Gestational Diabetes Check in

christinanoelle · February 2014

@fourthnlast that's great news!! Hope it continues that way

Rrrrrachel · February 2014

Yay for progress, forthnlast!

bootsiebabe · February 2014

That's great news @fourthnlast!

newter135 · February 2014

@fourthnlast HUZZAH!!

spalumb9 · February 2014

I haven't been around on here lately, but I needed to add that I really struggled with my numbers last week. It is amazing how one trouble child in my class makes such a difference with my stress level which in turn effected my numbers! He has been placed in in school suspension for the past five days, and WOW my numbers haven't been better!!!! Now how to keep him there for the next 7.5 weeks!!!!!!????

christinanoelle · February 2014

all this talk of valentine's day chocolate and candy is making me emotional lol

ETA it's also giving me serious cravings

bootsiebabe · February 2014

Welp, I'm on on nighttime meds now. My nurse said that I could probably give it another week, but with the way my fasting numbers looked she could guarantee I'd be on meds by this time next week unless there was a drastic improvement. So, I said what the hell, just send in the prescription and let's see if it helps. I'm not enthused, but I'm okay with it. Took my first one last night and had a normal, albeit high, fasting number today. Growth ultrasound tomorrow. We'll see what happens...

christinanoelle · February 2014

bootsiebabe said:

Welp, I'm on on nighttime meds now. My nurse said that I could probably give it another week, but with the way my fasting numbers looked she could guarantee I'd be on meds by this time next week unless there was a drastic improvement. So, I said what the hell, just send in the prescription and let's see if it helps. I'm not enthused, but I'm okay with it. Took my first one last night and had a normal, albeit high, fasting number today. Growth ultrasound tomorrow. We'll see what happens...

Good luck! I had my growth US this week and everything went well

Are you on oral medication or insulin?

My fasting numbers were normal (on the high side too) at the beginning and are now in the lower range with ongoing insulin. I guess your body adjusts.

bootsiebabe · February 2014

I'm on 500 mg of metformin with dinner.

@melody*w* - same with me! Didn't matter what time I ate, exercise or not, what time I got up... there was literally no rhyme or reason to my numbers, which is why the nurse wanted me to go ahead and start rather than waiting a week.

Oh the joys!! 8-|

boxerbabylove · February 2014

Melody*W* said:

Hopefully this works!
I found the Consumer Reports article that tested the heavy metals in some popular brands of protein shakes. When I asked my doctors, they didn't have a clue what I was talking about, so please don't think I am lecturing by any means. Just some info that isn't listed on the nutritional info (because...no one would buy it, obviously!)

Can those who've had success expand on the ice cream at night = decent fasting numbers? How much did you eat? How long before bed? Do you also eat a protein?

Edit: here's the link. I have a Consumer Reports account, I don't know if this particular article is available to the public.
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/04/protein-drinks/index.htm

I'd be happy to pull more info from the article if anyone needs it.

Thanks for this. I actually am using an Isalean Shake which is a nice balance of protein and carbs (22g of each). I don't see it on the list or the site (I have a membership). It dropped my fasting glucose by 10 points the first night so I'm giving it a long term try. I got it as a free sample and it was one of the few protein shakes that doesn't have sucralose or artificial sweeteners that I found.

You asked about ice cream. My nutritionist suggested it because of the protein and fat content. You'd want to eat the full fat kind not the light kind. She suggested I start with 1/2 a cup by itself and see if that worked, if not to add in some nuts or other protein. It dropped my fasting sugars a bit but not by enough. That's why I moved to trying the protein shakes.

I was told to stay away from some trigger foods after 3pm. Some of those trigger foods: bananas, fruit juice, oranges, and milk. Since my day numbers are good I can have some of the things like milk, cereal or juice earlier in the day and just don't have them in the evening before bed.

ETA: I don't tolerate artificial sweeteners or stevia/splenda (sucralose) so the ice cream I listed has regular sugar. I saw that some people are doing no sugar added ice cream after I posed this. Those have sucralose which I won't eat and your body processes different from regular sugar so their success may be different than mine.

alysemci · February 2014

Followed the diet perfectly, lost 4 pounds and didn't eat nearly enough carbs. I literally only ate protein shakes, grilled meat and vegetables, and plain yogurt and couldn't get my numbers under 170. Today I was put on twice daily insulin injections. Not what I wanted I hear but it was deemed nothing to do with diet and exercise and that both diet and exercise could not help enough to have decent numbers let alone low.

Edit to add: I know I wasn't eating enough carbs but each time I added them in my blood sugar would spike. I wasn't adding in pasta or white bread but carbs like 1/4 cup brown rice or some beans with protein and plenty of veggies and all my numbers were between 170-180.

boxerbabylove · February 2014

Melody*W* said:

playingonadream said:

Thought I'd provide an update since I saw my OB and Diabetes nutrition specialist lady today.

I've been struggling with my morning fasting numbers (only began testing on 1/31). I asked why it was that when I went away for a long weekend, ate boatloads of food and slept crazy hours my fasting was good (in the 80s) and then I came home and resumed my normal schedule and my fasting was typically 30 points higher (115). She explained that my fasting sugar is probably high do to the dawn phenomenon. In order to treat this with diet alone (my preference) I've been trying a lot of different evening snacks. Turns out that a lot of women have good luck with ice cream so I tried that first and i saw my numbers go down but not enough. So I have now transitioned over to protein shakes. They seem to be doing the trick but I have to give them a couple more days to be sure. The protein shakes I've been using have 22g of protein and 22 grams of carbs but I'm trying out a new one that is higher in protein and lower in carbs tonight to see how that goes. I know a bunch of you have been struggling with the fasting numbers too so I just wanted to offer up what I've found so far. Hope it helps.
The dawn phenomenon is a surge of hormones that the body produces daily around 3-4am. People with diabetes don't have normal insulin responses to adjust for this, and may see their fasting glucose go up. The rise in glucose is mostly because your body is making less insulin and more glucagon (a hormone that increases blood glucose) than it needs. The less insulin made by the pancreas, the more glucagon the pancreas makes as a result. Glucagon signals the liver to break down glycogen into glucose. This is why high fasting blood glucose levels are common in people with type 2.

I often wake up starving around 3-4am, I tried eating some cheese and drinking a glass of milk when I woke up, but my fasting numbers were upper 90's that morning. Fasting numbers are seriously like a puzzle, and I am determined to solve it!

once you wake up your numbers are already higher, you have to test before the dawn phenomenon kicks in. If you wake up to pee around 1 or 2am take your sugar then and see if its lower. My numbers were in the low 70s at 2am and then would jump to 110 when I woke up at 430am. My fasting numbers aren't off the charts but unless I get them below 95 I'll be going on meds next week.

No V-day splurge for me since this week is my week to try and prove I don't nee meds

Rrrrrachel · February 2014

You would still have dawn phenomenon on vacation, too, so that seems weird to me. Seems more like a stress/cortisol thing.

manders803 · February 2014

Question. As the hormones go crazy I've been getting hypoglycemic more lately (not often enough to lower mess) but I've noticed that usually the next time I eat my blood sugar is high. Does anyone else experience this or know abything about it? Thanks!

Ktn8413 · February 2014

@newter135 I definitely feel like I have been misdiagnosed. I have been testing 6 times a day and have never had a fasting number over or any other numbers over. My MIL is a midwife and sent me a very interesting article about how the 3 hour tests have faulty results often bc your body is sent in panic mood bc you haven't eaten for 12 hours and now are drinking all of this glucose. It's really frustrating! I am hoping when I go back to the counselor next week they will lessen the amount of testing.

haziedaze · February 2014

Well I'm still in limbo... heard from the nurse today. They want me to decrease my checking which is lovely. I'll check fastings 3-4x per week and 1hr post meals if I eat higher carb meals. If my fastings start to be consistently in the 90s then I need to go back to checking every day. Overall it's nice not to check as frequently, but she pretty firmly said she wouldn't be surprised if my fastings creep up over the next few weeks and I end up getting a GD diagnosis and even needing meds. I think this is because those freaking fasting numbers are SO HARD to control. I'll keep checking in here if that's ok with you guys.

SoulTermination · February 2014

First endocrinologist appointment this morning. My numbers have been okay, to me anyway, but I can't quite shake the feeling that I'm going to get reamed for something.

I hate meeting new people. >.>;;

christinanoelle · February 2014

So, i'll be calling my doctor this morning but just wondering if any of you ladies would have any insight. I cheated for dinner last night. I had a hamburger with some fries and a chocolate chip cookie for dessert..

Yesterday was one of the days I didn't have to check my blood sugar levels but I did anyways because I wanted to see if it was really too high. I checked it around 9:00 pm and it was at 6.3 (using an online converter that's 113.4) Which is not too bad considering what I ate.

Anyways, 1 hour later, I went to bed and took my usual dose of insulin. My fasting number was higher than it should have been this morning (5.6 instead of 5.3).

Do you think what I ate last night could affect that? I am wondering if I should increase my insulin tonight to err on the side of caution or wait it out and see how my levels are tomorrow morning..

ahhh GD such a roller coaster!!!!

Rrrrrachel · February 2014

In age no advice on the meds but yes I think the dinner could impact your fasting. ESP if you ate it later in the evening.

christinanoelle · February 2014

Rrrrrachel said:

In age no advice on the meds but yes I think the dinner could impact your fasting. ESP if you ate it later in the evening.

Thanks! i'll see what the doctor suggests with regards to the medication.. It just threw me off because i've been having such a good week fasting wise.. It was my first "cheat" meal since being diagnosed and now I can't help but feel guilty

I guess no V-Day splurge for me tonight!

ETA Good luck @SoulTermination! Hope it goes well

Rrrrrachel · February 2014

Fasting numbers are really hard to manage! Don't get discouraged by an occasional high one.

bootsiebabe · February 2014

@christinanoelle - I'd bet it's related to your dinner and wouldn't stress about it and just see what happens when you go back to your usual diet.

@soultermination - good luck and the endocrinologists!

christinanoelle · February 2014

Thanks @bootsiebabe - i'm trying not to stress too much about it.. Your growth ultrasound is today right? Good luck and keep us updated!

I am starting to think it may be hormone changes again.. I just checked two hours after breakfast and it's still under what it's supposed to be at but higher than it's been recently - with the exact same breakfast! Still waiting for a call back from the diabetes center so we'll see.

haziedaze · February 2014

Melody*W* said:

Well I'm still in limbo... heard from the nurse today. They want me to decrease my checking which is lovely. I'll check fastings 3-4x per week and 1hr post meals if I eat higher carb meals. If my fastings start to be consistently in the 90s then I need to go back to checking every day. Overall it's nice not to check as frequently, but she pretty firmly said she wouldn't be surprised if my fastings creep up over the next few weeks and I end up getting a GD diagnosis and even needing meds. I think this is because those freaking fasting numbers are SO HARD to control. I'll keep checking in here if that's ok with you guys.
As long as there's no back door bragging about the awesome waffles you are eating for every meal. Even then, I might just have an urge to shake you, but please be a part of our fantastic, super secret best friends club!

I'm still supposed to be following the nutritional stuff, esp since I can't exercise, so no Vday candy or Girl Scout cookie binges here promise :-)

SoulTermination · February 2014

Thanks for the support, ladies.

Didn't get reamed, but I do get to join the insulin club before bedtime at night. Better than I feared, at least!

ETA: Okay, the insulin is $360. No fucking way can we afford that, but when we called the office for other options we were given the runaround between dietician and endocrinologist for two damn hours and got nowhere. Guess we'll call them Monday and if they get pissed that I haven't been taking my insulin we can tell them it's because they couldn't pull their heads out of their asses!

Gotta say, not so impressed with this office as I was this morning...

bootsiebabe · February 2014

Growth ultrasound went well. Baby is approximately 4 lbs 14 oz which is slightly above average but nothing to be concerned about. Belly measurement was good too!

boxerbabylove · February 2014

Rrrrrachel said:

You would still have dawn phenomenon on vacation, too, so that seems weird to me. Seems more like a stress/cortisol thing.

you won't see the dawn phenomenon as severely or at all if you aren't sleeping at normal times or are sleeping a lot less than normal. While away I didn't go to bed until after 1am on most evenings/mornings and was up by 7 or 8. I'm not an expert so I'm just going off what I was told.

Rrrrrachel · February 2014

I guess I misunderstood.

boxerbabylove · February 2014

Rrrrrachel To be honest the whole GD is one giant confusing ball of fun. i certainly just go day by day. This dawn phenomenon thing is killing me. I had another 97 this morning...so that means come tuesday I'll probably be joining the insulin club

Rrrrrachel · February 2014

I'm right there with you!!! Fasting numbers are killing me, too. And they don't seem to respond to anything I do with any kind of predictability.

boxerbabylove · February 2014

it is so frustrating. I now avoid milks and fruits in the evening and choke down this horrible protein shake because its the only thing that got my numbers below 100 in the morning.

christinanoelle · February 2014

bootsiebabe said:
Growth ultrasound went well. Baby is approximately 4 lbs 14 oz which is slightly above average but nothing to be concerned about. Belly measurement was good too!

@bootsiebabe that's great news! I'm mobile so can't see if you have a ticket but when are you due?

Rrrrrachel · February 2014

Aww, dh fail!!

christinanoelle · February 2014

Oh no

at least he tried!

haziedaze · February 2014

SoulTermination said:

Thanks for the support, ladies. Didn't get reamed, but I do get to join the insulin club before bedtime at night. Better than I feared, at least! ETA: Okay, the insulin is $360. No fucking way can we afford that, but when we called the office for other options we were given the runaround between dietician and endocrinologist for two damn hours and got nowhere. Guess we'll call them Monday and if they get pissed that I haven't been taking my insulin we can tell them it's because they couldn't pull their heads out of their asses! Gotta say, not so impressed with this office as I was this morning...

Oh no! Do you have a high deductible? Maybe it's the kind the ordered or they can submit something to the insurance company about medical necessity. That's crazy!

I just got more strips/lancets and there was no copay with my PPO. Apparently the company wants people to manage their diabetes carefully. Makes sense because it saves them money in the long run.

Rrrrrachel · February 2014

Talk to your pharmacist or shop around pharmacies! Our pharmacy has a big sign that says "free diabetes generics." Surely insulin comes in a generic. Your pharm might be able to tell you what you'll get the best deal on and then you can ask the dr about it.

Laroo0220 · February 2014

Did anybody else cheat for dinner tonight and have a high # after? I totally splurged and had fish fry and ended up at 147 an hr after. Now I feel guilty

christinanoelle · February 2014

Laroo0220 said:
Did anybody else cheat for dinner tonight and have a high # after? I totally splurged and had fish fry and ended up at 147 an hr after. Now I feel guilty

That was me last night.. Plus a high fasting this morning

my doctor said one high number is not the end of the world so I don't feel that bad. But definitely felt guilty anyways..

SoulTermination · February 2014

All calmed down now. Apparently despite the pharmacy sending me a text telling me that my insulin script was ready, it wasn't. They needed to order it for Monday and what I'd been told was the price was prior to running it through insurance. *facedesk* If you need to order it, why tell me it's ready when it clearly isn't?

Anyway, they were at least nice enough to call their other locations around the city until they found one that carried what I needed, so now I'm all set to *gulp* give myself an injection tonight. Not looking forward to this...

alysemci · February 2014

SoulTermination said:
All calmed down now. Apparently despite the pharmacy sending me a text telling me that my insulin script was ready, it wasn't. They needed to order it for Monday and what I'd been told was the price was prior to running it through insurance. *facedesk* If you need to order it, why tell me it's ready when it clearly isn't?

Anyway, they were at least nice enough to call their other locations around the city until they found one that carried what I needed, so now I'm all set to *gulp* give myself an injection tonight. Not looking forward to this...

I've found the injections to be super easy and painless. It's definitely weird giving yourself a shot but after the awkwardness passes it doesn't hurt at all! Goodluck, you'll do great

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