I don't understand my levels whatsoever and it's driving me nuts! Yesterday my fasting was low, I ate bacon egg and cheese on a small whole grain bagel, and my number was high. Today my fasting was a few points higher than yesterday, more my normal number. I ate bacon, egg, and cheese on a white flour biscuit and my number for after meal was low! WTF?!? I thought whole grains were supposed to be better. I guess my body just wants to be weird...
Also, I just want to eat like a normal, hungry, pregnant person! I'm hungry all the time but having to wait to eat until AFTER I have to check my blood is really annoying me. I already can't eat a ton at meals because it's so uncomfortable.
I'm not trying to be a special snowflake because I know you ladies are right there with me. This just really sucks and I'm tired and in a bad mood today.
I feel you @becbec28... I feel like my post-breakfast number can change day to day, depending on my fasting number. Like yesterday, my fasting and post-meal numbers were what they usually are. Today, my fasting number was a couple of points higher than usual (for no discernible reason). I ate the exact same thing for breakfast as yesterday, but my post-meal number was lower than usual.
The nutritionist said there are a lot of things that affect blood sugar beyond food, but it's totally frustrating not to be able to predict anything.
I find I am not hungry too often, but I am struggling to get in more than 1800 calories/day. Neither the nutritionist or midwife seem concerned about that, because I make sure I am getting the correct nutrients, but it's still disconcerting. I am worried about eating the wrong thing (especially early in the day, when carbs seem to spike my numbers more). But at the same time, I feel like I am eating constantly. It's just tiring to have to think about food so much.
I feel you @becbec28... I feel like my post-breakfast number can change day to day, depending on my fasting number. Like yesterday, my fasting and post-meal numbers were what they usually are. Today, my fasting number was a couple of points higher than usual (for no discernible reason). I ate the exact same thing for breakfast as yesterday, but my post-meal number was lower than usual.
The nutritionist said there are a lot of things that affect blood sugar beyond food, but it's totally frustrating not to be able to predict anything.
I find I am not hungry too often, but I am struggling to get in more than 1800 calories/day. Neither the nutritionist or midwife seem concerned about that, because I make sure I am getting the correct nutrients, but it's still disconcerting. I am worried about eating the wrong thing (especially early in the day, when carbs seem to spike my numbers more). But at the same time, I feel like I am eating constantly. It's just tiring to have to think about food so much.
^^AMEN!!! I feel like I have to think about food more than I actually eat food! lol
+1 to being tired of thinking about food constantly!! I'm thinking about setting alarms so I remember when to eat :and when to take my blood sugar. But I'd have alarms at 7:30A, 8:30A, 11:30A, 1:30P, 2:30P, 4:30P, 7:30P, 8:30P and 10:30P -- that might drive me insane.
@becbec28 Do your dr and dietitian have you doing snacks? I've found that good snacks and adding lots of veg in meals helps me stay not hungry.
@Gretchypoo Yes, I eat my snacks pretty much right after I check after meals because I'm starving. I've found a few snacks that I'm sticking with because they seem to be working well.
I set alarms every time I sit down to eat so that I don't miss my blood draw or my snacks. I think about food constantly and I totally feel you guys about being sad and hungry sometimes.
I tell DH I'm like Pavlov's dogs, my alarm goes off and my stomach growls.
@becbec28 my dietician told me not to have bagels for breakfast, that i should be having about 30g of carbs (2 slices of wholewheat toast) for breakfast but a bagel has about 45g (even a wholewheat one has the same amount it just releases slower).
The past few days have been extremely frustrating & disheartening. Ive been eating really similar meals & not eating any extra carbs or sugar but my numbers have been all over the place. I started insulin yesterday but taking a wile to regulate.
I just barely failed my 3 hour GTT yesterday (out of 4 labs I failed the 2nd hour and 3rd hour was borderline- fasting and 1st hour were normal)- my A1C is normal at 5.1%. I am a dietitian so after discussing with my doctor he is going to let me follow my own diet for 4 weeks and I will repeat the 3 hour and see if there is any improvement. I know I am not on your board but the ladies on mine are just starting to do testing so I have no one to talk about it with so I hope you don't mind me lurking. If you guys need me for a resource too I am happy to help, I have a lot of experience teaching patients about carb counting...we are all in this together for us to be healthy moms and have healthy babies!
Good luck @Spartanrd4! I will say, though, that my nutritionist and MW both warned me that blood sugar numbers often get worse as pregnancy wears on, so don't be too bummed if you don't pass next time. You (general) can eat super healthy (like I did and do) and still have issues regulating insulin in pregnancy; it's often unrelated to anything you have or have not done, since it's largely hormonal. While changing your diet will help post-meal blood sugar numbers, it will likely not make any difference when you take a GTT. Just something to keep in mind.
I failed my 2-hour test by ONE point on the one-hour blood draw; it was at 180, and anything at or above 180 gets you a diagnosis of GD. My fasting number and 2-hour number were extremely normal (74 and 116 respectively). Maybe my MW and nutritionist take a cautious approach, but they definitely wanted me checking my blood sugar 4x/day even though I barely failed. And lo and behold, while all my post-meal numbers are still normal, my fasting number has been creeping up, despite the fact that it was normal on my GTT. There's basically nothing you can do to control your fasting number, and it's the one that's most important to control when it comes to complications.
I guess for me I'd just rather be safe than sorry when it comes to a GD diagnosis; I'd rather have to be cautious about what I eat and check my BS unnecessarily than put my baby at risk because my numbers were borderline.
@becbec28 and @madamerwin I have been feeling the same lately with my irregular sugar levels. I was getting so discouraged and just feeling defeated that I was following all the rules and my sugar would be high. I met with my Endocrinologist yesterday and she totally put my mind at ease. I am 30 weeks this week (I'm mobile so I can't see your tickers) and she said that at 29-30 weeks is a time of huge growth and because of the changes to your placenta it is so normal for everything to go a bit haywire. I'm on insulin so this means more frequent adjustments. She also said things tend to go a little more crazy during the third trimester. I left feeling a lot better.
Diagnosed with PCOS March '10 - Started 1000mg of Metformin After 3 unsuccessful Clomid cycles, FSH+Ovidril+IUI+Progesterone=BFP!
Time to make Emilie a big sister!
May '16 2.0: Letrozole+FSH+Menopur+Ovidril+IUI+Progesterone=BFP! first beta-45.44, second beta-148
@madamerwin thank you for your advice. As you are someone who has been managing it for awhile I appreciate your input. If it happens that I really do have GD at my next test, I will accept that and do my best to continue to have the healthiest pregnancy I can and definitely don't want to put baby at risk.
Those of you that are on insulin, can you explain to me how that works? I've had a couple crazy blood sugars and I feel like I'm going to be on it soon. Do they give you the shots to inject yourself. Do you have to go get them somewhere? Obviously, each practice is different, but I just wanted an idea of what I'm probably going to have to do
BFP #1: DD born on 08.25.12
BFP #2: 09/08/15 miscarried at 6w
BFP #3: DD2 born on 02.07.17
@Aussie45 with my insulin i have 2 different pens. One is a slow release which i take at the same time each night which is supposed to help with my fast numbers in morning (so far it hasnt but ive only been taking it since thursday but i may need to up the dosage) and the secone is a fast acting which is to be taken just before you eat. I only started taking this yesterday & only take a low dosage pre breakfast as its my morning numbers i have most difficulty with & dont need it for lunch or dinner. As i said mines are little pens, you dial up the dosage & just put on a new needle each time & i inject myself. I had a gd clinic last week where they decided i needed insulin, gave me a letter for my own general practice doctor, who gave me the perscription which i collected from pharmacy. I have 3 of each pens (spares kept in the fridge) a box of needle tips & a sharps container for getting rid of the needles after each time. Once i had collected the perscription, i had an appointment with a diabetes nurse who went through the process of how, when & where to inject. I also email my blood sugar readings to the nurse every few days (7 readings a day) for review so they can keep an eye on my levels and make any changes to my treatment.
Company Christmas party today. While I didn't go nuts I didn't exactly deny myself either. My fasting and post breakfast numbers were great. Party was from 1-4, basically picking at food the majority of the time until about 3:30. Took a reading at 4:30 and it was 128. So....win?
@Aussie45 my experience is very similar to @Janefelicity. I was put on Insulin for my fasting sugars and lunch and dinner anfter a week. I'm on a slow release one for right before bed and a fast acting one for during the day. Mine are pen needles so I just dial up and inject as well.
My clinic gave me the first pens and needles for a few days and a prescription for more. If I didn't have insurance the clinic would give me insulin for free. When I got my prescription they came in a box of five so I have extras in the fridge. The nurse showed me how to inject the needles and I can call them anytime I have a question. Because I'm still struggling with the right amount of Insulin at bedtime I have to go every week so we can go through everything.
Diagnosed with PCOS March '10 - Started 1000mg of Metformin After 3 unsuccessful Clomid cycles, FSH+Ovidril+IUI+Progesterone=BFP!
Time to make Emilie a big sister!
May '16 2.0: Letrozole+FSH+Menopur+Ovidril+IUI+Progesterone=BFP! first beta-45.44, second beta-148
I had my highest post-meal reading on Friday night... Dinner with the family at my sister's house, and her family is vegan. Turns out that there is not a ton of overlap between vegan and GD-friendly food. We had vegan chili (basically all beans with a little soy meat) and salad, and then I watched everyone eat cake and ice cream, which was super fun. My one-hour post-meal reading was 125, so not too bad? I DID eat some chocolate peanut butter fudge as my afternoon snack that day (there was a holiday lunch at my work, I indulged), so maybe that contributed to it. Either way, good to know that a 70g carb meal won't make my numbers go TOO high, for now...
U/S yesterday and baby girl is measuring right in target! I have my appointment with my provider today so hopefully everything continues in the right track.
I'm going to need more test strips soon. Does anyone know if you have to get a scrip written or can you just get more? I meant to ask my doc yesterday and totally forgot.
I had to get my test strips and lancets from a mail-order pharmacy - I should have enough to last the whole pregnancy, but I think if I needed more I would have to call the nutritionist to send in the script.
I'm doing well - I had my follow up with the nutritionist yesterday, and since everything looks good, I don't have to go back unless my numbers go up.
Also had my regular checkup yesterday, and baby is measuring on track, heartbeat is good, and he's head-down (as he has been for a long time). MW said it's unlikely he would flip at this point, so that's good to hear.
I can get both lancets and strips for my glucometer at CVS without a script. Strips are ~ $90 for a month (ouch) and lancets are ~$10 for a million that I will never run out. I usually try to get my strips thru insurance but I test more often than I should (because I like to see the numbers peak and then drop, I know I'm crazy) so I had to buy some strips in between scripts.
@ohstars yikes! I ended up buying some strips on Amazon while I was waiting for the mail order to arrive, and it was $25 for 50 strips - so I guess a little cheaper than what you get, but not much. I still have most of that pack, since my mail order arrived the day after I got them, but I figure it's good to have some extras. They sent me a 100-day supply, so hopefully I don't run out before the baby comes - I test a little more often than needed, and occasionally I don't draw enough blood and end up wasting a strip.
I get my strips via a script from my dr but we have a free healthcare system here so i dont have to pay for them.
ive kind of been struggling a little the past few days as my numbers were still a little high at times despite being really strict diet wise & also being on insulin. Its so frustrating when im doing everything possible & the results are still not what they should be. That being said, my husband and family have been so supportive which is a massive help.
I talked to MFM today because after what seemed like a trend towards uncontrolled numbers about 2 weeks ago, all of a sudden my numbers aren't going above 100. Since I was told that as pregnancy progresses, hormones go up and blood sugars go up, I was concerned about a possible hormone drop. Luckily MFM said they weren't concerned but to be prepared for a hormone surge around 36w. It really set my mind at ease to just talk to them.
Has anyone seen their blood sugars go UP after starting meds?
Not up but def not going down either. My pre & post breakfast are both still out of target & i had to increase the amount of insulin im taking both slow release at night & rapid before breakfast but still struggling to get them below target. I email my numbers to the specialist team every few days & have a feeling ill just be told to increase the dosage by a unit each time until it levels out below target.
I had a good experience with glyburide with my son in 2013, worked with little side effects. i took it at night for fasting. my OB office has changed protocol and no longer use it. I had a bad experience with metformin this time around. didnt really work and made me really sick. good experience with the long lasting 24 hour insulin (Levemir) so far.
When you've been married this long, you need a ticker to remind you.
Has anyone else had their normal eating schedule messed up and noticed their numbers go weird? I stayed at my IL's this weekend and they never eat on time. I tried to be careful of what I ate, but I wasn't great because I only had what they had in the house. I've had a couple high numbers after meals that I thought would be ok and I'm wondering if timing is just messing with it.
Re: Gestational Diabetes
I don't understand my levels whatsoever and it's driving me nuts! Yesterday my fasting was low, I ate bacon egg and cheese on a small whole grain bagel, and my number was high. Today my fasting was a few points higher than yesterday, more my normal number. I ate bacon, egg, and cheese on a white flour biscuit and my number for after meal was low! WTF?!? I thought whole grains were supposed to be better. I guess my body just wants to be weird...
Also, I just want to eat like a normal, hungry, pregnant person! I'm hungry all the time but having to wait to eat until AFTER I have to check my blood is really annoying me. I already can't eat a ton at meals because it's so uncomfortable.
I'm not trying to be a special snowflake because I know you ladies are right there with me. This just really sucks and I'm tired and in a bad mood today.
Married: 9/2013
Love my LEO!!
TTC #1: 9/2015
BFP: 2/1/16 MC 2/8/16 @ 5wks
BFP: 5/22/16 RAINBOW BABY
EDD: 1/30/2017 *IT'S A GIRL!!!!*
Kirsten Grace 1/20/17
The nutritionist said there are a lot of things that affect blood sugar beyond food, but it's totally frustrating not to be able to predict anything.
I find I am not hungry too often, but I am struggling to get in more than 1800 calories/day. Neither the nutritionist or midwife seem concerned about that, because I make sure I am getting the correct nutrients, but it's still disconcerting. I am worried about eating the wrong thing (especially early in the day, when carbs seem to spike my numbers more). But at the same time, I feel like I am eating constantly. It's just tiring to have to think about food so much.
Married: 9/2013
Love my LEO!!
TTC #1: 9/2015
BFP: 2/1/16 MC 2/8/16 @ 5wks
BFP: 5/22/16 RAINBOW BABY
EDD: 1/30/2017 *IT'S A GIRL!!!!*
Kirsten Grace 1/20/17
@becbec28 Do your dr and dietitian have you doing snacks? I've found that good snacks and adding lots of veg in meals helps me stay not hungry.
Married: 9/2013
Love my LEO!!
TTC #1: 9/2015
BFP: 2/1/16 MC 2/8/16 @ 5wks
BFP: 5/22/16 RAINBOW BABY
EDD: 1/30/2017 *IT'S A GIRL!!!!*
Kirsten Grace 1/20/17
I tell DH I'm like Pavlov's dogs, my alarm goes off and my stomach growls.
I just barely failed my 3 hour GTT yesterday (out of 4 labs I failed the 2nd hour and 3rd hour was borderline- fasting and 1st hour were normal)- my A1C is normal at 5.1%. I am a dietitian so after discussing with my doctor he is going to let me follow my own diet for 4 weeks and I will repeat the 3 hour and see if there is any improvement. I know I am not on your board but the ladies on mine are just starting to do testing so I have no one to talk about it with so I hope you don't mind me lurking. If you guys need me for a resource too I am happy to help, I have a lot of experience teaching patients about carb counting...we are all in this together for us to be healthy moms and have healthy babies!
I am never hungry and have to force myself to eat all the time. :-(
When you've been married this long, you need a ticker to remind you.
Baby Boy M - 08/01/2013
Expecting Baby Bean February 2017
I failed my 2-hour test by ONE point on the one-hour blood draw; it was at 180, and anything at or above 180 gets you a diagnosis of GD. My fasting number and 2-hour number were extremely normal (74 and 116 respectively). Maybe my MW and nutritionist take a cautious approach, but they definitely wanted me checking my blood sugar 4x/day even though I barely failed. And lo and behold, while all my post-meal numbers are still normal, my fasting number has been creeping up, despite the fact that it was normal on my GTT. There's basically nothing you can do to control your fasting number, and it's the one that's most important to control when it comes to complications.
I guess for me I'd just rather be safe than sorry when it comes to a GD diagnosis; I'd rather have to be cautious about what I eat and check my BS unnecessarily than put my baby at risk because my numbers were borderline.
I am 30 weeks this week (I'm mobile so I can't see your tickers) and she said that at 29-30 weeks is a time of huge growth and because of the changes to your placenta it is so normal for everything to go a bit haywire. I'm on insulin so this means more frequent adjustments. She also said things tend to go a little more crazy during the third trimester.
I left feeling a lot better.
Diagnosed with PCOS March '10 - Started 1000mg of Metformin
After 3 unsuccessful Clomid cycles, FSH+Ovidril+IUI+Progesterone=BFP!
Time to make Emilie a big sister!
May '16 2.0: Letrozole+FSH+Menopur+Ovidril+IUI+Progesterone=BFP! first beta-45.44, second beta-148
As i said mines are little pens, you dial up the dosage & just put on a new needle each time & i inject myself.
I had a gd clinic last week where they decided i needed insulin, gave me a letter for my own general practice doctor, who gave me the perscription which i collected from pharmacy. I have 3 of each pens (spares kept in the fridge) a box of needle tips & a sharps container for getting rid of the needles after each time.
Once i had collected the perscription, i had an appointment with a diabetes nurse who went through the process of how, when & where to inject. I also email my blood sugar readings to
the nurse every few days (7 readings a day) for review so they can keep an eye on my levels and make any changes to my treatment.
My clinic gave me the first pens and needles for a few days and a prescription for more. If I didn't have insurance the clinic would give me insulin for free. When I got my prescription they came in a box of five so I have extras in the fridge. The nurse showed me how to inject the needles and I can call them anytime I have a question. Because I'm still struggling with the right amount of Insulin at bedtime I have to go every week so we can go through everything.
Diagnosed with PCOS March '10 - Started 1000mg of Metformin
After 3 unsuccessful Clomid cycles, FSH+Ovidril+IUI+Progesterone=BFP!
Time to make Emilie a big sister!
May '16 2.0: Letrozole+FSH+Menopur+Ovidril+IUI+Progesterone=BFP! first beta-45.44, second beta-148
I had my highest post-meal reading on Friday night... Dinner with the family at my sister's house, and her family is vegan. Turns out that there is not a ton of overlap between vegan and GD-friendly food. We had vegan chili (basically all beans with a little soy meat) and salad, and then I watched everyone eat cake and ice cream, which was super fun. My one-hour post-meal reading was 125, so not too bad? I DID eat some chocolate peanut butter fudge as my afternoon snack that day (there was a holiday lunch at my work, I indulged), so maybe that contributed to it. Either way, good to know that a 70g carb meal won't make my numbers go TOO high, for now...
How are you ladies doing?
I'm going to need more test strips soon. Does anyone know if you have to get a scrip written or can you just get more? I meant to ask my doc yesterday and totally forgot.
Married: 9/2013
Love my LEO!!
TTC #1: 9/2015
BFP: 2/1/16 MC 2/8/16 @ 5wks
BFP: 5/22/16 RAINBOW BABY
EDD: 1/30/2017 *IT'S A GIRL!!!!*
Kirsten Grace 1/20/17
Married: 9/2013
Love my LEO!!
TTC #1: 9/2015
BFP: 2/1/16 MC 2/8/16 @ 5wks
BFP: 5/22/16 RAINBOW BABY
EDD: 1/30/2017 *IT'S A GIRL!!!!*
Kirsten Grace 1/20/17
I'm doing well - I had my follow up with the nutritionist yesterday, and since everything looks good, I don't have to go back unless my numbers go up.
Also had my regular checkup yesterday, and baby is measuring on track, heartbeat is good, and he's head-down (as he has been for a long time). MW said it's unlikely he would flip at this point, so that's good to hear.
ive kind of been struggling a little the past few days as my numbers were still a little high at times despite being really strict diet wise & also being on insulin. Its so frustrating when im doing everything possible & the results are still not what they should be. That being said, my husband and family have been so supportive which is a massive help.
When you've been married this long, you need a ticker to remind you.
Baby Boy M - 08/01/2013
Expecting Baby Bean February 2017
When you've been married this long, you need a ticker to remind you.
Baby Boy M - 08/01/2013
Expecting Baby Bean February 2017
Married: 9/2013
Love my LEO!!
TTC #1: 9/2015
BFP: 2/1/16 MC 2/8/16 @ 5wks
BFP: 5/22/16 RAINBOW BABY
EDD: 1/30/2017 *IT'S A GIRL!!!!*
Kirsten Grace 1/20/17
Married: 9/2013
Love my LEO!!
TTC #1: 9/2015
BFP: 2/1/16 MC 2/8/16 @ 5wks
BFP: 5/22/16 RAINBOW BABY
EDD: 1/30/2017 *IT'S A GIRL!!!!*
Kirsten Grace 1/20/17