Gestational Diabetes....

[CelticNiamh]

Hi Ladies,

After my previous rant I thought I would post my update here! Thank you ladies for your responses and Pixelle for your lovely reply. sorry your feeling a little low today

Ok, so after seeing the dietician and consultatant at Clinic yesterday (i'm sure I saw you there Pixelle LOL, how bizarre!), they have started me on insulin twice a day - once in morning, once in evening on the lowest dose 4mg. The dietician said she was really happy with my diet, and she would not change a thing. If I was going to be able to control the diabetes with diet and exercise then what I am eating would be perfect, but my body obviously just can't manage. TBH, that made me feel a bit better about what I had been doing and I feel ok about taking insulin - especially if I don't have the stress of high readings. Also my hbh1 blood test (I think thats what its called) came back with a good result, showing that they do think it is GD rather than pre-existing diabetes

The diebetic midwife showed me how to use the insulin pen and I had lots of practise with her. I have decided to inject in my leg as I just can't do it in my tummy. But by the time I got home last night, I was just too tired to even think about injecting myself (got out of clinic at about 4:30pm, had to take my son to streetdance, find a chemist that had my insulin pens in stock and get some food shopping so did not get home till 8.30pm) so just ate a muller light yogurt and banana and went to bed!

So, I did my first injection this morning and it was ok. It hurts less than pricking my finger, I just have to get over the mind bit - I think it will get easier the more I do it. I had a morning blood sugar reading of 5 and then ate one slice of seeded toast with scrambled egg....... tested blood sugar one hour later and it was 8.3 So the insulin made no difference. It was a bit of a disapointment to say the least.

Then I went for my scan (they could not fit me in yesterday) and it was not such great news. Thankfully my little one looks happy in there, and she is defo a girl , but she is already very big. Her tummy measurement is on the 97th centile and they estimate that she is already 4lb 1oz. So my diabeties has already has had an impact on her Also my amniotic fluid has significantly increased and is just over the normal level. I have to wait to see the consultant next week to see what this all means.

So after having a couple of quite positive days, I have had a good old cry again this morning! I think I am going to see if my insulin works this evening and if not try and get hold of my diabeties midwife to see if I can increase my dose. I don't want to wait another week.

Bexy x x

Sending big hugs to you all

You need to do it in your tummy! its better for managing GD I promise you its fine I have GD on all 4 of my children and last two on insulin I injected 4 times a day in my tummy I tried the tops of my leg but compared to my tummy I preferred my tummy plus I was told it will take longer for the insulin to do its job in the leg! not 100% but I was always advised not to inject in the leg.

make sure you get a good pinch of skin at the side of your tummy and keep the needle as straight as you can and change the needle ofter so its not blunt. it wont hurt the baby and hopefully that will do the trick and insulin will work, don't worry about the high reading yet the insulin dose may be to low and you may need the longer acting insulin at bedtime to make a difference what was your fasting level like.

Im waiting results of a GTT but my levels which I have to check all the time any way as I am boderline diabetic are high now not to bad before meals but 8.8 on average after its a pain

 

[bexyd31]

Hi Celtic,

I might be able to try my tummy after a few days, but not right now! I know its all in the mind - but I found it tricky enough in my leg this morning. But if the insulin does not start to work over next couple of days will defo consider it.

Did you find it easier to manage your GD once you started on insulin?

Bexy x x

 

[fairygirl]

Sorry to hear you are having a hard time Becky. I hope things improve for you as you get used to the injections and the consultant has something helpful to say xx

 

[Pixelle]

Bexy:
How strange....you probably did see me...I was probably looking extremely pissed off!

Sorry to hear you're having problems with the insulin....it does take a little while to get into your system, same with the tablets really.

I hope everything gets better for you and that you start to feel better about things soon
I know it's not much consolation but at least they are monitoring you now and you have the support and advice from the hospital

-----------------

I'm not sure my tablets are working. I've been on them over a week and even with the upped dose, my readings are higher than ever!
After feeling slightly more positive yesterday, I had another low today when my after breakfast reading was 11.3! After lunch, 10.2...now just waiting to see what reading dinner brings!

We're going out for a meal tomorrow night to say goodbye to my sister, who's going back to Uni on Saturday and I'm so scared of eating anything! We then have a wedding on Saturday with a sit down meal....again, scared of eating!
Wish I could be normal and not have to constantly worry about what I put in my mouth.
I knew this would be difficult, but not this hard. I see everyone else able to give in to cravings and eat what they want and it makes me so jealous!
Still, at least I know I'm doing the best I can for baby.

Thank you for everyone's support on here.....I'd probably be even more insane by now if it weren't for you ladies

 

[fairygirl]

I know what you mean about cravings! I think 3 days this week I've been told 'there's cakes in the staffroom' to which I reply I can't have any and then the person apologises!

 

[CelticNiamh]

Hi Celtic,

I might be able to try my tummy after a few days, but not right now! I know its all in the mind - but I found it tricky enough in my leg this morning. But if the insulin does not start to work over next couple of days will defo consider it.

Did you find it easier to manage your GD once you started on insulin?

Bexy x x

Yes it does become easier and I flet more normal as well, more like my old self
you may find they will increase the insulin amount , I was on novarapid (fast acting insulin and insulatard (long acting for night time )

the fast acting works straight away to bring down sugar levels and thats why as soon as you inject you eat
it will be trial and error at first to get the sugar levels at better levels and as the pregnancy increases you may need more insulin but thats ok as it better for the baby to have more normal levels of blood sugars.

did they make you inject in the hospital before you went home? I found injeting in my leg harder than my tummy I got so used to it I could have done it blind folded LOL .

dont worry its emotional rollercoaster the first week on insulin its a shock to the system at first as every thing changes so much but before you know it you will be flying a long and feel so much better.

I cant remember now but some one mentioned at the scan baby was measuring big, that happened with my DS3 but as soon as I was on insulin his growth returned to a more normal level and he evend out, so instead of being the estimated 11 pounds at delivery before insulin he was a much nicer 8 pounds 5 onzs my smallest baby, my DS before him were they missed GD was 10 pounds 2 and a sick little baby when he was born. only because my GD was missed though just want to stress that, as diet can work as well

 

[Tanikit]

Bexy I am a type 1 diabetic and have always injected in my legs - while I have been advised to use my tummy and have tried it a few times, it just has never worked for me. If you can manage try short acting in your legs and long acting in your tummy as then its not so many in the same place. You will sort out how soon it starts to work for you in the place you chose as you get used to the whole thing.

Its quite a thing to get used to - I remember crying as a 12 year old when I had to inject myself but I let my mother once do it for me and it hurt so much I felt it was better to do it for myself. Hang in there - you'll be a pro before long. Also as for the readings - since you are on very low doses of insulin you can't expect huge variations - they are in fact trying to prevent you going low as that is dangerous. They will keep checking it though and may up your insulin later which will have more of an effect - but you need to keep taking readings and see.

 

[bexyd31]

Morning Ladies,

Thank you so much for all of your support - its so fab to be able share experiences with others who understand

I feel sooo much better today. I cried so much yesterday; in the morning after my scan , when my hubby phoned , when my mum phoned at lunchtime , when my hubby came home , when my mum popped in for a cuppa ! Blinking pregnancy hormones!

But conclusion I have come to this morning is that everything I was worried about at this stage of GD has happened - my baby is growing big and I have been put on insulin.....so now I just need to get on with it and do the best for me and my LO. So hopefully, my crying session yesterday will be the last big one, because I am fed up of them and so are my hubby and boys (although they are being super supportive, bless them). Plus they are no good for lowering your blood sugar!!

I had some success with my insulin last night , I ate H/M chilli with avocado, tomotoes, bit of grated cheese and spoonful of soured cream (this is a serious crave food for me right now!!) and had an after dinner reading of 7.1 I ate this last week and had an after dinner reading of 8.9, so although I did not have any carbs (i.e wholemeal rice) with it, this was defo a success!

My injection this morning was ok, I managed to put it straight in my leg without too much problem. It thankfully felt easier than yesterday. I tried scrambled egg with seeded bread toast for breakfast again, but still had a reading of 8.4 . So do wonder if I need a higher dose of insulin in the morning.

My plan today is to just have chicken soup for lunch, which I know I am safe with. But, to go for it (!!) with dinner and have steak (iron, iron, iron - I'm not getting anemic as well lol!), salad and a sml jacket potato to see if my body can manage this with the insulin. I had an after dinner reading of 9.6 when I ate this last week.


Tanikit and FairyGirl - Thank you for your responses , its so nice to hear from ladies that have experience.

Celtic - I wonder if your right about having a longer acting insulin overnight, I am using the novorapid pen for both doses right now. And I hope the insulin does slow my LO's growth down. Although my two darling sons were 10lb 2oz and 9lb 8oz when they were born and I did not have GD - maybe I just grow big babies

Pixelle - you did look quite fed up! I'll say Hi if I see you again LOL! Sorry to hear your struggling with high readings, I hope your tablets kick in soon I know what you mean about being scared of food - its horrible when you can't even eat what you should be able too. I hope you will be able to find some sensible choices on my menu when you go out

Hope everyone is having a good day, sending big hugs to you all

Bexy x

 

[fairygirl]

Well I'm back from my appointment. She said it was only my 2hr gtt reading that was too high and I do have GD. She has advised a low GI, low fat, high fibre diet. Turns out rice cakes are bad I will also have to see the dietician after pregnancy and for the first time ever my bmi of 31 was a concern so looks like I'll be losing weight whether I want to or not. 6 weeks after birth I have a blood test, just a fasting one not a 2hr one, and I didn't have one today. At the minute my care plan is to test blood 3 times a day alternating before or after eating each day, so today I am after meals, tomorrow will be before. I have to ring on Monday and tell them my results and if they are concerned I'll be booked in for an appointment, if not I feed back weekly or if I'm having problems. I have a growth scan next Wednesday, any concerns I go straight to maternity assessment, if not I have another at 36 weeks and consultant straight after to discuss delivery. They will let me go to 40 weeks and maybe a bit over if all is well, if not they will induce from 37 weeks depending on everything. I am a high risk birth and will be monitored throughout labour. She said babies can be a bit poorly due to low blood sugar after birth and they try to get that sorted asap. She did say there is an increased risk of still birth and I should call if I'm worried about movements.

So all pretty much what I was expecting. Mixed feelings right now as I really feel I should have watched my diet from ttc.

 

[bexyd31]

Well I'm back from my appointment. She said it was only my 2hr gtt reading that was too high and I do have GD. She has advised a low GI, low fat, high fibre diet. Turns out rice cakes are bad I will also have to see the dietician after pregnancy and for the first time ever my bmi of 31 was a concern so looks like I'll be losing weight whether I want to or not. 6 weeks after birth I have a blood test, just a fasting one not a 2hr one, and I didn't have one today. At the minute my care plan is to test blood 3 times a day alternating before or after eating each day, so today I am after meals, tomorrow will be before. I have to ring on Monday and tell them my results and if they are concerned I'll be booked in for an appointment, if not I feed back weekly or if I'm having problems. I have a growth scan next Wednesday, any concerns I go straight to maternity assessment, if not I have another at 36 weeks and consultant straight after to discuss delivery. They will let me go to 40 weeks and maybe a bit over if all is well, if not they will induce from 37 weeks depending on everything. I am a high risk birth and will be monitored throughout labour. She said babies can be a bit poorly due to low blood sugar after birth and they try to get that sorted asap. She did say there is an increased risk of still birth and I should call if I'm worried about movements.

So all pretty much what I was expecting. Mixed feelings right now as I really feel I should have watched my diet from ttc.

Awww Fairygirl

The day my GD was confirmed was not a good day for me either, take it easy and make sure you have plenty of people around in case you need a natter and a good old cry!! Your weight may have been brought up because you are now more at risk of diabetes post pregnancy, try not too worry. Also all of the worries for your little one should be significantly reduced if you can get your blood sugar under control - its much better to get a this diagnosis and be able to put treatment into place.

Good luck with your monitoring today,

Bexy x x

 

[fairygirl]

Thanks! I'm off to a wedding now so no time to mope so not in the mood which is awful coz it's my BIL's.

 

[CelticNiamh]

fairygirl Hun it would not have made a difference, you can be a skinny Minny and get it or have a bit of weight and get it, I was on a very low sugar and low fat diet while TCC and its not made a blind bit of difference. do not feel guilty about having GD now its likely nothing to do with your BMI gestational diabetes is caused by pregnancy not your diet. (During pregnancy, your hormones make it tougher for your body to use insulin, so your pancreas needs to produce more of it. For most moms-to be, this isn't a problem: As your need for insulin increases, your pancreas dutifully secretes more of it. But when a woman's pancreas can't keep up with the insulin demand and her blood glucose levels get too high, the result is gestational diabetes.)https://www.babycenter.com/0_gestational-diabetes_2058.bc
Diet now becomes important to help control GD and if your diet is not working though no fault of your own you may need insulin.

Babies can have problems stabilising their blood sugars after delivery as they are used to a higher amount from mom, some babies need a drip for a few hours to 24 hours to help them but some just have a little feed and they are fine after. as long as your diet is good and your blood sugars are good then the risk of still birth drop.

bexyd31 glad today is better for you what is your fasting level like before breakfast in the mornings, may be try something else for breakfast and see what they are like then, sometimes I noticed a food that was meant to be a good one send my sugars high any way! its all trial and error the first few weeks.

 

[thesmiths88]

Arrgggh I am getting very frustrated with my GD and blood sugars. Up until Wed I was on slow acting Lantus, 8 units in the evening. Most of my readings were good, although some were a little on the high side above what they wanted, so I was upped to 10 units.
My morning fasting readings were around 4.9 and my 2 hr post dinner ones are between 5.8 and 7.2.

However, I have just started to lose weight cos I wasn't really eating quite enough so they put me on fast acting Novorapid, 2 units at lunch and dinner as well as Lantus. They told me I could eat more, and indeed HAD to eat more carbs e.g. rice, potatoes, so the Novorapid would have something to work on. So I did this, the first night I had rice, a normal portion, and 2 units and my sugars went up to 8.5. The next lunchtime I had 3 slices bread as opposed to 2 and 2 units and my sugars went up to 9.2! I am eating seeded bread, ideally Burgen although I couldn't get any this week so had to had something similar. Last night, I had pie, mash and beans (a normal portion of mash, rather than a tiny spoonful) with 4 units of Novorapid and it was still 8.1. The last time I had this is was around 7.1!

I called the diabetes clinic and they said just to up my dose (which I did last night) but its very frustrating as I thought the Novorapid would be a quick fix to eating more but it seems it isn't!

I've just done my lunchtime sugar levels and they are 6.2 with having 2 units, however, I went back to just having 2 slices of bread because I wanted to see how the Novorapid would affect it, that is what my readings were before with just the Lantus. I guess it is just trial and error but it is very frustrating!!

 

[Tanikit]

Thesmith remember that as pregnancy progresses you need more insulin - so that is why a week or two back you could manage with just the Lantus and now you need the Novorapid too - and that is to keep your levels as they were - to drop them even further you would need even more Novorapid - and as the weeks go by even more and yet still even more (at least til around 36 weeks when for some reason you don't seem to need more til the end usually) It is frustrating as you keep adding only to get the same readings and then you have to add even more.

 

[Pixelle]

Hope everyone is doing okay
The thing I have to keep reminding myself of is that now, at least I know I have GD and can manage it better than if I didn't know.
Also, we all blame ourselves at some point but it's really not our fault. Slim, large, medium....all different people get GD. I know myself, it's hard to manage and we get bad days, but we all have support here and I'm mighty glad for it. None of my family seem too bothered by what I've been going through, maybe it's hard for them to understand. But the ladies on here have really helped and as long as we all support each other, all is good

Was going to reply to people individually on here but still getting over a bout of food poisoning!

Slept most of the day and now can't sleep! Got a wedding to go to tomorrow so I hope I feel better.

Have a good weekend, ladies

 

[fairygirl]

Hope you're feeling better Pixelle!
Celtic: thanks for that.

Well yesterday my readings were all normal, I even had a glass of orange juice with my dinner. Today I am on before meals tests so we shall see.

 

[Pixelle]

Glad your readings have settled down fairygirl

Feeling much better this morning....it's going to be a soggy wedding though!

 

[fairygirl]

Yup before breakfast was normal too. I hope it continues like this but I know over the next few weeks it could all change.
Shame about the weather for the wedding, hope you have a lovely day xx

 

[sarafused]

Ive on day 3 of keeping a food and time diary for seeing the diabetic midwife on Friday. Oddly the past 2 nights Ive ate dinner earlier and my morning readings have improved, that had been around 5.7 and now the past 2 mornings back to 5.3. I really hope they continue on that track and maybe I wont need any medication.

The other thing Ive found is Ive just changed to sesame ryvita in the past couple of days instead of rye bread (which started to make my sugar rise) thats really made a huge difference. Ive been having 2 but Ive tried 3 for lunch today as I was really hungry.

 

[sarafused]

Is anyone still losing weight with their GD diet.

Because Ive had to start being very strict again Ive lost nearly 2lbs since Wednesday. I hadnt quite put on 7kg, Ill end up lighter if it keeps to this rate