Monitoring blood sugar and eating in the middle of the night

[apple84]

As I posted earlier, I was told I have borderline GD on Wednesday. My doctor didn't say I have to measure my blood sugar, but I'm curious and my SIL had GD last year so lent me her monitoring kit.

Today I'm trying to figure out this blood sugar monitor thing. I started last night and I *think* my numbers are good, but still have questions, like I read somewhere that 4-7 is the range I should be aiming for, but >5.2 for before breakfast and 8 before bed. Is that right??

Well I measured 4.5 2 hrs after dinner last night, 6.9 before bed (after a bedtime snack of cheerios and milk), and 6.4 before breakfast, but I also ate half a slice of ww bread with peanut butter at 2am. I actually did test my bs before I ate the 2am snack - it was 4.6.

I don't really know what this all means! Sigh...this seems complicated.

 

[Tiff]

Cheerios are high on the Glycemic Index, and milk is also considered a carb. Your high readings might have been a result of that. Carb+Carb, and not alot of protein to balance it.

If you can, try and stick to veggies for midnight snacks and see if that helps your BSL. I gave a really long response ( ) on our Canadian Moms thread too. Please, ask me ANY questions you want! I was going through the same thing this time last year.

 

[cillybean83]

in the US our monitors are different so I have no clue what your numbers are. Cheerios are high in carbs so if you really want them, try to go with multi grain cheerios, eat only 1/2 a serving, and use soy or calorie countdown milk because they are low in carbs.

I'm in the same boat as you...totally overhauling your eating habits is really hard to do, but not impossible! Good luck!

 

[pennysbored]

The hardest part about Gd that I have found is regulating your eating. And balancing it out. Like its been said, Cherrios and milk, probably not the best choice, and a 2 am snack, whatever it may be, probably not a great choice either.
You know, if you are stressed about GD, I'd go for the 3 hour test. Because if you are stressing about your diet, your numbers will go up. You'll save yourself a lot of worry, and then you will know, and you can be referred to an Endocrinologist and dietitian who can help a lot more than we ever could. They can help you trouble shoot what foods are giving you the most trouble, and how to balance them out. They've changed my recommended diet about 3 times already, and you know what? My sugars have been the best when I split my plate into three, half veggies, 1 quarter protein and 1 quarter carbs. But that was me, measuring out food was really stressing me out. And the most helpful thing I was told to do was walking after meals. My joints kill me if I do the full half hour, but if I just go around the block a few times (New Westminster is pretty uphill, even when you are going down, somehow) it keeps my sugars in order.
The only reason I keep testing my sugars is to find out if I need insulin. And if you are borderline, you are probably stressing yourself out for no reason. If your doctor didn't feel it was necessary, well....
The numbers they gave me at St. Paul's was 5.0 or less before meals and bed, less than 7.8 1 hour after meals. I test 7 times daily.
I hope that didn't come across as a lecture, I just know that if I was given the choice of doing my sugars 7 times a day or not, I'd choose not.

 

[pennysbored]

Oh, and the monitors they give you for GD are by no means top of the line, and can read up to 10 percent off.

 

[anothersquish]

Your numbers are all perfectly within normal range and nothing to worry about at all