High Ketones measured

[pickymicky]

I tested today and got a high level of ketones in my urine. I was diagnoses with gestational diabetes but havent started insulin yet.

The other day I tested moderate but it went back down after eating and drinking a lot.

Just a bit scared but from all I hear it's because of not eating/drinking enough. I see my Dr. on Tuesday but wondering if I should call emergency at some point or try to get them down. I was never told what to do with my readings except to document them.

 

[Willow01]

I had high ketones in my urine towards the end of my pregnancy but was told to make sure I ate and drank more too. My midwife recorded the levels weekly but nothing came from it and everything was ok, I did lose quite a bit of weight but that soon sorted itself out once baby arrived! In my second pregnancy there was never ketones recorded. I did have a highly stressful job during my first pregnancy and I know I didn't look after my health properly try not to worry too much about it and I know it is hard sometimes but try to eat and drink regularly.

 

[2have4kids]

I had gd with my first and will prob have it with this pregnancy too. Everytime I ate carby foods without protein my levels would spike and not come down within the appropriate amount of time. I managed levels without insulin by switching around the food groups a little. A palm full of rice/pasta/bread/noodles/ high sugar carbs. I cut most sumple carbs out & switched to complex carbs like brown rice, quinoa, lentils etc as you can have more without massive sugar spikes but you get more nutrition (and less calories). Then as much as you want of portions of veg and protein. Keep in mind that corn, beets, carrots and peas are higher sugar than most other veggies, corn being the worst for GI sugar index. You need to eat lots yes but any good diabetic nurse/doctor should be letting you know what needs to have portion control. It's deserts, fruit, fruity yoghurts (a good yoghurt has more protein than carbs or it's more like a junk food than nutritional for you & baby), and cutting down on simple carbs like pasta/bread/noodles/rice or at the very least always paired with a protein. Proteins reduce the sugar spikes by carbs, reducing the amount of insulin your body is forced to produce, and lengthens the energy burn to a longer period than a simple carb would. Eating like this will actually help you lose weight quite easily after pregnancy too. Everytime carbs spike your sugar your insulin packs it away as fat, the more you learn how to eat yummy foods without spiking sugar & insulin the less fat your body packs away.

 

[SandraM]

Ketones build up when the body needs to break down fats and fatty acids to use as fuel. This is most likely to occur when the body does not get enough sugar or carbohydrates. If the reading is more than 80 mg/dL then you seek emergency help. Low levels of ketones are common during pregnancy and this does not affect the foetus. But a moderate or high amount of ketones in a pregnant woman may harm the unborn baby. Careful management of diabetes is the key to preventing high ketone levels.