Developed Gestational Diabetes Whilst Eating Healthy - Confused

[iluvcocopops]

Just got a call from the hospital to be told the sugar in my blood is too high. I've to go back for more blood tests to see if it comes down.

The nurse started asking if I take lots of fizzy drinks or eat a lot of buns and cakes - I answered no cos I hardly ever eat sweet stuff. I'm so confused as to why my sugar levels are high cos theres no diabetes in my close family, im only 30 and certainly not over weight (i only weight 52kg). I've been reading up on it and the info says you need to replace sugary foods with more fruit and veg and learn how to control your weight. I'm at a lose as to how I can control this when I'm already eating healthy and thin.

Has anyone else been diagnosed with GD and confused to how they developed it?

 

[Pink1981]

I had GD with both babies. I had to take a diary of what i was eating to a dietician who told me i was eating too any potatoes and too much fruit. Turns out i could only really cope with apples whilst pregnant. I ended up on insulin for both babies, i guess my body just couldnt handle any sugar, even natural, while pregnant

x

 

[fedupwaiting]

The google information can really confuse and worry us unnecessarily. Swapping certain foods and upping exercise can help certain ladies process sugar better but it's not the reason we get GD.

It is a chemical issue in your body where the changes that pregnancy makes to your insulin production and the processing of sugar is not as effective as it should be.

I think one of the worst things about bring diagnosed is the self blame or panic over "what did I do wrong?" im struggling with that just now myself.

If your diet is already "gd friendly" and your levels still go high it might just mean your body might need medication to help bring them down. But you have no control over that so please don't be hard on yourself xxxx

 

[kdea547]

Sorry about the possible GD. Really, I think medical professionals need to be better educated on diabetes! Any form of diabetes can be worsened or bettered by the kinds of foods you eat, but at the heart of the disease, it's just a matter of something not working correctly in your body. The tendency to develop diabetes is determined by your body's processes and is in no way your fault! The healthiest people in the world can develop diabetes (even type 2) and the unhealthiest can go through life with no problems what-so-ever! In pregnancy, the hormones your placenta is making cause your cells to resist insulin, which is what unlocks your cells to accept sugar from your blood stream. The amount of insulin a woman needs to get sugar into her cells can increase by 10 times the amount you needed before pregnancy. Just like we vary in our needs before pregnancy, we vary in our needs during pregnancy and if we're at the higher end of that insulin need, then most of the time our pancreas can't keep up with it. Controlling with diet is the best, though not always the easiest. And truly, controlling with medication is no big deal and shouldn't make you feel bad. I am up to 3 insulin injections a day and it doesn't affect my day-to-day life. The most important thing is that for your health and your baby's that you keep it under control. Again, not your fault, even if you had been eating junk and not exercising.

 

[iluvcocopops]

I'm just so confused and upset that this has happened - my diet consists of pure fruit juices, dairy, veg, water, green tea, meat and fish. I cant see how I can alter my diet to make it more healthy. I wouldnt say Im blaming myself, cos I honestly cant see what Ive done wrong - I'm just so upset and confused. thanks for the messages tho ladies and glad you are all doing ok in your pregnancies.

 

[GlitterStar]

Its nothing to do with the way you eat I am a type 1 Diabetic. My Diabetic team says when women develope GD its because theres to much strain on your body and sometimes in pregnancy it causes Diabetes cause your body has got to work three times as hard sometime to produce Insulin and other things it cant cope so needs extra help hense why you have it doesnt matter what you ate you could have ate nothing but salad and would still have got it dont worry chick its alright you get monitored like a hawk and you get loads of scans! they sometimes even take you in a we bit early at 38 weeks to have your baby depending on how much it has grew I know its hard to look on the brightside I freak out everyday with my sugars been to low or to high but everything will be fine xxxxxxxxxxx

 

[iluvcocopops]

thanks so much for your emails. Hopefully when the shock of it wears off i'll be ok, just still in shock - as I'm sure you all were too at the time xox

 

[fedupwaiting]

yup it is a huge shock. Once you get into it with the nurses though you will be surprised at the new definition of "healthy" for you.

For example pure fruit juices are often one of the worst culprits for blood sugar- some people would tolerate a chocolate biscuit better than a glass of orange juice.

Similarly many women find a big plate of bacon and eggs for breakfast gives them stable blood sugar levels within the limits and a nice healthy bowl of wholegrain cereal with milk busts them a huge reading.

And your diet that you listed doesn't show many carbs- that can be an issue for blood sugar the same as too many because your body panics and dumps all its sugar at the one time!! Crazy huh?

My dietician said that as modern women we have a clear idea in our head of a healthy diet for weight control but that is not always a healthy diet when our body is resisting its own insulin. It can be a lot to get your head around.

It really doesn't feel fair for sure, but what I have been learning is to keep an open mind.......with the occasional hissy crying fit of self-pity of course lol

Keep posting- it can be good to get all the confusion out because I think that is the main thing we feel at the start!!

 

[iluvcocopops]

Oh no I do eat plenty of carbs - have between 4-6 slices of wholemeal bread everyday, also have potatoes a couple of nights a week. I always take pure fruit juice with no added sugar. Swapped snacks for cereal bars.

Just so sickening cos my boyfriend lives on coke, ice cream and sweets & he's over weight

My next app isnt until 20th June - its gonna be a long wait, but in the meantime its just so difficult to know what to eat when you're already eating healthy

 

[capel]

I am just going to add that all carbs are converted into sugar. When you have diabetes anything more than 10g of carbs have to be monitored. Some people can cope with more, it all depends on how well your pancreas is working. For example one portion of fruit has aroud 10g of carbs, so if you are eating more than that your body will not be able to cope. You can still eat the fruit, but try to space it during the day, not eating more than one portion at a time.

 

[iluvcocopops]

Can I ask when you ladies were diagnosed with GD ?
I've read somewhere that its most commonly found between week 20-28 of pregnancy

 

[kdea547]

Usually between 20-28 weeks is when your hormones reach a level to cause issues. It's standard here to test at 28 weeks, or 16-18 weeks if you have high risk factors (family with diabetes, elevated blood sugar pre-pregnancy, PCOS, previously had GD, etc.). I was officially diagnosed at 18 weeks. I was monitored early on because I had PCOS and was taking metformin for it, which also lowers blood sugar. I also started insulin almost right away because once I stopped taking the metformin (at 15 weeks) my blood sugar started jumping up week to week.

 

[capel]

I am type 1 diabetic so I had it before pregnancy. The only good thing is that I didn't have to learn to control it when pregnant.

 

[iluvcocopops]

My blood test showed high levels of sugar at week 14 - yet i would have been considered low risk

 

[fedupwaiting]

If it has shown up this early then it just
means your baby will get all the benefits of intervention and your sugar levels will be closely monitored.

I know others have said it to you too but risk factors are really just that- things to help docs decide who to test. Actually having GD is to do with your pancreas not producing enough insulin to cope with pregnancy; fat or thin, healthy diet or junk food, family history or none, if you are not processing sugar correctly then you need medical advice and/or intervention to help make sure your baby isn't exposed to sustained high blood sugar levels.