Gestational Diabetes Support Group - Page 63

[Thandiwe]

Originally Posted by EFriend

I have been "starving myself" to keep my sugars down. The nurse even had the guts to give me a lecture of being "more careful of how many carbs I have been eating, and from where!"

I can relate. I am very borderline, not quite bad enough to be diagnosed, but I had an 11.2 pound baby last time and my self-monitoring numbers are close. I spent a week a bit ago watching my carbs almost obsessively. I charted too too much and watched my calories too too much, and I lost weight and was starving as well. I also definitely know how judgemental it can be. My last pregnancy, I was flat out told my child was so big because I just couldn't stop eating protein. I use mw's, but I have found that no matter where you go, there can be so much judgement. Like I haven't felt guilty about this already! Like I haven't been thinking about it! Jeez, some people.

((hugs)) I do know how it feels. Our situations are different, but I can relate to you.

[Thandiwe]

Q to anyone:

I am in a position where I need to be monitoring my sugar often every day. However, I can't afford the test strips. I bought a One Touch Ultra Mini this past summer before I had any clue about monitors or strips or anything. Just bought it blind off the shelf. Now I'm finding I can't get strips from another maker, just One Touch. I'm in need of refills for the first time, and the prices I'm getting at our local superstores are nearly $1 a strip. I can't afford that, since I really need to be testing several times a day.

Is there a generic I can use for this meter, or is there a different meter I can use that will allow me to use cheap generic strips? We are really struggling financially already; it's hard to justify shelling out a bunch of money on test strips when it's hard to keep groceries in the house, ykwim?

Any options??

[AnnieNimIty]

So frustrating...

I had a Dr.s appointment to follow up the standard GD test they give you (the 1 hour). I am 30 weeks. I took it last week. As I have been reading through this thread I am beginning to realize that my Dr. gave me no useful information.
I asked him what the numbers were. He said that the threshold for GD started at 7.7, and I was an 8.3.... In relation to what! I asked him about diet, he told me that if the 2 hour test was positive that I would talk to a dietitian. He also said that I might have to go on insulin for this. He didn't even talk about diet and exercise....

Argh... This brings up another frustration, not his fault obviously, but my fault.... I was obese when I was pregnant with my first daughter... No problems for the whole pregnancy, vaginal birth with an epidural and an epis. But he has watched the weight pack on since then. Never said anything. And now I have been talking to him about diet and exercise he says, well, lets just deal with that after the baby is born.

Having a baby is a big change, I need help before that as I don't know if I can manage so many changes at once.

He dropped the GD on me so quick that I didn't have a chance to talk to him about the anti-depressants like I wanted to. I am pretty sure it is PPD flowing into pregnancy depression, which will be PPD again.... It has gotten so bad that I don't want to go to church anymore because being around large amounts of people freaks me out... I have to step out of the room to catch my breath to be able to deal. Which is terribly funny to me now because of how much I USED to love being around people. <--- how much I loved being around people.

I hate Canada... I want to move back to Colorado.


Sorry for the rambling.. I think I am more upset about this than I thought.

[greenluv]

Anyone still active?

Just checking in to see if anyone on this thread is still active. It's taken me a week to read all 1,000 + replies on here but I've learned SO much. I still have a long way to go in this pg so I'm hopping on board.

[ellairiesmom]

Ggggrrrrrr...here we go again...

With DD#1 (b 9/24/07) I went off my metformin (PCOS Insulin Resist) during the pregnancy, gained 50 lbs, failed the 3 hr & was diagnosed with GD. EFW at approx 38 weeks was 9lbs. She did end up being 9 1/2 lbs. C sec after FTP.

I am going for a VBAC this time...am 32 weeks. I am especially wanting to at least try labor again-even if it means a little bit of pit at 41 weeks-I just really don't want a scheduled section.

This pregnancy, OB said to stay on my metformin, skip GTT & just monitor my sugars-especially my am fastings since those are my issues. We have also been taking my A1C (true blood glucose) every 10-12 weeks.

A1C has been 5.4 which is really, really good. Everything had been great up till last week. My sugars were good & I had only gained 17lbs. But between 29 & 31 week appt, I gained 3 lbs & my #s started to climb. There was even some sugar in my urine for the 1st time. But my A1C came back again Fri as a 5.4.

I hurt my back 10 days ago & haven't been able to walk at all. And since Thanksgiving, I have been a little bad-family get togethers, holiday parties etc. So I am reeling it in & going hard core diet wise now.

What I am concerned about is that OB wants a 34 week EFW U/S. She is so smart, so on board with so much of what I come to her with in terms of "non medical" thinking etc. But she still thinks an EFW has some accuracy??? I am googling & coming up with some studies done by the Academy of Ob/Gyns that show that only accuracy they have found is in diabetics whose blood sugar was NOT under control. But am I considered out of control now that I can't get my AM #s down? I haven't tried anything other than waking up & taking them the past 2 weeks. I am going to start trying the wake up in middle of night & have a spoonful of PB etc stuff starting tonight.

I really want to avoid insulin because insulin, combined with some high EFW they come up with, could ruin my chances of her letting me go past 40 weeks. As of now, she had been saying she was ok with letting me go to 41 weeks & maybe a couple days but she would want to see my cervix doing something before considering a tiny bit of pit at that point & she doesn't want a potentially big baby.

Advice on getting the AM #s back down? I am running anywhere between 90 & 115 the past 2 weeks.

Any other thoughts????

[Rita0110]

gd on metformin

Hi
This is my first pregnancy and I have PCOS. I have been on 1000mg of metformin everyday throught my pregnancy. However I failed my 1 hr GD test with 250 . The Ob/Gyn says I may already have type 2 diabetes before I started my pregnancy.
Has anyone failed the GD test being on metformin?

[Rita0110]

gd on metformin

I forgot to mention the test was taken on my 27th week.

[ellairiesmom]

Hi there,

I am also PCOS & Ins Res. I didn't stay on my metformin for pregnancy #1 & ended up on insulin during the last month due to elevated morning fasting #s (my post prand are always fine), a big baby, a stalled labor & a c-section.

I stayed on my metformin for my 2nd (1500/day) pregnancy & they let me skip my GTT so I can't speak to that but the GTT is a really strange test & a lot of ask of a pregnant body to begin with so I didn't want any part of it this time. I did agree to fax my #s weekly to my OB instead. MORE IMPORTANTLY, we checked my A1C (a more accurate/true reflection of avg blood sugar over a 12 week span) every 10 weeks or so & it was incredible. 5.4 every time we checked. My morning fastings still crept up toward the end, but the baby stayed small/avg size & I got my vbac. I think monitoring the A1C helped everyone feel more comfortable that I wasn't necessarily type 2.

Feel free to PM me with any questions & congrats!!!

[Rita0110]

fasting blood sugar levels

Thanks for you reply ellairiesmom!!
I started monoriting the blood sugar levels today and I got 95 which is the limit for fasting sugar level. Does anyone have tips as to how to keep this number low? I ate my snack at 10.00p.m and took my test at 10.30 am

[ellairiesmom]

no prob rita!

try taking your am fastings earlier than 10:30 am. i had to play around with it but found that my body was releasing insulin when i went so long without eating. my best #s at the end when it's the hardest for me were eating a hard boiled egg at night, in bed, right before falling asleep & then testing 8-9 hrs later for fasting. i also ended up having to keep an egg on ice for in the middle of the night (last 6 weeks of pregnancy)-it really helped my am's get down under 90.

lots of eggs!!!!! lol

[tribord]

Rita- I have found that the nights I exercise (I just walk) in the evening my #s are lower in the morning. Hard to find the time and energy, though.

[bethany42309]

Just wondering if anyone is still out there???

I had borderline GD with my first pregnancy and am now 22w5d into my second pregnancy.  I'm expecting the sugar problems to arise again.  I have my sugar test in 4 1/2 weeks.  I'm kinda freakin' out even though I've been through this before.  Reading all the previous posts has made me feel a little better, don't feel so alone anymore.

[lifeguard]

Maybe we can start a new thread? This one is so cumbersome & old but I think it would be great to have a spot.

[bethany42309]

Yeah it'd be nice to have other women to talk to about all this mess.  Totally stressin'!

[lifeguard]

Ok - I'll start a new thread - take a look for it!

[SeattleMolly]

I had my 1-hour, 50g glucose test, and my results were 200. My Dr. said I skip the 3-hour and go directly to nutritional counseling. Based on the score, she determined I have GD. Does this sound right to everyone? Should I insist on the 3 hour?

[Plummeting]

With a number that high, I imagine you have GD. The cut off is 130-140, depending on what number your doctor chooses. Here's a good article on what's normal in pregnancy: http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com/2011/10/normal-blood-sugars-in-pregnancy.html

AVERAGE BLOOD SUGARS IN NORMAL PREGNANT WOMEN
Fasting: 70.9 ± 7.8 mg/dl (3.94 mmol/L ± .43)
One Hour Post Meal: 108.9 ± 12.9 mg/dl (6.05 ± .72 mmol/L)
Two Hours Post Meal: 99.3 ±10.2 mg/dl (5.52 ± .57 mmol/L )

.....

RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM BLOOD SUGARS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN WITH DIABETES
Fasting: 79 mg/dl (4.4 mmol/L)
One Hour After Meals: 122 mg/dl (6.8 mmol/L)
Two Hours After Meals: 110 m/gdl (6.1 mmol/L)

If you read the article, those were based on studies non-diabetic pregnant women who weren't eating any special diets. No matter what they ate, their bg never got into the 200s. I don't know. If it means lots of interventions for you and the baby, then I guess I'd try to talk him/her into the 3 hour, just to be sure, but if your doc is going to base any interventions on how well you're able to control your bg, then I'd just go for the diet and try really hard to keep it under control. I'm pretty sure that when numbers are that high, it's almost a guarantee, though. I'm sorry. I know it sucks. :( I have it this time, too, just based on monitoring myself at home. I've been able to keep it perfect just following a good diet and exercise program though. 

[lifeguard]

Personally I'd be ok with it, in fact we did the same for my 2nd pregnancy & I went into it hoping I'd fail spectacularly for this reason (I knew I was gd but they insisted on protocol) - the 3 hour sucks.

[faithsstuff]

If I had gd during my last pregnancy is there any chance I won't this time around?  Someone please have a magical supplement.

[lifeguard]

faithstuff - I had hoped the same but I still did get it the 2nd time. My ob was not surprised. I did find I didn't have as severely the 2nd time but I was much more knowledgeable with my diet.