@akmiller98 my diabetes coordinator wanted me to make sure I’m still eating the required amount of carbs for breakfast and recommended trying a different source, like oatmeal or potatoes instead of bread. She said cutting carbs completely doesn’t help. It’s so frustrating that what works one day doesn’t another.
@purpleteacher82 my fasting was up 6 and my breakfast was up 16 from yesterday’s. I made one more overnight oatmeal container so I’m going to give it one more try tomorrow to see if maybe it was my slightly higher fasting that did it. If that doesn’t help I’ll give potatoes a try and by then it will be time for my next MFM appt and they’ll want to discuss insulin.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@meggyme that’s so interesting. My dietician said no carbs, dairy, or fruit for breakfast—Which is super limiting. She told me to get my carbs in after breakfast. I guess as we have learned, everyone has different guidelines. 😀
Third day of the same breakfast and the highest reading after an hour yet. I guess I won't be eating much oatmeal after all. I'll be getting some Jimmy Dean breakfast bowls and trying potatoes in the morning this week. Hopefully that will be the magic bullet. Fasting was also up this morning, but still in range. I think I will also be locking down my bedtime snack and not experimenting anymore. Next MFM appt is next Monday and at this rate they'll be putting me on breakfast insulin.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@meggyme ugh. I'm sorry to hear that! It's so frustrating and such a head game. Going on insulin sounds really scary but I've found it to be not that big a deal. I'm hoping your MFM is supportive and able to come up with a good plan for you! It sounds like you're doing absolutely everything you can.
My fasting continues to stay stubbornly out of range, but I did take my insulin an hour earlier than normal last night and had my lowest fasting all week (96) despite being up for two hours in the middle of the night so I might give that another go. I'm staring to see my numbers creep up after meals, too. Still within range but eating the same meal is reading 5-10 pts higher. I assume its increasing insulin resistance due to getting further along. I'm sure they'll bump my nighttime insulin again tomorrow. Just chasing and chasing this number but staying 1-5 above.
@lemieuxk it is such a head game! It seems like every time you think you've got it figured out something changes. It sucks because I feel like I'm not giving it my best shot in the morning but I have absolutely no time to add anything else in, like walking after breakfast. If I wake up an hour earlier I might, but I wake up at 6am and have started to not sleep well at night as it is.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
Hello! Super late to the party but have been following for a while. Also diagnosed with GD (on Christmas Eve! So mean). This is my first pregnancy, due March 6. I was doing ok in my numbers with diet/exercise for the first few weeks, but then my fasting numbers started going up last week, so they put me on bedtime insulin on Friday.. only 4 units so far but it seems to be doing the trick for now. Seems like things can change quickly though as others have mentioned!
Holy forking shirtballs (good place, anyone?) My fasting was 90 today! Which I know isn't even that good but it is for me! Taking my insulin an hour earlier seems to be doing the trick!
@lemieuxk yay! That’s what has helped me too. I still have to increase my insulin almost each week (I’m at 32 units) but at least my numbers arent in the 100s. Mine was 92 this morning. Not where I’d like it to be but at least within range.
@lemieuxk I’m glad that’s working! How long between taking your insulin at night and taking your fasting blood sugar in the morning? I’m curious if adjusting the time might make a difference for me.
@purpleteacher82 the past two nights I took my insulin at 8 and then tested in the morning between 530 and 630. I have my bedtime snack after my insulin (like 830 or 9ish) to keep my fast under 10 hours. It might be a total coincidence but I had a 96 then a 90, which was a huge improvement. I also was up for multiple hours overnight both nights which would normally make things worse. I did it the first time just because I was tired and wanted to go to bed early
@lemieuxk Thanks! I may try to do mine a little earlier and eat my snack later. I’ve been eating my snack and then doing my insulin right after. Usually sometime between 8:30-9:30. My fast is usually somewhere between 9-9.5 hours. Ironically, my lowest fasting number was when my fast was a little more than 10 hours. Not sure if that was a coincidence or not?
It's a UK site, but I read this today and thought it was interesting. TLDR; wk 32-36 are when insulin resistance is at its worst and blood sugars can then start to drop after 36 weeks. It might explain why we've all been having such a hard time recently.
And once again I have one great day with a specific carb and the next day with an identical breakfast (literally, 2 identical Jimmy Dean breakfast bowls) I go over. I'm such a creature of habit I need to be able to mass produce breakfast and eat the same thing every morning. Now I'm wondering if I need to rotate what carb I'm eating every day. The inconsistency is killing me!
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@meggyme that's so frustrating! How did your MFM appointment go? Was it helpful.
My fasting was back up to 99 this morning, so I'm feeling similarly frustrated. I'm trying hard to accept that it's just not in my control but it's really freaking hard
@lemieuxk ugh, that sucks. Just when we think we've cracked the code... My MFM appt isn't until Monday. I'm probably going to experiment with the oatmeal recipe I have since it's pretty carb heavy. I'm hoping if I tweak it to be fewer carbs and maybe wait until after I test for my coffee it'll work. But even with a lot of carbs, I had one day with good numbers. If it failed from the jump it'd be easier to accept and understand. I almost feel like I need a different carb source for every day of the week to just rotate through since the first time I try anything it just gives me hope for the next day only to come crashing down when the exact same thing spikes me.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
I’ve been eating oatmeal most mornings and it seems to work best if I stir in a spoonful or two of almond butter... maybe something to try! I personally have a harder time with carbs in the evening than in the morning though, so I know we’re all different. I use 1/3 cup oatmeal, my breakfast numbers vary (which is weird since I’m eating the same thing), but are always in range by the time I test at 2 hrs.
Has anyone started to have trouble with getting enough blood for their tests lately? I can't tell if the skin on my fingers is toughening up, if my lancet is getting weaker, or something else. I tend to expect it in the morning when I'm a little dehydrated from fasting, but I had to stick myself 3 times to get enough blood after lunch when I'd been drinking water all morning.
I'm still battling my breakfast number, now without any creamer in my coffee removed because they think any milk (including almond milk) in the morning might spike me. The last 2 days I've still been slightly over numbers, but not terrible. I also ended up cheating last night for dinner when we had pizza. I thought if I had thin crust I might be able to get away with it, but no chance.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@meggyme have you tried fairlife milk in your coffee? It's lower carb and higher protein, so the carbs in a couple tablespoons would be negligible. I think there 6g carb in a whole cup. I would be so salty if I had to give up cream in my coffee. I haven't had many issues w getting enough blood. The nurse showed me to hold at a downward angle and kind of milk my finger if I wasn't getting enough.
As for me, the battle against fasting rages on. Theyve actually been much better, under 95 50-75% of the time. I was feeling good about that until yesterday when the doc was like "ideally we would really like them under 90 consistently". So we continue to bump up periodically. The longest theyll let me go is 36 weeks, so I'm 20 days or less from delivery! There's a good chance theyll re-admit me to the hospital Friday if my fluid doesnt look better than it did Monday so I'm bracing for that
@lemieuxk I haven't tried fairlife, although I've heard good things. I had been using unsweetened almond milk but they think that it may still be spiking me after breakfast. I'll have to look up how to properly milk my finger for blood. Normally I try to squeeze more out of it and lately it hasn't been getting me enough. That's nuts that you're so close! Hopefully you have a good US Friday so you can spend more of it at home.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@meggyme Are you always using the same finger? I try to use a different finger each of the 4 times I test during the day. I sometimes hit spots that don’t bleed well, but not often. My only other thought would be to turn up the number on your lancet.
Also, I’ve been using my premier protein drinks as coffee creamer sometimes. That may be worth a try.
@purpleteacher82 I rotate fingers and which side of each finger I use, but I might be hitting to far from the fingertip. I really don’t want to turn up my lancet because I already feel like a couple fingers are getting sore with it set to 2. I got some vanilla premier shakes with that in mind but Ineed to figure out what I can get away with eating first. 😕
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
Feeling depressed about GD today. I’m tired of thinking so much about what I eat and would really just love some pizza or a donut right now. Pregnancy hormones might just be in full swing today and making me feel down. Anyway, just needed to complain to those that would understand. ☹️
@purpleteacher82 hugs. It’s exhausting, especially since even going out or ordering in isn’t really a feasible option. They usually take more worrying and guess work. I’ve already told MH he’s getting me pizza and donuts after I deliver. I have a decent Keto brownie recipe I can share. It uses almond flour and xylitol sweetener and is pretty good hot with a little peanut butter on top.
@meggme Thanks! I would kill for some brownies so that recipe may come in handy. I actually do pretty well with restaurant food and sometimes find it easier than trying to figure out what to cook. But I still have to mostly stick with the same types of foods when we go out to eat or pick up a quick dinner. It gets boring. I consoled myself by eating 4 tbsp of cookie dough flavored peanut butter as my snack. 😂 I’m just having one of those days.
@purpleteacher82 totally can relate right now, all I’ve been thinking/talking about the last two days is pizza. I was even complaining to my hairdresser about it yesterday! Ughhh, we are almost there!
I have also told my husband to have an assortment of munchkins waiting for me when I get home! I have a tiny bit of pizza everyday for lunch. 1/4 of a quest low carb pizza from target. I take it to work cold with a spinach smoothie (gross. It’s just spinach, water and I add a strawberry and a grape for sweetness) and almonds. Same lunch every day but my number is always below 120. It’s actually the only carb my body seems to be able to handle. And it tastes pretty good. I tried cauliflower pizza crust and that didn’t work for me. It will hold me over though until I can eat real pizza again.
I definitely cheated earlier this week with thin crust frozen CPK with a salad, but I think the 3rd slice I just couldn’t resist put me over. BBQ chicken probably wasn’t the best variety to choose either. I have a different digiorno pizza I’ve been too gun shy to open up.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
So I think I finally had a breakthrough with my breakfast number. The last few days I’ve been having coffee and a light snack, testing, then eating a larger breakfast, and testing again and I haven’t gone over 105 after an hour in 4 or 5 days! I emailed my MFM to see if they are ok with this since I’m still eating the same amount of carbs just a little out of order. I really hope they agree that my body just needs a little more time to come up to speed. It feels so good to finally have a handle on this! I just hope it doesn’t change in 3 days.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
Oh good! That’s exactly what I do. I tested after my mid morning snack (which has carbs) to make sure I’m not spiking and I’m not. My body just needs a little time in the morning.
yedterday my fasting number was really low at 69 so I wanted to see if I could have a light carb for breakfast (1/2 whole wheat English muffin). Nope! My after breakfast was 147. So I’m back to eggs and avocado for breakfast and then carbs after I test.
I think I may have finally found the sweet spot with my insulin. I bumped up to 32 units the other night and so far my fasting has been 85 yesterday and 82 this morning. My post-meal numbers were also lower yesterday. I’m feeling relieved! Hopefully, they continue to stay low. 🤞🏼
@purpleteacher82 32u seems to be my magic dosage (for now) as well! I've been there for almost a week and fastings have been in the low to mid 80s. Such a relief, though I know its subject to change at any time. 28u worked for about a week, but my fastings were in the low 90s so this seems more promising. I'm happy for you.
We made almond flour pancakes this morning. I topped them with plain yogurt mixed with pb and a few raspberries. They were honestly not amazing but a nice break from eggs and gave me good numbers It was nice to eat something different!
@lemieuxk I’m glad you have found a good dosage also. I feel like it took too long to get to this point, so hopefully it works for at least a little while. I tried a new breakfast this morning too. I blended a vanilla premier protein drink with a cup of strawberries and blueberries and about 2 tbsp. PB. It made a really delicious smoothie and my post breakfast number was 118!
@lemieuxk@purpleteacher82 I’m glad you both have found a good dosage. Splitting up my breakfast has been working and my MFM is fine with me testing only after the bigger meal. I’ve got more that a week of good numbers and it’s such a relief!
purpleteacher82 the protein shakes are amazing! I’ve been using a vanilla one instead of coffee creamer and and a chocolate one to make overnight oats with. I’m so not a meat person in the morning, so having that as a source of protein to offset the carbs has been a lifesaver.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
Re: The GD Thread
@purpleteacher82 my fasting was up 6 and my breakfast was up 16 from yesterday’s. I made one more overnight oatmeal container so I’m going to give it one more try tomorrow to see if maybe it was my slightly higher fasting that did it. If that doesn’t help I’ll give potatoes a try and by then it will be time for my next MFM appt and they’ll want to discuss insulin.
My fasting continues to stay stubbornly out of range, but I did take my insulin an hour earlier than normal last night and had my lowest fasting all week (96) despite being up for two hours in the middle of the night so I might give that another go. I'm staring to see my numbers creep up after meals, too. Still within range but eating the same meal is reading 5-10 pts higher. I assume its increasing insulin resistance due to getting further along. I'm sure they'll bump my nighttime insulin again tomorrow. Just chasing and chasing this number but staying 1-5 above.
https://www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/32-36-weeks/
My fasting was back up to 99 this morning, so I'm feeling similarly frustrated. I'm trying hard to accept that it's just not in my control but it's really freaking hard
I'm still battling my breakfast number, now without any creamer in my coffee removed because they think any milk (including almond milk) in the morning might spike me. The last 2 days I've still been slightly over numbers, but not terrible. I also ended up cheating last night for dinner when we had pizza. I thought if I had thin crust I might be able to get away with it, but no chance.
As for me, the battle against fasting rages on. Theyve actually been much better, under 95 50-75% of the time. I was feeling good about that until yesterday when the doc was like "ideally we would really like them under 90 consistently". So we continue to bump up periodically. The longest theyll let me go is 36 weeks, so I'm 20 days or less from delivery! There's a good chance theyll re-admit me to the hospital Friday if my fluid doesnt look better than it did Monday so I'm bracing for that
Also, I’ve been using my premier protein drinks as coffee creamer sometimes. That may be worth a try.
https://www.lowcarbspark.com/keto-brownies/
pizza day. My FB has been full of advertisements for pizza and it’s killing me! 😩
I have a tiny bit of pizza everyday for lunch. 1/4 of a quest low carb pizza from target. I take it to work cold with a spinach smoothie (gross. It’s just spinach, water and I add a strawberry and a grape for sweetness) and almonds. Same lunch every day but my number is always below 120. It’s actually the only carb my body seems to be able to handle. And it tastes pretty good. I tried cauliflower pizza crust and that didn’t work for me. It will hold me over though until I can eat real pizza again.
yedterday my fasting number was really low at 69 so I wanted to see if I could have a light carb for breakfast (1/2 whole wheat English muffin). Nope! My after breakfast was 147. So I’m back to eggs and avocado for breakfast and then carbs after I test.
We made almond flour pancakes this morning. I topped them with plain yogurt mixed with pb and a few raspberries. They were honestly not amazing but a nice break from eggs and gave me good numbers It was nice to eat something different!
I tried a new breakfast this morning too. I blended a vanilla premier protein drink with a cup of strawberries and blueberries and about 2 tbsp. PB. It made a really delicious smoothie and my post breakfast number was 118!
purpleteacher82 the protein shakes are amazing! I’ve been using a vanilla one instead of coffee creamer and and a chocolate one to make overnight oats with. I’m so not a meat person in the morning, so having that as a source of protein to offset the carbs has been a lifesaver.