Gestational Diabetes, anyone else?

by **Veruca-Salt** » Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:14 pm

Hi all, went in for a routine blood test for GD today as my Dad is diabetic, as are a lot of his family members. Baby has been measuring fine and I had no glucose in my urine, have gained very little weight during pregnancy (could stand to lose a couple of stone anyway :o0

) but the hospital rang to let me know my blood sugars were very high and I do have GD. :o(

Anyone else been diagnosed with GD?

Girl · by **Girl** » Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:24 pm

I don't have it myself, but two of my friends are pregnant at the moment too and they both have it. One is insulin dependent for the last 6 weeks, she has about 5 weeks left and the other has only been diagnosed, so don't know what she will have to do yet.

The girl on insulin has to follow a very strict diet.

littlemisshopeful · by **littlemisshopeful** » Fri Aug 05, 2022 4:45 pm

veruca salt, which hospital are you attending? I had it on my DS. It was diagnosed at about 30 weeks by routine testing. Like that I had lost weight and not gained at all and no family history of it but I was overweight. baby measured fine all along and my GD stayed mild. They even let me go well overdue and DS arrived 16 days late. Let me know if I can be of any help. I was with Holles st and they were brilliant for the gd. Best of luck.

BusyDee · by **BusyDee** » Fri Aug 05, 2022 7:27 pm

Hi I was diagnosed 5 weeks ago :duh:

Like you OP my dad had it and his sister and his mum, plus my bmi was on the high side getting pregnant and carry all my weight on my belly. I had put on NO weight up to that point and since being diagnosed Ive lost about 3/4 kg!!!

The first week they gave me the monitor to test myself everyday (bout 10 times a day!) with the finger prick and had to watch what I ate but sugar was still high so they put me on insulin, have to have it 4 times a day, its only starting to come under control now as they start off gradually with the doses and increase them every week if need be.

Have to go every week to the GD clinic which is a pain but sure has to be done. Had a scan today aswell and baby is 4lbs 1oz - consultant said it was slighty above average but he didnt seem too worried.

Was actually thinking of setting up a GD thread and maybe making it a sticky as it seems to be very common - Im sure there's more of us on here! Maybe if there's a lot of interest in this one you could ask admin to make it a sticky? Share ideas on what to eat as its a pain, dont know what to be eating half the time plus Im vegetarian aswell!

by **Veruca-Salt** » Sat Aug 06, 2022 9:30 am

Thanks so much for the replies! It's great to hear I amn't the only one, none of my friends or family have had GD so was a bit overwhelmed when I found out yesterday but am getting my head around it now!

littlemisshopeful, I am with the Coombe, they seem very good so far! That's brilliant that your DS was perfect weight and they let you go over, that's such a relief to hear, thanks a million!

MrsDCee, it sounds like we had very similar situations, I am delighted it's starting to even out for you, do you feel any differently now? I think a support thread would be a brilliant idea, I am reading up like a lunatic here and I would love some tips on meal plans etc!

Thanks again :wv

by **kittysue** » Sun Aug 07, 2022 11:15 am

I have it as well....no history, not overweight.......so I was quite surprised when they said I had it.
Saying that I was just slightly above it.....but I've cut out my bars of choc and biscuits with me tea.
I use to pick at bags of sweets as well......so that's all stopped.

I was eating a lot of sugary things though.....cakes, buns...so it was a bit of a wake up call.

Thank God I'm not on insulin....just watching my diet.......but it does make you think how common diabetes is.

THe lady told me that 1 in 10 pregnant women actually have it.....
so you are not alone.

I'm glad I did the test though. I wasn't going to bother at first.....coz I didn;t do it with my first one.

by **Veruca-Salt** » Sun Aug 07, 2022 11:27 am

Thanks for that Kitty Sue, I didn't realise the rate was as high as 1 in 10!

Can I ask a few questions for those who have/had GD- Have you cut out anything besides sugary foods? Are you still eating fruits? Can I ask what you are having for breakfast please? Thanks again all!

by **kittysue** » Sun Aug 07, 2022 11:38 am

The nurse told me to only eat maybe 2 portions of fruit a day......

Even now I feel guilty about eating an apple..,...but I hate NOT eating fruit....it's the only one thing I thought...if i eat lots of fruit....it can only be a good thing.!!!!!

As for morning time......I try to eat muslie.....but not a big bowl coz that brings my sugars up.

I'm starting to think to much white bread isn't good either.

For breakfast this morning, I had an omlette with mushrooms and tomatoes and 1 slice of white bread with tea and my sugars stayed low.....

It's just different for everyone.
Trial and error I reckon.

Just wondering when you go to the Chemist.....to get your presciption.....how many boxes of the strips to you ask for.
I only asked for 2 the first time.....but I'm testing more than I should just to check out sugar levels with different foods and now I'm thinking I should have asked for a few more.....Is there a limit as to how many boxes you can get at a time.

BusyDee · by **BusyDee** » Mon Aug 08, 2022 9:40 am

Girls have ye not seen a dietician? They would go through your diet and advise you on what to eat or not eat?

Porridge is the best thing you can have for breakfast - I make it with skimmed milk and a spoon of splenda. One biscuit of weetabix is ok too but stay away from all other cereals as they are full of sugar - oh all-bran is ok too....if you can stomach it :hic

Some mornings I will have brown toast and tea - just for a change!

White bread is a big no, no! As is white pasta, you should switch to brown (ive always ate brown before this anyway!)

Was told not to have too much fruit either as its naturally sugary.

Re: the strips - my pharmacist just asked me how often was I testing (10 times a day) so he just gave me loads extra!

by **Veruca-Salt** » Mon Aug 08, 2022 5:32 pm

Thanks Kitty and DCee, I am back in the Coombe on Thursday to meet the dietician, was only diagnosed on Friday just gone so just trying to do my best until I see the dietician :-8

. I often have porridge or All-Bran so that's great to hear that they are ok :o0

, I better keep limiting the fruit intake so :o(

and will keep with the brown bread/pasta/rice. Thanks again :thnk

by **ely** » Mon Aug 08, 2022 7:46 pm

girls i have a test in two weeks and im so worried that i will be positive! I have been eating lots of sugary food and since the doc said i should get a test ive really cut back...im 27 weeks and i have put on a bit of weight also i had a tummy before so this just adds to it if you know what i mean..i look like im 7 or 8 months pregnant.

my aunt has type 1 and i did mention this when i met the mid wife on my first visit to the hosp at 10 weeks but i do think he has sent me for this test because my bmi would have been high (not masssive) but i would be prob 2 1/2 stone over weight. It's an awful worry and ive been quite upset over it too.

My dad has one of those test thingys for testing sugar and mine was 6.3 - is this high?, he said it was normal enough..

BusyDee · by **BusyDee** » Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:15 am

As far as I know Ely type 1 isnt heriditary, thats the one where you get it as a child and need insulin. Type 2 is usually later in life and can usually be controlled by diet. He's probably sending you coz your BMi is high i think if its over 25. Its better to get tested just incase coz it can cause problems for you and your baby if left untreated.

Were you after eating when you got the reading of 6.3? If it was about 2 hours after eating a main meal then thats fine - I was told it should be less than 6.7. If it was in the morning before eating then its high - should be less than 5.

Dont beat yourself up over the sweet things. With pregnancy the hormones just interupt the insulin production anyway so even if you never ate sugar or sweet things you could still get GD.

by **ely** » Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:57 pm

Thanks MrsD..made me feel alot better. My aunt must be type 2 then, she injects everyday and i know that its not hereditary but its deffo in my family.. my dad is also boarderline and has to manage his blood sugars. Im really hoping that im not positive but am perparing myself. When i tested my blood sugars it was about 1 hour after eating my lunch so hopefully this is normal. I will text first thing in the morning this week and see how it looks

BusyDee · by **BusyDee** » Mon Aug 22, 2022 11:56 am

How are ye getting on? Did ye have to go on insulin?

The midwife mentioned last week in the antenatal class that usually babies born to mothers with GD have to spend the first 24 hours in SCBU? Anyone hear that?

littlemisshopeful · by **littlemisshopeful** » Mon Aug 22, 2022 3:12 pm

MrsD, which hospital are you attending again? They all seem to have different policies for both the labour and delivery. My baby went straight to the ward with his dad. I had a section but it was emergency and not linked to the gd. DS even had some foetal distress but was fine at birth and did not need to go to scbu at all. That was in Holles St.

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