@meggyme Had my 30 week OB appt today and explained what happened. They got things straightened out, but still waiting for the pharmacy to fill it. FX I will get it tomorrow.
Im glad you finally got the class done and are getting your meter. Hopefully, you can get an idea of where your glucose levels are over the next few days.
I’m late to the party, and I didn’t read all the comments. I skimmed a lot of them. I wrote a novel.
I’ve known since I got pregnant I had GD. I’ve had it with all my pregnancies, however this time I was put on glyberide at night and it has helped so much. I’d definitely recommend it before letting your doc put you on insulin right away. (Personal opinion)
I will also say it seems like there is no set standard on how to handle GD by doctors or dieticians. The amount of carbs, when to test, meds before insulin- I’ve found so many differing opinions that GDmoms are given.
My perinate doc has me testing fasting sugars (before even stepping a foot out of bed, I’ve found brushing my teeth spikes my numbers, and playing on my phone before testing also changes my numbers) and testing my sugars two hours after I take my last bite of food. So my sugars at 1 hour really don’t matter. I’ve taken them just to see what they are and it’s amazing how quickly they can go in range between the one and two hour mark. I was told to keep my sugars around 120 two hours after eating. I was freaking out before, bc after lunch I’d range between 125-145, my perinate doc has said consistently my numbers look ideal, probably bc the rest of my numbers are well below 120. I’m my hungriest at lunch time, so I think that’s my issue. I was also told to eat before bed to help my fasting sugars. GD doesn’t work like normal diabeties and will do the opposite of what our goal is if we don’t eat a small snack to tell our body you don’t need more sugar.
Idk if it’s because I’m used to it, but GD really isn’t all that bad. I just have to make sure to set timers so I test on time.
We have two sleeping beauties in heaven. Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016. Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015. They will be forever missed.
@bdesterhouse It's interesting how much variety there is in guidance. I was told to test 1 hour after my first bite and that if I needed medication it would be insulin. There's almost as much variance as there is for glucose testing instructions. Carb load, don't carb load, fast, eat some protein before, stay hydrated, don't drink anything...
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@meggyme exactly and I’m sorry but testing an hour after your first bite isn’t an accurate reading at all. It’s not even accurate for my MIL to do that who is a type one diabetic.
My sugars would be through the roof if I tested an hour after my first bite bc half the time it takes me that long to finish eating if I’m grazing and not shoveling food in.
You would think there there would be a standard of care established by now that doctors could follow since it is kind of a serious topic.
Being put on insulin while GD when you don’t truly need it can mess up your natural insulin production after Baby is born, according to my MFM doctor (and why he try’s meds before going to insulin).
We have two sleeping beauties in heaven. Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016. Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015. They will be forever missed.
@bdesterhouse yeah, I thought 1hr from the first bite was odd too, but we'll see. I pick up my meter from the Pharm today and yesterday at my appt was told I'm borderline but idk if that has anything to do with it because they were telling everyone at the diabetes class that.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@meggyme@bdesterhouse I was told 1 hour, but not from first bite. I just do mine approximately one hour after I eat. Aiming for a time in the middle of when I start and when I finish. My post meal numbers are fine, it’s only my fasting that’s high. My dietician seemed to lean toward insulin vs. medication because it’s something our bodies already produce naturally.
@purpleteacher82 that's the same reason that my MFM leaned toward insulin over other medications. It's well proven not to cross to the placenta and it's apparently worth the needle sticks to have that peace of mind. What kind of bedtime snack are you eating? My class instructor mentioned that not eating a good night time snack can lead to your sugars dropping and then your body over-compensating by the time you take your fasting numbers.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@meggyme I’ve tried lots of different snacks at bedtime...whole wheat toast with PB, halo top (high protein) ice cream, a protein shake (5 carbs - 30g protein), just to name a few. Nothing really seems to make a difference!
I test 1 hour from when I finish my meals. My doctor uses insulin as their first line med for the same reasons mentioned above. The differences between practices are crazy!
I had a terrible stomach bug yesterday that was exacerbated every time I ate. But I have to rat every few hours to keep my BG stable. It was miserable. So far so good today.
I finally met with the diabetes educator yesterday and she was helpful. She feels I need to up my carb intake. I've lost 6 lbs in 12 days so I think shes probably not wrong. I dont want more meds but I also want to make sure baby and I are getting what we need so I'm trying to tolerate it.
Anyone else get kind of competitive with yourself about numbers? At one hour I have to be under 140 but if I'm over 120 it bothers me.
@meggyme I'm glad you were able to get some support finally! @purpleteacher82 how's it going with insulin? Are your fasting numbers looking better? @bdesterhouse it's nice to hear things get easier with time and routine
@lemieuxk STILL haven’t started insulin yet! I talked to the pharmacy about the screw up with pens/syringes on Friday, but by the time we figured it all out my OB was closed and they needed to contact them to fix it. I didn’t hear anything on Monday, but since I had an OB appt. in the late afternoon I explained to them what happened and they said they got it straightened out and sent what was needed to the pharmacy. Well, I didnt receive a noticfication that I have new prescription today. So, I guess I will call my OB and the pharmacy again tomorrow! UGH!
I eat a Colby jack cheese stick before bed. I also take my sugars before stepping foot out of bed. If I wake up at 4 needing to pee, I still take my sugars before getting out of bed. I’ve found I get my most accurate numbers for fasting by doing that. If I brush my teeth or use mouth wash then my fasting sugars are in the 90’s instead of the normal high 70’s low 80’s.
We have two sleeping beauties in heaven. Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016. Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015. They will be forever missed.
I was diagnosed right after Thanksgiving. My numbers are usually under 115 after each meal so they are under control. but my fasting numbers were above 100 the first few days. I wanted to be put on insulin for that. Insulin shots are not bad at all. They have to keep increasing my insulin at night because my numbers creep up each week as my placenta grows.
I do find walking after I eat for about 15 minutes really helps! Hard to do when it’s cold out. But I live in nyc so we walk everywhere anyway so it’s not that bad.
Even though my numbers have been really good, i still am having a huge baby. I only weigh 110 pounds (pre-pregnancy) and I was a tiny baby myself, but this baby is in the 85th percentile at 32 weeks and her head is in the 98th percentile!!! The doctor said she did not think it was because of the diabetes. She said usually babies who are large because of diabetes have a lot of fat on them and she said my baby just had a big head and long body. So who knows!! Scared about pushing her out!
If you were type one it would borderline low, as long as you don’t feel jittery or light headed then it is okay. You don’t want it much lower than that though.
We have two sleeping beauties in heaven. Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016. Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015. They will be forever missed.
That’s what I’m supposed to try for as well. It’s kind of hard to stay at that number at times which surprised me honestly. I find I’m either way over or way under depending what we have.
We have two sleeping beauties in heaven. Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016. Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015. They will be forever missed.
My fasting numbers are slowly driving me insane. I know it takes time to get the insulin dosage right, but it gets my day off to a terrible start to have a high number even with the meds at bedtime. I know they're hormonally controlled and there isnt much I can do about it but grrr.
@lemieuxk Same! I had my highest fasting number this morning of 115. Now I am super pissed off that this whole insulin debacle has taken almost a week to get resolved.
I really need to start following my diabetes instructor and stop trying to reinvent the wheel... I had 2 strawberries on my whole wheat english muffin with PB today and got a 153. At first I was like "oh shoot, I forgot to wash my hands first. Obviously my meter is reading the strawberries and coffee on my hands" Nope. Still 150. No more fruit for breakfast...
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@meggyme everyone is different but I find adding adequate fat to my meals makes a huge difference. I can do berries at breakfast if I mix them with plain full fat yogurt. Bread (and I'd assume English muffins) are not my friend, though. Even whole wheat I can only do 1 slice to stay under my target. My breakfast is usually an omelette w cheese, sausage, and yogurt w berries and I get awesome numbers with it. Its such a crapshoot, though!
@purpleteacher82 that's frustrating. I will say that I didn't realize it takes some time after starting meds to figure out the dose that works. They started me at 6 units, then 8, and I'm sure theyll go up again today. The good news has been that the injections really dont hurt at all with the pen. Less than the finger sticks for me!
@lemieuxk that's so interesting, because my instructor said to stay away from dairy and fruit in the morning and go for the bread and protein instead. I thought I might be able to get away with it if I mixed just a little with the protein of the pb but apparently it was too much. I might try the bread without the fruit tomorrow and if the same thing happens I'll have to change it up. I just don't have time in the morning to make eggs, especially since I now have to squeeze taking my BS into my already crammed morning routine.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
My doctor said no bread or fruit for me. I have the same boring breakfast every morning. Two scrambled eggs (or egg whites) and half an avocado. I eat around 6:45 am test at 7:45. Then I have half and English muffin with pb as my mid morning snack around 9:30 or 10:00.
I eat toast with PB or oatmeal most mornings, but I pair it with some turkey sausage links and a low carb protein shake. Pairing the carbs with high protein keeps my numbers down. I can also do some fruit as long as I am eating an equal (or more) amount of protein with it. @meggyme I made a sausage, cheese, and egg bake over the weekend that I can just pop in the microwave. That may be an option!
AFM, finally got my insulin. I will start it tonight and hopefully it starts to bring my fasting numbers down soon.
@purpleteacher82 I'll have to try something like that. I think it might actually be just the timing of my morning coffee that is throwing off my breakfast number. I usually make it while I'm making breakfast and sip on it until I get to work, which is about the time I'm supposed to test for breakfast. I got a 139 today, but I also finished my coffee about 10 minutes before I tested, which is earlier than I usually do. I'll have to make some eggs tonight and see if more protein makes any difference.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@meggyme I bet that's impacting it! Especially if you take cream/sugar in your coffee.
Anyone else struggle with anxiety around food since starting on the diet? I get super nervous when I eat anything I haven't had before and I almost can't even enjoy it. Last night my mom brought in a taco salad because I couldn't stand ordering off the hospital menu again. I was so nervous and then was at 98 for my 1 hour. I have a very perfectionistic personality and I think getting a "score" for everything I eat is messing with my head (even though I logically know it doesnt work that way.)
My fasting numbers are still not in range, 99 today. They seem to be increasing insulin 2 units every two days but I'm not noticing a huge difference yet.
@lemieuxk I think that's probably my problem too. I make an almond milk latte, but the whole thing is 7.5g of carbs, 5g sugar (which I now realize is probably the problem), 1g protein.
Other than breakfast I almost think I might be more on the hypoglycemic side of things. When I follow the carb allowances I've ended up with numbers in the 80's 1hr after the first bite and this morning my fasting was in the 60's. I've definitely experienced hypoglycemic symptoms before, like feeling shaky and getting headaches.
I don't get anxiety so much about specific meals (although I haven't tackled eating out yet) but around the meal planning. I was just thinking how I miss being able to just say "F it, let's order in". Now that's even more complicated than just snacking for dinner. Last night it took me 45minutes just to find a good recipe to make with the salmon I had bought.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
Download calorie king, it’s helpful with looking up carbs pretty quickly. That should help with meal planning.
I know know a lot of you have just recently found out you have GD, but have you experienced less movement if you are experiencing higher glucose numbers? Like the higher your number the lazier baby gets?
We have two sleeping beauties in heaven. Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016. Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015. They will be forever missed.
@bdesterhouse I feel like it's the opposite, but my LO is violent when she moves.
I've been using myfitnesspal to track and look up my numbers and it's less the actual planning, although that's always been my issue, as it is the lack of flexibility. Even with snacks I have to think it all out the night before because I can't just run to the vending machine if I get hungry.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
Yeah, I don’t know if it’s just bc this girl is flipping her schedule around or if it’s the higher sugars. I can’t google it either bc it just brings up drinking oj to get more movements and that will skyrocket my sugar levels.
Coffee yesterday didnt get her actove at all. She’s already stubborn.
The flexibility is probably the the hardest part, but you get used to how your body reacts to different foods. Not all carbs or calories are created equally and your body will react differently to all of them.
Just an example for me, I can eat the same amount of carbs for Mac and cheese as spaghetti and my sugars will be higher with spaghetti than after eating the Mac and cheese. I have no clue why.
I also have to use the same finger to do all my testing from. I’ll get entirely different readings from different fingers if I test them at the same time. So to be consistent, I use my left middle finger.
We have two sleeping beauties in heaven. Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016. Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015. They will be forever missed.
@bdesterhouse YES!!! I asked my doctor about blood sugar and baby's movement for the same reason. Even my doctor keeps saying that I should have more movement after meals (higher glucose levels), but it's the opposite for me. I feel the most movement when my readings are low or right before I need to eat. I'm so glad you mentioned it. And haha, yes, I tried to Google it too. The internet is no help here. (Disclaimer: I'm Type 2, not GD but I'm guessing the effects of glucose on baby movement is similar.)
Oh, also - for me, pairing carbs with fats or protein helps keep my numbers lower. That may be why you react differently with mac and cheese versus spaghetti?
The differences between fingers for glucose readings, though. I've never heard of that. Might do some experimenting next time I have to test.
I still can't quite get a handle on breakfast. I held off on coffee until after I tested and still had a 129 after an hour. Better but not quite passing. I'm going to re-test an hr after coffee to see how that is. Any recommendations on better coffee creamers? I try to avoid artificial sweeteners when I can, but I might not be able to for creamer.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
ETA: I made a bunch of egg sandwiches with bacon, I'm wondering if upping the protein in the morning will help. I wanted to try and rule out my coffee as the culprit this morning so I tried to keep the rest of breakfast the same. Without the coffee it was only about a 10 mg/dL difference.
ETAA: 2hrs after breakfast/1hr after coffee was 98 so it's definitely not the coffee and few carbs/sugars in that.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@meggyme that's super tightly controlled! I have to be under 140 at an hour, I've heard of 130 but never 120! My 1 hour pp readings are often under 120 at an hour but certainly not always. If I had your parameters I'd be over several times a week and my doctor is super happy with those numbers.
@lemieuxk Idk if they say 120 but there's actually some wiggle room there. Most meals I can do it, but breakfast has been my downfall. I'm pretty sure I'm more hypoglycemic, which makes the breakfast numbers even stranger. I'm just glad it's not my coffee doing it. I was really unhappy about the prospect of having to give up coffee in addition to everything else.
Does anyone else find that all the meal plans/advice are not very realistic/ work friendly? Like taking a walk after a high number. If I just tested an hour after I ate, my lunch break is over and I don't have the ability to just get up and take a stroll.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
Re: The GD Thread
Im glad you finally got the class done and are getting your meter. Hopefully, you can get an idea of where your glucose levels are over the next few days.
I’ve known since I got pregnant I had GD. I’ve had it with all my pregnancies, however this time I was put on glyberide at night and it has helped so much. I’d definitely recommend it before letting your doc put you on insulin right away. (Personal opinion)
I will also say it seems like there is no set standard on how to handle GD by doctors or dieticians. The amount of carbs, when to test, meds before insulin- I’ve found so many differing opinions that GDmoms are given.
My perinate doc has me testing fasting sugars (before even stepping a foot out of bed, I’ve found brushing my teeth spikes my numbers, and playing on my phone before testing also changes my numbers) and testing my sugars two hours after I take my last bite of food. So my sugars at 1 hour really don’t matter. I’ve taken them just to see what they are and it’s amazing how quickly they can go in range between the one and two hour mark. I was told to keep my sugars around 120 two hours after eating. I was freaking out before, bc after lunch I’d range between 125-145, my perinate doc has said consistently my numbers look ideal, probably bc the rest of my numbers are well below 120. I’m my hungriest at lunch time, so I think that’s my issue. I was also told to eat before bed to help my fasting sugars. GD doesn’t work like normal diabeties and will do the opposite of what our goal is if we don’t eat a small snack to tell our body you don’t need more sugar.
Idk if it’s because I’m used to it, but GD really isn’t all that bad. I just have to make sure to set timers so I test on time.
Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016.
Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015.
They will be forever missed.
My sugars would be through the roof if I tested an hour after my first bite bc half the time it takes me that long to finish eating if I’m grazing and not shoveling food in.
You would think there there would be a standard of care established by now that doctors could follow since it is kind of a serious topic.
Being put on insulin while GD when you don’t truly need it can mess up your natural insulin production after Baby is born, according to my MFM doctor (and why he try’s meds before going to insulin).
Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016.
Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015.
They will be forever missed.
I had a terrible stomach bug yesterday that was exacerbated every time I ate. But I have to rat every few hours to keep my BG stable. It was miserable. So far so good today.
I finally met with the diabetes educator yesterday and she was helpful. She feels I need to up my carb intake. I've lost 6 lbs in 12 days so I think shes probably not wrong. I dont want more meds but I also want to make sure baby and I are getting what we need so I'm trying to tolerate it.
Anyone else get kind of competitive with yourself about numbers? At one hour I have to be under 140 but if I'm over 120 it bothers me.
@meggyme I'm glad you were able to get some support finally!
@purpleteacher82 how's it going with insulin? Are your fasting numbers looking better?
@bdesterhouse it's nice to hear things get easier with time and routine
Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016.
Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015.
They will be forever missed.
I do find walking after I eat for about 15 minutes really helps! Hard to do when it’s cold out. But I live in nyc so we walk everywhere anyway so it’s not that bad.
Even though my numbers have been really good, i still am having a huge baby. I only weigh 110 pounds (pre-pregnancy) and I was a tiny baby myself, but this baby is in the 85th percentile at 32 weeks and her head is in the 98th percentile!!! The doctor said she did not think it was because of the diabetes. She said usually babies who are large because of diabetes have a lot of fat on them and she said my baby just had a big head and long body. So who knows!! Scared about pushing her out!
Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016.
Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015.
They will be forever missed.
Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016.
Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015.
They will be forever missed.
Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016.
Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015.
They will be forever missed.
@purpleteacher82 that's frustrating. I will say that I didn't realize it takes some time after starting meds to figure out the dose that works. They started me at 6 units, then 8, and I'm sure theyll go up again today. The good news has been that the injections really dont hurt at all with the pen. Less than the finger sticks for me!
AFM, finally got my insulin. I will start it tonight and hopefully it starts to bring my fasting numbers down soon.
Anyone else struggle with anxiety around food since starting on the diet? I get super nervous when I eat anything I haven't had before and I almost can't even enjoy it. Last night my mom brought in a taco salad because I couldn't stand ordering off the hospital menu again. I was so nervous and then was at 98 for my 1 hour. I have a very perfectionistic personality and I think getting a "score" for everything I eat is messing with my head (even though I logically know it doesnt work that way.)
My fasting numbers are still not in range, 99 today. They seem to be increasing insulin 2 units every two days but I'm not noticing a huge difference yet.
Other than breakfast I almost think I might be more on the hypoglycemic side of things. When I follow the carb allowances I've ended up with numbers in the 80's 1hr after the first bite and this morning my fasting was in the 60's. I've definitely experienced hypoglycemic symptoms before, like feeling shaky and getting headaches.
I don't get anxiety so much about specific meals (although I haven't tackled eating out yet) but around the meal planning. I was just thinking how I miss being able to just say "F it, let's order in". Now that's even more complicated than just snacking for dinner. Last night it took me 45minutes just to find a good recipe to make with the salmon I had bought.
I know know a lot of you have just recently found out you have GD, but have you experienced less movement if you are experiencing higher glucose numbers? Like the higher your number the lazier baby gets?
Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016.
Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015.
They will be forever missed.
I've been using myfitnesspal to track and look up my numbers and it's less the actual planning, although that's always been my issue, as it is the lack of flexibility. Even with snacks I have to think it all out the night before because I can't just run to the vending machine if I get hungry.
Coffee yesterday didnt get her actove at all. She’s already stubborn.
The flexibility is probably the the hardest part, but you get used to how your body reacts to different foods. Not all carbs or calories are created equally and your body will react differently to all of them.
Just an example for me, I can eat the same amount of carbs for Mac and cheese as spaghetti and my sugars will be higher with spaghetti than after eating the Mac and cheese. I have no clue why.
I also have to use the same finger to do all my testing from. I’ll get entirely different readings from different fingers if I test them at the same time. So to be consistent, I use my left middle finger.
Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016.
Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015.
They will be forever missed.
Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016.
Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015.
They will be forever missed.
Oh, also - for me, pairing carbs with fats or protein helps keep my numbers lower. That may be why you react differently with mac and cheese versus spaghetti?
The differences between fingers for glucose readings, though. I've never heard of that. Might do some experimenting next time I have to test.
Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016.
Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015.
They will be forever missed.
ETA: I made a bunch of egg sandwiches with bacon, I'm wondering if upping the protein in the morning will help. I wanted to try and rule out my coffee as the culprit this morning so I tried to keep the rest of breakfast the same. Without the coffee it was only about a 10 mg/dL difference.
ETAA: 2hrs after breakfast/1hr after coffee was 98 so it's definitely not the coffee and few carbs/sugars in that.
Does anyone else find that all the meal plans/advice are not very realistic/ work friendly? Like taking a walk after a high number. If I just tested an hour after I ate, my lunch break is over and I don't have the ability to just get up and take a stroll.