GD support thread

[AmeliePoulain]

Hi Padbrat.

With your carbs switch to brown rice, wholemeal bread - or something like soya and linseed bread, wholemeal pasta etc.

With your meals things 1/4 protein, 1/4 carbs and 1/2 veg.

Think smaller meals and have little snacks throughout the day - I eat lots of cheese, hummus and veg, cold meats etc.

It is worth looking into which fruit and veg are low and high GI - I got caught out a few times by this early on. I personally can't deal with things like parsnips, squash etc very well and I avoid a lot of fruit (especially tropical fruit) and try and limit it to two portions a day.

Are you being referred to a diabetic midwife etc to discuss an action plan?

 

[NatalieW]

At least I'm not the only one who is eating lots of cheese and hummus then!!

 

[AmeliePoulain]

My 2 year old doesn't get a look in on the Babybels...

 

[shambaby]

whit, I have been feeling just the same, my problem is I really want a big chunk of fresh, white bread and some chocolate. The chocolate is actually easier to do - I have found boots do some yummy nougat bars covered in chocolate which have a lot less carbs and sugar than a normal chocolate bar. They are shapers rather than the diabetic chocolate so no dodgy laxatives! I find if I eat one after my evening meal it doesn't cause me a problem.

Padbrat, it's hard to be sure what changes you'll need to make until you are testing, but switching as many carbs as possible to wholegrain and cutting out anything with added sugar is a good start. Although I have been ok with ordinary pasta, so long as I'm careful not to have too much. When it comes to bread wholemeal is not the same as wholegrain. Be careful with fruit - I cut out all fruit juice as the sugar in it is more concentrated, and take care not to have more than one portion at a time. Breakfast cereals are tricky, as most - even the 'healthier'ones have sugar added, and anyway they are high carb. And most importantly be prepared for things to change - just when you think you've found something you can eat, it will start to give you high readings! Oh, and exercise, or at least some activity, after eating can make a big difference, even just getting up and doing the washing up instead of sitting and watching tv. Good luck x

 

[padbrat]

Thanks ladies... I had a feeling the V word would come up...

I cannot stand most vegetables... I have always been the same and some of them actually make me vomit. Hence I tended to get my 5 a day through salad and fruit. I bet all the veggies I do eat are bad now..

sweetcorn, potatoes, raw carrot, onions...... ummm that is about it...

Sham what did you mean about whole grain and brown bread being not the same thing... is one better than the other.. gotta say I hate both, but will have it if I have to. Is there any cereal that I can have? Was having muesli to which I added raisins, nuts and seeds.. til my Sis (who is diabetic) told me that was probably the worse thing to have for breakfast.

I go for a walk every lunch time when I am at work and it is up a hill... but as my thyroid is toxic at the mo (overactive... massively) even walking up stairs has me so breathless and my heart palpitating that it is big struggle for me. However, we def take your point about moving about after a meal... even if it isn't a walk.

 

[NatalieW]

Cooked breakfast is the best type of diabetic breakfast you can have. I have scrambled egg with a slice of toast and bacon each day.

 

[BroodyBlair]

Does anyone else wonder how they got this?

Just sat thinking, i don't meet any of the criteria for GD, listed below!

Prior to pregnancy, i was normal weight range with normal BMI and worked out 5-6 days/week. No-one in my family has diabetes. First baby. Never had high blood pressure. I am 35.

According to the American Diabetes Association, you're considered at high risk for this condition (and should be screened early) if:
•You're obese (your body mass index is over 30).
•You've had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy.
•You have sugar in your urine.
•You have a strong family history of diabetes.

Some practitioners will also screen you early if you have other risk factors, such as:
•You've previously given birth to a big baby. Some use 8 pounds, 13 ounces (4,000 grams, or 4 kilos) as the cutoff; others use 9 pounds, 14 ounces (4,500 grams, or 4.5 kilos).
•You've had an unexplained stillbirth.
•You've had a baby with a birth defect.
•You have high blood pressure.
•You're over 35.

Just wondering! xx

 

[NatalieW]

I don't meet any of them either. Its just how your body reacts to being pregnant I guess.

 

[Newt4]

I also don't meet any of the above. It's all the placenta. We have crazy placentas that all their is too it lol

 

[padbrat]

Ooo Natalie that sounds like a grand breakfast... I may well give that a go tomorrow! Thanks!

Newt I had no idea that this was caused by the placenta... wow...

Brood unfortunately I met some of those criteria... due to family history and age (the medical system says I am an old bird lol).

 

[BroodyBlair]

Thanks ladies just wondering and as you say it's jst how our bodies react! Xx

 

[shambaby]

Padbrat, the best bread to have will specifically say wholegrain - that would be granary types with grains and seeds in - they are highest in fibre so take longer to digest, so they will slowly release its energy, rather than causing a spike. You can get special low carb brands, too. Wholemeal is better than white, but less fibre than wholegrain, so will raise your blood sugar quicker. And white bread will do crazy things to your levels, or at least it does to mine.

 

[padbrat]

Thanks for the info Sham... so I have to wave goodbye to my lovely Warburtons Toastie then... Boo Hoo!

 

[080509]

Does anyone else wonder how they got this?

Just sat thinking, i don't meet any of the criteria for GD, listed below!

Prior to pregnancy, i was normal weight range with normal BMI and worked out 5-6 days/week. No-one in my family has diabetes. First baby. Never had high blood pressure. I am 35.

According to the American Diabetes Association, you're considered at high risk for this condition (and should be screened early) if:
•You're obese (your body mass index is over 30).
•You've had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy.
•You have sugar in your urine.
•You have a strong family history of diabetes.

Some practitioners will also screen you early if you have other risk factors, such as:
•You've previously given birth to a big baby. Some use 8 pounds, 13 ounces (4,000 grams, or 4 kilos) as the cutoff; others use 9 pounds, 14 ounces (4,500 grams, or 4.5 kilos).
•You've had an unexplained stillbirth.
•You've had a baby with a birth defect.
•You have high blood pressure.
•You're over 35.

Just wondering! xx

Ask them to check you for type 1 diabetes antibodies. I was around 8 stone, and with my first baby only just went over the mark for the high GTT, then in my second pregnancy they were wary as i didn't meet the criteria for GD/type 2, so they did antibody tests, turns out i was slow onset type 1. After my baby was born i ended up in DKA with a blood sugar level of 26mmol. I would ask them to be on the safe side.

 

[midori1999]

Thanks for the info Sham... so I have to wave goodbye to my lovely Warburtons Toastie then... Boo Hoo!

Hovis seed sensations dark roasted is delicious.

 

[AmeliePoulain]

I didn't have any of the risk factors when carrying my daughter - obviously this time with it being a 2nd pregnancy after a previous GD pregnancy I was almost certainly doomed from the beginning

I really do enjoy the soya and linseed bread now which is very good for my levels, even my 2 year old likes it - which is saying something!

We went out for lunch the other day and the place only had white bread and she looked at it in utter disgust and asked for 'Mummy's spec-al bread'

I feel like my body is really taking it hard at the moment with diet control at this stage I can eat so little and am constantly exhausted and sleepy. Eating food (even food that is giving me normal readings after 2 hours) is making me incredibly tired for a good while after I eat.

I spoke to the hospital yesterday and they were very sympathetic and just said that this is how it goes at this stage and just to rest and do the best I could. It is really hard though - I am developing such a negative relationship with food. As ridiculous as it sounds a part of me wishes I hadn't battled so hard for so long to stay diet controlled, I feel like my body is exhausted and if I had just gone on to meds this would be so much easier now. I would probably be having my baby this week...instead I have over a week until I am induced

 

[shambaby]

My team have specifically said I'm not to starve myself - I need to eat and he I can't keep my sugars down with a sensible diet then I need some treatment, so there's really no pressure to stay diet controlled except from myself! I'm actually doing pretty well at the minute - it's been over a week now since my last high reading, just struggling to stop myself from snacking on the wrong things between meals. Helps that a high blood sugar makes me feel pants, though.

 

[kintenda]

Does anyone else wonder how they got this?

Just sat thinking, i don't meet any of the criteria for GD, listed below!

Prior to pregnancy, i was normal weight range with normal BMI and worked out 5-6 days/week. No-one in my family has diabetes. First baby. Never had high blood pressure. I am 35.

According to the American Diabetes Association, you're considered at high risk for this condition (and should be screened early) if:
•You're obese (your body mass index is over 30).
•You've had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy.
•You have sugar in your urine.
•You have a strong family history of diabetes.

Some practitioners will also screen you early if you have other risk factors, such as:
•You've previously given birth to a big baby. Some use 8 pounds, 13 ounces (4,000 grams, or 4 kilos) as the cutoff; others use 9 pounds, 14 ounces (4,500 grams, or 4.5 kilos).
•You've had an unexplained stillbirth.
•You've had a baby with a birth defect.
•You have high blood pressure.
•You're over 35.

Just wondering! xx

Those are the UK guidelines too. It is definitely frustrating - my BMI was 27 at booking (and have only put on 5lb since then) so whilst not perfect, certainly not awful. Even the diabetic consultant made a point of saying that! My aunt has type 2 but she is really big. Saying that, I was already on Metformin as a treatment for PCOS and it was very successful for me (clearly as I'm pregnant, ha!) so I must have had some level of insulin resistance anyway. Even so, it wasn't guaranteed by any means that I was going to get it so I was pretty gutted. Don't beat yourself up about it, it sounds like you have a healthy lifestyle and so are already in the best mindset to continue taking care of yourself in your pregnancy

 

[shambaby]

We got it because we have a genetic pre-disposition to get it, simple as that. Being overweight doesn't directly cause type 2 otherwise every overweight person would have it, but it does put extra strain on your body to produce more insulin and if you have the genetic pre-disposition you will more likely develop type 2. Pregnancy causes it in the same way - demand for insulin is increased, as is insulin resistance, so if you are genetically pre-dispositioned towards diabetes you will be more likely to develop it. All the risk factors are either things which mean you are more likely to have the gene (family history, ethnic origin), things which put the extra strain on your body (raised BMI) or possible signs that you have had it before but weren't diagnosed (previous big baby, previous unexplained stillbirth). So don't feel bad, there's nothing any of us could have done to prevent up from developing GD, but now that we know we have the genetic pre-disposition there is plenty we can do to reduce our chances of developing type 2 later on. My diabetes nurse says we actually now have an advantage in knowing we are at risk. Not sure I'm ready to look on the bright side yet, though!

 

[padbrat]

Midori - thanks for the info I will def check it out.

Sham I couldn't have said it any better myself... mine is genetic factors. Bloomin pants! My Sis (Nurse and diabetic) said so long as we follow the rules set for us bu the diabetic team chances are it will stop when we give birth.

I hope so.

Hospital for me now... lets see what they say.