Just Diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes

when i was pregnant with my son, i was told by multiple doctors that i was basically guaranteed to develop gestational diabetes because of my own sugar issues. That just made me determined to prove them wrong. I obsessed over my diet, visited many websites that are dedicated to preventing diabetes in pregnant women and did a complete 180 on my diet. And I never developed diabetes, much to the surprise of my doctors.

Point is, yes, you can absolutely control your diabetes through diet and they will send you to a nutritionist to make sure you can do just that.

It definitely wasnt easy for me and I would find myself in tears some days because of the things I couldn't eat (ugh, pregnancy hormones!). Most days for lunch I ate plain rice cakes (35 calories, zero sugar) which tasted like cardboard. I was pregnant around christmas time and no christmas cookies for me. There were a ton of sacrifices but when your baby is born completely healthy and you know it was because of your care during your pregnancy, it's completely worth it.

Good Luck!!

Hi. I had GDM with my son. It was an overwhelming feeling at diagnosis, but hang in there and you'll learn amazing new things and get through fine.
You must change your diet. There is no option really for you baby. Sustained high blood glucose is what can cause birth defects or fetal death. But there are many ways to do this so don't get scared! Your docs will work on nutrition with you, but one they don't talk to pregnant women about much is exercise. They assume pregnant women won't do anything of the sort. It is kinda funny in retrospect, but that doubt by healthcare providers was what motivated me.
I was walking to an appointment. They told me I had to come in to learn insulin because despite my extremely diligent diet, my glucose was still too high (normal, btw. Don't think you have 'failed' if this happens. The placenta just becomes more and more insulin resistant thru pregnancy to give more nutrients to the growing baby. Us GDM women's placentas just go on overdrive). I was just due for checking my sugar after breakfast and... Totally normal!!! I asked the nurse and she says 'oh ya, walking lowers your blood glucose, but we don't expect you to excercise regularly...'. I was so insensed I asked to delay the insulin for a week to see how I could do.

After *every* meal I got up and walked for at least 15 minutes. By the end that was all I could do, plus it was January in Boston.

I stayed off insulin for two more months, only taking it the last four weeks of pregnancy. I know now how important the insulin was for my baby but I also know I did everying I could to be as healthy as possible.

So walk if you can. And hang in there, test you glucose, read labels. You will learn more about the American food system and how badly we eat in these next few months than in your life so far. And that is a gift you can give to your child and family. You will have to know it now because we are at higher risk for developing type 2 for the rest of our lives. Stay ahead of the statistic, stay healthy!

If you want to talk more, email me anytime. I work at Joslin Diabetes Center now in part because of my experience. ____@____.com

Hi, I went through it with all three of my pregnancies. The first two, I controlled the diabetes through diet. I followed the glycemic index diet that a diabetic would be on.
It really wasn't a huge ordeal.
For the 3rd pregnancies I was put on insulin shots right away when the test came back. These were no big deal as you can't feel them. They are so small and go into your thigh or your stomach fat area.
All 3 of my kids were born healthy. The first and 3rd weren't huge...just under and just over 8 lbs...the middle was almost 10 lbs!
When you have gestational diabetes, you tend to deliver bigger babes.
Good luck!

The same thing happened to me, but my two pregnancies were fastly different from the start. Gestational diabetes is not something that should scare you, but you will want to pay attention to what you are eating and be consistent with your blood testing. You will quickly figure out what triggers the high readings for you and then limit your intake to keep the condition controlled through diet. I was lucky in a sense because I had no food cravings the second time around; some of my otherwise favorite foods actually turned my stomach. If you are a big fan of pasta, then I would recommend Dreamfields because it fills you up without spiking your sugar levels and tastes like pasta.

I had gestational diabetes while pregnant with my daughter. For me, after the shock wore off, it was a matter of finding foods that I liked that I was able to create portions tailored to the diet the nutritionist suggested. I basically cut sugar out of my diet, with the exception of fruit once a day, ate wheat bread instead of white, started eating brown rice and reduced the amount of pasta we ate. It did seem to be overwhelming at first, but once I figured out what a portion looked like, and what foods wouldn't spike my sugar levels, it became pretty easy to stick to a diet. I ate eggs, chicken, pork, lots of salads with avocado, meat and cheese, and my snacks tended to be crackers and cheese. There were days of course, where my sugar levels were really high, but the doctors are looking at averages, not spikes.
One thing that was hard was going to friends or a restaurant for meals, because people don't always know what foods contain carbohydrates, plus restaurant portions tend to be twice what you need!

My daughter was born weighing 7 lbs, 4 oz., which was a good birth weight. My glucose levels went back to normal after she was born. I am tested every few years to make sure that I don't have type II as an adult. All of the effort to maintain my levels were more than worth it! My husband and I have a healthy 7 years old!
Hope this is helpful.

Do you know what your numbers were on your test? They'll most likely have you manage with diet at first. I had it with my last. I had to test my blood sugars 4 times a day. The only things I was completely forbidden from having at all was pizza because it just really messes with the numbers. However, in moderation I could have a little chocolate ice cream with peanut butter before bed. In all honesty it wasn't too too bad and I managed to keep it all under control with diet. So most likely when you see the nutritionist she'll go over your numbers from the glucose test and just give you a diet that you can follow. They'll ask what you eat now in a normal day and then adjust it accordingly.

Been there too! You are lucky to know so soon as to what to do. I too was devestated to know that I had it too. I thought my child was going to be affected by me until I got to see a Endocrynologist (?). Every other month for good measure. (no copay though)
My nutrionist was GREAT! She told me that I should be balancing out my CARBS with DAIRY. Crazy as it sounds it did work well.
I was able to loose weight while I was Pregnant, which I actually needed to. Mine had to be controlled with Insulin: heartbreaking but the Healthy, small baby GIRL I had was the pay off. Yep ups and downs but it was worth it.
Do be afraid, the diet is fun and can be used even afterwards. Think 5 small meals a day and have fun with the food you eat. Watch you CARBS.
The best news is that 3 hours after I gave birth I no longer needed to have a shoot ever again. However, I may need to do it all again next time.
Think positivly and enjoy.
G.

Hi- I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 36 weeks. I passed the first screening (at 24 weeks I think) but my baby was measuring big so they re tested me and I had it. I was very nervous becuase I felt it was so late and the baby was already so big. I met with all of the specialists and went on the diet. I actually felt so much better once I was on the diet they perscribed...you will learn how to count carbs!!!! I ended up not gaining much weight (it was ok becuase I started out a little heavy)and I felt great. Eventhough I was very strict on the diet, they put me on insulin the last week before the baby becuase my morning fasting numbers were a little high. FYI- the shot is no big deal...you don't even feel it. So, I ended up having a 10.8 ounce baby. She is a little big, but beautiful and there were no complications. Consider yourself very lucky to get the diagnosis early. Follow the diet. When you know the sugars are directly affecting the baby, you have all the will power in the world. Good luck!

First of all..Congratulations on your baby.
I had G.D. with 2 out of 3 of my children. I would definitely start eating better now. A lot of woman can control their diabetes with just eating right. Stay away from Carbs. For every 1 carb it equals the same as 1 teaspoon of sugar. There is bread out there that only has I think 12 carbs for every 2 slices of bread. I believe it's country light kitchen light wheat bread. Start with little changes like that. Good luck!

You can avoid medication but you must control your diet and you have to exercise. It is perfectly safe to do alot of exercise when you are pregnant... walk, lift weights, do yoga... get your heart rate up. Stay away from sugar and flour... no pasta, bread and no junk food. Eat plenty of fruits, veggies and healthy proteins.

you can do it... good luck!

There is a new nutritional supplement called Glucaffect which has has clinical trials showing a tremendous decrease in fasting blood sugar levels. It is safe for everyone, including pregnant women. I've worked with a huge number of diabetics who have used it with outstanding results - some Type II's have even gotten off their medication. The Type I's have reduced the amount of insulin they need to take. It has a delicious cinnamon taste and is a powder that can be mixed with water or with coffee/tea (not sure if you are drinking those during pregnancy - decaf maybe? The clinical trials have been published and I can send them to you if you give me your direct email. It comes from a great food science company that has been around for 21 years, and it is manufactured right here in the US under very stringent conditions. A lot of nutritionists haven't heard of it yet, unless they are trained on a regular basis, but if they look at the info, they will give you the okay to use it. Feel free to call me at ###-###-#### or email me directly at ____@____.com.

When I was pregnant with my twins, I got GD, and my endocrinologist put me on the maintenance level of the South Beach Diet. It wasn't fun, and I could hardly eat anything at my baby showers, but I did eat better and felt better.

Obviously, you should check with your doctor before following this advice. It worked for me, tho.

I got G.D. with my second child too. In my experience it seemed like most people were able to control it with diet, some had to use medication and diet, and a few had to use insulin. I was diagoned late in pregnancy and for me even with a VERY strict diet and the meds my blood sugar was still very high and I had to take insulin shots. The endrocrinologist and nutritionist will help you and your doctor will keep a close eye on what is going on with your blood sugar. Like the other woman wrote, my G.D. went away after I had the baby too. Feel free to write if you have any questions.
C.

Hi CG,
I was also Just diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes my self. It is tuff at first but you will get it. I have to test 4 times a day and insalin at night before bed. I have changed my eating and it is doing better. Just watch you sugar & carb in take. That is what i am doing. Some day's I will what i should not but if you crave it then do it. As long as it wont spike your sugar to high. I stoped drinking Soda & Juisce (OJ & Crandberrie juice). That has helped alot. I lost 3 lbs but they said it is ok. Stay in touch with a diabetes person at the hospital and your dr. Good luck

I was borderline Gestational Diabetes with my first and I was put on a diet of no sugar, white flour, etc. they will give you a list of things you should eat and ones you should not. It was tough but totally worth it so you don't have to go on insulin. It also helps since you won't gain as much weight since you have to watch what you eat. Good luck!

The same thing happened to me with my second baby. By the time my third came around, I had done enough research and praying, that I was able to avoid it. Changing your diet is a huge part of it, but not all of it. You will be required to check your blood sugar levels throughout the day. If you're anything like I was, you could follow the meal guide from the nutritionist to a tee and still end up with high numbers. Some of the small changes I implmented in my 3rd pregnancy was to add cinnamon or garlic to almost everytinhg I ate. I also used a kelated chromium supplement and added oatstraw to my tea. Exercise was also a large factor. Walking as much and as often as possible not only helped with the gestational diabetes, but it also helped as a labor preparation. At this point, you are considered a high risk pregnancy, so make sure you inform your doctor of anything you may want to try.

When I was diagnosed with GD during my first pregnancy I cried! I felt like such a failure! I know it was probably more the hormones but it was still difficult to deal with. I have some "control issues" ;) so not being able to control my own body was challenging. And since your growing child demands different things from your body each day, it wasn't always easy to figure out how I would respond to the same food day-to-day.

Make sure you like your Endocrinologist and that she has a good staff of people to respond to your questions even if she's out of the office. The Harbor Medical office in Weymouth has a diabetes education center with some well-trained nurses who are available to answer questions all the time. See if your doctor can refer you down there if you don't like the Endo you end up seeing. You might be able to get a referral to their education center regardless.

Try to stay positive. Try to stay active (I know it's tough). And educate yourself ASAP! If you'd like some moral support or some other information, feel free to email me at ____@____.com. I'm not a medical professional but I managed my GD with both pregnancies and held it off longer the second time around (harder than the first) and my second baby was born with normal blood sugar (low sugar in baby is a side effect of mom having GD).

Good luck!

Hi,
I had it and it was a little difficult to get the routine down. I controlled my with diet so I was lucky. I was also very strict. The good news is it is laid out step by step for you. You have a list of foods and how often and what combinations to eat and what not to have. Mine went away the day I had my daughter but I still try to be careful because there is a higher risk of type 2 now. Good luck! It is not as daunting as it may seem now :)

Hi there! I had Gestational Diabetes during my pregnancy and I was also in a bit of shock-my pregnancy was wonderful and I was an excerciser. There are different ways to handle it-when you meet with the nutritionist, they will really help you out as far as guiding you on what you should do. I was able to control mine without insulin-just by watching my diet and exercising-I used the treadmill almost every day up until the night my daughter was born and I think that really helped. I had to prick my finger 4 times a day which was a pain, but you get used to it. Good luck-