Need advice about gestational diabetes

[myk's mummy]

Hi ladies :wave:

I was diagnosed with GD a couple of weeks ago and have a couple of questions for those who have or have had GD before.

Just a bit of backgorund info first...

I had undiagnosed GD with my only other pregnancy and my DD was born 9lb 5oz.

I've been monitoring my blood glucose since seeing the Diabetes Educator a week ago and have been following a low carb/low GI diet also.

My fasting glucose (in morning) is around the high 4's and after meals my levels are anywhere in the high 7's to low 10's.

*Is it true that Dr's recommend insulin therapy if you have more than 2 high readings per week?

*Is it normal to feel absolutely starving on a GD diet?

*Has anyone noticed reduced fetal movement after beginning a GD diet?

I guess the reason I'm asking these questions is because I don't seem to be coping with the dietary changes. I feel worse than I did a week ago even though I've been eating what the Diabetes Educator recommended and this, in addition to working full time and running around after a four-year-old is really taking its toll!

 

[andrea675]

Hello,

I'm pregnant with 2nd baby and had GD diagnossed late with 1st, was monitored from 16 weeks this time as high risk for GD again, diagnosed from around 20 weeks this time.

In UK the guideline levels that they aim for are below 5.5 before meals and below 7.8 one hour after, they are really strict with the after meals as that's when sugar crosses over to the baby and they grow faster. Insulin (or metformin is sometimes used here) is advised if you are following a low GI diet and still getting high readings - I managed with diet changes in first pregnancy but started insulin at 24 weeks this time. It was a relief in some ways as I couldn't keep sugars down even with the dullest diet!!

I'm not sure if it's the GD diet but I go through stages of being absolutely starving, pre pregnancy I would tend to eat big meals but not snack so it's taken me a while to try and build in snacks through the day and to figure what works and doesn't work snack wise, are you managing to eat smaller amounts more often?

I didn't notice a change in fetal movements with a GD diet, I was reading the other day though that in non GD women when they worry about not feeling baby move are often advised to eat high sugar snack / drink so maybe that is reason for difference if you're not having as much sugar? This baby didn't get a chance to get used to my usual chocolate intake as that stopped early on (bah!) but don't remember a difference with dd and was diagnosed late with her and did have to suddenly change diet.

Hope this helps!

Andrea

 

[ClaireNicole]

I had GD and I'm not sure about your numbers because my meter reads different then yours because I'm in the US BUT I never had reduced fetal movment at all. Payson was a kicker all the time. I did find that it was easier to ignore my GD diet and just eat when I was hungry... but make good food choices.. like grapes... theres like 1 gram of carbs per grape... but I never thought about that.. I would jsut take a handfull and eat them. I tried to drink only water and diet lemonaide because they were both carb and sugar and calorie free. and that seems to help because then I could just worry about my food. You can eat TONS of food that won't hurt you too... like veggies...And I never worried about my fat content because I was pregnant... so they told me I shouldn't be eating fatty meats... well that had nothing to do with my sugar so I ignored that.... You can cut your carbs and not cut out eating! And my advice would just be to find something thats low carb that you really enjoy... or something thats good for you.. because fruit sugars arn't the same as other sugars (although I wouldn't LOAd up on them). But you can't be starving yoruself! When your hungry... eat! and I think it depends on your doc as to weather or not they recommend insulin! I had several high numbers and never had to go on insulin... my baby was also born perfectly healthy!

 

[Kylarsmom]

Hi ladies :wave:

I was diagnosed with GD a couple of weeks ago and have a couple of questions for those who have or have had GD before.

Just a bit of backgorund info first...

I had undiagnosed GD with my only other pregnancy and my DD was born 9lb 5oz.

I've been monitoring my blood glucose since seeing the Diabetes Educator a week ago and have been following a low carb/low GI diet also.

My fasting glucose (in morning) is around the high 4's and after meals my levels are anywhere in the high 7's to low 10's.

*Is it true that Dr's recommend insulin therapy if you have more than 2 high readings per week?

*Is it normal to feel absolutely starving on a GD diet?

*Has anyone noticed reduced fetal movement after beginning a GD diet?

I guess the reason I'm asking these questions is because I don't seem to be coping with the dietary changes. I feel worse than I did a week ago even though I've been eating what the Diabetes Educator recommended and this, in addition to working full time and running around after a four-year-old is really taking its toll!

Dont know about the insulin question b/c I didnt use insulin
It is normal to feel starving, I was on a strict low carb no sugar diet and i would be starving all the time but when i did eat i regreted it so much bc it made me feel so sick and awful, then i'd be hungry again a little while later.

And I did not notice any reduced fetal movement after starting the diet, but you are getting farther along in your pregnancy, and after awhile the baby does not have as much room to move , so fetal movement usually does slow down around that time anyway, so im sure that is what you are experiencing! Good luck and try not to worry, I'm sure you are taking great care of you and your baby and it will all be worth it in the end!

 

[surabhi]

if the blood sugar levels are more than 7.8 consistently that is 3-4 readings then you should be started on insulin. From what you mention, I think you should be on insulin. It is best for your baby and you. Secondly as far as diet goes, A diet during pregnancy is highly difficult and is best done under an experienced nutritionist. And GD diet does not lead to reduced foetal movements.

 

[Tanikit]

I am a type 1 diabetic so not dealing with the same issues you all are, but my baby only has slightly reduced movement when my sugars are really low (less than 3.0) so it is unlikely that the diet would do that since your sugars run normal even on a low carb diet. The minute my sugars pick up and are normal the movements start again.

Pregnancy especially later on does lead to people feeling starving even on a high calorie diet simply because you are growing a baby - a low calorie diet though may make you more hungry and if you are eating few carbohydrates then you are likely to feel hungry much sooner after eating - you can eat cucumber all day and it will not make you feel full. In general protein and carbohydrate leave you feeling fuller for longer so if you are starving and must stay away from carbs then try some low fat protein instead.

I have no idea when they would start you on insulin - to base it on two readings probably isn't wise as most insulin adjustments and requirements need to be based on trends over a full weeks readings or even more depending how different they are from normal.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

 

[Sarah10]

Hey sorry to gatecrash, i had GD (undiagnosed til 34 weeks GRR) when i was pregnant with my little one. I saw a specialist who gave me a list of foods to eat, however i found that the majority of the list made my blood sugar high. Could you give us some ideas on what you are eating?
I was told to eat low sugar cereal for brekkie, however i found i couldn't tolerate many carbs in the morning, so i stuck to 1 slice of toast with scrambled egg/sausage and did this up until i had Jayden.
I always felt quite hungry when i changed my diet, but i kept reminding myself as long as i kept up the calories LO would be fine and it was for the best.
Could you try eating lots of protein, eg eggs/chicken/fish (unsure if your a veggie or not sorry)
xxx

 

[surabhi]

I think that it is folly to control your GD with diet alone. As such we feel all these food aversions and morning sickness.Added to this, if we have to be on a strict diet control it will be very difficult to manage our weight gain and energy. I had a lengthy discussion with my doctor and he told me this. If you have GD then there is no option other than to start insulin as diet rarely works. And insulin is the only way to manage GD. I do understand that taking needle pricks twice or thrice a day is not a rosy scenario. But it is still better than having all those complications of GD.

 

[TripleB]

I have to disagree with the above post - I am diet-controlled at the moment and have been able to keep my blood sugar readings within the target limits. In addition to this I feel great! I have more energy, no heartburn and have even lost weight without feeling hungry. I have received high quality care from the moment I was diagnosed - dietician, diabetic consultant, obstetrician, growth scans and under the care of a diabetes midwife for the rest of my pregnancy. Please don't write off the diet just yet, it takes a bit of getting used to but the low-GI criteria shouldn't leave you hungry with a bit of trial and error. Its not true that the only option is insulin - it may be the right option for you in your individual circumstances but let your healthcare providers guide you on that one.

xxx

 

[Newky]

I second what TripleB has stated, I too am diet controlled and have been able to keep my blood sugars under control in this way. I have had no food aversions or morning sickness during my pregnancy which helps (although if GD is only diagnosed at 28 weeks these would usually have abated anyway?). I have not had an issue with energy levels at all, in fact I have more energy! And there is no need to feel hungry either, i've found that lots of snacks keeps the hunger at bay, things like yogurts, fruit, nuts and houmous with crudites all work well for me. I have been advised to eat every 2hrs, which I am mostly managing to do. It is a big change at first, but you will be suprised how quickly your body adjusts to a new routine.
Obviously if the diet doesn't work for you then it may be a case of treating with insulin, although they will generally prescribe Metformin tablets before they go straight to insulin anyway.
TBH I think that the comment made by surabhi, about insulin being the only way to manage GD, is a pretty sweeping statement. It depends entirely on the individual involved and how bad their GD is. For example my GTT test results wern't overly high, which is probably why I have been fine with diet control. I know that ladies who have had very high GTT results have gone straight onto either Metformin or insulin though. x x x