shellyr
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Post by shellyr on Jan 18, 2018 18:09:59 GMT -6
This is a place of those of us with Gestational Diabetes to support each other and share ideas/tricks/tips.
Any check-in's are welcome.
Let's get through this together!
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shellyr
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Post by shellyr on Jan 18, 2018 18:22:32 GMT -6
A little about me: High Glucose of 175 on the one hr test 3/4 high numbers on the 3 hr test (only normal was the fasting) Diagnosed with GD at 29 weeks Currently 30 weeks Trying to control with diet for now
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Post by clementine on Jan 18, 2018 20:18:11 GMT -6
Hi! I failed my one hr test with a 142. Then failed 2/4 on the 3 hr test. Diagnosed at 28 weeks and currently almost 34. I’m managing with diet for now and it is going well. I have to check my sugar 4 times a day and report the numbers to MFM twice a week. Dietician recommended eating a snack before bed to help with fasting number, but I haven’t noticed a difference whether I eat a snack or not. And I eat dinner late enough (and go to bed early enough) that I’m not the least bit hungry before bed anyway. I’ve been eating the same exact breakfast every day so that number is always good. I have a pretty good idea of what I can eat for lunch/dinner that will give me good numbers too, but I’ve had a few high ones that have surprised me. Good luck to you shellyr and any other ladies lucky enough to belong in this thread.
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shellyr
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Post by shellyr on Jan 18, 2018 20:28:52 GMT -6
clementine, what are you eating for breakfast everyday?
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Post by clementine on Jan 18, 2018 20:34:16 GMT -6
clementine, what are you eating for breakfast everyday? 3 scrambled eggs, one piece of wheat toast with pb&j, and a small glass of milk
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Rama
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Post by Rama on Jan 19, 2018 13:01:58 GMT -6
My [second] 1hr test I failed with 159. I also failed 2/4 of the 3hr test. Dx with GD at 29,3 and currently 30w even. The hope is to control with diet, but I've been pretty bad at it so far, so we'll see. I see the dietician today.
It's been a hard road so far. I'm really good at beating myself up. But at least I'm starting to come down off of my "I'm going to have diabetes and my kid is going to have diabetes" train most of the time?
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Post by clementine on Jan 19, 2018 13:59:38 GMT -6
Ugh I feel you Rama. I felt so guilty at first and I still do now that I think about it. It’s like we try to do everything we can to set ourselves for a healthy pregnancy and set our babies up for a healthy birth and life, and it’s beyond frustrating to feel like our bodies are just saying f you to that. My doctor was very reassuring that it’s nothing I did or didn’t do, but my mind hasn’t quite accepted that. Stupid placenta. I just keep trying to focus my energy toward doing what I can to stay healthy now.
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Rama
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Post by Rama on Jan 19, 2018 14:25:34 GMT -6
Ugh I feel you Rama . I felt so guilty at first and I still do now that I think about it. It’s like we try to do everything we can to set ourselves for a healthy pregnancy and set our babies up for a healthy birth and life, and it’s beyond frustrating to feel like our bodies are just saying f you to that. My doctor was very reassuring that it’s nothing I did or didn’t do, but my mind hasn’t quite accepted that. Stupid placenta. I just keep trying to focus my energy toward doing what I can to stay healthy now. I'll admit that I wasn't exactly great to my body so far in pregnancy and I'm kicking myself now because it feels like I caused this to happen (stahp it, brain, I know it was out of my control). The nurse I saw was probably trying to be supportive, but ended up just making me feel worse about everything and even said that only 4-7% of pregnant women get GD...and of that, 50% go on to have Type II afterwards. So...not very reassuring at all. A lot of my hangup probably comes from this. I'm also stupidly out of shape, so even going for a short 10 minute walk usually takes it out of me so hard that I'm having trouble catching my breath. It's annoying and terrifying all at once, but hopefully it can get better? I'm just so scared I'm messing this up/have messed this up because nothing is going how it "should" be. I'm sorry you're here with me.
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shellyr
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Post by shellyr on Jan 19, 2018 18:37:04 GMT -6
Rama, I’m sorry. I freaked the freak out this week after I got the diagnosis. Like really freaking freaked out. ‘My kids are unlucky to have me for a mom’ kind of freak out. My OB was not very reassuring. I made my own appointment with endocrinology and saw them today. MUCH more reassuring. This is manageable and the good news is that we are ON IT!!! Our babies are lucky for that. Let me know if I can be helpful. This is much more about craptastic luck than anything we caused. For real.
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Post by clementine on Jan 19, 2018 21:17:24 GMT -6
Rama you definitely haven’t messed this up. And like shellyr said, we are on it now and that’s what matters. I’m trying to look at it positively, like now I really have the motivation to eat better and try to exercise more, even though that’s not what caused this in the first place. But some days I just feel like ugh I should have done this, that, etc. It’s like you know better, but you still can’t help feeling guilty.
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shellyr
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Post by shellyr on Jan 21, 2018 20:04:10 GMT -6
I bought urine ketone testing strips tonight on Amazon because I had ketones in my urine at the OB last week. She attributed it to dehydration but I think I'm under eating carbs.
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Post by clementine on Jan 21, 2018 20:19:53 GMT -6
I bought urine ketone testing strips tonight on Amazon because I had ketones in my urine at the OB last week. She attributed it to dehydration but I think I'm under eating carbs. Did she recommend testing at home? I don’t know much about this at all. Dietician made it a point that I still need to eat carbs in moderation, but sometimes I find myself trying to cut them out completely just bc I feel like carbs are the devil right now.
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Post by ovenrack on Jan 21, 2018 21:09:09 GMT -6
When I had GD last pregnancy (butting in here), I had to rest my urine each morning for ketones. I totally tended to go carb-free, clementine, because it felt easier. But then I'd just sneak in tiny carb treats. clementine, are you meeting with an endocrinologist?
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shellyr
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Post by shellyr on Jan 21, 2018 21:14:22 GMT -6
clementine, no, she didn't tell me to test at home, but I don't trust her judgement on "you are dehydrated" when I know I've likely cut back waaaay too much on carbs.
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shellyr
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Post by shellyr on Jan 21, 2018 21:15:17 GMT -6
ovenrack, please contribute anytime. I certainly could use the input/feedback/advice
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Post by ovenrack on Jan 21, 2018 21:27:34 GMT -6
I don't have GD this pregnancy, but I'm trying to maintain a generally GD diet (low carb, high protein) because I did fail 1/4 tests in the three hour. And also, being on the diet (I was able to control my GD through diet alone) meant I bounced back from my second pregnancy, weight wise, WAY faster than my first. Not that it really mattered, but I just felt better overall.
I will try to help in any way I can! I eat a lot of dairy. Cottage cheese, cheese, yogurt (high-protein greek yogurt). Full fats. Since I tested so often, I discovered that my body did better with corn (tortillas and such) and poorly with potatoes. Bread was okay if I kept my servings minimal.
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Post by clementine on Jan 21, 2018 21:29:04 GMT -6
shellyr I’d trust your gut then. I need to read up on ketones and carbs. ovenrack I’ve only met with a dietician. There were no referrals to an endocrinologist. Should I ask for this? I definitely am getting some carbs, but I just need to keep reminding myself that it’s important to have the right amount, which is not none. It’s like I see carbs on the label and automatically think I can’t have it.
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Post by ovenrack on Jan 21, 2018 21:47:22 GMT -6
shellyr I’d trust your gut then. I need to read up on ketones and carbs. ovenrack I’ve only met with a dietician. There were no referrals to an endocrinologist. Should I ask for this? I definitely am getting some carbs, but I just need to keep reminding myself that it’s important to have the right amount, which is not none. It’s like I see carbs on the label and automatically think I can’t have it. I just looked back (duh) and saw you're reporting your numbers to your MFM. I'm sure that's fine! I'm sure he/she will have you test for ketones occasionally, and I am sure there are other indicators, but I have no idea. I'd certainly bring it up with your MFM, but don't worry too much about it now (unless you're not seeing him/her for, like, a long time). The best thing was that I benefited from a carby snack at bedtime, to help with my fasting number. It was usually a single-serving ice cream snack, or yogurt/cottage cheese with chocolate chips stirred in. It makes sense to want to swerve the other way and get rid of all carbs. You will find a good balance!
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Rama
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Post by Rama on Jan 22, 2018 10:10:40 GMT -6
I'm having a rough time with my diet, less my head (thank god). Carbs have consistently brought me over, every.single.time. I had an appointment with a dietician on Friday and she looked at my food log and was shocked because I almost literally have to cut out all carbs in order to get a good number. I'm getting the feeling that I'm going to go on insulin.
I was seriously undereating and now that I'm trying to reintroduce carbs back in, I haven't had a good number on ANY of my reads. I'm so frustrated because I know I need carbs, but if I want to control this with diet alone, I can't have any at all, which just perpetuates the cycle of harmful thinking. :/
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Post by mrsmonogrammed on Jan 22, 2018 11:21:03 GMT -6
Rama I'm so sorry you're having a hard time with diet control. Last pregnancy I ended up needing insulin too. They started me with just a slow acting night time one because my fasting numbers were NEVER in range. After a few weeks they also added in the fast acting insulin with every meal. Even with that and following the diet perfectly my numbers were never really good no matter what I did😔 BUT! My daughter was 9lb at birth (vaginal delivery) and perfectly healthy with no problems with her sugars. This is me telling you it will all be ok. You're doing the best you can and we're always here for you too❤️
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Post by woodenshoes on Jan 22, 2018 11:25:04 GMT -6
Rama figuring this all out is so frustrating. There are meals where I have minimal carbs and have high numbers and then I eat a meal with more carbs than I should and have a decent number. Then something that works one day doesn't work the next day. It is so annoying. I also know the further along you are the more difficult it tends to be to manage...ugh. I feel like this time around has been much more difficult than when I had it with DS in 2013. Since it has been harder to manage this time I can't help but think I am going to end up being diagnosed Type II after this pregnancy...ugh. I had a sore throat (probably tonsillitis) all weekend and it was so difficult. I just wanted to drink juice and eat ice cream. I shared a frosty with DH and DS at lunch yesterday and had a number within range after the meal. Then I ate about 30 grams of carbs for dinner and had a 167. So frustrating. I have read/heard that sickness affects your numbers and I believe it. I didn't bring lunch to work today, so I need to figure out what I am going to eat...my choices are McDonald's or Subway. I will probably try Subway and hope they have a good soup choice. shellyr, I have read about people testing their ketones, but I don't know much about them. My OB nor the MFM doctor have brought it up to me.
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Post by leatherpants on Jan 22, 2018 11:25:33 GMT -6
Rama, I'm just a creepy lurker in here but I'm sending you giant hugs.
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Rama
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Post by Rama on Jan 22, 2018 11:29:52 GMT -6
Rama I'm so sorry you're having a hard time with diet control. Last pregnancy I ended up needing insulin too. They started me with just a slow acting night time one because my fasting numbers were NEVER in range. After a few weeks they also added in the fast acting insulin with every meal. Even with that and following the diet perfectly my numbers were never really good no matter what I did😔 BUT! My daughter was 9lb at birth (vaginal delivery) and perfectly healthy with no problems with her sugars. This is me telling you it will all be ok. You're doing the best you can and we're always here for you too❤️ Thank you, I need all the good anecdotes I can get. As much as everyone has been "OMG THE BABY CAN BE HUGE" at me about the GD, so far my kid has always measured average or small. At my last appt with the MFM on Thursday, I was 29,6 and baby measured a smidge under 3lbs. The tech told me they normally hit that milestone at 29w, so growth-wise, Iggy has been staying on track for about a week behind (54-55th%ile). Large baby is least of my worries, it's the health implications that really get to me.
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Post by mrsmonogrammed on Jan 22, 2018 11:40:04 GMT -6
Rama I'm so sorry you're having a hard time with diet control. Last pregnancy I ended up needing insulin too. They started me with just a slow acting night time one because my fasting numbers were NEVER in range. After a few weeks they also added in the fast acting insulin with every meal. Even with that and following the diet perfectly my numbers were never really good no matter what I did😔 BUT! My daughter was 9lb at birth (vaginal delivery) and perfectly healthy with no problems with her sugars. This is me telling you it will all be ok. You're doing the best you can and we're always here for you too❤️ Thank you, I need all the good anecdotes I can get. As much as everyone has been "OMG THE BABY CAN BE HUGE" at me about the GD, so far my kid has always measured average or small. At my last appt with the MFM on Thursday, I was 29,6 and baby measured a smidge under 3lbs. The tech told me they normally hit that milestone at 29w, so growth-wise, Iggy has been staying on track for about a week behind (54-55th%ile). Large baby is least of my worries, it's the health implications that really get to me. I totally get that, and the repercussions of it as well. I had a hard time with breastfeeding at first and it took my girl until she was 1m old to regain her birth weight. I absolutely pushed myself to keep going longer than I would have otherwise because of the health benefits of it (for her AND myself) thanks to having GD. Don't get me wrong, we exclusively breastfed for 14m and I'm really proud of that, but it was a source of anxiety for me those first few post partum weeks. We have to give ourselves a little grace which is much easier said than done😔
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Post by mrsmonogrammed on Jan 22, 2018 11:43:22 GMT -6
woodenshoes last pregnancy I could order a double cheeseburger and a small fry from McDonald's and have numbers in range. I don't care to admit how many times I ate that exact meal because I knew it would be "ok" and I was tired of playing the guessing game with healthier choices🙈
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Post by clementine on Jan 22, 2018 13:46:49 GMT -6
Rama Ugh, I’m sorry. +1 to what woodenshoes said though. I had some high and really inconsistent numbers at first. And sometimes now I will eat the exact same thing and get a way higher number than the day before. I know this probably won’t solve all your problems, but I definitely notice a high number if I don’t wash my hands right before testing. One time I tested like 15 min after washing my hands and then putting lotion on, and the number was super high so I tested again after washing and it went down like 30.
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Rama
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Post by Rama on Jan 22, 2018 13:59:11 GMT -6
Rama Ugh, I’m sorry. +1 to what woodenshoes said though. I had some high and really inconsistent numbers at first. And sometimes now I will eat the exact same thing and get a way higher number than the day before. I know this probably won’t solve all your problems, but I definitely notice a high number if I don’t wash my hands right before testing. One time I tested like 15 min after washing my hands and then putting lotion on, and the number was super high so I tested again after washing and it went down like 30. This is very interesting to me. I don't usually wash my hands except for fasting because I don't have a convenient sink near me most of the time. My circulation is good/I run warm, so having cold hands has never been an issue for me producing. It doesn't solve my fasting frustration, but maybe I'll try to make a bigger effort to wash my hands before I do a meal draw. Thanks!
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shellyr
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Post by shellyr on Jan 22, 2018 19:34:56 GMT -6
Rama, I'm sorry your numbers aren't correlating well with food intake. Its maddening. *if* you have to go the medication route, is it possible to try oral meds first rather than going right to insulin?
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Rama
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Post by Rama on Jan 23, 2018 12:16:38 GMT -6
Rama , I'm sorry your numbers aren't correlating well with food intake. Its maddening. *if* you have to go the medication route, is it possible to try oral meds first rather than going right to insulin? I honestly have no idea. No one has brought up meds at all with me so...I have no clue.
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Post by woodenshoes on Jan 23, 2018 12:54:17 GMT -6
woodenshoes last pregnancy I could order a double cheeseburger and a small fry from McDonald's and have numbers in range. I don't care to admit how many times I ate that exact meal because I knew it would be "ok" and I was tired of playing the guessing game with healthier choices🙈 This is definitely me. I know what typically works, so I stick with it. I am not a motivated cook, so I am just sticking with what works. I will eat more variety once the baby is hear because my nausea also will be gone then. I have had lunch at a buffet at one of the local pizza places about 1-2 times a month. I eat a huge salad, tons of water, two slices of pizza, and one of the dessert breadstick things and have always been in range with my numbers, so it is motivating to keep eating that meal. I also eat chicken nuggets and a side salad a lot.
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