Gestational Diabetes

prudence9-2 · November 2018

@hoosiermama-2 they started with NST for me at 32 weeks. But I am also on 4 insulin shots a day. Are you on insulin?

prudence9-2 · November 2018

@barristerninja are you on insulin?
i think for me they mentioned induction when I went on insulin. Even though back then it was one shot a day

hoosiermama-2 · November 2018

No insulin, @prudence9-2.

barristerninja · November 2018

@prudence9-2, yes, I’m on insulin but just at night.

CecilB93 · November 2018

Induction was mentioned from the start for me, even before insulin. They've always told me I'm not allowed to go past 39 weeks, and depending on numbers/medication they could induce even sooner. Right now the plan is 39 weeks, but my OB doesn't schedule things this far out so it's not actually scheduled yet. I'm currently 34w5d, also getting anxious for this pregnancy to be over!

kadeephd · November 2018

I am nervous they are going to put me in insulin at my next appointment for my fasting numbers. I was given permission to stop testing as frequently since my numbers were looking good, but I just tested my fasting and it was 102. I had trouble sleeping last night and that was 6.5 hours after my bedtime snack (ice cream) -- is that enough time for it to count as fasting? Since it was high I am going to start testing again to see if it's a pattern. I'll also try different bedtime snacks. Ice cream worked for me before but maybe I need to change it.

I really don't want to go on insulin because I don't want to be induced. I assume you 100% have to be induced if you are on it? My baby is not big. I am planning on a natural labor and don't want to have to take pitocin. I've heard it makes the pain a lot worse.

ETA: I waited 1.5 hours (so total 8 hours from the last time I ate) and took another reading and it was 92. Think that counts as OK then?

ETA2: I had some yogurt and then went back to sleep for a while. After another 4 hours my blood glucose was 84. Maybe if I just have a light snack in the middle of my sleeping hours that will help... not sure if that would be allowed.

barristerninja · November 2018

On the fasting numbers- the 8hr read is what I’ve been told to go by. I think once you’ve eaten, now you’re into a post-breakfast reading. I’m always pretty good after breakfast, even if my fasting read is high. These rules are all pretty arbitrary though, I suspect what you’re describing is fine because it keeps your levels within a good range, even if it doesn’t follow the meal schedule.

I wanted to avoid insulin too, but my endocrinologist is pretty aggressive. Borderline high fasting was enough for her to recommend insulin. Her explanation was if I’m borderline at 27 weeks (which I was), it would just get worse as the baby grows and my hormone levels increase. My baby is also not particularly large- 40th percentile as of last week. I guess I could have pushed back on the insulin but I’m not too bothered about the induction.

Talk to your doctor about your concerns! If you’ve managed this far into your pregnancy without any insulin there might be a different way for you.

kadeephd · November 2018

@barristerninja I will definitely be talking to my dr. I suspect there is a lot of variation in what drs are OK with. I don't want to put my baby in danger so if it really makes sense to go on insulin and induce early than I am open to that. I am just worried that this is an overly-aggressive and not medically necessary response to numbers that are only slightly elevated, and only rarely above the cutoffs they have given me. It's hard to find conclusive evidence in the research as far as I can tell.

CecilB93 · November 2018

@kadeephd like barristerninja said, once you've eaten you've broken your fasting and it doesn't count. I was told fasting should be 8-10 hours, so I'd go by the 8 hour reading you took. My doctors were planning to induce at 39 weeks regardless of medication or not honestly, so going on insulin didn't change that for me. No reason other than the GD, my baby is also not too big nor does he have any health concerns. If they do put you on insulin it'll probably be a relatively low dose, I think most like to start under 10 units. Mine started me at 24 units I think but we'd already tried Glyburide and saw how much was necessary of that, so I think he knew I'd need a higher dose of insulin because of that. I have seen in a FB group I'm in that some ladies are able to not be induced even when taking insulin, I think it mostly depends on your doctor/their practice. Definitely talk to him/her about your concerns!

prudence9-2 · November 2018

Ahhh had some really bad numbers in the last few days.

yesterday my fasting number was 111 and today my after lunch number was 193

CecilB93 · November 2018

@prudence9-2 you're not alone! My numbers have been getting kind of crazy lately. Saturday was really weird for me; 76 fasting (hasn't been that low in a while, I think he bumped my insulin too much), 69 after breakfast (NEVER that low after breakfast, same thing I always eat), 135 after lunch (supposed to be under 120), then 1.5 hours later I was shaky at 68. Saturday was very weird for me. Sunday my fasting was 63, then I got over confident in the insulin and yesterday's was 107, oops. But I've had a lot of meal numbers that are high, and they're all meals I've been eating this whole pregnancy with no problems. And then one meal I was sure would put me high was perfectly in normal range

I heard week 36 is where things kind of even out again, which I'll be 36 tomorrow so I'm hoping for some relief soon!!

prudence9-2 · November 2018

@CecilB93 oh wow, so you almost have the opposit issue with too low numbers

don’t count on 36w.... I’m 36w 5d today. And these two high numbers were this week.

CecilB93 · November 2018

@prudence9-2 dang it

I'm going to talk to my MFM again tomorrow at my appointment and see if he thinks we'll need to induce sooner. I really don't want to add another insulin shot for less than 3 weeks...

prudence9-2 · November 2018

@CecilB93 what meal do you think you need to add a shot to?

im on 4 shots for the longest time. It’s not too bad

CecilB93 · November 2018

@prudence9-2 that's the issue, I've had high readings for all meals, not one single one. My MFM doesn't think I'll need to add another shot. He decreased my night insulin and said that sometimes the lows can cause highs kind of as an aftershock of the body overcorrecting itself. If the decrease doesn't work then we'll discuss at next weeks appointment inducing earlier than 39 weeks. I'll be 37 weeks next week, so it'd be pointless to add in more insulin for a week or two in my opinion, I'd rather they just induce me.

prudence9-2 · November 2018

@CecilB93 yeah. I totally get it. Especially since the daytime insulin is different!

prudence9-2 · November 2018

So in the last week I had few really high numbers and two low numbers - below 70! (For the first time!!)

but overall, I think that there is an improvement since 37 weeks!!!! (I’m 38w 3d today) which is really encouraging because being on 4 shots a day I started worrying diabetes won’t go away.

CecilB93 · November 2018

@prudence9-2 yay for improvement!!! And I know what you mean, I'm only on insulin once a day and I'm worried I'll be diabetic afterwards

I'm just glad we're finally so close to the end!!

CecilB93 · November 2018

In the hospital being induced due to high BP! Not super high, and everything else has been normal, but high enough that the on-call OB wanted to go ahead and induce. I can't wait to enjoy a big plate of pasta for (hopefully) lunch tomorrow!! Woo!!

CecilB93 · November 2018

@prudence9-2 perks of being GD, when my glucose gets too low during labor I get a snack of graham crackers, PB, and apple juice! I'm not totally starved!! Lol

prudence9-2 · December 2018

@CecilB93 how are you? I was induced on November 26th due to baby distress during a contraction (during NST). And after about 1.5 days of induction due to baby distress, I had a c section and my baby was born on Nov 28th. My numbers at the hospital were not great and also not great when I got home so I stopped checking

CecilB93 · December 2018

@prudence9-2 congrats on baby!! My little one was born on Nov 29th. His blood sugars were all perfect in the hospital, thank the lord! Sorry your numbers weren't great. I checked once in the hospital and it was 157 after 2 hours, then a fasting I did at home was only 87! My meter died so I hadn't been checking since it's not necessary, but I actually just checked tonight after eating 3 slices of pizza with pineapple on it and drinking a glass of Dr Pepper...only 107 after 2 hours! I think I had a high reading early on as hormones leveled out. I know they kept telling me "once the placenta is out you're cured", but I can't imagine it's that instantaneous. You may try checking again now that it's been a couple weeks! Keeping my FX for you that things go back to normal for you!

prudence9-2 · December 2018

@CecilB93 congrats on baby!!! Your baby was born one day after mine

Mine also had good blood sugar levels.

So ive been eating like normal after I stopped testing. But then tested after one meal yesterday and after one hour it was 184 but after two hours it went down to 107!!! So I hope things are good!!!

CecilB93 · December 2018

@prudence9-2 yay for a good 2 hour reading!!!

prudence9-2 · December 2018

@CecilB93 I eat so many chocolates. More than ever in my life

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