September 2018 Moms
MandyMost
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Gestational Diabetes
MandyMost
member
Anyone unlucky enough to join me in this diagnosis? Let's commiserate and share experiences here!
The basics:
How far along when diagnosed?
Is this your first pregnancy and/or GD diagnosis?
Are you diet-controlled, or needing medications?
The useful stuff:
Have you found any good meals that are easy? How about takeout?
Snack ideas, especially that late-night-before-bed snack to help control the fasting number?
The scary stuff:
What's your doc's monitoring plan?
Are there concerns about baby's size, or any other issues related to GD?
Are you expecting a c-section and/or induction because of the GD diagnosis?
The basics:
How far along when diagnosed?
Is this your first pregnancy and/or GD diagnosis?
Are you diet-controlled, or needing medications?
The useful stuff:
Have you found any good meals that are easy? How about takeout?
Snack ideas, especially that late-night-before-bed snack to help control the fasting number?
The scary stuff:
What's your doc's monitoring plan?
Are there concerns about baby's size, or any other issues related to GD?
Are you expecting a c-section and/or induction because of the GD diagnosis?
Re: Gestational Diabetes
Is this your first pregnancy and/or GD diagnosis? 2nd pregnancy to this point, and 2nd diagnosis
Are you diet-controlled, or needing medications? Just started insulin overnight, my fasting numbers were not good even doing my best with diet.
Have you found any good meals that are easy? How about takeout? Greek yogurt, and salads and bowls from Sweetgreen; going to try some protein shakes for snacks.
Snack ideas, especially that late-night-before-bed snack to help control the fasting number? I wish! I can't seem to "choke down" the recommended high-protein late-night snacks.
What's your doc's monitoring plan? Will hopefully find out this Friday, but expecting alternating ultrasounds and non-stress tests, every 1-2 weeks. That's what they did last pregnancy.
Are there concerns about baby's size, or any other issues related to GD? Not yet. And my daughter was born 7lbs 7oz, so that's a good sign.
Are you expecting a c-section and/or induction because of the GD diagnosis? Yes, probably. Will hopefully find out more on Friday. With my first they didn't want me to go past the due date so they induced just after 39 weeks; she was born via c-section 2 weeks prior to the due date.
***With 1st pregnancy, haven't tested with this one yet***
How far along when diagnosed? Not until 35 weeks. I failed the 1hr test at 28 weeks, passed the 3hr. Then, at a 35 week scan, they saw high levels of amniotic fluid and had me re-take the 3hr, which I failed.
Is this your first pregnancy and/or GD diagnosis? *see above
Are you diet-controlled, or needing medications? It was diet controlled
The useful stuff:
Have you found any good meals that are easy?
How about takeout? I did a LOT of eggs with veggies and turkey bacon for breakfast, often with a small piece of whole wheat toast with butter. Other than that, my meals stayed pretty boring, unfortunately. Lots of chicken and veggies, and I could tolerate about half a sweet potato just fine but was afraid to push my luck.
Snack ideas, especially that late-night-before-bed snack to help control the fasting number?
My favorite snack was about 1/3 of a pint of Halo Top ice cream - I'd put some into a little ramekin and top it with about a tbs. of all-natural peanut butter, and then stick it back in the freezer until I was ready for a snack. Obviously everyone's body handles sugar/cards differently, but this combination of protein/fat/carbs/sugar worked fine for me at night. I never had a high fasting number, and more often had low fasting numbers so I maybe could have had a little more.
The scary stuff:
What's your doc's monitoring plan?
I met with the MFM doctor 1x a week where he took a look at my numbers. I only have 2 or 3 too-high readings during the 6 weeks I was pregnant after the diagnosis, so it was pretty easily diet-controlled. I did have NST's done once a week for the last 3(?) weeks I was pregnant, but I don't know if that was related to the GD or not - I guess it was?
Are there concerns about baby's size, or any other issues related to GD?
I was VERY concerned about this - especially since I wasn't diagnosed until 35 weeks, so I was worried about how long it has been an issue for baby before I was diagnosed. Baby was born at a large-ish but totally reasonable 8lbs 7oz. My doctor told me that as long as the GD is controlled, size shouldn't be an issue.
***too long, probably unnecessary story ahead***
After baby was born, he did have low blood sugar and thus spent his first night in the NICU. I've heard this is very common with GD babies. My single biggest piece of advice to mamas with GD is that - if you are planning on breastfeeding - FEED THAT BABY again and again soon after birth to help get/keep their blood sugar up. I nursed for the first time about 20-30 minutes after he came out, and then an hour or two later I wanted to try again but since he was sound asleep the (delivery) nurse told me to not bother trying to wake him. Well, around then they moved me to my maternity room and took baby away for a couple of tests/etc for a few minutes, and that is when they tested his blood sugar, saw it was low, and made the call to send him to the NICU. My (amazing, incredible beyond words) maternity nurse had to break the news to me and saw how upset I was. I told her how I had wanted to feed him right before they took him away, and she told me that my mom-instincts were probably right and to not let ANYONE tell me to ignore them ever again. Who knows if a) I would have managed to get him to nurse then or b) if it would have made a difference, but not trying is my one regret from my birth experience. I don't think I will ever forget that moment that nurse basically told me to put my mama-hat on and reminded me that *I* called the shots now. Sorry, I totally went on a tangent there, but ANYWAYS - feed, feed, feed that baby! The NICU kind pushed us into supplementing with formula because they were worried about his low blood sugar, and while that did NOT hurt our breastfeeding relationship in the long-term at all (we were off of formula completely by day 4 and nursed until 14 months), it was tough juggling both breastfeeding and bottle feeding for those first few days and I wish we could have avoided it.
Are you expecting a c-section and/or induction because of the GD diagnosis?
I thought I'd be induced early because of it, but nope. I went past my due date, but baby passed every NST with flying colors, so doc wasn't concerned. I was scheduled to be induced at 41+1 finally, but when I went in for that they saw I was having regular (just small) contractions, and ended up just breaking my water to get things going. Pitocin wasn't needed at all, my contractions picked up IMMEDIATELY after they broke my water, and things progressed steadily from there! Had a "standard" and fairly "easy" labor and delivery, as far as these things go...
Married 5/2015
BFP 11/27/2015 - EDD 8/4/2016
BFP 1/6/2018 - EDD 9/19/2018
I met a great NP who helped me feel better about my numbers, and I started insulin before bed to control my fasting numbers. They’re slowly starting to come down, and all my after-meals numbers have been good this week! I’m feeling a bit more in control now.