The Gestational Diabetes support thread

[berit87]

At least you will now be getting the help you need! Sadly it is often the case that no matter how hard you try you still need medication. Good luck and let us know how you get on x

 

[Petit Pois]

Good luck with it LYLLJT, hopefully you'll see an improvement in all your issues now that you're on the insulin. It's good to have a plan so you can move forward and be proactive!
I'm so happy you're finally getting some support

I have had my last growth scan this morning - no issues with baby's size which is excellent, had a proper good look at his/her face, chubby little cheeks and yawning away in there

Saw a different doctor afterwards, he's prescribed me 500mg Metformin twice a day. My readings haven't been that bad - my highest one so far has been 8.9, but he said it's more of a back-up and to make sure baby's sugar is OK once they're born. I wasn't keen to go on any medication tbh but if it's going to be the best thing for both of us then I'll go with it.

He was a patronising chap as well. Anyway!

 

[LYLLJellyTots]

Thanks ladies my reading was 8.2 after dinner today so going to have to see what they say tomorrow x

I don't understand why the GTTs didn't pick it up but the frequent testing has? I guess I'm just daft x

Glad to hear your appointment went well even though he sounds like one of them kind of doctors I want to roll my eyes at, I think you've done really well if you have avoided medication so far & if it's best for you and bubs then I hope it works well and bubs has no problems after birth xxx Big hugs xxx

 

[berit87]

Petit Pois, I think they are all patronising idiots, my diabetic team was awful!!! Every appointment they kept saying well its bound to get worse and you will need medication soon etc even though my readings were never high. Fought many battles with them...

 

[HellBunny]

It could be the dawn phenomenon causing high fasting readings, i'm type 1 and on insulin and can't seem to combat it at all.

 

[LYLLJellyTots]

My dinner reading and tea readings yesterday were all too high too got my appointment at 2pm so will see what they say. What is the dawn phenomenon hun? Sorry for all the questions x

 

[DaisyDoo]

LYL - at least youre on the road to "recovery" now - not really recovery but you know what i mean!! fingers crossed you'll get those levels down. Good luck for your meeting at 2, let us know what they say. I felt completely overwhelmed by it all when i was first told, felt miserable, fed up, confused and didnt really believe them to be honest - dont worry about all the questions!

Petit pois - i felt the same about taking medication, but they kept saying its to avoid baby being hypoglacemic (sp) when she's born so its really a good thing to take it. Im on the slow release version of metformin, i wasnt able to tolerate the normal one when i had pcos, so if you struggle with it just to let you know there is another option - they dont tell you about it cus its dearer for them!

Plodding along here, still testing my levels which have been quite good these last few days. Babys been a bit quiet so im trying to keep an eye on things there without worrying too much, movements have definately slowed down a bit. Think i will have a quiet day on the sofa watching tv.

 

[Petit Pois]

Good luck for your appointment at 2 LYLL - make sure you update us Just make sure you keep your wits about you and don't forget to ask any questions you've got brewing (like I do EVERY TIME )

Berit - yeah the GD midwife was lovely, but both consultants I've seen have been a bit off. Mostly the man I saw yesterday - he was speaking to me like I'm an idiot, saying things like, 'This doesn't mean you can go home and eat whatever you want now!' as if I'm going to do that! Also felt he was judging me by my age. Annoyed me. Maybe I'm just over sensitive?

Oh and I asked him about snacks in labour, and he was really unhelpful there too, just said 'be sensible'... I was like, well obviously! I'm after specific suggestions here! Think I'm just gonna ring GD midwife and ask her.

Daisy - thanks for advice re metformin, I'll keep that in mind. Seems to be working for me so far though so I'm feeling positive (although my reading after breakfast today was 3.9 which is pretty low!)
Hope baby starts moving a bit more for you - if you're concerned though I would call triage and get checked out just to put your mind at rest!

 

[DaisyDoo]

Iv had a couple of low ones too, was told it basically doesnt matter if theyre low - i will feel rubbish but baby is more than happy (apparently!). Glad the metformin isnt making you feel rubbish - hope it stays that way!

Lots of wriggles now - dont like these quiet times, id rather she had them when shes out here!!

 

[berit87]

Yes, same, GD midwife was absolutely lovely but all the doctors treated me like a moron. I was not impressed! After a lengthy complaint letter to the hospital they all apologised back and forth!

 

[LYLLJellyTots]

Hey again ladies x thanks for all the good luck wishes and the help x

I have to inject two different types of insulin, insultard at night and novorapid with breakfast, they are starting me on 6 units of each from this evening and they want me to ring up Monday with my readings and see if my dose needs increasing x they said it will need increasing further along in pregnancy probably anyway as the hormones increase x

Still a bit lost as to what to eat and what not to eat but I'll see how these readings go x

 

[Petit Pois]

Daisy - glad bubs has perked up!

LYLL - good that they've got you sorted out so quickly! How are you feeling about injecting?
There is a learning curve with the diet aspect, definitely. What I've found works for me is I've cut way down on carb portions, and having more cous cous and things like that instead of potatoes seems to help. Bulk things out with veg! Lots of protein! And make sure you're getting your calcium

But the thing is that as you'll see from our previous discussions in this thread - what works for one person might not work for another! And what works for you one day might not work another day! Just try not to be too hard on yourself, as long as you're doing the best you can then there's nothing else you can do

 

[dragonlady]

the diabetic midwife called today and is happy that my levels r stabilizing and im to continue on the same doze over the weekend and if my levels r up im to up the doze and she will call back on monday. glad something is fixing itself for once.

 

[Petit Pois]

A question for you ladies taking metformin - what time of day is best for me to take it? I have to take it twice a day, but just wondering whether I should have one in morning one in evening, or one in morning one in afternoon? The doctor was so crap at explaining it on reflection - I actually have no idea!
Thanks in advance

 

[DaisyDoo]

I have to take 2 tablets aswell but have to take both of mine at lunchtime - do you have a number you can ring to check with someone?

 

[Petit Pois]

Thanks Daisy, I'm gonna ring and speak to my GD midwife I think to make sure, but yesterday I took one at breakfast and one with mid afternoon snack which seemed to work ok! It does say on the label one tablet twice a day, so def supposed to split them up.

 

[LYLLJellyTots]

Heya ladies how are you doing? I don't have a clue about the metformin sorry hun, hope you manage to he some help though x

I've had a funny few days with the injections, they are fine, don't hurt at all and easy enough to use x still not bringing my levels under what they should be but I guess it trial and error to begin with x the 6 units of insulatard is bringing my morning reading down from 7.3 to around 6.6 / 6.7 and the rapid insultin brought my breakfast reading down from 11.2 to 10.2 yesterday, not done today's after breakfast reading yet x

Had my first official hypo yesterday too, my step son was poorly so I was looking after him a lot and then after my breakfast sugars were high I felt exhausted so went for a lay down, silly me not realising I was meant to eat often went over 3 hours with no food and started feeling very poorly, I hadn't taken any snacks or anything up to bed with me and by this time there was only me and my son in the house, managed to get my DS to grab me some snack a jacks and a yoghurt from downstairs and managed about 30 mins later to get downstairs and take my bloods, they were 4.4 when I took them so I don't want to know what they would have been when I started to feel really bad x oh well, lesson learned, eat at least every 3 hours even if it's a small snack and if doing a lot of activity take that into account x

It's a learning curve hey? I have now got some of the sugar dextro energy tablets in my bag in case it happens again and I'm thinking of making a bead bracelet that says 'GD Diabetic' in case it happens and I'm not with someone I know? I've felt like that before but didn't realise what it was in all honesty x I was expecting my sugars to be high all the time x

Do you ladies share meal ideas? I'm findin myself wondering lots what good meals would be to keep my sugars lower, I know it's trial and error per person but meal ideas might be good to share? X hugs to all xxxx

 

[dragonlady]

morning all. the best advice for the metformin is take it 12 hours apart with meals, so once with breakfast then with evening meal. im on two tablets with breakfast and two with evening meal.

the insulin injections r working great for me finally my sugar levels r all in the right range apart from one so far which was a little low so i got to have a bit of chocolate to get it up again. my cold is finally starting to go away and im feeling a bit better in myself, its about time lol

 

[LYLLJellyTots]

Aww Yey really glad to hear they are helping hun x are you on the tabs and the injections? Xxx

 

[dragonlady]

yes two metformin in morning and two with evening meal i also inject insulin b4 breakfast and b4 evening meal. im just glad to be starting to feel like my self again.