@krysnicole1022 totally agree! The whole thing is trial and error, and while it can be very frustrating that the doctors expect you to have it down very quickly that just isn’t the case for everyone and it takes time to get into a groove. Lots of hugs all around!
I eat dark chocolate peanut butter on toast for dessert most of the time with a glass of milk. In previous pregnancies I did peanut butter and honey on toast with a glass of milk and three Hershey's dark chocolate almond treasures but now that dark chocolate peanut butter exists I just do that. I seriously bought a case off Amazon.
I might be joining you all soon too. Failed my one hour big time this time. Last time failed one hour but passed the 3 barely. I just have a feeling this time 🙁
I got super lucky and my numbers have been normalizing the past few weeks on my 4x a day checks, no meds yet. I'm still doing the controlled carb diet as much as possible, but sometimes when I go out to eat, it does still spike. I haven't been able to indulge in any desserts until i recently discovered a single serving of cheesecake (with the crust removed lol) doesn't spike my sugar at all.
@krysnicole1022 the maternal fetal medicine specialist told me during my first appointment that they'd strongly recommend I induce at 39 weeks, potentially earlier. She told me the primary reason was due to typical baby size in GDM patients. I had my follow up and since sugars are good and baby is pacing via ultrasound at the 50th percentile, that they won't have any reason for me to induce earlier like originally planned. I had been telling them I don't want to induce early unless there is a really necessary reason, and they agreed that it wasn't needed, so that was a nice feeling.
@stephers_ They knew my last two were going to be 9-10lbs and they still didn't even discuss inducing. I did have my son at 39.5 weeks because that's the day my doc was doing c sections. She had no issue with me going an extra week if I wanted or trying to VBAC again. I really wish my old doctor wasn't over an hour away and the hospital even further because I'm really missing her attitude with all of this. It's also helpful to note how inaccurate those ultrasounds can be. I had a friend get told her baby was 9lbs at 40 weeks and when he was born two weeks later he wasn't even 8 lbs. I have always had very controlled blood sugar so it really shouldn't be a factor for me. I assume it's more my AMA of 36 and that it's my fourth c section. I hate that I have to have c sections. 😭
It's absolutely possible. It's possible to get a bigger baby with GD if it's uncontrolled but I've had friends push out 8.5-9+ on babies with zero issues or drugs. Just advocate for yourself. Doctors will try to push for something that's easier for them even if it's not necessarily in the best interest of you or your baby. They can't make you have a c section. I actually left a practice with #2 because I wanted to VBAC and they told me no. I got a second opinion. I've had many GD friends have babies vaginally.
@jn18010 of course & absolutely possible! In my mind the whole point of a GD diagnosis is to control the growth of you & the baby at a steady, healthy rate be it through diet alone if possible or with the help of meds if necessary. I’m on Metformin which studies have shown have helped mom & baby stay at a “normal” weight, so vaginal birth is absolutely possible.
My old doctor would tell me that she would have GD patients have 5 lb babies at full term or 8lb babies. GD doesn't necessarily impact the size of your baby. I already had big babies before I started having GD with my pregnancies. Now I have had several GD friends go into preterm labor because of uncontrolled GD. The doctor never recommended a specialist and gave her Really bad advice. Another neglected to tell her she even had GD and by the time she was aware it was too late and she had her baby several weeks early. All the babies were fine it was just scary there for a minute.
Jumping in on the large baby discussion. The position of baby and allowing upur body to fully open and relax in labour is more important than the size of the baby. My son was 9lb 1oz and had the head circumference of a 3month baby at birth and I was able to deliver him vaginally. Agreed with @krysnicole1022 that many OBs like to control birth and are trained to think they must intervene to do so. You do not have to have a c-section or induction solely because they think your baby will be large.
That article points out that they can't accurately predict baby's weight/size. I have large babies and it's thought that it's completely unrelated to my GD and here's why: my children are huge. My oldest is 5feet tall at 9. People think she's in middle school...she's always been tall. She came out long but weighed 8lbs 13oz. My other two are still off the charts in height. The reason I had c section has to do with a pelvic bone abnormality (which is incredibly rare from what I'm told) and during labor my pelvic bone caps my cervix and cuts it off. This also happens during my periods. I can't use cups or discs because of this. For me I have large babies and I have GD but I don't have large babies BECAUSE of my GD. I control it perfectly. No one in either of our families has large babies. I'm a small person. I get started at and people start looking at me like I'm about to drop a baby out on the floor around 25 weeks. Always always always advocate for yourself and your baby. Just because they *think* a baby might be large doesn't mean it will be. That being said they did predict my son's birth weight down to the ounce and they were absolutely correct. 🤣
I’m 32 weeks with GD diagnosed at week 26 and I’ve gained 8 lbs total. The baby currently weighs 3lbs 12oz estimated so I’m on the same track as a non-GD pregnancy. All that to say….having GD or not having GD isn’t an indication one way or the other.
I have had GD with all four of my pregnancies. I had unmediated vaginal deliveries with my first three. No talk of early induction from my MD (she was family practice doc) and all labors started spontaneously between 2-3 weeks before the due date. Hoping for this one to be the same.
Also has very average sized babies, despite the GD diagnosis.
Thank you all so much for your support! I met with a nutritionist this afternoon (she also showed me how to use the machine). I am feeling overwhelmed again but I’m planning on taking it day by day and see what happens. She also mentioned ketone? Do you guys test for that?
Yes! Absolutely test for ketones. I left a link for strips earlier. You just pee on a stick first thing in the morning. It makes sure you are getting enough carbs and not going into ketosis which can be dange
So ladies here’s a fun update and a reminder to always listen to your body if something seems off! I had been having a strong suspicion that my glucometer was completely wrong (I would get swings of 40 pts within the same minute when I’d test twice) so I bit the bullet and bought a second on Amazon. Check out the pictures - lower number is the new glucometer. I’ve been starving myself essentially to meet a completely incorrect number!!!
I had a 32 week scan at my MFM office today and the baby is 3 lbs 12 oz in the 21st percentile which was deemed normal for someone 4’11”. I tried to explain to the doctor on call about my glucometer issue and was completely brushed off. I’m going to toss the one insurance sent me and use the Amazon one going forward.
So for those of you that feel something is wrong - it probably is!! Listen to your gut.
Are you able to test against a calibrated monitor at your doctors or nutritionist’a office. Agree those are crazy swings. I wouldn’t be able to feel comfortable until I verified the results my monitor is giving with a machine that has been tested/calibrated with validated results (which they should have at the office).
I am glad you figured out that there is something wrong with your monitor! I hope you can start feeling better!
I asked the doctor on call at the MFM how to tell which was the correct number and he basically looked at me with a blank stare. He said we *could* take your blood and then have you test at the same time but since the blood test blood is deeper the results won’t be the same? Essentially he gave zero craps so I flat out told him I’m gunna use the newer one since I tested with it back to back and the results were fairly identical, multiple times (95 vs 99, etc). The results with the old one swung like crazy (111 vs 141).
Bottom line is they truthfully didn’t care enough to even hear me out. I feel so much better and have more energy since I’ve started using the newer one which means I’m also incorporating more carbs into my diet and they fit!
Yeah they really don't care. It's really frustrating. They have accuchecks in most offices so I don't see what the big deal is. They just want to bill you $5000 and do nothing. I do not like MFM.
@jn18010 you should be testing two hours after your first bite of breakfast, lunch, & dinner. You also get to eat snacks in between at a calculated carb amount. Some doctors ask for a test one hour after eating, and that number should be below 140 I believe so it’s up to what you’ve discussed with your doctor.
Anyone ever been on Metformin? I’m stumped. I’m on 1000mg and the fasting number is still at the high end. Does it have anything to do with my dinner? Should I be snacking a certain way before bedtime? I thought this was supposed to help with all that 😫
@mcclanna - never been on metformin, but have had trouble with fasting numbers this pregnancy for the first time. These are things that helped mine:
- managing my stress level. The days when I am feeling the stress, my number is significantly higher the next morning. This is way more easily said than executed, but I have had to just let a lot of things go that I would otherwise fret over and it has helped with my numbers. Especially work related stress. - workout before bed. I have been doing a 3-4 mile walk just before going to bed and it really helped my numbers. - more water - drinking two large glasses before bed. Guarantees multiple wake ups a night, but helps overall. If numbers from the day are particularly high, a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar in that large glass of water does wonders too. Pickles have a simmer effect of preventing a spike. - I personally don’t eat a snack before bed, but a low/no carb, high protein snack is usually recommended. I think this is especially true if your numbers from dinner continue to be slightly elevated?
Have you identified the cause for the elevated numbers? Is it the dawn phenomenon? You can pin this down by testing a few hours earlier than your normal wake up time to see if those numbers are elevated or normal. This can help you understand if it is a hormonal release causing the spike at wake up time or if it is that your blood sugar is going down extra slow over night (meaning your diet before bed might be contributing more).
Thank you so much! This group is amazing for help. I truly appreciate it. And regarding ketone, what levels are good and what is considered concerning? As mentioned, my mind was in a fog yesterday during the appointment. I may end up calling back to double check as well. Thank you!
@jn18010 with ketones strips they have color coding and I *believe* you want it to be in the first two negative color strips. If it crosses over into ketosis then adjust your carb intake. You want it to be negative. If it's trace then you need more carbs. Anything over that then I would contact your nutritionist.
For me I test an hour after I start eating to get under 140. Some do two hours after you start eating. I have my meeting with this new practices GDM specialist so I'll see what they say.
@kricron my understanding is that metformin should eliminate the need to do all of this. I already test at 6:30am, within the 8-10 hours after dinner mark but the need for a particular snack or exercise is what the medicine is supposed to control (is my understanding). 😫😫
@mcclanna I was on metformin for my son two years ago. My daytime numbers were generally in range, but fasting kept creeping up until I was on the max dose of metformin. From what I understand the fasting numbers are the hardest to keep in line. I tried different bedtime snacks, and it didn't make a difference for me, and I wasn't going to go for a walk at 10pm, so I didn't think there was anything else I could do!! My numbers ended up leveling out at the max dose around 36 weeks and I didn't have to go on insulin, but that was our next step.
You might end up needing insulin if the metformin doesn't work for you?
For me 81 would make me shaky after a meal but that's all below the level they want you at. I have to be between 100-115 or I end up feeling a little sick.
To understand if it is the dawn phenomenon causing your high numbers, you would take your blood sugars sometime between 3-5am, then again when you wake up for the morning. You are trying to determine if your blood sugar goes down overnight, but spikes as you are waking up (because your body is releasing hormones that cause the spike).
My limited, not medically trained understanding is that if you are experiencing the dawn phenomenon, it is much harder to bring that under control without insulin. If your numbers are staying high all night, it might be something you can change to prevent that spike before bed (with diet/exercise changes). Not an expert though. Just would be more data points to discuss with your diabetes management team.
So far I feel pretty good but I’m using today as a trial to see where the numbers fall. I had a whole wheat sandwich with American cheese and Turkey bacon for breakfast.
@mcclanna, it was so frustrating!!! But I talked to the RE/MFM/Nutritionist and they all said I was doing everything 'right', just my body wasn't processing the sugars and needed more meds.
Had my GD appointment today. We went over a lot but it was more of a refresher and I was out of there in about 20 minutes. I had to get a new meter because mine was over five years old. If the one they give me doesn't have a Bluetooth app to easily track my numbers I may just buy one. They did say 120 after two hours which is new for me but I might just keep doing an hour. We did discuss how not getting enough carbs can actually give you higher blood sugar readings because your body starts pulling it/making it when it needs more sugar. The pregnant human body is bizarre. Mainly I left there feeling pretty good because she said I was educated enough that her job was easy. We still went over a few things. She asked me to provide her with meal examples and she was blown away by my mental meal calculations. 🤣🤣 I have a lot of carb and protein content memorized. She told me that the protein is what most of her patients struggle with which I get. I can't remember where I left my keys but I can tell you the carb content of various wraps and breads. She ended it by making sure I knew that dark chocolate was actually beneficial to GD and I said "oh believe me...I have all the dark chocolate in my house. It's all I eat."
Re: Gestational Diabetes Thread!
@krysnicole1022 the maternal fetal medicine specialist told me during my first appointment that they'd strongly recommend I induce at 39 weeks, potentially earlier. She told me the primary reason was due to typical baby size in GDM patients. I had my follow up and since sugars are good and baby is pacing via ultrasound at the 50th percentile, that they won't have any reason for me to induce earlier like originally planned. I had been telling them I don't want to induce early unless there is a really necessary reason, and they agreed that it wasn't needed, so that was a nice feeling.
they also have a few on gestational diabetes:
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-on-induction-for-gestational-diabetes/
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/gestational-diabetes-and-the-glucola-test/
For me I have large babies and I have GD but I don't have large babies BECAUSE of my GD. I control it perfectly. No one in either of our families has large babies. I'm a small person. I get started at and people start looking at me like I'm about to drop a baby out on the floor around 25 weeks.
Always always always advocate for yourself and your baby. Just because they *think* a baby might be large doesn't mean it will be. That being said they did predict my son's birth weight down to the ounce and they were absolutely correct. 🤣
#2 - 6lb 15 oz
#3 - 8lb 1 oz
I am glad you figured out that there is something wrong with your monitor! I hope you can start feeling better!
Yeah they really don't care. It's really frustrating. They have accuchecks in most offices so I don't see what the big deal is. They just want to bill you $5000 and do nothing. I do not like MFM.
- managing my stress level. The days when I am feeling the stress, my number is significantly higher the next morning. This is way more easily said than executed, but I have had to just let a lot of things go that I would otherwise fret over and it has helped with my numbers. Especially work related stress.
- workout before bed. I have been doing a 3-4 mile walk just before going to bed and it really helped my numbers.
- more water - drinking two large glasses before bed. Guarantees multiple wake ups a night, but helps overall. If numbers from the day are particularly high, a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar in that large glass of water does wonders too. Pickles have a simmer effect of preventing a spike.
- I personally don’t eat a snack before bed, but a low/no carb, high protein snack is usually recommended. I think this is especially true if your numbers from dinner continue to be slightly elevated?
Have you identified the cause for the elevated numbers? Is it the dawn phenomenon? You can pin this down by testing a few hours earlier than your normal wake up time to see if those numbers are elevated or normal. This can help you understand if it is a hormonal release causing the spike at wake up time or if it is that your blood sugar is going down extra slow over night (meaning your diet before bed might be contributing more).
So far today my numbers are:
84 — fasting from night
81 — 2 hours post breakfast
Seems to fall in line?
You might end up needing insulin if the metformin doesn't work for you?
My limited, not medically trained understanding is that if you are experiencing the dawn phenomenon, it is much harder to bring that under control without insulin. If your numbers are staying high all night, it might be something you can change to prevent that spike before bed (with diet/exercise changes). Not an expert though. Just would be more data points to discuss with your diabetes management team.
We did discuss how not getting enough carbs can actually give you higher blood sugar readings because your body starts pulling it/making it when it needs more sugar. The pregnant human body is bizarre.
Mainly I left there feeling pretty good because she said I was educated enough that her job was easy. We still went over a few things. She asked me to provide her with meal examples and she was blown away by my mental meal calculations. 🤣🤣 I have a lot of carb and protein content memorized. She told me that the protein is what most of her patients struggle with which I get. I can't remember where I left my keys but I can tell you the carb content of various wraps and breads. She ended it by making sure I knew that dark chocolate was actually beneficial to GD and I said "oh believe me...I have all the dark chocolate in my house. It's all I eat."