Gestational Diabetes

aqualicious

Has anyone else had their 1 hour test?  3 hour?  How did it go?  

I failed the 1 hour, took the 3 hour yesterday. Found out this morning I failed. 😢 Have to meet with a dietician and check my blood sugars 4x a day now.  

Any tips to keep it under control for the next 21.5 weeks?  Or just someone to commiserate with me?  

thatbaintforbetty

I had it terribly last time. I was on an 1800 calorie diet. Shots in the belly 4 times a day as well as checking my blood 4 times a day, but I had one of the worst cases my MFM doc has seen. Protein and snacks are your friend. They should or usually can give you a sample meal guide to help out. It depends on the severity, which usually they can gauge by your numbers after a week or two. 

Let me me know if you have any questions and I’ll help out as best I can. 

mrstmoose

No advice but just here to say I'm sorry. Why did they have you take the test so early? I don't think I took the glucose test until 24 weeks last pregnancy.

thatbaintforbetty

@mrstmoose I think sometimes if you have a history or if your bloodwork comes back high they will make you take it early. I’ve always had a glucose test as part of the initial bloodwork. I wouldn’t be surprised if my doc has me schedule one when I see her next since my numbers were elevated in the bloodwork I saw. 

That might be different doc to doc but it’s what I have run into with both my pregnancies. And i have a different insurance and doc from last time. I also had to be tested at 6 weeks pp. 

mrstmoose

Thanks for explaining @thatbaintforbetty!

lyse01

@mrstmoose I had to take an early glucose test due to BMI per office protocol. Happily passed.

@aqualicious I’m sorry to hear the three hour didn’t go well. Help me understand what’s on the menu and I’m happy to send recipes I see/try that sound more interesting than grilled chicken for the sixth time this week.

aqualicious

@thatbaintforbetty thank you, I may be reaching out to you.  Right now they said if I can control it with diet, I don't need insulin shots.  

@lyse01 once I meet with my dietician (who I thankfully have a relationship with due to my lap band surgery) and figure out what I can and can't eat, I will let you know.  I'm always looking for new recipes. 

@mrstmoose my doc had me take it early because I'm severely overweight, and have been pre-diabetic for years.  Somehow, I manage to squeak by and pass the test every time....until now.  After I had my lap band surgery and had lost 50 pounds, I was actually no longer considered pre-diabetic.  Then I gained some back and got pregnant.  All that to say, I was a high risk for GD, and my doctor wanted it detected early. 

thatbaintforbetty

@aqualicious That’s good that they think just diet changes will work. It usually means just redistributing your portions of veg/carb/protein and avoid a small list of things. 

The insulin shots are awful. They have to be done in the belly and occasionally you can hit a nerve that stings/hurts like hell. 

izzymarie80

@aqualicious
yea I’m there. On insulin already. It sucks and I want to do nothing but to eat bread and candy!! Lol
im on veggies and grilled chicken for days. 

aqualicious

@izzymarie80  I'm sorry that you're already on insulin.  But thank you for commiserating with me, as much as it sucks, it's nice to know I'm not the only one in this position.  

Does anyone (or did anyone in the past) feel like they are/were failing their baby before he/she is even born?  Because that's how I feel.  I cried numerous times this morning, and even started dry heaving (stress and choking on snot from crying) because I'm so upset over this. 

thatbaintforbetty

@aqualicious I did last time. I was told I likely wouldn’t make it to my due date, that there were so many extra risks for her and my health. My MFM doc actually nearly brought me to tears in the office once(she was a great doc but not so great bedside manner). You did not chose for your placenta to be inefficient with sugar. You are doing everything possible to make sure it goes as well as it can. Parenthood is full of curveballs and this is just one of many you will have to face. 

For what it’s worth my DD was born the night before her due date and as healthy as can be. And she’s still super healthy and tough as nails. 

The one perk was that I had NSTs (non stress tests) biweekly and extra ultrasounds. So lots of extra chances to see/hear and check up on her. 

aqualicious

@thatbaintforbetty if anything, that is one perk...extra ultrasounds.  My sister's best friend had it with her 2nd, and she lost weight during her pregnancy due to the strict diet.  She gave birth and walked out of the hospital at her starting pregnancy weight, and then within a week or 2 was down another 10 pounds.  Silver lining, possibly? 

honey_suckle

@aqualicious I feel for you! I was also scheduled for an early glucose test but luckily passed. I started crying just when the midwife classified me high risk because of my bmi, and was really scared I would have diabetes too. I have to do the test again later in week 28 or so just to make sure nothing changed. When I found out I had PCO last fall I started eating low GI food and LCHF which I felt was helping me a lot (and there's lots of recipes online for those). But since I got pregnant I find it hard to stick to no carbs, so I try just to lower my sugar intake. Anyways, I hope you feel better, and sending good vibes your way! 

thatbaintforbetty

@aqualicious I don’t think I gained any weight or at least very little. I know I was weighed not that long after birth cause I ended up back in the hospital a couple days post partum with vertigo and had several follow up appointments. The meds they put me on were rough though and a lot of the first two weeks is a blur. 

batmama31

i have no experience in this, but i couldn’t read all of this thread & not send some positive vibes. 💕 hugs to you girls. @aqualicious, you haven’t failed at all! i will keep following up on this post & hope i have some recipes to share. 

izzymarie80

@aqualicious I’m totally with you. If you need to talk let me know. Also if you have any low carb meals to share please do!!! Lol 
I legit feel like I’m failing at everything. Every time I go to my OB they try to use the Doppler and hear nothing and then they are like yea there’s probably no heartbeat. Which sends me into panic mode and then I get an ultrasound and there he is strong heartbeat and wiggling around. But yea I am a first time mom and I for real have no idea what I’m doing. Why are there so many stroller choices?! So many bottles?! Do I need more stuff? Less stuff? Epic fail.

lyse01

@izzymarie80 product spotlights are made for you, girl. Go ask all the questions you think are stupid and someone will have an answer. Also, my usual advice is to err on the side of less stuff and more Amazon Prime

also, your ob Office needs to put a note in your chart about hb being difficult to detect so they stop saying that bs.

izzymarie80

@lyse01i know I love the product spotlights!! They have been helpful for sure!! I’m trying to get DH to get prime but that’s like pulling teeth sometimes lol

OB’s office is on like a rotating staff. Every time I go it’s  a different doctor. And I promise they don’t read charts or even speak to each other about patients. I went to this one because my cousin went and my insurance covered it but I’m considering switching providers. I hate to do it but I hate getting bullied or scare out of my brain every time I go. 

thatbaintforbetty

@izzymarie80 I would definitely find a new office. When i was pregnant with DD, my MFM office was part of a teaching hospital and i saw more med students doing specialty rotations then i can count so different docs doesn't bug me but them not reading charts or even verifying certain things is a red flag for me. They have them for a reason, sometimes with very vital information and you shouldn't have to state everything for every doc every appointment. Also that isn't the time or place for scare tactics. You should be happy or at the very least comfortable with someone who will be that up close and personal with parts of your body.

saraleigh2

I’ve eaten a diabetic diet to help reach fitness goals in the past because I’ve found that the frequent snacks and balance of fiber rich carbs, fruit and protein kept me feeling satisfied, with level energy and mood all day. Also kept me from craving quick energy boosts from sweets and caffeine. There are some delicious diabetic friendly meal plans and recipes on line, I had my whole family happily eating them w/o knowing it was a special diet etc. I’m sorry, I know that his is hard! You got this, you are exactly what your baby needs and this journey (pregnancy and birth) will help you to be the mother that this beautiful individual needs. Hugs. 

izzymarie80

@thatbaintforbetty I’m looking into it. Tired of being treated like that in a place where I’m supposed to be taken care of. I know they say a lot of what they say is so they don’t get sued but geez. The search is definitely on.

loveanddatadriven

Sending positive vibes your way, mamas! You are doing a great job! My mom had GD when she was pregnant with me, and I think she's an awesome mom. I love my mom for coping with all of the challenges of pregnancy and motherhood, including GD. I was born full term, vaginally with no interventions and was a healthy, normal size - just shy of 7 lbs.

thatbaintforbetty

Guys I had a thought in the shower this morning, lol. 

Amazon has a pasta called Banza, it’s higher protein and much lower net carb then regular pasta. Made from chickpeas and apparently tastes pretty good. I think it’s also gluten free but that’s just incidental. It’s on my list of things to try if I end up with GD again. 

lilpotatomama

@thatbaintforbetty banza isn’t bad at all! Definitely better than typical gf pastas. 

montrin46

I had it with my last one. It really is awful at first adjusting to the new diet. But it does get better and you get more used to it as time passes. Usually the dietitian will put you on a carb limit (as that’s what makes your sugar rise) as long as you follow that hopefully you will be fine and not need insulin. The first few weeks are rough but it does make you feel better when your eating better. So it’s not entirely a bad thing! They tested me early this time as well from having it before. I failed the one hour but passed the 3. So they will test me again at the normal 28 weeks my midwife does. We’ll see how that one goes! 

aqualicious

So, my numbers have been all over the place.  First thing in the morning fasting has been over what they want, but not super high 112 was highest I think).  After breakfast and lunch, except today, have been fine, under 120 which is where I need to be.  After dinner has been high every night.  I’m not eating like a jerk, I’m not eating any sugar (like candy).  I’m pretty sure I’m staying within my carb limits, so why is my number high?  Also, I’m struggling with eating on schedule- eating every 2-3 hours is hard sometimes.  I’m not always hungry at that time.  Uggh, this is so frustrating! 

thatbaintforbetty

@aqualicious what are you drinking with dinner? I had super strict amounts of milk I could drink last time, which sucked cause I love milk.  The snacking can be difficult, are you or can you cut down the size of your meals any? They cut down the size of my meals and it made snacking easier. I was used to eating till full in anticipation of having to wait longer to eat again and had to work on that habit. 

izzymarie80

@aqualicious
my numbers are crazy too. They are mostly controlled but anywhere from 70 to 120. I can’t eat like 5 times a day either. I usually eat a decent breakfast. A small snack and then I carb it up at dinner. Which isn’t good but it’s how I eat. Ugh frustrating but I keep remembering that baby is worth it.

aqualicious

thatbaintforbetty said:

@aqualicious what are you drinking with dinner? I had super strict amounts of milk I could drink last time, which sucked cause I love milk.  The snacking can be difficult, are you or can you cut down the size of your meals any? They cut down the size of my meals and it made snacking easier. I was used to eating till full in anticipation of having to wait longer to eat again and had to work on that habit. 

I’m mostly drinking water with dinner, sometimes a Diet Coke.  I had been drinking a lot of milk earlier in my pregnancy, but since the diagnosis, I’ve had less than one cup of milk, and that was in some cereal yesterday.  
As far as meal size, I don’t think I’m going overboard.  Last night for dinner I had 2/3 of a cup of rice, and 3/4 or 1 cup of chicken.  It was general tso’s chicken, but made from a weight watchers recipe, so it was low carb.  Snacks are usually some fruit, and maybe peanut butter depending on the fruit.  I truly think I’m eating within the carb limits, im generally pretty good at reading labels, because of my lap band surgery, I had to be. 

saraleigh2

I really liked: The best 7-day diabetes meal plan from eating well! Recipes were easy and yummy. Here’s the link:

https://www.eatingwell.com/article/290459/the-best-7-day-diabetes-meal-plan/

also whats really helpful is to be sure that when your eating your carbs (whole wheat pasta etc) that you are eating fruit with it (you may need to reduce the serving size of the pasta etc so that with the fruit you aren’t overdoing the overall carbs. Of course during your meals you are also eating veggies and protein too. I would often end my meal with 2-3 fresh strawberries or half a pear etc. 
*note the calories here are not sufficient for pregnancy you will need to eat more (larger servings or add another meal/snack etc) bit the ideas and recipes are good and you can adjust the calories. 

hopefully this is helpful! 

Laurmi

Awwwe I'm sorry about the diagnosis but I have to say that as someone who had GD with my first pregnancy, it was actually kind of a blessing in disguise. It forced me to be healthy....after all, you cant fudge the 4x daily blood tests! I managed to keep it under control strictly by eating a low glycemic index diet and never needed insulin shots because I tracked my carbs using the myfitnesspal app and basically following the instructions the dietitian gave me to a tee. Portion control is one of the biggest things to keep an eye on because it will really cause your numbers to spike. Like others have said, small, frequent, protieny snacks are your friend!! 
I haven't tested yet this pregnancy because my doctor said shes not concerned that I need to test early but if I DO find out that I have it I guess I just think of it as a challenge. It is a bummer but it WILL keep you and your baby healthy by adhering to a low glycemic diet. Heck....I was healthier after I gave birth than ever before. Let me know if you have any questions!! You're going to be fine and it does have an end, at least.
Laura 

thatbaintforbetty

@laurmi I’m sure you didn’t mean it that way but your post comes off super preachy and condescending. I followed the diet to the letter and still ended up on insulin. It’s not always controlled with diet and insinuating that anyone ended up on insulin becuase they didn’t care about their or their babies health enough to track all their food is super shitty. If you had read this thread you would have seen that many of us struggle with feelings about failing not only ourselves but our unborn children and massive guilt surrounding our diagnosis. Your post does not help at all. And for the record I was maxed at 1800 calories a day, had massive food exclusion lists, severe portion control guidelines and was practically starving for months, they still upped my insulin every two weeks because diet doesn’t always work.