Diabetes help, please!

MamaSquishyB

Hi there, I had my glucose test last week, and found out yesterday that my fasting and 1 hour blood sugars were well within normal range, but I failed the two hour by just 4 points!!  I got my test kit last night and was told to track 4x/ day until my appointment on Tuesday.  I haven't really changed much about my diet so far, except maybe to cut back slightly on sweets.  Here's my problem, though... I'm no medical expert, but all of the blood sugars I've taken so far seem pretty normal to me.  I tested 1 hour after dinner last night, and breakfast and lunch today, and the numbers were 110, 126, and 101, respectively.  I also tested fasting this morning and got 83.

So my question is this.  What are the optimal ranges for 3rd trimester?  I googled it, but I'm seeing all kinds of different answers online.  I know I'll get all this info from the doctor on Tuesday, but I want to make sure I'm doing what's best for the baby in the meantime.

Thanks!

DominiqueU

I have GD and have been testing my sugar 4x a day since about 30 weeks (37 weeks now).  Different doctors will have different directions for when to test and what ranges they are looking for, but the one I hear most commonly (and what my doctor asks for) are a fasting number under 90 and under 120 when testing 2 hours after you start each meal. 

If your numbers are in range, that's great. It doesn't mean you don't have GD, but it means that you are eating an amount that YOUR body can handle appropriately right now. 

As you near the end of your pregnancy, your numbers are often harder to control. Just keep following your doctors directions. If you're like me, I email my numbers to the Maternal Fetal Medicine doctors each week and they'll call it they have any concerns between appointments. The most important thing with GD is just staying aware of your body and your sugar numbers so that your doctors can help you handle it if things go wonky. 

PhoebeJune1984

Yep, what @DominiqueU said. My doctor goes off of a 95 (and below) fasting number, and a (below) 120 two hours after eating. I would say that 90% of the time, my numbers are between 70-95 range and have been testing since week 28, and I am 35 weeks now. Some doctors are more strict when it comes to the numbers than others, but different things can alter your numbers as well. Like if I have a really horrible night of sleeping, my fasting number can get higher. Or if I am sick, my numbers will be higher. Like I was sick for 10 days, and all of my numbers were over 140+. I just made sure to make note of it in my chart, so when I emailed my OB, I could let her know the specific days that I was sick (and that is why my numbers were high), and when I started feeling better. As of right now, I have been able to control it just by watching what I eat....I am not strict about it, but I do make a conscious effort to not eat things high in carbs/sugar. My OB doesn't have set ranges for each trimester....its just under 95 for fasting, and under 120 for two hours after I take my first bite of breakfast/lunch/dinner. Most of my friends/family who had gestational diabetes, all had low numbers as well, but still had to continue testing and everything until baby was born. 

MamaSquishyB

Thanks so much.  One last question... do you test one hour (or two hours) after your FIRST bite of your meal, or your LAST bite?  I've been doing it after my last bite.  Maybe that's messing up my numbers?

tinypikachu

@MamaSquishyB it's always an hour or two after your first bite.

MamaSquishyB

Thanks!

MLS6212

I also failed my three hour glucose challenge by just a few points and was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Make sure you ask your doctor about postpartum testing. At my six week follow up appointment my OB gave me an order for a two hour glucose challenge and told me to get it done three months postpartum. I ended up failing that test by just a few points and have now been diagnosed with inhibited glucose tolerance (prediabetes) which means I'll have to be careful from now on to make sure it doesn't progress to type two diabetes.

hconnol

My doc says
 To have fast in g below 95, and one hour after meals less than 140.i test after my meal is completed. I don't think it matters. Your blood sugar probabkybwont change much in the actual 15 minutes that you eat.