Gestonial Diabetes

You'll be fine. I had it with my second despite being a good eater, being in great shape (taught aerobics throughout both pregnancies!) and watching what I ate. My numbers were similar. I went to an endocrinologist and watched my diet and was fine.

I had GD with my first pregnancy and was able to control it with diet. But with this one I have it again and am only 14 weeks and had to be put on insulin. It really is not bad. It is for the health of the baby and you. More of a pain, but that is it. Do what you have to do, I guess. Trust me I wasn't happy to hear that I had to do insulin, but so far it is working and I feel good. Good luck!

I was diagnosed with GD as well, had to see a specialist, but never had to take insulin. I was on a very strict diet (no fun, but luckily it didn't have to last long) and had to test my sugar levels four times a day. As soon as I delivered, my levels went way up so I did have an IV of insulin, but my baby was totally perfect. Don't worry! Everything will be just fine, and it'll all be over before you know it (or just starting....)
:)

I had GD with my first pregnancy 2 years ago and was put on a stick diet and had insulin (pill form). My daughter and I are just fine now. I am 31 weeks pregnant now and had to do the sugar test at 18 weeks, which that one came back fine. Then I had to do it again at 26 weeks (1 hour test). That one came back abnormal. So, I had to do the 3 hour fasting one. That one came back thanfully just fine. Diabetes runs in my family as well. I was very thankful when the last one came back negitive. It isn't so bad. Most people don't end up getting it after delivery and neither does the baby. From my understanding it is rare. Try not to worry too much.

I had GD while pregnant with my son. I do not remember what my numbers were for the 3 hr test, but I thini it was close to yours. I did not have to be on insulin. I excercised and met with a nutrionist and I ate 3 carbs for breakfast, 1 for snack, 4 for lunch,1 for snack, 5 for dinner and 2 for snack. and that kept my numbers under 120 after two hrs for the most part. I had to stay away from greasy foods like fries,chips etc..While I was very upset about it all worked out well. My hardes feat was not eating as much fruit and milk as I was before I found out since they are all carbs. I found that Peanuts/peanutbutter helped keep my numbers good as well. Remember to mix carbs with protein and all should be good. My son had no drop in blood sugar which was great since I had a C-sec and I wanted to nurse him I was able to do that. Good luck!

Congrats on your pregnancy! With both my pregnancies, I had gd. My sugar was in the 130's. I controled my insulin with diet only. I tested my sugars before and after my meals. I actually only gained 15 lbs with each of my kids. I wasn't overweight to begin with either pregnancy, so maybe having gd was a good thing, because I would of ate everything in sight while I was pregnant. Both of my kids were 8lbs at birth, and were healthy. My dad is diabetic, but that happened in his 50's due to he is heavy and a terrible eater. Since I have a family history, I am nervous about my future, but try and eat healthy and work out as much as possible. Best of Luck!!

Your ob-gyn should be providing you with a special diet that you need to follow. follow it! I had gestational diabetes with my first child and everything was controlled by eating properly. when I got pregnant the second time, they put me on the diet right at the beginning and I never had any issues.

Dear E. M.
I too had Gestational Diabetes but I had a family history of Diabetes. I was given a low dose of pills to treat it and I had to change my diet. I was put on a 2,000 calorie a day diet. Not only did I my levels begin to decrease but I began to like to foods that I was eating. After having my baby, she was healthy and I had lost a tremendous amount of weight and felt great about it. Now I am used to eating this way and am continuing to loose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. My doctor advised me to stick to it because I could eventually develop Diabetes later on in life. If you and your doctor work together and make sure that your Diabetes is under control, you'll be just fine and you'll soon have a bundle of joy! Take Care.

E.,
My son has type 1 diabetes so here's what I know about glucose numbers. A person without diabetes has numbers between 70-110. If the numbers you posted are your fasting numbers they are too high for sure. Gestational diabetes can easily get under control and it doesn't mean you will have it forever but definitely get it under control now for you and your baby.
Good luck and best to you,
J.

Hi E.,

I had gestational diabetes as well, at age 31. I don't recall what my numbers were. but I know they were sort of borderline and I was tested twice. I was able to stay diet controlled (no insulin or other medication). My OBGYN referred me to a nutritionist for 2 consultations. Please consider this option. A nutritionist or dietician can help you understand how many "sugars" per meal or snack would work for your body. Several small meals/light snacks every 3 or so hours are recommended to maintain normal blood sugar. You should also be doing light cardio exercise (walking is best).

Gestational diabetes usually goes away immediately after you give birth. You will be a a slightly higher risk to develop Type 2 diabetes, but with a healthy diet and regular exercise you can do a lot to prevent this.

Good luck and best wishes to you for a happy, healthy pregnancy.

E.-
I'm sorry to hear that you have GD. I had it with both of my kids and then I developed type II after my last. If your doctors put you on insulin I beg of you to use it and use it properly! I am scared of needles and my son had many complications and now has CP. The docs say it is not my fault but I still wonder. I made the choice to not have any more children at that point. Living with diabetes is not that hard as long as you monitor what you eat. You sugar should never be over 140 two hours after and it should be between 70 and 110 fasting. The two best ideas I can give you are these: a) write everything you eat down for a week and b)take that list into see a nutritionist/dietician. They will be able to help you out in figuring up a good diet plan with you. And like everyone else said, EXERCISE! Walk, walk, walk. The last thing I leave you with is that most people DO grow out of it. I was not so fortunate but I eat candy and sweets just the same. I just monitor the amount. If you buy sugar free snacks they are great but you do have to watch out for the sugar alcohols. They still spike your numbers at times. Well, good luck and I will definitely keep you in my thoughts!

I had gestational diabetes with my last pregnancy. I went to an endocrinologist in addition to my midwife. I really appreciated the guidance and support from Dr. Purdy. Her dietitian taught me how to eat and how to monitor my blood sugar. Dr. Purdy has excellent outcomes -- healthy babies born vaginally with no long term consequences (children of GD moms can struggle with weight).

I'm glad that I took the advice of Dr. Purdy and team as I felt real good after being diagnosed and following their care plan.

My unprofessional opinion is that your numbers seem real high.

I had gestational diabetes with both of my children.

With my son, it was easily controlled with diet. I highly recommend the Better Homes and Gardens Diabetic Cookbook - lots of great recipes and tips in there! I kept a log of everything I ate, saw a dietitian who helped me with adjusting the diet to find a good balance. It went very well and my baby was perfectly sized and healthy.

With my daughter, I had a worse scenario and needed insulin. I am terrified of needles, but I did manage to give myself the tiny little shots as I needed to. I was also managing my diet again and had more complications - my blood pressure shot up near the end of the pregnancy, so they labeled me "high risk" and I had a lot more ultrasounds. I am still battling the high blood pressure, but again - the diabetes went away immediately after she was born and I was able to resume a normal diet and stop taking insulin. She was also born perfectly healthy and not at all a "big baby" like everyone talks about.

Please know that it is not as terrible of a thing as it might feel. It happens to a lot of people and not on every pregnancy. As long as you listed to the doctors about sticking to a healthy diet (and take the insulin if you need it) you should be able to have a healthy, happy baby! Some doctors/nurses will seem overbearing at times, but just relax into it and stick to the plan that you and they put together. I know I stressed out every so often when one nurse I had would seem hard on me if my glucose numbers had gone up due to a family gathering or some other occasional food that I ate that raised it. But when the majority of my numbers were looking good my dietitian and doctor were very encouraging.

You will be at a higher risk for diabetes later in life too. I have recently joined a health club and have continued to use some of the recipes from that cook book in order to make sure I can be healthy and avoid it later on.

Good Luck!

Hi E.,
Congratulations on your pregnancy! I had gestational diabetes during my first pregnancy but not during my 2nd and 3rd preganancies. We handled it with diet...whole grain carbs...make sure to eat small protein snacks along with fruits and veggies...stop eating white bread and white carbs (because they just convert to sugar). I found that when I stopped eating cupcakes and sugary treats, my body felt better. You could benefit from some nutrition counseling to figure out your eating plan along with your regular prenatal doctor's visits. Make sure you are getting plenty of water to drink. Yoga has also helped me and is available for prenatal women through you local park district and www.universalspirityoga.com

I'm sorry, I don't remember my scores either.
I would say not to worry and just keep a close eye on your diet and exercise. I had GD with my first pregnancy, but was able to manage it with diet and exercise. And my baby was born at normal weight with no complications. My OB referred me to a dietician which was very helpful. Try not to worry...sometimes blood sugar is outside your control...just focus on your healthy baby!

I don't have a history in my family either, but my baby had a lot of fluid around him, I was getting huge, I had a really high fasting level and had to take the three hour twice.

They put me on the diet for a few months to be sure. I think they will try the diet before they start you on insulin.

Some other things to think about:

Honestly, if you have to go on insulin so what. All that matters is that you and that baby stay healthy.

Most cases of gestational diabetes does not mean you will be diabetic for life. You have a higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes later in life, but not if you take action after the baby is born. Make it a goal to lead a healthy lifestyle from here on out for you and your child/future children.

It will be fine. Don't fret. My son was 8lbs 15oz and we are both fine.

Hi E.,

I was a gestational diabetic during my pregnancy too and NEVER had to go on insulin. I worked with the Maternal Fetal Medicine clinic at Hinsdale Hospital (where my OB is affiliated)and was able to control my daytime blood sugar with diet and exercise. I eventually had to take a very small dose of oral medication at night to control my fasting blood sugar.
The Maternal fetal medicine clinic had me meet with a nutritionist and I had to call in and report my blood sugars every week. At 32 weeks they started doing non stress tests where I was hooked up to external monitors and the baby's heart rate and activity were recorded. I also had several extra ultrasounds to make sure she wasn't getting to big. The insurance paid for all of this and I had a beautiful, healthy baby!
I know it's scary, but if you work with your doctor, you should be fine.

Hello! Congrats on your pregnancy! Sorry to hear about the Gestational Diabetes. I did not have it but my best friend did. She found out at 22 weeks and was able to control it with diet and did fabulous. That was 4 1/2 years ago and she has been fine. It went away after the birth of her son. Talk to your doctor about a diabetic diet and they will be able to tell you what you can or cannot eat. Good luck!

Hello,
I had gestational diabetes w/ both my pregnancies. The first one I controlled pretty well and didn't need to go on insulin. The second one was harder to control, so I was put on an oral med ( glyburide, i think ). I never did have to go on insulin. you'll have to test your blood sugar at home and record it. you'll learn what foods affect your blood sugar. mine was chinese food. once after eating chinese for dinner, my blood sugar was in the 300's the next morning.

everything was fine though! my first born was 7lbs 14 oz, and my second was 7lbs, 3 oz. all normal heathly boys, and my youngest is four, and i have no residual diabetes.

for both pregnanies, i had to go the fetal non stress tests once / week in my last trimester. i did end up w/ c-sections, but that had nothing to do w/ the diabetes. oh and I had to go see a nutritionist too!

good luck!

I too have just been diagnosed with Gest. Diabetes.
I have to say I thought I was having my "last supper" before I was sent to a Dietician. All they will do is get you to eat regularly and count your carbohydrates so that your sugar levels will stay more constant rather than fluctuate. You can still have most of the things you like - but in moderation! Insulin is a last resort - hopefully you will be able to control your glucose levels with diet alone. Your OB should be getting you to see a dietician and then after a week they will retest your fasting blood glucose level. I have my fingers crossed - I think I was eating way too much fruit (because that is what I craved), and candy. I thought a pregnant women could give in to her desires!! But no - we still have to be sensible. Yes, it does dispose you to more chance of developing Type 2 Diabetes later, but often Gest. Diabetes will correct itself once you have the baby. Chin up, and know it is not the end of the world, as you can see by all the other responses!!