Gestational Diabetes??

[kbs]

Hi,
So I just found out that I failed the 1 hour glucose test and apparently failed it so miserably that the 3 hour isn't even necessary. The cutoff is 130 and I was 216. Soooo, I'm just looking for any advice or experiences that anyone here may have with GD. I've done some reading online but I think I'm looking for more personal experiences about what it means.

Here's my info- I'm 18 weeks with twins, due in December. I am overweight which is why they had me do the test so early. I will admit I was surprised by the results. I eat very well, mostly because I have aversions to almost everything except for fruit, cucumbers, frosted mini wheats, and chocolate pudding- and I swear I don't eat a pudding cup more than once a day! So I'm sort of at a loss of what to do now. They're going to have me meet with a nutritionist and diabetic counselor, but I just don't know what I could be doing differently.

Anyone here have GD and have any advice or experiences to share? I'm just not sure what to expect now and this news has only compounded my fear of premature delivery.

TIA!
Kim

[MinEaston]

(((kabs)))

I had a scare with my 1-hour test but I did pass my 3-hour test. There are a few moms on here that have had it / currently have it. Hopefully they'll pop in with their experiences. My SIL had it and was able to manage it with changes to her diet exclusively.

Good luck!

[Troublet]

I had gestational diabetes with both of my pregnancies. If the dr. isn't requiring the 3 hr test, then it's very important that you follow the diabetic diet closely.

One of the complications that can come with GD is heavier birth weights. Both of my children were well over 9 lbs at birth which caused me (being 4'11") to have C-sections both times. Given that you are carrying twins, this could be even more of an issue.

I had to go to a 2 hr class on the basics of the diabetic diet. (It was required by my insurance.) You can find most of the same information online.

I wish you the best with your pregnancy!

[Andrea_2]

My sister-in-law is pregnant with twins, and she was recently diagnosed with gestational diabetes. She was very confused about it at first, and was afraid to eat any kind of carbohydrates. As a result, she ended up in ketosis. She had been trying to contact a dietitian, but none of her calls were returned. :rolleyes: She finally had the office put her in touch with a different dietitian, and she has had great success with that. She is now doing great on the plan that this dietitian helped her create. How soon will you be meeting with the nutritionist? I think that you'll find that to be very helpful.

[LHBryan]

Hi Kim,

First of all, congratulations on the twins! How exciting!:D

I don't have much time to post now, but I wanted to let you know that I had GD with DD1 (who's 2yo) and have it again now with my 2nd pregnancy w/ DD2. I'm 38 weeks today and was diagnosed both pregnancies around 26 weeks. To hopefully put your mind at ease, I carried DD1 to term and she was 7 lbs at birth. Who knows w/ DD2, but I've made it to 38 weeks so far. Meeting with the dietician/counselor and getting your meter so you can start testing will be key. Everyone's body handles things differently, and frequent testing in the beginning will really help you see what works vs. what doesn't so that you can tweak your diet accordingly. How soon will you be able to meet with them?

I'm running out the door, but I would be happy to share some sample daily menus with you later if you think that would be helpful. In the meantime, here's a link to an old thread where I posted some ideas.http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?p=1441331#post1441331 In a nutshell, what I was told to do is make sure that I spread my daily food intake among three small to mid-size meals and 3 snacks (mid-morning, mid-afternoon, bedtime) and to make sure each meal provides a balance of healthy carbs and protein. My snacks are usually things like plain yogurt w/ berries and almonds or a few whole grain crackers w/ peanut butter or cheese, fruit ,and/or small glass of milk. I'm way oversimplifying in the interest of time and can elaborate later.

-Laura

[LHBryan]

Andrea and I were posting at the same time--she makes a very good point. Don't be afraid of carbs. Your body and the babies need them. Just try to focus more on healthy carbs and healthy portions of carbs. For example, I can eat roasted red potato wedges (skin on) or roasted sweet potatoes, but I pair it with a protein and veggie. For the time being, I would probably avoid the frosted mini wheats and the pudding unless it's sugar free.

[tbb113]

I had it with my second son, almost 17 years ago. The big things that I remember were:

no fruit before 10am
dry cereal and potatoes may cause sugar spikes
have protein and/or fat with your carbs (breakfast for me was usually melted cheese on a piece of toast)
spread your milk out through out the day

I was able to control it strictly through diet alone. My first pregnancy I delivered at 5 1/2 weeks early (my water broke), this pregnancy I managed to deliver 2 weeks early with the help of medication (I went into labor 4 weeks early). First son was big for his time 5lbs 12oz, second son (with GD) was only 6lbs 8oz

Good luck, enjoy your pregnancy and make sure you see a dietician to get directions on what dietary changes you need to make for your pregnancy. My only regret was that it had no lasting effect on my diet :o I delivered and went right back to my old eating habits

[fancyn]

Kim, I don't know anything about GD but just want to say congrats on your twins! :)

[2HUNGRY!]

Kim,
Congrats on your twins! How great!

[Remoulade Sauce]

Congratulations on your babies!

I had gd with my 2nd. I met with a nutritionist which was very informative. My still favorite snack - peanut butter on a graham cracker - was her suggestion.
Also very helpful for me was a cheap watch I picked up that had a timer. That way you don't forget to eat your snacks on time (and if you have to test your blood).

Good luck to you!

[kbs]

Thanks everyone for all the replies! We're super excited about the twins!

I'm feeling a little less freaked out than I was yesterday, but still pretty bummed. I already had a call from the Nutritionist/Counselor and we've just been playing phone tag, but I hope to get an appointment set up ASAP.

One of my concerns all along has been around getting enough protein- mostly because I had read that one of the possible reasons for not carrying twins to term. But it has been a struggle for me because I have SOOOO many aversions to sooo many foods- the general meat / poultry category being one of them. Eggs are ok, but of course you don't want to overdo those because of the fat. I'm looking forward to meeting with the diatician to hear her tips.

Laura- thanks for the link back to that old thread. There was a lot of great info there as well.

I'll definitely post back on this thread after my appointment with the diatician - everyone always has such great feedback here!

-Kim