Gestational Diabetes

[deepa100]

Hi ladies,
I just got news yesterday that I have GD. I failed 2 out of 4 tests and my fasting levels were fine. My scores are 72, 171, 168 and 151. I have an endocrinologist appt next week but until then-
1. I am 30 weeks + 2 days. My obgyn office does glucose test at 28 weeks. Is this pretty common? I feel like they could have done it sooner (I even called and asked for one earlier).
2. I am not sure what to eat because I already stopped eating anything sweat except fruits and couple of servings of bread. I was never a fan of sweets but I did eat carbs because I was a vegetarian.
3. I intentionally stopped exercising 2 months ago (now I am 7 mos). Due to previa, I have been told to avoid anything aerobic.
4. I am very thin and with my new diet I am worried that I will lose weight even more.

Any help on controlling diet (esp. before I meet the endocrinologist) would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Deepa

[kholtan]

Hey Deepa~

So sorry you are going through this. It sounds like you have a lot on your plate for sure. I don't know much about this but I bet you could find dietary information on the internet somewhere. If you are still a vegetarian it maybe more difficult but always doable.

My clinic likes to test in month five at the end but my OB also told me he would retest later if he suspected any change. It did seem a little on the late side but I'm sure it will all be fine. Do you know how big your baby is yet? It sounds like you are a tiny person and I know GD can cause bigger babies so I would keep an eye on that.

Best of luck to you and sorry I'm not more help. It just a bump in the road dear. Keep us posted on how you are doing and take care!

Kimberly

[suzhan]

Deepa - you and I seem to be having some similar problems

I failed 1 of the 4 results (fasting, 2 hour & 3 hour were okay, but 1 hour was too high.) They said I'm "glucose intolerant" not gestational diabetes, but the result is the same, I need to watch my diet.

Basically, your placental hormones block the pancreas from creating enough insulin to process the glucose in your blood in a timely manner. The risks of GD are primarily around having a baby that is too big. It's more common with pregnant ladies over 35.

I met with the diabetes RN and she gave me diet tips as well as a blood sugar monitor which I am to use 4x per day (first thing in the morning and then 1 hour after every meal.) Goal is fasting less than 90 and 1 hour post meal target is between 100-130.

In terms of diet, the nurse explained to me that the key is not sugar, but carbohydrates. You'll learn to read the sides of every food containing carbs. Take the total carbs and subtract any fiber (so like if a piece of bread is 20 grams of carb and 2 grams of fiber the net carb is 18 grams.) I was told to have 30 grams of carb at each meal and then two snacks of about 15 grams of carb, so a total of about 120 carbs per day. The key is to even out your carbs through the day so you don't have too much at once. Proteins and fats are 'free' so you can eat as much of those as you want - in fact I've had to increase my fats because I started losing weight. Also, eating fats with carbs helps to slow down the release of the sugar in the blood and helps your pancreas keep up, so if you eat carbs, try to eat fats with it (nuts and peanut butter will be your best friend!)

After a while, you'll probably figure out what foods raise your sugars more than others. For example, I can't eat cereal w/ milk in the morning anymore as it really raises my sugars in the morning, so I'm eating mostly eggs and toast now for breakfast (eggs will be another food you'll eat a lot ) And, mornings are my hardest, since that's when the placenta hormones are at their peak. Later in the day, I seem to be able to eat almost what I want and not have a problem. After about a week, you'll know what to do!

It is hard for us w/ previa also since that means we can't exercise (well, now I'm on bed rest so I definitely can't do anything.) But, hopefully you can control it with diet. I've had no problem thus far doing that by following the diet. And, if not, insulin shots will be minor compared to the stims and PIO we've had to endure - you'll have no problem if it comes to that.

I've also found this resource which has been helpful...

http://www.pregnancy.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=31

Good luck!

[deepa100]

Thanks, kholton for those comforting words.
Suzhan,
I appreciate all the info. I have started being careful a week ago (when I was 29 weeks) when I got the 1 hour test results. I just did the 3 hr. one yesterday.

I am eating an egg in the moring now, hardest thing I ever had to do. I have to eat it with my nose pinched so I don't have to smell it.

I am still mad that my clinic did not tell me to go in sooner. I left them a message about it, waiting for a call back.
Thanks for all your help, I will checkout the link you gave me.
Deepa

[mdterry]

Hi Deepa,

I have Type I diabetes and 7weeks pregnant. I am newly diagnosed with diabetes (October 06) and now that I'm pregnant, I'm really nervous.
I guess it's different with me as I take insulin shots at night to help keep my numbers low. It's a struggle because some of the healthiest food I can only have a tiny bit, like fruits but it is a learning experience. Since I'm new to diabetes and pregnant I made an appointment with the Joslin Diabetes Center Pregnancy Program in Boston to help me learn the best way to control my numbers and have a healthy pregnancy. I don't live in Boston, but it's worth the travel. Maybe you can find a similar program in your area.

You are definitely eating the right foods but don't cut out too many carbs or sweet so you won't become hypothermia (too low). It just takes the fun out of being pregnant and being able to eat fun stuff like ice cream and cookies.

[suzhan]

I am still mad that my clinic did not tell me to go in sooner. I left them a message about it, waiting for a call back.
Thanks for all your help, I will checkout the link you gave me.
Deepa

Don't be too mad. It's pretty normal to do the GTT between week 26 and 28. Before that, the placental hormones are unlikely to be having enough impact to affect the pancreas, so it's possible if you test too early, you might miss the problem.

Now that you know, you can manage your diet and I'm sure you'll do great. And, I agree with the pp, don't go too far in the opposite direction. Your baby does need carbs, you just have to manage how much you eat and what else you eat with it!

Take care!