Seems like there are a lot of us in this boat already. Who else has to deal with this crap? Let's try to convince linny12 it's not so awful.
In your experience: What's a good "rule of thumb" for having a good blood sugar day? What does a meal plan look like for a really good day? How do you manage a treat without ruining your numbers?
What meters do you all use? My insurance covers all commercially available meters, and I have to pick on to have my dr. write a script for, but I have no idea where to even start with that.
It's not about cutting/limiting carbs, it's about spreading them out through the day. If you let your blood sugar get too low (either by skipping a meal, or eating a low-carb meal), you'll be less able to tolerate whatever you want to eat next. So really, most days I don't feel deprived. The difficulty is just the work/planning that goes in to making sure I get my 3 meals and 3 snacks on time.
What meters do you all use? My insurance covers all commercially available meters, and I have to pick on to have my dr. write a script for, but I have no idea where to even start with that.
I have the One Touch Verio Flex. I like that the lancets have a little cap to safely dispose of them afterward, and the meter is bluetooth enabled, so I got the app on my phone and all the readings are stored automatically, and then I can print off a PDF report to show my doctor. You can even email the report to your doctor from the app.
But, I don't have much to compare it to, so other meters might have these same features. Last time I used the FreeStyle (I think?) but I really don't remember much about it, and that was before bluetooth was an option I think.
JoBub, oh the Bluetooth syncing sounds convenient.
Do you see a dietian frequently or does your ob/midwife monitor it?
I haven't told H yet. I'm kind of embarrassed and nervous about him judging my food choices and stuff. Think this is something I'll be able to do without him knowing? I didn't even think of disposing of stuff.
Breakfast: whole grain english muffin with peanut butter (mornings are hardest for me, so it has to be complex carb + protein)
AM Snack: Triscuits + cheese, or strawberries + string cheese
Lunch: Sandwich on low carb bread, lots of meat (FFFC, I eat lunchmeat) and veggies. A piece of fruit, or a yogurt.
PM Snack: Apple slices with peanut butter
Dinner: I can really get away with almost anything for dinner as long as there is protein. Some nights we'll do grilled chicken with veggies, and I have to make an effort to get enough carbs in at dinner.
Bedtime snack: If I'm hungry, I'll have popcorn. If I'm not, I'll carefully measure out a 30g carb serving of ice cream.
JoBub , oh the Bluetooth syncing sounds convenient.
Do you see a dietian frequently or does your ob/midwife monitor it?
I haven't told H yet. I'm kind of embarrassed and nervous about him judging my food choices and stuff. Think this is something I'll be able to do without him knowing? I didn't even think of disposing of stuff.
I just saw the dietitian one time when I was first diagnosed to learn how to follow the diet. Then my OB monitors it. I show him my log of numbers at each visit and if they looked way out of range, or if there was one time of day that I really couldn't get under control (especially if it was the fasting number) then he would put me on medication. So far he's been ok with it, even though probably 1 out of every 5 readings is slightly high for me.
Don't be embarrassed. There is nothing you can do to cause or prevent it, and it does not reflect on your previous food choices. With my first pregnancy, I was in amazing shape when I got pregnant, stayed pretty active through pregnancy, and had a very healthy diet. I never would have imagined I would be diagnosed, but it's really just a toss up.
But to answer your question, you could probably do it without him knowing if you really wanted to. It takes just a few seconds to test your blood sugar. I got a box of individually wrapped alcohol swabs that I keep with my meter. So I can test pretty much anywhere. I often have to do it in the classroom and I don't think any of my students notice. I just stick the alcohol swab, the test strip and the used lancet back into the foil wrapper when I'm done, and stick it all in the case with my meter. Then at the end of the day I throw them all away and sync my meter with my phone at the end of the day.
ETA I actually think my husband would have noticed something was up with the way I was eating if I hadn't told him. Especially with what I eat for breakfast now. And there have been times that he'll buy donuts or something and if I didn't want one he would be like "WTF?" Personally, I'd rather have him in on the challenge so he knows not to even suggest ordering dessert or going out for pancakes or anything.
Add me to this club. I'm feeling exactly like you were linny12. I keep trying to tell myself I couldn't have done anything to prevent this, but I still feel responsible. Plus also I have a hard time getting in enough protein as is. I don't like cheese, so I'm at a loss on what I'm even going to eat for snacks. Help???
Add me to this club. I'm feeling exactly like you were linny12 . I keep trying to tell myself I couldn't have done anything to prevent this, but I still feel responsible. Plus also I have a hard time getting in enough protein as is. I don't like cheese, so I'm at a loss on what I'm even going to eat for snacks. Help???
Peanut butter + apple, peanut butter + crackers, fruit + handful of nuts, crackers + cream cheese spread, I know there are some soy bean based snacks in the snack aisle that would be high in protein.
When I took the GD class, they recommended rinsing out an old gatorade bottle or any type of plastic container with a lid and using that to dispose of the sharps. I just save the lancets that I use during the day with the caps, and then find some bit of garbage to throw them away in at home at the end of the day.
It's really a trial and error thing, and it'll be different for everyone. I'm reading bdblz post thinking it's like the exact opposite for me. I can eat all the bread and pasta I want at dinner as long as I have some protein with it. But I can't get away with sweets pretty much ever. The only time I can have something like ice cream is if I measure out 30 g (which is only 1/2 cup of the low sugar ice cream) or less and eat it after dinner.
I will get my meter tomorrow. I have no idea what I'm supposed to eat, so it made me kind of not eat. I basically just went for low carb and avoided fruit? It's going to be a long week waiting for my appt.
I'm going to try to pick up some of the foods you all have mentioned and kinda copy that. Hopefully h won't notice. He does all the shopping, so I think he'll be upset if I start buying stuff too. Maybe I can just buy small quantities and leave them at work or my mom's.
Do you turn in a food log with your numbers each week?
My dad's birthday dinner is Thursday and he picked a pizza place for dinner. So no pizza or obviously cake right? I was thinking a salad with oil based dressing?
I don't want him to be upset with me or the pressure of his judgement of my food choices. Part of it is a thing I've dealt with since elementary school (not eating in front of people), and part of it is he has incredibly high standards and I can't always meet them and it's... not good when I fail.
linny12 no food diary, just numbers. But your doc might have different guidelines.
No judgement, but I do wish you'd reconsider telling your DH about what's going on. I mean, he's your DH - I'd think he'd want to support you through this. Plus won't it just be an added unnecessary stress trying to keep it from him?
+1 linny12, trust me I completely get the initial shock and overwhelming feeling of it all, but I do hope you realize it was more luck of the draw and not anything you did that made it happen. Your placenta is making hormones that are essentially causing the insulin you produce to be resistant, therefore you get an excess of glucose in your blood stream. My OB NP was so nonchalant about it all and seemed very matter fact about it. She said she was reassured that my weight gain has been great (I'm still not back to pre pregnancy weight) and my fundal height is exactly where it needs to be. So I'm focusing on the positives.
I told MH via text because I knew I'd breakdown crying talking to him about it. He gave me a big hug and told me we'd get through it, and it will all work out. I bet YH could be a good source of support and maybe even by telling him, it could lessen the scary factor. I needed reassurance that I did nothing wrong and I'm not a failure, so I'm passing that on to you. There was nothing you could've done to prevent it, just bad luck. I hope you can see/believe that, so you don't feel like you need to hide it. Hugs!!
linny12 low carb is not necessarily the way to go. You need to have a moderate amount of carbs at each meal/snack. For instance, a made thus mistake myself today. My sugar was high after breakfast, so I decided I had to be extra good at lunch. I had packed chicken and veggie leftovers, and was planning on grabbing something small from the snack bar but I ended up only eating the chicken and veggies. After lunch my blood sugar was only 89. That sounds good, but lower is not actually better because for me I'm much more prone to have a spike if I let it get low like that. Then I got busy and never even got to have a snack and after dinner I had the highest number I've ever had even thoigh I didn't eat anything terrible. I'm a lot better off if I can keep my numbers in the 100-120 range after each meal.
And each of those should have some protein and fat as well.
So this works out to about 225g carbs per day which is a totally normal amount. The key is just to spread it out throughout the day and not have too much at once.
I don't want him to be upset with me or the pressure of his judgement of my food choices. Part of it is a thing I've dealt with since elementary school (not eating in front of people), and part of it is he has incredibly high standards and I can't always meet them and it's... not good when I fail.
Right now I'd rather hide for as long as I can.
Take your time, but I think you will need to tell him eventually. In both of my pregnancies, my husband would have found out from someone else if not from me. It was discussed in the delivery room last time because they will had to test my blood sugar and baby's after he was born. And this time the ultrasound tech asked me if I had GD at my last u/s because the baby was measuring big. H doesn't come to all my appointments, but he likes to see the u/s, so he was there for that. I really don't think I could hide it from him if I tried. TBH, this just doesn't seem healthy. I'm a little worried for you.
I don't want him to be upset with me or the pressure of his judgement of my food choices. Part of it is a thing I've dealt with since elementary school (not eating in front of people), and part of it is he has incredibly high standards and I can't always meet them and it's... not good when I fail.
Right now I'd rather hide for as long as I can.
Take your time, but I think you will need to tell him eventually. In both of my pregnancies, my husband would have found out from someone else if not from me. It was discussed in the delivery room last time because they will had to test my blood sugar and baby's after he was born. And this time the ultrasound tech asked me if I had GD at my last u/s because the baby was measuring big. H doesn't come to all my appointments, but he likes to see the u/s, so he was there for that. I really don't think I could hide it from him if I tried. TBH, this just doesn't seem healthy. I'm a little worried for you.
Great. I didn't even think about this. With W he only stayed long enough for her to be born then to pick us up when we were discharged, so maybe he'll miss all of that and I can ask them to not say it in front of him. He only comes to the A/S so I don't have to worry about him being at an appointment.
I'm so afraid she's going to be big. I don't want her to have a life like mine. I want her to be normal. I don't want everyone to make fun of her for being fat. I feel so bad that I did this to her. W is so tall and slim. Maybe I can get my doctor to take her early or something so she doesn't get too big. At least give her a chance.
Take your time, but I think you will need to tell him eventually. In both of my pregnancies, my husband would have found out from someone else if not from me. It was discussed in the delivery room last time because they will had to test my blood sugar and baby's after he was born. And this time the ultrasound tech asked me if I had GD at my last u/s because the baby was measuring big. H doesn't come to all my appointments, but he likes to see the u/s, so he was there for that. I really don't think I could hide it from him if I tried. TBH, this just doesn't seem healthy. I'm a little worried for you.
Great. I didn't even think about this. With W he only stayed long enough for her to be born then to pick us up when we were discharged, so maybe he'll miss all of that and I can ask them to not say it in front of him. He only comes to the A/S so I don't have to worry about him being at an appointment.
I'm so afraid she's going to be big. I don't want her to have a life like mine. I want her to be normal. I don't want everyone to make fun of her for being fat. I feel so bad that I did this to her. W is so tall and slim. Maybe I can get my doctor to take her early or something so she doesn't get too big. At least give her a chance.
Woah.... you're getting way ahead of yourself. You have not done anything to her, and this will have zero effect on her weight later in life. My DS is a toothpick, and he was a 8 lb 6 oz at birth, which is a little on the large size, but typical for babies in my family. As long as you keep your blood sugar in check, baby should not get too big. If you're not able to control your sugars with diet, your doctor will put you on meds to help. The risk is that if it's uncontrolled, baby will get too big and it can lead to her being born before her lungs are fully developed. I've heard of doctors inducing at 39 weeks due to GD, but it would be unsafe for your doctor to take her any earlier. Just because a baby is big doesn't mean they're done growing.
And seriously... calm down. You got this. I'm getting the sense that you're connecting GD with your own struggles over weight and food choices. Seriously, that has NOTHING to do with it. In the GD class I took, the majority of the people there were not overweight. The woman sitting next to me was a very petite Indian woman and when we talked about meal planning, the stuff on her list was super healthy. Vegetables and whole grains I've never even attempted to prepare myself, and I don't think she ever ate fast food. If she can get GD, anyone can.
linny12, hugs girl. Gestational diabetes is caused by hormones not food, or weight or anything you could do to prevent it. It is the placenta and the pancreas being dicks.
as for big babies at birth. Means NOTHING in the long run. My DS was average at birth, slow to gain, and then suddenly in the 90th percentile for weight and height. He is now 10 and I actually found out his percentile recently which was a healthy 75th percentile.
The best way to help our kids maintain a healthy weight is to offer them nutritious food, kid size portions, opportunities to be active, and most importantly not talk about weight/fat/diets. I will also add that my son hates food, so offering nutritious food is our biggest challenge! I try to focus on limiting treats and portions for him, and keep him active.
If this was a little preachy I apologize, I just dont want you to catasrophize your GD as setting your daughter up for a life of weight struggle, and I really want you to give yourself a break.
Post by coconuthead on May 4, 2017 18:47:10 GMT -5
linny12 it is totally going to be OK! Hugs. Look, I can totally understand a lot of where you are coming from. I am overweight and I felt a lot of guilt too when I got diagnosed with GD and bitter because I didn't have it last time. Uncontrolled GD can be dangerous but we were diagnosed and we are controlling it with diet and the help of our doctors right? And I will say that I did not have GD with my first but that he was still a big baby at 9lbs 6oz and now at 3.5 he is completely healthy and not overweight. You didn't do anything to cause this, it just happens. The diagnosis is actually a blessing because now we have the tools to manage the risks.
Take your time, but I think you will need to tell him eventually. In both of my pregnancies, my husband would have found out from someone else if not from me. It was discussed in the delivery room last time because they will had to test my blood sugar and baby's after he was born. And this time the ultrasound tech asked me if I had GD at my last u/s because the baby was measuring big. H doesn't come to all my appointments, but he likes to see the u/s, so he was there for that. I really don't think I could hide it from him if I tried. TBH, this just doesn't seem healthy. I'm a little worried for you.
Great. I didn't even think about this. With W he only stayed long enough for her to be born then to pick us up when we were discharged, so maybe he'll miss all of that and I can ask them to not say it in front of him. He only comes to the A/S so I don't have to worry about him being at an appointment.
I'm so afraid she's going to be big. I don't want her to have a life like mine. I want her to be normal. I don't want everyone to make fun of her for being fat. I feel so bad that I did this to her. W is so tall and slim. Maybe I can get my doctor to take her early or something so she doesn't get too big. At least give her a chance.
linny12, big deep breaths. +1 to all that has been said. I know people who were very healthy eaters and very active who had GD. It's NOT caused by your choices, this is why they recommend EVERYONE be tested! You have done nothing, but love her and nourish her growing body. I hope I'm not over stepping in anyway, because this is truly coming from a place of love and concern, but maybe finding a therapist or someone to talk to can help you adjust and cope with this diagnosis. So many hugs to you!!
And each of those should have some protein and fat as well.
So this works out to about 225g carbs per day which is a totally normal amount. The key is just to spread it out throughout the day and not have too much at once.
Would you say this is a typical GD diet, or was it tailored for you? I'm only asking because I can't get in to see the nutritionist until May 30th!!!!! I'll meet with the educator on May 15th and get my meter then, but I'll be 33 weeks by the time I get all my education. Seems so weird and dumb. I want to implement the diet now so I can be doing something now, but until I get my meter, I don't know what will work for me. Sigh.
And each of those should have some protein and fat as well.
So this works out to about 225g carbs per day which is a totally normal amount. The key is just to spread it out throughout the day and not have too much at once.
Would you say this is a typical GD diet, or was it tailored for you? I'm only asking because I can't get in to see the nutritionist until May 30th!!!!! I'll meet with the educator on May 15th and get my meter then, but I'll be 33 weeks by the time I get all my education. Seems so weird and dumb. I want to implement the diet now so I can be doing something now, but until I get my meter, I don't know what will work for me. Sigh.
This is the same info that was given to everyone in the class I took this time and last time. So I'd say it's pretty typical for everyone. Once you get your meter you'll figure out how to tweak it for your own needs. It's not just about the number of carbs, but the type of carbs. So the other advice from the dietitian was no fruit, cereal or dairy before lunch. But the degree to which you have to follow that piece will depend on the individual person.
Would you say this is a typical GD diet, or was it tailored for you? I'm only asking because I can't get in to see the nutritionist until May 30th!!!!! I'll meet with the educator on May 15th and get my meter then, but I'll be 33 weeks by the time I get all my education. Seems so weird and dumb. I want to implement the diet now so I can be doing something now, but until I get my meter, I don't know what will work for me. Sigh.
I think it's pretty typical; those were the same carb guidelines I received. But like JoBub said, you'll have to tweak it for you. I was never told no fruit/dairy before lunch (I have it quite often actually).
Good to know, I'm actually at a loss of what to even eat in the morning if I can't have diary or fruit. I don't like eggs.
I think it's pretty typical; those were the same carb guidelines I received. But like JoBub said, you'll have to tweak it for you. I was never told no fruit/dairy before lunch (I have it quite often actually).
Good to know, I'm actually at a loss of what to even eat in the morning if I can't have diary or fruit. I don't like eggs.
A whole grain English muffin is my go-to. With PB for protein if you don't like eggs. I also found some low calorie oatmeal called Oat Fit that works for me.
For me personally, I just have to have some small amount of complex carb to raise my sugar slowly in the morning, because after fasting overnight any bit of sugar will cause a spike. Then if my after breakfast number is in a good range (110-130), I can have fruit for my morning snack. But if my after breakfast number is still low (like if all I had was bacon and eggs it would probably still be below 100) then I have to keep being careful and my morning snack will be cheese and crackers.
Thanks everyone. I had a panic attack setting up my meter and my fasting numbers have been crazy high but it's going ok otherwise. Everyr time I eat I just think about how it could hurt her. Blah!
I'm noticing i can't have more than 25g of carbs im a meal without having an astronomical number. I'm logging food with nutrition along with my readings so hopefully I can get some insight at my appointment on Tuesday.
Tgrrl, man I thought a week with a meter and no guidance was bad. I can't imagine that long without knowing what you're doing or how you're affected.
Thanks everyone. I had a panic attack setting up my meter and my fasting numbers have been crazy high but it's going ok otherwise. Everyr time I eat I just think about how it could hurt her. Blah!
I'm noticing i can't have more than 25g of carbs im a meal without having an astronomical number. I'm logging food with nutrition along with my readings so hopefully I can get some insight at my appointment on Tuesday.
Tgrrl, man I thought a week with a meter and no guidance was bad. I can't imagine that long without knowing what you're doing or how you're affected.
Keeping a food log is a good idea. I would try adding extra protein to each meal and see if that helps your numbers. Like maybe a hard boiled egg? I've found that even a string cheese is enough protein to help most of the time.
Thanks everyone. I had a panic attack setting up my meter and my fasting numbers have been crazy high but it's going ok otherwise. Everyr time I eat I just think about how it could hurt her. Blah!
I'm noticing i can't have more than 25g of carbs im a meal without having an astronomical number. I'm logging food with nutrition along with my readings so hopefully I can get some insight at my appointment on Tuesday.
Tgrrl, man I thought a week with a meter and no guidance was bad. I can't imagine that long without knowing what you're doing or how you're affected.
I feel lost. I'm wanting to figure this out, but honestly until I can start checking my levels to even see where I'm starting or how I'm responding, I don't know where to start. And it almost feels like a waste, I'll be 33 weeks once I get my nutrition counseling and will have had another OB appointment, so I don't know what the plan will be if my levels are out of whack then. The worst part about this is all the unknowns.
Thanks everyone. I had a panic attack setting up my meter and my fasting numbers have been crazy high but it's going ok otherwise. Everyr time I eat I just think about how it could hurt her. Blah!
I'm noticing i can't have more than 25g of carbs im a meal without having an astronomical number. I'm logging food with nutrition along with my readings so hopefully I can get some insight at my appointment on Tuesday.
Tgrrl, man I thought a week with a meter and no guidance was bad. I can't imagine that long without knowing what you're doing or how you're affected.
Keeping a food log is a good idea. I would try adding extra protein to each meal and see if that helps your numbers. Like maybe a hard boiled egg? I've found that even a string cheese is enough protein to help most of the time.
Would cheese or something at bedtime help with the fasting number? I didn't know if I should eat to try to lower it or if that would make it worse.
And if my fasting is high, should I wait a bit for breakfast?
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