustrating because I'm following the diet they gave me to the letter! My fasting numbers still aren't quite where they want them, but they're getting closer as I increase the dose a little each night. It just kills me how I can have the exact same breakfast and morning routine 3 mornings in a row and have 3 totally different blood sugar results like I have this week! I guess we'll see what today's looks like. The good news is the endo I saw yesterday was pleased with how I was eating and exercising, she just said there's nothing I can do about how my hormones effect my blood sugars. Oh and she is also having me take 5,000 iu of vitamin D everyday now...she said a lot of times GD moms are low and that can affect insulin resistance and blood sugars. I thought that was interesting.
@Mfuller76 I'm interested to hear what they say about your numbers. I have been told that things can level out around 36 weeks...I've got about 4 weeks to go before I get there!
@liljabee that is so nice about your shower! I had a small amount of cake at mine too which I was told was fine. It didn't spike my sugars much and was worth it after all the trouble the party planners went to.
Hi ladies - This is my first time posting here and I'm hoping to not become a regular but we shall see, I'm 34wks. I have not technically been diagnosed with GD but doc wants me to keep an eye on my blood sugar so they have me testing 4 times a day until my next appt at which point we will see. I'm overweight & my daughter was over 9lbs when she was born. Doc thinks I probably developed GD at the end of my last pregnancy but after I was tested so they have been keeping an extra close eye on it his time around. I have had 2 1hr glucose tests and both have come back fine. I have been testing for the last 11 days (4x a day) & have only had 5 tests be over, so I think that is alright? I really don't know much about GD as I haven't had a good conversation about it with OB so everything I am doing is pretty much based on my own research. Any and all advice is welcome. TIA
@AmandaG225 I understand that your Dr is being cautious and know that they will look over your numbers. Certainly carb counting and small food amounts spread throughout the day are usually healthy habits for everyone. However, I will note that babies can be over 8 or 9 lbs based on genetic factors that have nothing to do with GD. I hope that your Dr has good news for you.
@AmandaG225 I understand that your Dr is being cautious and know that they will look over your numbers. Certainly carb counting and small food amounts spread throughout the day are usually healthy habits for everyone. However, I will note that babies can be over 8 or 9 lbs based on genetic factors that have nothing to do with GD. I hope that your Dr has good news for you.
This is true. A friend of mine had 2 babies both over 10 lbs. Shes a small girl and her husband is thin as well. She didn't have gestational diabetes or anything. She just has big babies.
Hello ladies, Has the prescribed GD diet affected your weight?
My OB told me I'm supposed to be gaining 1 lb/week at this time, but my weight stayed the same for 2-3 weeks since I started the GD diet, and then now I've lost 1.5 lb in the past week. I'm a bit worried but not freaking out yet. Hopefully the baby is still growing ok... I'll find out tomorrow at the OB appointment. Fingers crossed! I might ask if they can do additional ultrasounds just to make sure...
@jjang27 they told us in our class on diabetes that we may lose weight. From the time I got pregnant to about 25 weeks I lost 20 pounds. Not bragging because I could totally afford to lose it and a bunch more. I've gained back 4 of those pounds but then yesterday at an appointment non related to pregnancy I was down 2 of those 4 pounds. I'm choosing to not worry about it and be thankful that I haven't gained anymore until/unless my doctor says something about it. I can't imagine him saying anything about it since I'm in the "obese" category medically.
@jjang27 I also haven't gained any weight since starting the GD diet and even lost a couple lbs when I started it...I've gained 15 lbs total, but started a little overweight. I had an ultrasound today and the baby is doing just fine! She's in the 43rd percentile size-wise which was a huge relief for me because it means I don't have to lower my blood sugar goals and increase my insulin.
Is anyone else starting NSTs soon? They are starting me in 2 weeks (I'll be 34 weeks along). It's a lot of appointments, but I appreciate the additional monitoring to try to avoid unnecessary early induction.
@LAMurray808 I have been having NST's for about 2 weeks now (I am 36 weeks, 5 days). They aren't bad, just a little time consuming. I find them reassuring. Although I always ask them to take my BP at the end because I get so nervous until I know everything is ok.
@LAMurray808@liljabee@Lynnlove28 I went for my first NST last Friday... except they didn't really tell me until I got there and was something I had no clue they were going to do. LO can be lazy sometimes (or deep sleeping) so I had to stay a little longer once we poked him to get him moving. Let me know how all of yours go!
Are NSTs pretty standard for GD? I'm 36 weeks and my doctor hasn't said mentioned anything about them. Initially the nurse said that I would need additional monitoring, but at last week's appointment, my OB said that as long as my glucose numbers look good and I don't need medication, they'll treat me like any other pregnancy.
@Mfuller76 at my doctors office for regular GD they start NSTs at 34 weeks. I had a few high BP readings at my first few appointments but then it went down and has stayed down naturally. Even so they keep trying to diagnose me with chronic hypertension even though I've never had any high BP readings outside of pregnancy. They were going to make me start NSTs at 32 weeks based on those factors but I had to set them straight. They also ask me at every appointment how much insulin I'm on. None, I'm on none. I really hate this office so my reply is basically a rant to them.
But they said it's pretty standard for diet controlled GD to have NSTs starting at 34 weeks
I think that some practices don't do NST if you are diet controlled. I would have gotten them anyway because I am old (only in maternity care is 37 old, lol).
@sbelle474 Right? My first appointment the NP repeatedly called me elderly. I made jokes about getting my cane snd needing a walker for delivery, but she either didn't get the hint or wasn't amused. I feel "Advanced Maternal Age" has more dignity than geriatric or elderly.
I started with NSTs and biophysical profile u/s as well at 32 weeks. Switched to just the biophysical u/s weekly as my doc feels it gives him better info. We'll see if it changes. On top of GD, I have a history of preterm labor so we're doing my group b strep test early and hoping to make it to 37w.
Thanks for the responses on NSTs! Im actually kind of excited to start them just to know my baby is still a happy camper. Also, my office does NSTs if GD can't be diet controlled and I was put on insulin a couple weeks ago for high fasting numbers. My target numbers are really strict, though...just how the endo I'm seeing works.
Any of you who are on insulin, do you find you have to increase your dose every few days? I'm assuming it's just these stupid hormones, but my numbers will be great for a couple days then start creeping up with no diet or schedule change. I'm hoping things really do even out at 36 weeks like they say!
Joining the group... This is my third pregnancy but first time having GD. Failed my 1 hour with a 140... so I thought I had the 3 hour in the bag - I was WRONG! I meet with the dietitian on Thursday. I know it's late (+33wks). Hopefully babe girl is okay. I tend to have large babies as it is... ooft (first was 8lbs 8oz at 38wks and 2nd was 9lbs at 39).
I'm bummed because I was all excited to have a brunch birthday party for our little girl before the baby comes with carbs, carbs, carbs! LOL Bagels, donuts, danishes etc... Back to the drawing board.
@carstekj sorry you're having to join this board, but it's really not so bad. I get kind of annoyed sometimes that I can't just eat what I want when I want, but that's probably not great for me anyway. Following the diet really hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be and I don't feel deprived like I thought I would. Luckily you don't have too long before meeting your baby and being done with it!
My numbers have been staying pretty good. But tonight, after dinner of Cheese tortellini, and a few chicken wings, my sugar was WAY down to 64! I felt a little light headed, and was about to go swimming and I feared my sugar would go even lower, so I ate a Little Debbie snack. It was nice to eat a snack that I otherwise would not have been able to eat. It was only like 13 carbs, but not something I would have eaten had my sugar been higher. I was also to the Dr. again today and I have lost 2 more pounds, bringing my total weigh gain to a mere 5 lbs! That makes me nervous! Especially with baby's long bones measuring short, and them telling me that this will probably be a small baby! Everything else looks great, and the Dr isn't concerned, but I was hoping to have finally gained a few pounds. I could understand if I was overweight, but I'm really not, and was very active (running) before I got pregnant, but now I only go for walks a few times a week and walk a lot at work. I'm trying to tell myself that I'm just not gaining because I'm so active, but it worries me a little.
@carstekj Sorry you're joining the group, but it's better to know than not! I've been on the GD diet for 5 weeks now, and it's not been as bad as I initially thought. It may take a little time for you to find out what your trigger foods are at first (for me it's white bread, white noodles, and potatoes), but once you know what to steer clear of you'll be fine. Hang in there!
@ShanRum3 Oh dear! Hypoglycemia can be scary... Good you caught it before going swimming!
Just had my 34,5d visit. Baby had a little extra fluid (19) which he said was on the higher end of average. Any one else experience this? Doc said to watch my carbs more. Oh darn. My fasting number have been great but my food choices and placenta "taking over" have made my nighttime numbers higher. I've had a few 150-160s, eek.
How has everyone been doing? My baby shower was this past Saturday and I admit, I ate more of EVERYTHING than I should have, so I was a little high after that, but the rest of the weekend I've tried to be more careful. I go back to the Dr. and to the Perinatologist today. They will be doing an ultrasound to determine if baby's Long Bones are catching up, or at the least, not falling any farther behind. I'm sure they will give us a weight estimate as well, at 32 weeks, he was only estimated at 3lb 9oz. They don't think this will be a very big baby, despite my having GD. They were only estimating that he'd be 6lb 1oz by 39 weeks, so we'll see. Keep your fingers crossed and please say a prayer that he has continued to grow. I hope you all are having a good week, with good numbers!
Hi all, Just got home from my 37 week appointment and my doctor has decided to induce labor either 3 days before my due date or 1 day after, depending on an ultrasound next Thurs to determine her size... Crazy!!! I'm nervous but excited at the same time. At my last ultrasound baby weighed 5 pounds 14 ounces. I'm due on the 4th. My blood sugar levels have been great with a controlled diet so I'm not taking insulin. Just wondering if anyone else has an induction scheduled? I'm reading on Dr. Google that inductions are common with GD, is that true?
@amarfeo17 Dr. Google told me the same thing so I asked my OB about it. She said no, as long as I stayed diet-controlled they would treat me like any other patient. They would only induce if I needed to go on meds and that would be at 39 weeks. I was kinda hoping for an early eviction notice but my numbers are all great with diet and exercise. Part of me is worried about going past my due date... Dr. Google also told me too much about placental deterioration and now I'm overly anxious. I'm going to ask how long they'll let me go at my next appointment.
Hi everyone! I had my 1st NST today and my little baby kicked against those monitors HARD the whole time, but at least it meant the test was on the short side. My numbers have been really good since figuring out the insulin thing and I still haven't had to move to fast acting (just on the cloudy stuff) so I'm feeling good about that. I'm 34+3 today and still measuring on time! I get another ultrasound in 2 weeks to check her size one more time and then it will just be NSTs and a waiting game!
@amarfeo17@Mfuller76 my doctor has told me that insulin or not, I would not go beyond 40 weeks; sooner if baby girl starts to get big or distressed. I'm sure it varies by practice, though...mine is very strict with numbers and whatnot.
@amarfeo17 My Doctor is delivering my baby at 39weeks due to GD. I am having to get a CS. I also had GD with DD1 and ironically my fluids were always low (opposite of typical GD), they got dangerously low and had to have a CS at 37w5d.
BFP: 12/3/15 EDD: 8/11/16 IT'S A BOY!!! MAXIMUS POWERS 8♥5♥16
Re: Gestational Diabetes, management check in and discussion thread
Sounds like some of you are struggling like me with morning fasting numbers. I know they are supposed to be less than 95 and mine fall into the 90-105 range. Now they want to put me on glyburide (sp?)... any of you have experience with this?
@lamurray808 - I had a similar experience where my numbers would increase even though I was eating the same thing. The clinic told me that something I was eating was throwing the numbers off, and to change it up a bit to figure out what to stay away from.... Ritz crackers do that to me.
I have my OB appointment tomorrow and check-in with the dietician on Friday so I'll ask them... but was curious if anyone else has had this happen. I've read it can happen when you get close to labor... At 35 weeks I'm hoping that's not the case!
My OB indicated that fasting numbers are the ones most closely correlated to fetal outcomes. She also emphasized that often no amount if life style intervention will bring them down, they are the hardest to control. Certainly try all the strategies you can (protein snack, evening exercise, bedtime mediration, good night's sleep, daily exercise) but medication is a tool to, and sometimes one you need.
@Mfuller76 I'm interested to hear what they say about your numbers. I have been told that things can level out around 36 weeks...I've got about 4 weeks to go before I get there!
@liljabee that is so nice about your shower! I had a small amount of cake at mine too which I was told was fine. It didn't spike my sugars much and was worth it after all the trouble the party planners went to.
Has the prescribed GD diet affected your weight?
My OB told me I'm supposed to be gaining 1 lb/week at this time, but my weight stayed the same for 2-3 weeks since I started the GD diet, and then now I've lost 1.5 lb in the past week. I'm a bit worried but not freaking out yet. Hopefully the baby is still growing ok... I'll find out tomorrow at the OB appointment. Fingers crossed! I might ask if they can do additional ultrasounds just to make sure...
Is anyone else starting NSTs soon? They are starting me in 2 weeks (I'll be 34 weeks along). It's a lot of appointments, but I appreciate the additional monitoring to try to avoid unnecessary early induction.
But they said it's pretty standard for diet controlled GD to have NSTs starting at 34 weeks
We'll see if it changes. On top of GD, I have a history of preterm labor so we're doing my group b strep test early and hoping to make it to 37w.
Any of you who are on insulin, do you find you have to increase your dose every few days? I'm assuming it's just these stupid hormones, but my numbers will be great for a couple days then start creeping up with no diet or schedule change. I'm hoping things really do even out at 36 weeks like they say!
I meet with the dietitian on Thursday. I know it's late (+33wks). Hopefully babe girl is okay. I tend to have large babies as it is... ooft (first was 8lbs 8oz at 38wks and 2nd was 9lbs at 39).
I'm bummed because I was all excited to have a brunch birthday party for our little girl before the baby comes with carbs, carbs, carbs! LOL Bagels, donuts, danishes etc... Back to the drawing board.
I was also to the Dr. again today and I have lost 2 more pounds, bringing my total weigh gain to a mere 5 lbs! That makes me nervous! Especially with baby's long bones measuring short, and them telling me that this will probably be a small baby! Everything else looks great, and the Dr isn't concerned, but I was hoping to have finally gained a few pounds. I could understand if I was overweight, but I'm really not, and was very active (running) before I got pregnant, but now I only go for walks a few times a week and walk a lot at work. I'm trying to tell myself that I'm just not gaining because I'm so active, but it worries me a little.
@ShanRum3 Oh dear! Hypoglycemia can be scary... Good you caught it before going swimming!
Any one else experience this? Doc said to watch my carbs more. Oh darn. My fasting number have been great but my food choices and placenta "taking over" have made my nighttime numbers higher. I've had a few 150-160s, eek.
I go back to the Dr. and to the Perinatologist today. They will be doing an ultrasound to determine if baby's Long Bones are catching up, or at the least, not falling any farther behind. I'm sure they will give us a weight estimate as well, at 32 weeks, he was only estimated at 3lb 9oz. They don't think this will be a very big baby, despite my having GD. They were only estimating that he'd be 6lb 1oz by 39 weeks, so we'll see. Keep your fingers crossed and please say a prayer that he has continued to grow.
I hope you all are having a good week, with good numbers!
Just got home from my 37 week appointment and my doctor has decided to induce labor either 3 days before my due date or 1 day after, depending on an ultrasound next Thurs to determine her size... Crazy!!! I'm nervous but excited at the same time. At my last ultrasound baby weighed 5 pounds 14 ounces. I'm due on the 4th. My blood sugar levels have been great with a controlled diet so I'm not taking insulin. Just wondering if anyone else has an induction scheduled? I'm reading on Dr. Google that inductions are common with GD, is that true?
Hope you are all feeling well!
@amarfeo17 @Mfuller76 my doctor has told me that insulin or not, I would not go beyond 40 weeks; sooner if baby girl starts to get big or distressed. I'm sure it varies by practice, though...mine is very strict with numbers and whatnot.
MAXIMUS POWERS 8♥5♥16