Gestational Diabetes Mamas on Medication

[hakunamatata]

Hello :wave:

I have pretty mild GD which is mostly controlled by diet. However, I've had a few readings that are just a tad too high (supposed to be 140 or lower 1 hour after eating, and I occasionally get 145 or 148). Do you think that they will try to put me on medication if I'm testing less than 10 points over? I figure it really depends on the doctor and/or the practice. I know that some places have stricter standards than others.

If you're on medication, what were your numbers like when the doctors decided you had to go on medication? Just looking for ballpark information so I can be mentally prepared. Thanks in advance.

 

[dogluvr]

I'm on 2 types of insulin for my GD. In the morning I take 17 units of a long acting insulin and 4 units of the same at bedtime. However, if my after dinner reading is good it's up to me if I take the bedtime dose...I've only skipped it twice because my reading 2 hours after dinner were less than 100. At dinner I take 12 units of a fast acting insulin. Dinner is my hardest number to control because it's my largest meal of the day. My dosage is gradually going up across the board though. My endocrinologist says my numbers need to be 130 or less 1 hour after meals or 120 or less after meals - depending on when I test. Fasting should be around 90. My doses go up if I have 3 or more readings above those guidelines for the same testing time in a week time frame.

 

[Chnima]

Hi Hakunamata,

I live in Sydney and my doctors here have set a pretty strict range for me for fasting sugars my values need to be between 4.8 mmol/l (86 mg/dl) - 5.2 (94 mg/dl) they've told to increase my overnight insulin by 2 units if I notice my fasting sugars are more than 5.2 for 2 consecutive days. My 1 hour fasting sugars need to be less than 7.7(140 mg/dl) they increased my dosage because I was continuously getting readings above 7.7

 

[hakunamatata]

I'm on 2 types of insulin for my GD. In the morning I take 17 units of a long acting insulin and 4 units of the same at bedtime. However, if my after dinner reading is good it's up to me if I take the bedtime dose...I've only skipped it twice because my reading 2 hours after dinner were less than 100. At dinner I take 12 units of a fast acting insulin. Dinner is my hardest number to control because it's my largest meal of the day. My dosage is gradually going up across the board though. My endocrinologist says my numbers need to be 130 or less 1 hour after meals or 120 or less after meals - depending on when I test. Fasting should be around 90. My doses go up if I have 3 or more readings above those guidelines for the same testing time in a week time frame.

What were your numbers like before insulin?

 

[chathamlady]

I was completely diet controlled i then had 4 mornings in a row where my fasting number was above 5.2 by .2 points so they added nighttime insulin and then a few weeks later my after breakfast numbers were high for 3 days about a point over so they have added before breakfast insulin my dr says 3 days in a row is a trend but if it is say 2 days high a low day and another high day they leave thing as is and put it down to food choices

 

[hakunamatata]

That's good to hear. I seem to have one slightly elevated score once every 5 days or so. Fasting has been fine. When I do go over, I note what I ate. Today I had a burger but the bun was a tad large so if I had it on regular bread it would've been fine. Another time was fruit.

 

[dogluvr]

I'm on 2 types of insulin for my GD. In the morning I take 17 units of a long acting insulin and 4 units of the same at bedtime. However, if my after dinner reading is good it's up to me if I take the bedtime dose...I've only skipped it twice because my reading 2 hours after dinner were less than 100. At dinner I take 12 units of a fast acting insulin. Dinner is my hardest number to control because it's my largest meal of the day. My dosage is gradually going up across the board though. My endocrinologist says my numbers need to be 130 or less 1 hour after meals or 120 or less after meals - depending on when I test. Fasting should be around 90. My doses go up if I have 3 or more readings above those guidelines for the same testing time in a week time frame.

What were your numbers like before insulin?

Fasting was around 100 and post meals were under 160. Both of those are fine for someone who isn't pregnant but it all changes and gets much stricter with pregnancy.

 

[hakunamatata]

Thanks! Can anyone else tell me what numbers their sugars were when the doc decided to introduce medication?

 

[Chalrhow]

My morning blood sugars where around 5.6 - 6.0 when i got put on insulin at nighttime only. I am on 16 units at night time and my morning blood sugar is still high. Through the day its usually on target. Some times my 2 hours after dinner blood sugar is higher than 7 but the diabetic team hasn't said much about that yet. I see them again on Tuesday. I am finding GD so frustrating !!

 

[Butterball Ma]

My limits are fasting: 90, 1 hour after meals: 120. I was diet controlled until my fasting numbers started creeping up towards 90 more frequently. then I went on 500 mg metformin twice a day. About a month after that, I started getting high meal readings (130s and 40s), so they doubled my dosage. My GD doc was pretty strict with my numbers. She also said that the further you get in your pregnancy, the harder it is to control.

 

[hakunamatata]

Wow, crazy how much more relaxed the standard is around here. Here, what's acceptable is below 100 for fasting, below 140 1 hour after eating, or under 120 2 hours after eating.