Just diagnosed with gestational diabetes ....please help

[scrapbabe]

Quick backstory. I am 38 and pregnant with number four. He was a surprise to say the least. Three years ago I had thyroid cancer and my poor body has been thru the ringer since then. So today at 29 weeks I found out I have gestational diabetes. I want to cry. Part of me thinks its linked to my hyperthyroidism as well as my age. I keep reading that its pretty manageable..but I'm worried and discouraged. Anyone have any wisdom for me? I'm waiting to hear back as to how my doctor wants to proceed. I so needed good news ...I'm tired of doctors giving me bad news. So I guess I'm hoping someone can convince me that its going to be just fine because I'm not feeling it today.

[KRG]

I was borderline in both my pregnancies (diabetes is rampant on both sides of my family so my dr. tested me early--around 8-10 weeks). My dr. had me go to the nutritionist and they put me on a diet. It was easy to follow and I had a very easy pregnancy.

 

Breakfast was 1 carb, 2 meat milk, coffee or tea

Snack 1 meat 1 carb

Lunch 1 meat, 1 carb, 1 serving of fruit, 1 serving of veggie

Snack 1 meat 1 carb

Dinner was the same as lunch

Snack before bed 1 meat 1 carb

 

I drank a lot of water, too.

 

No refined sugar, no diet drinks, food or candy( I didn't drink/eat those anyway). 1 Carb was 15 g per serving Meat was 3 oz. The nutritionist gave me a book with the foods, substitutions, etc. I was able to keep it under control with diet and exercise. The hardest part for me was cutting down on pasta. I love pasta!

[6packofun]

I had it with my first and borderline with 2 subsequent pregnancies. I never got "regular" diabetes and it was able to be controlled just through diet. Other than a few more appointments than I would have liked, it was all OK! You'll be OK! I *did* get a little larger and had some excess amniotic fluid, but otherwise I never felt like I had a disease or anything like that! I actually thought the diet was helpful in keeping my weight down and it wasn't ridiculously restrictive. Trust your doctors and everything will be fine! Baby, too!

[I.Dup.]

you'll be okay! Did they say how high your sugars are? I am borderline this time (haven't been officially diagnosed yet) and the things that seem to spike my sugars most are sodas/fruit juices and rice. I can actually handle potatoes better than I can handle rice, and I have heard that from other women as well.

 

Think meat and veggies.

 

You only have 10 weeks left, you'll be fine!!! (((((hugs)))))) I know how absolutely FRUSTRATING these health issues are.

[Twigs]

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

[Seasider]

I was borderline in both my pregnancies (diabetes is rampant on both sides of my family so my dr. tested me early--around 8-10 weeks). My dr. had me go to the nutritionist and they put me on a diet. It was easy to follow and I had a very easy pregnancy.

 

Breakfast was 1 carb, 2 meat milk, coffee or tea

Snack 1 meat 1 carb

Lunch 1 meat, 1 carb, 1 serving of fruit, 1 serving of veggie

Snack 1 meat 1 carb

Dinner was the same as lunch

Snack before bed 1 meat 1 carb

 

I drank a lot of water, too.

 

No refined sugar, no diet drinks, food or candy( I didn't drink/eat those anyway). 1 Carb was 15 g per serving Meat was 3 oz. The nutritionist gave me a book with the foods, substitutions, etc. I was able to keep it under control with diet and exercise. The hardest part for me was cutting down on pasta. I love pasta!

 

:iagree:

I had it with my 4th little surprise, and I was of "advanced maternal age" which my doc said was part of the reason I probably had it.

 

Anyway, my doc MADE me go to a nutrition/diabetes workshop, and I was so glad he did. I was very precise in following that diet! I'm sure knowing that whatever I ate (or didn't eat) affected my baby was a great motivator. I was able to stay off insulin and manage my sugar levels through diet and mild exercise (just walking 10-15 minutes after meals). Discipline yourself to making water your only beverage for the duration of the pregnancy, and measure your intake.

 

I understand that even with diet, hormones can cause a strong enough insulin resistance to make insulin injections necessary, but even if you need to do the injections, you will feel better overall with watching what you eat and being reasonably active.

 

I also advise anyone I know with GD to have someone check your blood sugar levels following delivery. My blood sugar level dropped so low within a couple of hours after the baby's birth that, when the nurse finally got around to checking it (as I'd been asking her to do), it was so low she reacted in very concerned manner and immediately brought me juice, graham crackers and peanut butter and watched while I ate it!

 

:grouphug: It can seem overwhelming and even a bit scary, but it is manageable!

[Unicorn.]

I had it w/ mine. No big deal. The only changes I had to make to my diet were to cut out the one glass of juice I drank per day, cut out one glass of milk, and increase my carb count at lunch. For the 1st pregnancy, I was testing blood sugars 4 times a day, and they were always normal. For my twins, my Ob/Gyn told me I didn't need to, because I already knew what to do. I didn't gain a lot of weight w/ either pregnancy either. 20 lbs maybe w/ ds, and 25 ish w/ the twins. Don't worry- you'll be fine!

[freesia]

It's going to be okay, really. I had GD with 2 of mine. I did end up on insulin. The biggest deal was extra doctor's visits. I had to be really strict but it forced me to eat far more healthily than I had in the previous pregnancies. Everyone's body reacts differently to different foods at different times so you'll probably get a monitor to check your sugars regularly. You get used to testing and it becomes not a big deal at all.

[Freckles]

:grouphug: With my first I flunked the 1hr gtt and passed the 3 hr gtt. I was never sent to a nutritionist or monitored. I ended up delivering an 11lb 12 oz dd. A sure sign of gestational diabetes. With my second dd and a new ob, he put me on a strict 1800-2000 calorie diet starting at 8 wks pregnant. It did not matter to him if I passed or failed the gtt. In his mind I am a gestational diabetic. See your nutritionist and get some diet ideas. For me I ate a piece of toast and an egg every morning for breakfast. Snacks were a handful of nuts or pretzels with a cheese stick. I was allowed a small bowl of cereal and milk at bed time. I love cereal (the healthy kind.) I craved egg salad sandwiches. I gained 24 lbs, and I delivered an 8lb 7.8oz dd at 37 wks via c-section, but that's another thread. All of that is to say it is manageable. I wish you the best!

On a side note... for those here who are familiar with Sonic on my way to my first OB appt with my second child I stopped and had a Route 44 Cherry Limeaide because I knew they would be banned for the next 9 months. hehe

[KRG]

:grouphug:

On a side note... for those here who are familiar with Sonic on my way to my first OB appt with my second child I stopped and had a Route 44 Cherry Limeaide because I knew they would be banned for the next 9 months. hehe

 

I delivered at 39 weeks via c-section. After my 38 week appt. my OB said I could have a coke--Sonic was the first stop on the way home lol

[Rhonda in TX]

I had GD with both of mine. It was a pain, but very manageable. The biggest thing to watch is carbs, including fruit. Your doctor will make sure you get all the nutritional info you need. {{hugs}}

[besroma]

It will be a lot to take in at first, but you will quickly figure out what foods cause your blood sugar to spike.

 

Juices, sodas, etc. will be out.

 

I ate a lot of peanut butter and nuts as snacks to help balance carbs.

 

There is a good thread from a while back with great advice in it. PM me if you can't find it and I will look through my subscribed threads to see if I can find it for you.

 

I know it seems like a lot right now, but it will be okay!

[scrapbabe]

Thank you all so much. I am supposed to schedule an appt with the dietician next week. Right now I'm trying to eat low glycemic and pair my carbs with proteins. And of course I'm cutting out sugars. I really appreciate all of the responses. I'm coping a little better today than I was. Thanks again.

[TGHEALTHYMOM]

I can imagine how scared you have been. It is not to be taken lightly. I have 8 children and never did have GDB. Still, I tried to cut out sugar and eat more protein. I know some women who have had to endure diabetes during pregnancy and beyond. I hope you are able to manage it well and that it doesn't go beyond pregancy for you.

[phathui5]

The first thing I want to say is that gestational diabetes is NOT diabetes. Diabetes has many health risks for both mom and baby. Gestational diabetes is a pregnancy induced carbohydrate intolerance. It does not carry the same risks that diabetes does. The "risk" of gestational diabetes is having a large baby and studies have not shown that following a restricted diet does anything to decrease the incidence of large babies in moms with GD.

[I.Dup.]

Phathui, I would love more information. I do seem to have carb intolerance (just found last pregnancy) but my sugars have never been out of control, just higher than they should be. However, my biggest baby has only been 7 pounds! So does that mean I don't have true GD?

[Canadianmumof5]

The first thing I want to say is that gestational diabetes is NOT diabetes. Diabetes has many health risks for both mom and baby. Gestational diabetes is a pregnancy induced carbohydrate intolerance. It does not carry the same risks that diabetes does. The "risk" of gestational diabetes is having a large baby and studies have not shown that following a restricted diet does anything to decrease the incidence of large babies in moms with GD.

 

 

:iagree: BUT I wish the insurance companies would see it the same way :glare: I had GD with baby #4 and not long after delivery - we were renewing our mortgage and they said they could not offer me the mortgage insurance since I had been diagnosed with it!!! Then they changed their minds & said they could insure me (at some crazy rate) but I had to go back to my family dr and have another GTT done in order to "prove" that I wasn't diabetic. In the end, it all worked out but holy cow - what a mess for a couple of weeks.

[Canadianmumof5]

The other thing that is so important is to exercise! If I had eaten something that I knew was not good, I hopped on the treadmill for 20 minutes at a brisk pace and it really did have a positive impact on my 2hr post-meal levels.

[Tracy in Ky]

A friend of mine just had a baby and had gestational diabetes. She was able to keep it under great control. This book helped her...

 

 

 

The Blood Sugar Solution

[phathui5]

I'm going to quote midwife and writer Anne Frye here:

 

"The cut-off glucose levels in use now were chosen for convenience of follow up. They were not chosen because a particular glucose threshold below those established for diabetes outside of pregnancy was found to correlate with the onset of, or a marked increase in obstetrical risk."

 

If anything, the risk of a label of gestational diabetes in pregnancy is for women who are seeing a doctor and are treated in the medical model of care. In Diagnostic Tests for the Childbearing Year, Frye writes, "Current medical management results in increased emotional stress, numerous blood tests, dietary and caloric restrictions, weight limitations, and in some cases, insulin injections, hospitalization, induction of labor, and surgical delivery due to fears about shoulder dystocia in a large-for-dates infant. None of this management has proven to make any difference in the outcomes for these women compared to the general population."

 

As a mom, I've skipped the gestational diabetes screening tests since my second baby. I'm not diabetic and I didn't feel like the test would provide information that would be necessary to my pregnancy.

[kbpaulie]

Kiddos are 7 & 10. I was gestational w/ both. Exercise, exercise, exercise! I also had to eat a low/ no carb diet. I know this is much harder to do when you already have some kiddos at home, but it's critical! My insc was willing to cover a consultant w/ a nutritionist. Might want to check into that. If they don't have that frequently they have nurses on call that can do diabetic phone consults. I checked my blood regularlly, but never had any probs. By sticking w/ this I only gained 17 lbs and kids were healthy and about 8lb 9 oz. Best of luck to you!

[Freckles]

"If anything, the risk of a label of gestational diabetes in pregnancy is for women who are seeing a doctor and are treated in the medical model of care. In Diagnostic Tests for the Childbearing Year, Frye writes, "Current medical management results in increased emotional stress, numerous blood tests, dietary and caloric restrictions, weight limitations, and in some cases, insulin injections, hospitalization, induction of labor, and surgical delivery due to fears about shoulder dystocia in a large-for-dates infant. None of this management has proven to make any difference in the outcomes for these women compared to the general population."

 

I haven't read this book; so, I can't really speak about it. However, I must disagree from my life experience.

 

I had untreated Gestational Diabetes. I had no calorie restrictions or intervention, and I vaginally delivered an 11lb 12oz baby with severe shoulder dystocia. She almost died and ended up being treated for damage to her brachial plexus as well as rebound hypoglycemia.

 

My second child I was put on a diabetic diet. I gained 24 lbs. She was delivered by c-section due to history of shoulder dystocia (not saying I agree with this decision), and she weighed in at 7lbs 8.6 oz three weeks early. I can only imagine how big she would have been if my glucose levels were not stabalized.

 

It's really late here, and maybe I read this the wrong way. I'm sorry if I did.

[phathui5]

Freckles, I'm sorry to hear about what happened with your first pregnancy. Did you have your blood sugar tested at all with that pregnancy? Have you been screened for diabetes outside of pregnancy?

 

This is the book I'm referencing:

http://www.amazon.co...words=Anne Frye

 

It is a textbook for interpreting lab tests, written by a highly educated midwife who has written several textbooks, speaks at conferences and trainings and is considered an expert in the field of well, most things relating to pregnancy and birth.

 

And it sounds like, with your second child, you did have what Frye lists as a risk of testing: "surgical delivery due to fears about shoulder dystocia in a large-for-dates infant." I can't judge your experience; I'm not your midwife. What I can say is that research has not shown dietary restrictions to be effective in preventing macrosomia (big baby) and research does not support Cesarean surgery for suspected macrosomia.

 

There are risks to Cesarean that I feel like doctors downplay. When I lived in Syracuse, there was a mom who died after her Cesarean and surgery for suspected macrosomia is not supported in the medical literature.

[Freckles]

phathui5,

 

Thanks for the link. In my first pregnancy I failed my 1hr gtt and passed my 3hr gtt barely. My OB said I might have gestational diabetes, but she did not refer me to anyone. She moved when I was 34 wks, and I was followed by a NP. I'm tested yearly for Diabetes. I don't agree with the C-section of the second at all, but there was a little more involved. My husband was military and leaving that day for 3 months, and my mom witnessed my delivery with the shoulder dystocia. She was adament with the doctor that I or the baby not suffer like we did in my first delivery. I had an ultrasound the day before, and they were guessing she would be around 10 lbs. She wasn't. The doctor pushed for the c-section because of size, and I caved. He did apologize after she was born because she was so little. Anyway, my main point was that a controlled diet did keep me from having a macrosomic baby the second time. And it concerned me that this limited advice I read from the quote would encourage women not to take a diagnosis of gestational diabetes seriously. On a side note... I'm an RN; so, I look at things from a medical model viewpoint.

[alpidarkomama]

You'll do fine. It's a little overwhelming at first, figuring out how to eat and how much exercise you need to keep your blood sugars in the right place. After the first month, it really is pretty easy (normally!) to manage. I'm sure you'll find it the same. Most people with gestational diabetes don't have wildly fluctuating blood sugar levels, just elevated ones. It really will help you get on a great diet, so it can be a real blessing (as it was for me!). I also found it so much easier to eat well and exercise when a developing baby depended on me. :)