Gestational Diabetes - Ack!

[Wanjiku 0]

Hi All,

I'm 14 weeks along and have just been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I requested an early testing as I suspected this was going to be the case - but it's still somewhat scary even though I was expecting it. I did the one hour glucose tolerance test and apparently my numbers were so high that they aren't even going to bother doing the three hour test. I have my meeting with the nutritionist and nurse this coming Tuesday. I'm a bit freaked out by how it might have affected the baby so far. I have no idea how long my sugars have been out of whack, but it's entirely possible that they have been for a while. Do any of you have stories to share about your own GD experiences that might be helpful, enlightening, comforting, etc? Were you able to control it with diet/exercise or did you have to use insulin? I'd imagine that as larger mamas (or mamas who were larger at one point) that GD must be fairly common among this group?

[aSpen 0]

I myself don't have GD, so far anyways. I have my second screening for it in about 2 weeks. I have a friend that is almost 26 weeks pregnant and found out when she was about 13 weeks and was shocked as well. She has said overall she was very scared in the beginning but has really accustomed herself to her new diet...she is on insulin and says it is not as bad as she thought it was going to be...she has actually lost weight and feels her eating habit have improved 100%, although she does not have the lap band she is a bigger girl.

I am sorry you found out you have GD, but in a way it is very good that you did so you can get the right care for you and your baby..Congrats on your pregnancy..

[jlynn77 0]

Hi! I have a 4 year old. I found out with her fairly early I had gestational diabetes, before 20 weeks. I did really well with diet. I was monitored closely and had a beautiful healthy normal weight baby girl. I was banded April 29, 10. I was originally scheduled for March 3, 2010. I found out I was pregnant 3 days before surgery. I had been eating like a crazy person, everyday was a like the last day I was ever going to eat. I know that is not right but that is the truth. I also had extremely high BP. I went to the OB early and was started on insulin right away and new BP meds for pregnancy. Everything was going well. I went to have 10 week ultrasound and found that I had miscarried. I am not telling you this to scare you. I just wish I would have not googled everything online about gestational diabetes. It really scared the hell out of me and stressed me out. Everyone and every pregnancy is different. Since then I have meant 2 women who were GD and had insulin pumps they had healthy babies. I had it before and had a healthy baby. While I am sad that this pregnancy did not make it, I will not give up. I wish you all the best.

[Wanjiku 0]

Thanks for your replies. I've been monitoring for a little under a week and things don't seem as out of control as my 1 hour glucose test seemed to suggest. They haven't put me on meds yet, but I figure it's probably coming soon - so I'm trying to get used to that idea. I was spilling ketones in my urine earlier in the week too (which is not good), but my dietician made me jack up the calories and carbs which seems to have stopped the ketones. It's funny - I think this is the first time in my life that I've been told to eat more and scale back on my exercise! I think I'm also going to go in this coming week for a bit of an unfill as eating has recently gotten quite challenging. My BF is supportive and sympathetic, but he thinks it's hilarious to see me sitting at the dinner table staring at my barely touched plate with a disgusted look on my face. I certainly can't say that the lap band doesn't work. :crying:The problem is that it's working a little too well right now!