GD check-in

cmcookaln

I wanted to start a weekly discussion about those of us suffering from GD if that's okay.  I haven't been that active on the discussion board this pregnancy compared to my last (a 2 year old keeps me on my toes), but I have suffered from GD since 14 weeks so I thought it would be a good way to share recipes and food ideas, as well as offer emotional support.  Most of us at this point have had or will be having the test done within the next few weeks. I wanted to offer advice, especially for those who have never gone through this experience before and see what others are experiencing/going through.

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

I'm so frickin' excited to see this. I'm on my second pregnancy with GD.  I was diagnosed a few weeks ago and I've been testing since Monday.  Looking forward to sharing ideas and support!  I have 2 recommendations from last pregnancy.

1.  Dreamfields Pasta - I just had this last night for dinner w/ marinara, hamburger, and zuchini.  My blood sugar was 117 one hour after, which is my lowest post-meal draw yet.

2.  Breyer's Carb Smart ice cream bars - Had one of these last night.  My fasting test was 87 this morning.  When I meet with my nutritionalist next week, I want to ask her if I should do a practice test an hour after that sort of sweet dessert, rather than waiting until the fasting test and, if so, what my level should be post-snack.

cmcookaln

@NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot I have been checking the board pretty often the last few weeks for a GD thread to start because I knew we were all getting close to taking our glucose test.  I figured I would start it.

I have wondered about my levels after snacking as well.  I tend to eat sweet stuff for my snacks just to satisfy that craving, but I do wonder what kind of effects it has because I don't check again until after meals.  It's interesting you check after 1 hour of eating.  I check 2 hours after I start eating my meal.

What is in the Breyer's Carb Smart to make it low?  Do you know how many actual grams of carbs it has?  I keep on buying stuff because it has low carb but I really don't know if I can get it all eaten before I deliver  With my first pregnancy, I was completely against using any artificial sweeteners, but I have had GD longer with this pregnancy than the last and I still have ten weeks to go so I'm beyond desperate for anything different.  I have started using products with stevia and I'm thinking of trying a recipe this weekend that uses swerve.

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

I'm at a different perinatal clinic for the GD this pregnancy than I was last time I had GD.  I think I tested after 2 hrs last time.  It's much easier to remember to do it after 1 hr now.  They gave me the guidelines for both 1 or 2 hour tests. For 1 hour I need to be <140 and 2 hours is <120.

Here are the Carb Smart nutrition facts for the chocolate/almond ice cream bar I ate last night: https://smartlabel.breyers.com/product/2749315/nutrition?locale=en-US  Last time, I also was able to eat a skinny cow salted pretzel caramel bar at night or maybe even a scoop of regular ice cream (I thought the no sugar stuff was gross).  That's why I'm interested in looking into if that will spike my blood sugar an hour after.  I'd love to get my ice cream back.

cmcookaln

Try regular Snickers ice cream bars.  I think they have 18g of carbs.  I ate those all the time with my last pregnancy as my snack before bedtime.  This time, I cannot have any carbs before bed or my fasting numbers are too high. I pretty much only eat a piece of cheese before bedtime to keep that number below 95 in the mornings.  They are considering putting me on medication because the fasting numbers are staying high.

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

I've heard Snickers ice cream bars were a good nighttime snack. I love them anyway so Ill give them a try.  I'm worried that my GD won't be as easily controlled this time around.  I'm not as active as I was the first time.  Ok, I'm not active at all anymore other than chasing my toddler around.

cato99

Thank you for starting this thread. I was diagnosed after a pretty borderline reading two weeks ago, and I've been going out of my mind ever since. At first I was upset by the diagnosis at all, and then when I learned how draconian and invasive the monitoring would be (I'm a little in shock that I have to show them a strict food diary with every single thing I consume along with 4-times-daily blood readings) it has felt like the end of the world and all joy ever NOT THAT I TEND TOWARDS THE DRAMATIC OR ANYTHING.

cmcookaln

@cato99 welcome to the club (that no one wants to be a member of). Just know that everyone who experiences GD feels like it is the end of the world.  I was completely devastated when I got diagnosed at 14 weeks with this pregnancy.  I was shocked when the dr wanted me to take the test so early in the pregnancy based on having had it last pregnancy.  I was even more surprised when I got the results two days later.  I do not fit the stereotype at all.  I'm 5'4 and weighed 150 prior to pregnancy.  I actually weight less now than I did before I got pregnant because of the very restrictive diet I have been on for the last 16 weeks. We are all here to help support you and get you through this pregnancy, knowing that you will have a healthy baby who is not glucose dependent or super huge (possible side effects of GD for baby) because you did what the dr said (even though it is a pain in the butt).

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

cmcookaln said:

@cato99 welcome to the club (that no one wants to be a member of). Just know that everyone who experiences GD feels like it is the end of the world.  I was completely devastated when I got diagnosed at 14 weeks with this pregnancy.  I was shocked when the dr wanted me to take the test so early in the pregnancy based on having had it last pregnancy.  I was even more surprised when I got the results two days later.  I do not fit the stereotype at all.  I'm 5'4 and weighed 150 prior to pregnancy.  I actually weight less now than I did before I got pregnant because of the very restrictive diet I have been on for the last 16 weeks. We are all here to help support you and get you through this pregnancy, knowing that you will have a healthy baby who is not glucose dependent or super huge (possible side effects of GD for baby) because you did what the dr said (even though it is a pain in the butt).

All of this.  GD blows.  On the flip side, it's a decent diet plan.  I failed to follow it between pregnancies, but I always thought I'd go back to it when I wanted to lose weight.  That and eventually use my $30 per month gym membership for the gym I haven't entered in 2 years.

cato99

Thank you guys, so much I also don't fit the stereotype in terms of size or activity level so I didn't see it coming. It's comforting to see you both pretty calm about it in the conversations above-- on the other end of the spectrum it's also comforting to share in baffled fury: I've never seen such a dense concentration of angry pregnant ladies as I saw at the initial GD class for our program. Like the sheer fury emanating from that room could have been distilled and marketed as a weapon. A deadly, sugar-deprived weapon.

n&a0630

Thanks for starting this! I meant to, but it's been such a busy week! I am on my 5th day of blood sugar testing & a changed diet. Pricking my finger is a lot less bothersome than I thought it'd be. As far as diet changes, It's kind of like I'm back on Weight Watchers without any of the tools or support meetings. I am just really hoping to avoid the insulin shots. 

Edited because autocorrect. Ugh. 

cmcookaln

Not sure how many of you are cookers, but here are some recipes that I have tried and have found successful for my sugar levels. Most of these are good enough that my husband wants me to continue making them after I deliver.

Crock Pot Ropa Vieja (serve over measured amount of rice or have as a stew) - https://www.verywell.com/crock-pot-ropa-vieja-beef-peppers-and-onions-2242185?utm_source=pinterest 

Chicken Roll Up - https://www.kitchenvistas.com/2012/12/chicken-mozzarella-roll-ups.html 

Chicken Parmesan Bake (you can control carb content with breadcrumb amount, also check marinara sauce because a lot have added sugars) - https://thrivinghomeblog.com/2013/07/chicken-parmesan-casserole-recipe-an-easy-freezer-meal/

Cream Cheese Pancakes (sounds gross, but similar to crepes.  I even had a little maple syrup on mine) - https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2012/01/cream-cheese-pancakes.html

Sausage and Pepperoni Crescent Roll Casserole (again, check marinara content and crescent rolls.  I used Annie's) - https://www.theseasonedmom.com/crescent-roll-pizza/ 

Cauliflower and Broccoli Au Gratin (made for a church potluck so I knew there would be at least one thing there I could eat and everyone loved it) - https://jensaves.com/cauliflower-broccoli-au-gratin/

Pizza Chicken (if you haven't figured it out by now, I miss by Italian - https://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/pizza_chicken.html

Zucchini Lasagna - https://allrecipes.com/recipe/172958/no-noodle-zucchini-lasagna/

Alfredo Sauce (I actually had this last night served over spaghetti squash.  I added chicken, mushrooms, and broccoli) - https://therecipecritic.com/2016/02/the-best-homemade-alfredo-sauce-ever/

psherman42wwsa

Did you ladies take a 5 hour test? It appears I failed my 3 hour test today and im not sure what's next. I haven't heard from my midwife yet and I assume that I won't until Monday..

0408Bear

They told me if I had failed the 3, I would have one more opportunity within the week to take the 3 again. I have never heard of a 5. My coworker is also pregnant and she failed the 3 and they just sent her directly to the high risk practice at our hospital for the Gd class and to begin her food charts and get her own Testing supplies. If a 5 hr exists, it's not offered in our town 

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

Both of my diagnoses came after 3-hr tests. I haven't heard of a 5-hour. 

cmcookaln

@lrwardrop I have never heard of a 5 hour.  With my first, I failed the 1 hour and then the 3 hour so then I was referred to a registered dietitian to get further instructions.  The second pregnancy, I failed the 1 hour so badly that they skipped the 3 hour test.  I refused to see the dietitian (as it cost me $300 out of pocket) since I still had all of the information from my first pregnancy.

psherman42wwsa

Thanks ladies. I have a close friend who found out she had type 1 while she was pregnant and she did a 5 hour. Must have been because it was type 1. 

For those who had GD with a previous pregnancy, did you have a c section? Have to deliver early? And did your LO have to go to special care or require extra treatment for a low blood sugar at birth? 

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

This is my 2nd bout with GD. Last time, so long as I was diet controlled, my OB would let me go until 41 wks. I ended up getting induced at 40w5d and everything went great. No c-section and neither of us had blood sugar issues post-birth. I need to ask at my appt on Tues if I can still go until 41wks this time. 

cato99

My dr's office does a different method and instead of a 1 and then 3 hour, they only do one 2-hour test (they draw your blood at fasting, one hour after glucose drink, and after 2 hours). It's great some of you are allowed to retest--my fasting and 2-hour were normal but my one hour was barely over the limit and that was IT. I got sent directly to the perinatologist diabetes high risk program. 

I had to fly cross-country this weekend for a family wedding and I found being out of my precise GD diet routine super stressful. (I totally complained like a wounded hyena when first diagnosed, and still do, but now I also find the routine weirdly comforting and healthy, ha.) I was so scared about what airport, airplane, hotel, and party food would do to my numbers that I overcompensated and was ending up with post-prandials in the mid-to-high 80s. So I'm still getting the hang of things but it's nice to be back home and hopefully back to more reasonable eating. I can't wait to try some of the recipes above, thank you!! 

SparkySunDevil

When I did my one hour test, my number came back elevated at 140. They said it wasn't enough to worry about doing the 3 hour test. And they didn't want me to worry about testing after each meal. They just wanted me to follow a low carb, low sugar diet. 

Tonight i ended up in triage for cramping (ended up being bad round ligament pain). They had me leave a urine sample, and I'm spilling glucose into my urine. She said I'm likely diabetic. So I'm calling my doctors first thing in the morning to discuss it and see what they want me to do now. 

Edit: forgotten words 

cato99

I'm so sorry to hear about your emergency visit @SparkySunDevil. I hope you get some good answers and a good plan moving forward soon! 

psherman42wwsa

Looks like I've officially joined the club... ill be picking up my meter tonight

fbmandy55

I've been diagnosed since about 20 weeks. I didn't have to do the glucose test since I was already seeing an endocrinologist for PCOS and insulin resistance. GD was not much of a surprise. I was put on insulin after a few weeks of checking my sugars and started out at 8 units with breakfast and dinner. Because of a few spikes and uncontrolled fasting number, I'm up to 11 and 12 units daily. 

The worse part is the costs for supplies for me but thankfully I've got 9 weeks or less to go! The diet isn't so bad because I had insulin resistance before. I just can't cheat like I did before. Really looking forward to a donut in the hospital! On the plus side, my doctor estimates I'll be down about 25lbs after I deliver! I've lost and maintained very well on the GD diet. 

Edit: spelling

cmcookaln

@lrwardrop I was able to delivery vaginally.  However, I was induced at 40w5d.  They would not let me go past 41 weeks and I just happened to like the dr that was on call that day and didn't like the one that was on call at 41w.  They did not test me at all and I just had my A1C checked at my next physical. They did check my daughter's sugar multiple times during the first 24 hours after birth, but she did not receive any additional treatment.  I'm hoping I can go on my own without being induced because pitocin is a b*tch!

SparkySunDevil

So, my doctors office isn't concerned at all about there being glucose in my urine. His nurse said it's not an accurate detection of blood sugar levels. Told me to continue as I have been (eating low carb/low sugar, no testing), and she would mention it to him and see if he wanted me to start testing. 

cmcookaln

@SparkySunDevil I guess that's good news from one standpoint, but I would hate to think that something more serious may be going on. I'm jealous that you don't have to test.  My poor fingers are pricked to death.  I can't get any blood out sometimes and like @fbmandy55, the cost of supplies doesn't help when I spending $50 every 25 days and will have done this for a total of 26 weeks unless I deliver early. Keep us updated.

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

@SparkySunDevil  Have you taken the 3-hour? They don't even want you to try that first to rule it out?

SparkySunDevil

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot said:

@SparkySunDevil  Have you taken the 3-hour? They don't even want you to try that first to rule it out?

He said it wasn't necessary, since my number was just slightly out of range. It was at 140, they wanted it at 130 or below. Idk if I should push for it, or if I should just take it upon myself to start testing. I see him next week, and I think he plans on doing a finger prick to see what my levels are at 

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

@SparkySunDevil  Do you have supplies to test? They can be expensive if not covered by insurance and you may need the diagnosis to get them covered.  My office considers anything over a 129 a fail for the 1-hr.  It might be worth it for peace of mind.

psherman42wwsa

SparkySunDevil said:

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot said:

@SparkySunDevil  Have you taken the 3-hour? They don't even want you to try that first to rule it out?

He said it wasn't necessary, since my number was just slightly out of range. It was at 140, they wanted it at 130 or below. Idk if I should push for it, or if I should just take it upon myself to start testing. I see him next week, and I think he plans on doing a finger prick to see what my levels are at 

I would push and ask for the 3 hour test for peace of mind. I would much rather take the 3 hour test than test your blood sugar all the time if it's not necessary. 140 is the limit at my office too. I was 153 for the 1 hour test and my numbers were in the 200s for the 3 hour...

SparkySunDevil

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot said:

@SparkySunDevil  Do you have supplies to test? They can be expensive if not covered by insurance and you may need the diagnosis to get them covered.  My office considers anything over a 129 a fail for the 1-hr.  It might be worth it for peace of mind.

I have the glucometer. I have it from my first pregnancy. I can buy the supplies over the counter. 

Hansolosparka

Thanks for this thread- I'll be taking the 3 hour on Thursday and GD would explain a lot of why I've felt so crappy this pregnancy. 

SparkySunDevil

Hansolosparka said:

Thanks for this thread- I'll be taking the 3 hour on Thursday and GD would explain a lot of why I've felt so crappy this pregnancy. 

Same. Since I've been following the low carb/low sugar diet, my migraines have almost completely disappeared. I was having multiple migraines a week

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

@SparkySunDevil did you have it with another pregnancy? If so, I'd definitely push for it. And it's the testing strips that get you. They can be very expensive. 

I had my first appointment with a Nurse Practitioner/nutritionalist today. I have ketones in my urine, which means I'm not eating enough carbs, and she didn't love my numbers. She said only 20% of my numbers can be high or she'll put me on meds. She also made me do another A1C. And she basically told me that I'm headed towards diabetes later in life. 

Last time, I was easily diet/exercise controlled so this threw me for a loop. I do need to up my activity levels, but it's so much harder with a kid to take care of. And then I had a high reading tonight post-dinner. Sigh. Im wallowing. 

Jens_Hoes

Sorry to potentially hijack this thread. I have an appt tomorrow morning at 8am at my OB and I planned to do the GD screen right after. 
Well, I'm flying home today and totally forgot about the screen until AFTER I finished a mcflurry at 9:30 pm. Did I just screw myself for the test? Should I postpone it? Should I ask my dr tomorrow? I'd prefer not to postpone, but I also don't want to fail because I'm a dummy. 

starphish18

@Jens_Hoes I don't think that'll affect anything, but I can't say for sure. For my test, the nurse I talked to beforehand told me to just fast after midnight. Then, I found out after the fact that fasting wasn't even required...so, I was a hangry mess for no reason. Point being, I don't -think- anything you eat the day before will be a problem.

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

My only instructions were nothing to eat or drink (except water) after midnight before an 8am test. 

Jens_Hoes

Ok thank you! 
@starphish18 @NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

psherman42wwsa

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot said:

@SparkySunDevil did you have it with another pregnancy? If so, I'd definitely push for it. And it's the testing strips that get you. They can be very expensive. 

I had my first appointment with a Nurse Practitioner/nutritionalist today. I have ketones in my urine, which means I'm not eating enough carbs, and she didn't love my numbers. She said only 20% of my numbers can be high or she'll put me on meds. She also made me do another A1C. And she basically told me that I'm headed towards diabetes later in life. 

Last time, I was easily diet/exercise controlled so this threw me for a loop. I do need to up my activity levels, but it's so much harder with a kid to take care of. And then I had a high reading tonight post-dinner. Sigh. Im wallowing. 

Sorry to hear that. Diabetes scares me.... I cried all day yesterday basically I feel pretty uneducated about GD and I am not sure what to eat until I meet with a nutritionist on Friday. I can't imagine being diabetic all the time, at least GD is only temporary. Prayers you don't get it later in life and you remain healthy after pregnancy. I also have a toddler and that feels like enough exercise but apparently it isn't, I think I get a fitbit or something to better monitor my activity. Are you using anything to track your activity?

psherman42wwsa

@mdlorenz have you ever heard anything about GD being linked with women who have had a cholecystectomy?

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

@lrwardrop Here is a sample menu my nutritionalist gave me. It has some decent ideas.  I can't do fruit or milk before 10am because it spikes my blood sugar. 


I took the dog for a walk after breakfast today and had a decent number. I'm going to try to move for 10-15 mins after meals. I guess this might mean 10-15 mins of picking up the house after dinner, which I should do anyway. As soon as it stays lighter after dinner, we usually start walking DD to the park a few blocks away after dinner. It's just been too dark for that yet. 

Its definitly a hard hard pill to swallow. I'm sure I had a breakdown about it last time too.