Gestational Diabetes
Hi All! Happy Friday!
Just wanted to ask your experiences with GD.
I am 17+weeks and my doctor hasn't mentioned the glucose test yet (I'll be asking her about it at my next appointment...)
I have a family history of diabetes so I'm thinking I might be at a higher risk of developing GD. For those that have/had GD, were you monitoring your sugar consumption before being diagnosed with it or were just eating "normally"?
A girlfriend of mine was diagnosed with GD when she was pregnant and she tells me "get your sugar in now before your glucose test!" Is it wrong for me to think that's counterproductive advice? Shouldn't I be watching my sugar NOW to avoid GD later? Or if I'm going to get it, I'm going to get it? I've been very good about monitoring my sugar intake so far...but I could go for a cookie right about now!
Thanks for reading!
Re: Gestational Diabetes
Diabetes runs pretty heavily in my family, both type I and II. My first blood test screened for GD (I wish I could remember the name!) and my value was right in the middle. I'd ask your OB if this was done. Because I was in a normal range, they did not suggest I avoid sugar but suggested only eating sugar in what they consider a healthy amount for any pregnancy.
They'll do the next GD test between 24-28 weeks for me. If you're going to get it, your going to get it but if you're worried about it, cutting back wouldn't hurt.
Thanks! I'm not sure if my first tri blood screen tested for it but I will send a message to my doctor's office to ask...I never heard anything regarding my first tri blood screen (only from the NT Scan tech that said it was "good") so I'm assuming everything tested normal/within range. I just had my 2nd tri blood draw last week...no word yet. My mom had GD and later developed Type II, plus my grandparents have diabetes (Type II as well.)
I definitely cut back (especially my fruit juice intake) and though I didn't have much of a sweet tooth to begin with, the "threat" of GD makes me more aware of my sugar intake. Yesterday one of our friends had a birthday and I told my husband beforehand to make sure I didn't have dessert - no matter what. I ended up having some cake but he literally had to wrestle for fork out of my hand or else I would've eaten the whole piece (I had a blended drink that day that had sugar, too, hence why I asked him to monitor me.)
Oh yes, it's so easy to forget about those pesky carbs! The
carbs I eat are in the morning...I'll have whole grain toast with an egg for breakfast or a mini bagel and cream cheese but pasta is my weakness! Luckily hubby doesn't like pasta too much so I rarely make it or else I'd eat it all by myself! One week I had spaghetti everyday for dinner!
Essentially, you develop GD because the placenta is not absorbing the insulin properly. It must absorb more in order to compensate, leaving your body unable to keep up enough production for your own body and sometimes not even regulating baby's blood sugar.
Subsequent pregnancies may not have this issue.
After you develop GD, cutting back on carbs and sugar can help your body use the little insulin it has more efficiently.
So, no, cutting back now will not help you to prevent GD.
ETA: my phone hates me.