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High-Risk Pregnancy
Lurker with a question about GD..
Hi there,
I am 23 weeks along and at my next ob visit will have to take the 1 hour glucose test. I know what is done during the test and I fear that because I am very overweight, I will fail it.
My question is do I have to give up my morning cup of coffee (I drink it with 1% and some sugar) if I have GD? Also both my showers are after the test and I tried to get them done before the test so I could enjoy myself. Am I not allowed any sweet? I don't eat much sweets, I just can't lose the weight and then we became pregnant. We are so excited and can't wait to have our little girl.
I know that this may not be relavent but I had to ask because I feel like everytime something is going well this pregnancy something else brings me down. I have had a good pregnancy so far but things have come up health wise that weren't there before and I am so frustrated.
Sorry, I didn't mean to vent. I appreciate any help you can give me ladies. Also I wanted to say, I have lurked on here before and I don't know how you ladies can deal with some of the issues you face. You are so strong and I pray that each one of your pregnancies go well!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Lurker with a question about GD..
Hi! Just because your are overweight doesn't mean you will fail. I am not overweight and I failed, i have friends that are overweight who passed. It is more to do with hormone levels and their effect on your body.
That said yes you have to give up the sugar in the coffee (i also would put a spoonful in my decaf but had to stop), however everyone has different effects from what they eat. You test your blood sugar and make changes. I haven't had to make drastic changes. Now you can have 'cheat' times and check your sugar on days like your shower or birthday or xmas. You need to be careful that if you have the cake you didn't eat super carb heavy all day or at that meal. Does that make sense? GD is all about balance and making sure your sugar is normally at a certain level. If you can't control that level with diet then they have medicine to help. My doctor explained to me think about what you want to eat then look it up in the book (the one they give you) so sometimes it's not 'worth' using your points but sometimes it is. If you really really want chocolate one day then eat the amount they say and that is your carb allowance.
Anyway I hope you don't have it and many people fail the 1 hour and pass the 3 as well.
It is frustrating to have a hard pregnancy and have health concerns. I have had a bunch this pregnancy too and been hospitalized a few times...however looking at this board and what other people face does help me put it in perspective. Remember GD is only the last 3 months you can do it if you have to
hopefully you wont have to!
I am overweight...actually obese by the BMI index. That said, that's not why I have GD. You can be model-thin and a vegan and have GD. It's your placenta producing too many hormones that override your system.
That said, if you have GD you can still have coffee (unless you notice it really jacks up your glucose readings...it hasn't for me and I have been enjoying 6 oz with 2 oz half/half a couple days a week with no issues).
As for sweets...the GD diet is about contolling carb intake...including portion size and when/how you're eating them. That said, you still can have sweets, but in small amounts and not all at one sitting. My shower was last week and I had a small slice of cake. So if you have GD it shouldn't ruin your shower. You will have to adjust how you eat, but you should still be able to fully participate and have fun (and just watch what and when you're eating).
GD can be scary...especially at first. It does get better though. For me it has been a huge wake-up call that I don't want to become Type II Diabetic. So I am more committed than ever to dropping the lbs., eating better and exercising consistently once my LO is born.
TTC/PG Blog | Mommy Blog
I second the PP on the weight issue. Being overweight can put you at a slightly greater risk, but it definitely doesn't mean you will fail. I was at my ideal weight pre-preg and I failed terribly. Also, you can ahve it with one pregnancy and not have it with the next. You never know.
Also, on the coffee issue, I completely understand! My OB specifically recommended cutting out caffeine because for some women it can raise their numbers, so it's not just an issue with the dairy and sugar. I mentally neeeed my morning coffee, so now I have one cup of decaf (ugh) and I use 1 tablespoon of the sugar-free refrigerated coffeemate. It only has 1g of carbs per tablespoon (regular refrigerated coffeemate has 5g) and so far it has been working for me. The reason I stick to only one cup is that I don't want to load up on artificial sweeteners if I can avoid them, but I'm like that even when I'm not pregnant.
Good luck!
Just to reemphasize previous posters: GD is very individualized. It welcomes all body sizes and varies with what you can eat/drink or not. You will just have to (unfortunately!) wait and see!
Ladies,
Thank you so much for your advice and support. I really and truly appreciate it.
This is something that has been troubling me and you have not only put my mind at ease but have also put many things in perspective. Thanks!
GD has to do with how your body and placenta are processing your sugars. It has NOTHING to do with weight. It's a bit of genes.
You might have to skip the sugar in your coffee. one spoon ful of sugar is 4 carbs. Whenever I add it to my tea, it spikes my numbers.