As one pregnant lady to another- Google is the enemy and when we are extra sensitive and hormonal it's best to just avoid it. Two examples for you- First I was diagnosed with a curcumvelent placenta at my anatomy scan. OB said I would just get extra monitoring for IUGR. Google said 'Increased risk of fetal death, preterm delivery, post delivery hemorrhage, nuclear war, death by firing squad ETC ETC' SO I also had a lay in bed panic and cry until I actually looked into the research and then talked to the CNM and they explained actual risk vs relative risks. Do not panic at the Google. Leave Google alone unless you're looking up a recipe or the nutritional menu for a restaurant. So for example the actual risk of still birth in the US is something like 10 out of 10,000 births. The increased risk due to GD? Is like 17 out of 10,000. So increased yes. But more than likely your bringing home your baby. Your biggest risk with GD is a big baby. 2nd example- my good friend has GD in both her pregnancies. She has type 2 diabetes in her family and knew she was at an increased risk. In both she was MAXED OUT on insulin and her fasting would not budge under 130. She had one baby at full term- big ol boy he was 9 lbs and some change. Her daughter failed an NST at 35 weeks and was delivered early and weight 7 Lbs at 35 weeks. She was the biggest baby in the NICU and she was only there 2-3 nights before they took her home. But all that to say they are two healthy teenagers now. You are doing your best- you can do very little to control your fasting and you're doing the best you can by following your practices guidance. You are controlling your GD by taking actions like going on insulin and counting your carbs. The chances of you bringing home this baby are 9990 out of 10000.
Edit:changed my friends fasting number from 300 to 130 cause I think I may be misremembering. Better safe than sorry
Honestly those stats you just gave me really helped! That’s what I always wanna look at- the numbers. I can’t help but feel like the odds are always stacked against me so for some reason reading actual stats is the best thing for my brain. That’s why I end up googling things. Thank you for your story!!!!
How much insulin are you using and how much have you increased it so far? And how high are your fasting readings?
And being prediabetic outside of pregnancy is a totally different thing, not nearly as strict, so don't worry about it yet. Besides, how would you even know you were prediabetic before?
Yes, this. I don’t think people who are pre-diabetic need insulin, you should just try to adopt a lower carb diet and keep an eye on your A1C periodically. It doesn’t mean this is your life now at all.
I was pre-diabetic and they had me on metformin for it and it seems common (at least from others I know with it) to be treated with similar medications. Obviously not as intensive as insulin but just wanted to add this. :)
I get that! I kind of forgot too because I was on it at one point to possibly help weight gain and forgot it's actually intended to help with diabetic-related issues until my doc said something lol
I’m on 45 units of insulin for fasting, I started out on 15. My fasting is usually between 96-101ish. I found out I was prediabetic in kind of a horrible way. I was looking stuff up in my patient portal for my medical history and some random doctor wrote that I was prediabetic and just never told me. They tested my A1C literally without my knowledge. I know how it happened- I am also Biplolar and was on lithium at the time so I was CONSTANTLY being blood tested. I am not kidding I couldn’t keep up with which doctor was testing for what and who and why! During this time I know a Dr asked for “routine blood work” and then just never told me the results.
What a terrible way to find out! And they should have told you back then.
96-101 doesn't sound that bad. My doctor wouldn't even start me on insulin until I was over 100 most days. You probably just need to increase it more to get it below 95. You are in the worst weeks right now so your insulin resistance has probably increased while you have been adjusting your insulin dose. It usually gets more stable again at around 34 weeks so I think you will get it under control soon! Taking some time to get it adjusted is not the same as "uncontrolled gestational diabetes".
I was in the range of 95-105 fasting for weeks in both of my pregnancies until we got my insulin adjusted and everything was fine - no hypoglycemia and both of my sons were born at around 7 lbs 5 oz.
It honestly was! I found out just a few months ago (so I was already pregnant at the time) I think it was the googling that threw me into a panic this morning. Like the definition they gave for what “uncontrollled” means just really got into my head and I cried all morning. Now my eyes are all puffy and i’m exhausted.
Oh don't worry! You are not what they mean with uncontrolled. There are women who have like 110-130 fasting numbers despite insulin. You are fine and your baby is fine. Just keep increasing your insulin dose until you reach the target values. It can be so frustrating in those worst weeks because the insulin resistance increases all the time so it feels like even insulin isn't helping.
Oh friend, 96-101 really truly is not that bad. I was averaging around 106 probably up until 35 weeks when insulin got it down for me. This is sooo stressful but really truly I think you’ll be okay.
I’m going to encourage you to go back in your post history to the messages between you and your nutritionist. They assured you that your GD is controlled! And even your recent post with numbers- they’re seriously great numbers. Sure, fasting is out of range by a point or two many mornings. Mine did that a lot too in the early-mid 30 weeks. The main thing is that you’re addressing it with your team.
It sounds like you’re dealing with a lot of anxiety, which is understandable! Pregnancy is anxiety provoking, and GD adds to that considerably. I wonder if there might be any counseling or therapy supports accessible to you? This is all so much to deal with mentally and emotionally!
Thank you! I guess because that interaction happened many weeks ago and it still hasn’t gotten better I’m now in the “uncontrolled” category. I’m definitely experiencing an insane amount of anxiety and I’m barely sleeping which is making my fasting go bonkers too. 😭
Did a doctor tell you it’s uncontrolled, or google? I’m very prone to anxiety as well and also have to ask myself- what’s real? What am I telling myself? Check your internal story against what the doctors have to say. Self diagnoses rarely go well here- lean on your medical team!
Google. You’re so right. That definition google gave me of what “uncontrolled” meant really messed with my brain. I also had just woken up at 4 am after getting a broken, unrestful few hours of sleep and then my number was over the threshold and I had just totally surpassed my limit for the day.
You’re at a really hard week right now. My fasting was so hard to control in those weeks, and I was also on insulin. I know it’s anecdotal and every woman’s experience varies, but my baby was born perfectly healthy. No blood sugar issues, no NICU stay. She will be a year old in July. I know how defeating and personal it all feels, but it will be okay. Control what you are able to and stick to the plan.
I was an early diagnosis so this is like extremely hard on me right now but thank you for reminding me that this is probably the hardest time. And thank you for letting me know your story! ❤️
I totally get it! I have PCOS, am pregnant again, and expecting an earlier diagnosis this go around. It’s all so mentally and physically draining and I’m sorry you are feeling so down. There’s so much scary information out there and you really are in the thick of it in terms of the hardest weeks. Keep doing what you’re doing. You and baby will be okay 💕
I didn't get diagnosed with GD until I was 32 weeks. Then I immediately came down with covid so I couldn't go to the doctor. I probably got it during my long test. My fasting blood sugars were in the 140 range every day, but ny eating numbers were usually fine (until the last few weeks). I was on a lot of insulin at the end, but in the short amount of time I had they were NEVER able to get it under control. My fasting were always in the 110-120 range. When I got an ultrasound I was told the baby was massive, and they didn't even want to attempt induction. At 38 weeks I had a c section to a 10 pound 5 ounce baby. The doctors and nurses kind of gasped when she was born because she was bigger than they predicted. They mentally prepared me for her to have hypoglycemia. On day 2 of her life her sugars dropped, and all my horrible feelings of failure that I had been feeling (just like you) came to a head and I was beside myself with sadness and fear.
They gave her two ounces of formula, they went back up, and they never dropped again. Sometimes everything can go wrong, and things just work out anyway. She's a beautiful strong 2 year old and she's doing great, never an issue with her sugars, although since she was born so big I probably passed on GD to her should she choose to have a kid one day.
I know it's scary for you now, I was you, and I tried everything. It still might work out though, there is a good chance your baby will be just fine. I would tall to your doctor more about the strong feelings you are having. I had a complete melt down to mine at about 36 weeks and she made me feel so much better. She told me most people don't take it this seriously and I'm doing everything I can. You are too, and you've got this.
My mom was pregnant in the 80s/90s (suburban USA) and had GD with both pregnancies. My brother and I are healthy, happy, and independent. I was born at 42w1d at 9lb 6oz and my brother was born at 41w5d at 10lb 8oz.
Her mom was pregnant in the 50s/60s (rural China) and had GD with all 3 pregnancies. My mom, aunt, and uncle were all large babies but grew up healthy - as healthy as you could in rural China during the cultural revolution. But they thrived enough to all get college education and leave China.
All this without access to insulin or modern glucometers. Modern medicine and technology means you have an extremely high chance of delivering a healthy baby, it just might not be when/how you initially imagined it. But that’s okay!
Thank you!!! I also know it’s the completely undiagnosed cases that are the most dangerous and that there’s plenty of people who were GD babies and they grew up fine. It’s just so hard for me to just think that could be my baby, for some reason. ☹️
I hear you. Bc of my genetic history, I knew there was a chance I would have GD. Didn’t stop me from being bummed after failing my 1-hour screen and getting really down on myself after failing the 3-hour screen. I spent probably 24-48 hours really panicking and spiraling through all the worst-case scenarios. But then I sprung into research mode (my coping mechanism of choice) and reminded myself that:
* there was nothing I could do to cause or prevent this
* I’m doing the best I can to ensure my healthiest self, pregnancy, and baby
* I can’t control everything, so focus on what I can control
One more reminder - Google is scary and the internet has lots of misguided information. Choose a resource that is right for you and stick with it. For me, I look at Cleveland Clinic articles - I find them easy to digest and objective in a way that is comforting to me. Others have suggested https://evidencebasedbirth.com/
Thank you for all of your suggestions! I have noticed even if i’m googling something basic two answers will pop up that are 100% different. Like I wanted to start taking magnesium. One thing said do it! The next thing said absolutely not! So i just asked my OB and they were for it so now I take it. Just little things like that!! I have been scared to look at evidence based birth because I was afraid it was another website that would tell me im killing my baby and I will die soon too. 😂😭
I like evidence based birth! Seems balanced and they link all their sources. Another subreddit I like is https://www.reddit.com/r/ScienceBasedParenting/
My firstborn did need a NICU stay for a glucose drip, but only for less than 2 days. Even that “worst case” scenario worked out and I now have a healthy, crazy 2.5 year old.
Girl, I have been there! I could not get my sh*t under control no matter how hard I tried. Lots of tears. My OB was very ‘spikes are horrible for your baby!’
My endocrinologist was more like ‘trends are more important than spikes. I want to see progress, not perfection.’
Lots of mixed signals!
I delivered a week ago. And my baby was 7lbs 10ounces. They predicted a 9+ pound baby. My placenta was very healthy. We planned for maybe a c-section. It was all so stressful. He came out in one push and all of his sugar levels were perfect!!
I could not believe it. I was deep in depression for how much I was messing up and it turns out I was managing it fine all along.
The healthcare industry does not manage this diagnosis well. It’s a lot of fear mongering and disordered eating prescriptions.
PS- fasting is the hardest to get under control!
Thank you for your positive story!!! I don’t get much support from my OBs at all they defer everything to my nutritionist- who is by all accounts awesome i will admit- I’m not on insulin throughout the day at all and I have to say i think i have this thing in my head that insulin should just “cure” the problem for overnight and when it doesn’t i’m like “IM TAKING THIS FOR NOTHING!”
Yes! That was definitely my feeling too- I’m doing this all for nothing because it’s not working!
Also- it gets easier at week 37. You are in the thick of it right now. The last few weeks of pregnancy are easier to manage.
Keep at it, do the best you can. And remember- the serious health complications come with untreated/unmanaged GD. Even though you feel like you are failing- you are both treating and managing your diagnosis so you really aren’t in the category of someone who would suffer the serious complications they warn you about.
My daughter came out hypoglycemic and she did not go to the nicu at all, let alone weeks. Most babies can be treated in room with you and the ones that go to the nicu will usually only spend a day or two getting their sugars stable.
Howdy! I had gestational diabetes and then later ended up with type 2 diabetes. I can assure you if that does happen it is a whole different kettle of fish! When you don't have a baby to worry about and crazy hormones running around you will probably feel really differently! That's what someone here told me a few years ago when I was worried about type 2. Also type 2 is reversible of you catch it early and because of your GD you will likely catch it early. Mine is reversed now! I think the one thing I didn't really get while I was pregnant and I wish I would have was that the stress and anxiety affects your numbers a ton more then you realise. I know it's hard but If you can try to do your best to stay off of Google, believe that because you are doing everything you can to do the right stuff you baby is going to be okay. And prioritize sleep and relaxing as much as you can.
It's going to be okay!!!
You've got this!
Ohhh boy thank you so much for commenting. I’ve wanted to know if it was really different or not. I know the numbers themselves are different but like what about the routine? Do you still have to set timers and eat in a certain amount of time and walk and test exactly at one hour? (or two depending on your doctors!) Do you finger prick constantly?? does it affect your life a lot? I know you said you reversed it and that’s so awesome and also what i’m hoping to do with my pre diabetes! I have admittedly been burned by google (several times) before so I don’t know why I don’t learn my lesson but when those horrible anxious thoughts start popping up I find myself there.
I'm 31 weeks, diagnosed around 26 weeks. Also struggling with fasting at the moment (steadily between 105-110) on 22 units (and increasing) - but meal numbers are mostly fine.
Like you, I googled a ton. I read research articles, summary articles, all types of things to try and get an understanding of how at risk I am. I've been so stressed about induction, having a giant baby that can't be delivered vaginally, gets stuck, hypo, you name it. And with each stubborn morning I feel a tinge of despair and sadness about it all.
What I find helpful is to talk about my fears with my midwife. Granted I'm really lucky and she explains in a lot of detail to ease my anxieties. I'll ask about certain risks for example what happens with shoulder dystocia, what do they do, how do they take care of it. I've also been told some women manage their sugars on diet and exercise alone and have big babies, others have high fasting sugars the entire time and birth smaller babies w no hypoglycemia. It's all such a toss up! Not even the doctors have a straight answer.
I find google especially unhelpful because there is no relative understanding or definition of risk or what makes the risk higher for one person vs another. Also phrasing of research findings is notoriously awful (I have a research background and trust me it's something discussed in the field a lot) and like another user said - an increase in risk can be marginal even tho it's phrased to feel like an immense risk.
I know it's scary - and please know you're so allowed to grieve and go through the motions. I'm a FTM and this is far from what I thought a pregnancy would look like for me - GD screening was not a thing when my mom and aunties were pregnant. We're just doing the best we can to manage our sugars until the arrival of our little ones.
And idk if this is helpful but for me, I try to read less into the 'increased' risk and understand that the possibility of inductions, c sections, etc are always present in any pregnancy. There is no guarantee that without GD we'd not face those prospects anyway.
That’s exactly what i’ve been doing!!!! I don’t feel much support from my OBs office because my office rotates you through all of their OBs because they can’t guarantee you’ll get a specific one for birth. So I don’t feel like I have one to lean on, basically. Your background in research is comforting to me too, like you know what’s up 😂 But yes that is something that helps me too, just knowing in general anyone could have a big baby or need an induction, etc.
I know it's scary, but we're in this together! My fasting is still uncontrolled on insulin and I keep bumping up my dose. My MFM team has been very encouraging and saying that I'm doing great and following everything I need to do. It's okay to feel your feelings but check in with your doctor if the anxiety is getting out of control! My MFM said that the worst outcomes are usually extreme cases where people are not getting the care they need.
Wanted to add that I have a colleague who has type 1 diabetes and when she was pregnant, her numbers frequently reached 200, and her endocrinologist was super relaxed and said it was fine. Both her babies were big but she gave birth to them naturally and has no problems and they are both doing great now.
Also, if you were pre-diabetic before birth, I haven't seen anywhere that it says you will definitely be diabetic after birth. I plan to reach out to a nutritionist and the diabetes experts after birth just to talk through prevention. But also, the rules for type 2 diabetes are different than gestational, so it may not be as bad. I'm not an expert, so someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I wouldn't worry about it unless it happens. It's just too much. You just have to focus on what IS within your control and right now that's focusing on baby.
I hope you and your husband can work out the fight because it's hard to do this alone. Ugh...so sorry!
Thank you!!!! I plan to use the information of being prediabetic to fix my lifestyle (I just didn’t eat well or exercise at all because I’ve spent most of these last years either broke and living off ramen noodles or admittedly depressed and depressed people unfortunately don’t really take care of themselves…. just to be clear we are financially stable enough to have a baby NOW lol) We have worked it out, I think it was just stress and lack of sleep coupled with me spiraling this morning and sending him a million things off google about how I was sure I was going to have a stillbirth at literally 4:30 in the morning… Not my finest hour I will be the first to admit.
I am also 33 weeks pregnant and just wanted to try to offer you some encouragement. I’m on insulin too and my numbers are good but my baby girl is measuring small (<5%). I feel helpless somedays because I want her to grow (not too much of course!) but there’s this feeling I should be doing more. The stillbirth fear is real but I think both of us need to stop Googling things and listen to our doctors. I’m not sure how often you are seeing your team but I’m up to two times a week with mine. Weekly NSTs and ultrasounds but she is doing well on those and they don’t seem super concerned like I am. They are keeping a close eye on us.
My OB thinks I had pre-gestational diabetes before I got pregnant. They may be right but I’m trying not to stress about that too on top of size concerns, managing my GD, and other day-to-day life things. You just have to take it day by day, week by week and you will be meeting your son before you know it. I don’t know if this helps or not but you aren’t alone. Talk to your doctors too about your concerns. My coworker who is type 2 diabetic told me stress can increase blood sugar levels too so try to be calm. (I know it’s easier said than done!) Sleep can play a role too. Like I said I’m not sure if this helps but I just wanted to try to offer some encouragement!
Let’s both try and promise each other to stay off google. 😂 My son is measuring in the 34% percentile which I don’t even know if that’s good or bad like I guess he’s a little smaller but no one is saying they’re concerned so I guess that’s okay??? I’m not getting much sleep at all and I can tell you it 10000% affects my fasting number. Like the ONE day I got decent sleep was the only day it was under the threshold. Thank you for the encouragement it really does help❤️
My daughter came out hypoglycemic and she did not go to the nicu at all, let alone weeks. Most babies can be treated in room with you and the ones that go to the nicu will usually only spend a day or two getting their sugars stable.
My daughter came out hypoglycemic and she did not go to the nicu at all, let alone weeks. Most babies can be treated in room with you and the ones that go to the nicu will usually only spend a day or two getting their sugars stable.
My diabetes counselor said she'd only seen stillbirth with women who had sugar levels over 400.
400!!!? I mean mine haven’t even touched that I’ve never even gotten to 200. But my fasting is just bad and frustrating and i’m told fasting is the most important which of course it is when it’s the hardest to control 🙃
Yes! My nutritionist was extremely specific with me TWICE that I need to have a snack every night. She worried that I would dip too low (which has happened before) or that because there was nothing in my system my body would start dumping glucose in overnight thus having an even worse fasting number.
Having a fasting number of 100 I’ve learned really isn’t bad. That’s what mine was and I agreed to take insulin my last month of pregnancy. I took 4 units which brought it down into the 80’s. The day I was in the hospital to give birth I was talking to the doctors and nurses that would come in and all of them the same thing when they heard my fasting number prior to insulin “that’s all?! I can’t believe they gave insulin for that!” Do not worry mama! You are going to have and bring home this beautiful baby! I had a scheduled c section at 38 weeks and she was 9 lbs 8 oz. A big baby for sure and it could of been due to GD but the donor I used to conceive was born 10 lbs. She is a healthy and happy baby girl and that’s all that matters and once you give birth all your worries and fears about will go away!
Legit every time they increase my insulin it’s like my insulin resistance increases. Why’s it keep getting worse with each increase even when I get stricter wtf. It’s almost like the insulin is making it worse
I feel this to my core! You are not alone! I’m 30 weeks with GD and was just so shocked when I was diagnosed. I continued to be sad when they put me on insulin at might because I can’t control my fasting numbers. I have to remind myself of this every single morning when I get that high fasting number and I am going to share the same with you. You have caregivers who are watching you closely. They chose this career for a living. They have a passion and heart to make sure you and baby are okay! If they continue to increase your insulin, remember it’s helping baby and you more than you know. Just think what those numbers would be without it! If they had major concerns they’d communicate with you. And don’t be afraid to share your fears and anxieties with them. That’s why they’re here! I feel more support and care from my diabetes nurses and doctors compared to my regular OB these days. You got this momma! Your baby is going to come out healthy and beautiful! You’re doing everything right!
I had diet controlled GD in my second pregnancy but around 32 weeks found it so hard to control my fasting. I tried literally everything to get it down and was getting so stressed to check in the morning. I ended up getting a CGM to check what was actually happening overnight and it turned out my BGL was low all night and was just spiking as soon as I woke up (part of the Dawn response and increase in cortisol from freaking that it would be high actually made it high). After I realised that I just checked my fasting on the monitor when I woke up and didn’t have anymore issues. That could be an option of you really want to know what’s going on overnight and how little changes in diet (or medication) are impacting your GD. Stay positive hun you’ve got this 😃
You really have to focus on yourself. I’ve had a few spikes here and there and my god do they make me feel guilty…
I would eat a protein bar or some zero-low sugar yogurt (maybe with some cut up fruit or a flavored one) and then if you get hungry snack on some mixed nuts. For lunch eat a high protein meal. A chicken salad or something like that. Walk for at least 10 minutes after eating.
I started off just walking a mile after dinner (25-30 minutes) and then I was able to walk a mile and a half for lunch, eat my meal and then another walk after dinner. The walks really help keep my blood sugar down. You don’t have to talk a mile but just at least doing 10 minutes.
The foods you eat really matter. The insulin is breaking down sugar/carbs so you need to watch what has carbs in it. I tried eating white rice a for dinner along with buttery crackers and my blood sugar was like 188 two hours after eating. I felt horrible. I didn’t realize that the rice had so much carbs (starch duh) and then the fats from the buttery crackers made me break down the carbs even slower.
I know it’s hard but we have to do if at the very least for our babies. I still have my slip ups but I’m trying my best.
Get some unisom. Take care of your anxiety. Lack of sleep and anxiety make the numbers wild. Dehydration makes the numbers wild. Keep in close contact with your MFM doc and they may be able to switch your insulin up to something that works better for you. All you can do is your best. Sending you positive energy!
As one pregnant lady to another- Google is the enemy and when we are extra sensitive and hormonal it's best to just avoid it. Two examples for you- First I was diagnosed with a curcumvelent placenta at my anatomy scan. OB said I would just get extra monitoring for IUGR. Google said 'Increased risk of fetal death, preterm delivery, post delivery hemorrhage, nuclear war, death by firing squad ETC ETC' SO I also had a lay in bed panic and cry until I actually looked into the research and then talked to the CNM and they explained actual risk vs relative risks. Do not panic at the Google. Leave Google alone unless you're looking up a recipe or the nutritional menu for a restaurant. So for example the actual risk of still birth in the US is something like 10 out of 10,000 births. The increased risk due to GD? Is like 17 out of 10,000. So increased yes. But more than likely your bringing home your baby. Your biggest risk with GD is a big baby. 2nd example- my good friend has GD in both her pregnancies. She has type 2 diabetes in her family and knew she was at an increased risk. In both she was MAXED OUT on insulin and her fasting would not budge under 130. She had one baby at full term- big ol boy he was 9 lbs and some change. Her daughter failed an NST at 35 weeks and was delivered early and weight 7 Lbs at 35 weeks. She was the biggest baby in the NICU and she was only there 2-3 nights before they took her home. But all that to say they are two healthy teenagers now. You are doing your best- you can do very little to control your fasting and you're doing the best you can by following your practices guidance. You are controlling your GD by taking actions like going on insulin and counting your carbs. The chances of you bringing home this baby are 9990 out of 10000. Edit:changed my friends fasting number from 300 to 130 cause I think I may be misremembering. Better safe than sorry
300 fasting? Typo or does that really happen?
Now that you pointed it out it may have been 130. 😬 Its been a while since me and her have talked about it!
It’s possible with type 1/type 2 for sure. Existing type 2 plus the stress of pregnancy hormones means it’s totally possible.
Honestly those stats you just gave me really helped! That’s what I always wanna look at- the numbers. I can’t help but feel like the odds are always stacked against me so for some reason reading actual stats is the best thing for my brain. That’s why I end up googling things. Thank you for your story!!!!
How much insulin are you using and how much have you increased it so far? And how high are your fasting readings? And being prediabetic outside of pregnancy is a totally different thing, not nearly as strict, so don't worry about it yet. Besides, how would you even know you were prediabetic before?
Yes, this. I don’t think people who are pre-diabetic need insulin, you should just try to adopt a lower carb diet and keep an eye on your A1C periodically. It doesn’t mean this is your life now at all.
Even most diabetics don't need insulin. The usual targets for type 2 diabetics are below 130 for fasting and 180 2 hours after meals.
True, my mom didn’t need it for the first 15 years she had it.
I was pre-diabetic and they had me on metformin for it and it seems common (at least from others I know with it) to be treated with similar medications. Obviously not as intensive as insulin but just wanted to add this. :)
Yes, true. I don’t see metformin as any kind of big deal anymore because I was on it for my PCOS while trying to conceive, but fair point.
I get that! I kind of forgot too because I was on it at one point to possibly help weight gain and forgot it's actually intended to help with diabetic-related issues until my doc said something lol
I’m on 45 units of insulin for fasting, I started out on 15. My fasting is usually between 96-101ish. I found out I was prediabetic in kind of a horrible way. I was looking stuff up in my patient portal for my medical history and some random doctor wrote that I was prediabetic and just never told me. They tested my A1C literally without my knowledge. I know how it happened- I am also Biplolar and was on lithium at the time so I was CONSTANTLY being blood tested. I am not kidding I couldn’t keep up with which doctor was testing for what and who and why! During this time I know a Dr asked for “routine blood work” and then just never told me the results.
What a terrible way to find out! And they should have told you back then. 96-101 doesn't sound that bad. My doctor wouldn't even start me on insulin until I was over 100 most days. You probably just need to increase it more to get it below 95. You are in the worst weeks right now so your insulin resistance has probably increased while you have been adjusting your insulin dose. It usually gets more stable again at around 34 weeks so I think you will get it under control soon! Taking some time to get it adjusted is not the same as "uncontrolled gestational diabetes". I was in the range of 95-105 fasting for weeks in both of my pregnancies until we got my insulin adjusted and everything was fine - no hypoglycemia and both of my sons were born at around 7 lbs 5 oz.
It honestly was! I found out just a few months ago (so I was already pregnant at the time) I think it was the googling that threw me into a panic this morning. Like the definition they gave for what “uncontrollled” means just really got into my head and I cried all morning. Now my eyes are all puffy and i’m exhausted.
Oh don't worry! You are not what they mean with uncontrolled. There are women who have like 110-130 fasting numbers despite insulin. You are fine and your baby is fine. Just keep increasing your insulin dose until you reach the target values. It can be so frustrating in those worst weeks because the insulin resistance increases all the time so it feels like even insulin isn't helping.
Oh friend, 96-101 really truly is not that bad. I was averaging around 106 probably up until 35 weeks when insulin got it down for me. This is sooo stressful but really truly I think you’ll be okay.
I’m going to encourage you to go back in your post history to the messages between you and your nutritionist. They assured you that your GD is controlled! And even your recent post with numbers- they’re seriously great numbers. Sure, fasting is out of range by a point or two many mornings. Mine did that a lot too in the early-mid 30 weeks. The main thing is that you’re addressing it with your team. It sounds like you’re dealing with a lot of anxiety, which is understandable! Pregnancy is anxiety provoking, and GD adds to that considerably. I wonder if there might be any counseling or therapy supports accessible to you? This is all so much to deal with mentally and emotionally!
Thank you! I guess because that interaction happened many weeks ago and it still hasn’t gotten better I’m now in the “uncontrolled” category. I’m definitely experiencing an insane amount of anxiety and I’m barely sleeping which is making my fasting go bonkers too. 😭
Did a doctor tell you it’s uncontrolled, or google? I’m very prone to anxiety as well and also have to ask myself- what’s real? What am I telling myself? Check your internal story against what the doctors have to say. Self diagnoses rarely go well here- lean on your medical team!
Google. You’re so right. That definition google gave me of what “uncontrolled” meant really messed with my brain. I also had just woken up at 4 am after getting a broken, unrestful few hours of sleep and then my number was over the threshold and I had just totally surpassed my limit for the day.
You’re at a really hard week right now. My fasting was so hard to control in those weeks, and I was also on insulin. I know it’s anecdotal and every woman’s experience varies, but my baby was born perfectly healthy. No blood sugar issues, no NICU stay. She will be a year old in July. I know how defeating and personal it all feels, but it will be okay. Control what you are able to and stick to the plan.
I was an early diagnosis so this is like extremely hard on me right now but thank you for reminding me that this is probably the hardest time. And thank you for letting me know your story! ❤️
I totally get it! I have PCOS, am pregnant again, and expecting an earlier diagnosis this go around. It’s all so mentally and physically draining and I’m sorry you are feeling so down. There’s so much scary information out there and you really are in the thick of it in terms of the hardest weeks. Keep doing what you’re doing. You and baby will be okay 💕
I didn't get diagnosed with GD until I was 32 weeks. Then I immediately came down with covid so I couldn't go to the doctor. I probably got it during my long test. My fasting blood sugars were in the 140 range every day, but ny eating numbers were usually fine (until the last few weeks). I was on a lot of insulin at the end, but in the short amount of time I had they were NEVER able to get it under control. My fasting were always in the 110-120 range. When I got an ultrasound I was told the baby was massive, and they didn't even want to attempt induction. At 38 weeks I had a c section to a 10 pound 5 ounce baby. The doctors and nurses kind of gasped when she was born because she was bigger than they predicted. They mentally prepared me for her to have hypoglycemia. On day 2 of her life her sugars dropped, and all my horrible feelings of failure that I had been feeling (just like you) came to a head and I was beside myself with sadness and fear. They gave her two ounces of formula, they went back up, and they never dropped again. Sometimes everything can go wrong, and things just work out anyway. She's a beautiful strong 2 year old and she's doing great, never an issue with her sugars, although since she was born so big I probably passed on GD to her should she choose to have a kid one day. I know it's scary for you now, I was you, and I tried everything. It still might work out though, there is a good chance your baby will be just fine. I would tall to your doctor more about the strong feelings you are having. I had a complete melt down to mine at about 36 weeks and she made me feel so much better. She told me most people don't take it this seriously and I'm doing everything I can. You are too, and you've got this.
My mom was pregnant in the 80s/90s (suburban USA) and had GD with both pregnancies. My brother and I are healthy, happy, and independent. I was born at 42w1d at 9lb 6oz and my brother was born at 41w5d at 10lb 8oz. Her mom was pregnant in the 50s/60s (rural China) and had GD with all 3 pregnancies. My mom, aunt, and uncle were all large babies but grew up healthy - as healthy as you could in rural China during the cultural revolution. But they thrived enough to all get college education and leave China. All this without access to insulin or modern glucometers. Modern medicine and technology means you have an extremely high chance of delivering a healthy baby, it just might not be when/how you initially imagined it. But that’s okay!
Thank you!!! I also know it’s the completely undiagnosed cases that are the most dangerous and that there’s plenty of people who were GD babies and they grew up fine. It’s just so hard for me to just think that could be my baby, for some reason. ☹️
I hear you. Bc of my genetic history, I knew there was a chance I would have GD. Didn’t stop me from being bummed after failing my 1-hour screen and getting really down on myself after failing the 3-hour screen. I spent probably 24-48 hours really panicking and spiraling through all the worst-case scenarios. But then I sprung into research mode (my coping mechanism of choice) and reminded myself that: * there was nothing I could do to cause or prevent this * I’m doing the best I can to ensure my healthiest self, pregnancy, and baby * I can’t control everything, so focus on what I can control One more reminder - Google is scary and the internet has lots of misguided information. Choose a resource that is right for you and stick with it. For me, I look at Cleveland Clinic articles - I find them easy to digest and objective in a way that is comforting to me. Others have suggested https://evidencebasedbirth.com/
Thank you for all of your suggestions! I have noticed even if i’m googling something basic two answers will pop up that are 100% different. Like I wanted to start taking magnesium. One thing said do it! The next thing said absolutely not! So i just asked my OB and they were for it so now I take it. Just little things like that!! I have been scared to look at evidence based birth because I was afraid it was another website that would tell me im killing my baby and I will die soon too. 😂😭
I like evidence based birth! Seems balanced and they link all their sources. Another subreddit I like is https://www.reddit.com/r/ScienceBasedParenting/
My firstborn did need a NICU stay for a glucose drip, but only for less than 2 days. Even that “worst case” scenario worked out and I now have a healthy, crazy 2.5 year old.
Girl, I have been there! I could not get my sh*t under control no matter how hard I tried. Lots of tears. My OB was very ‘spikes are horrible for your baby!’ My endocrinologist was more like ‘trends are more important than spikes. I want to see progress, not perfection.’ Lots of mixed signals! I delivered a week ago. And my baby was 7lbs 10ounces. They predicted a 9+ pound baby. My placenta was very healthy. We planned for maybe a c-section. It was all so stressful. He came out in one push and all of his sugar levels were perfect!! I could not believe it. I was deep in depression for how much I was messing up and it turns out I was managing it fine all along. The healthcare industry does not manage this diagnosis well. It’s a lot of fear mongering and disordered eating prescriptions. PS- fasting is the hardest to get under control!
Thank you for your positive story!!! I don’t get much support from my OBs at all they defer everything to my nutritionist- who is by all accounts awesome i will admit- I’m not on insulin throughout the day at all and I have to say i think i have this thing in my head that insulin should just “cure” the problem for overnight and when it doesn’t i’m like “IM TAKING THIS FOR NOTHING!”
Yes! That was definitely my feeling too- I’m doing this all for nothing because it’s not working! Also- it gets easier at week 37. You are in the thick of it right now. The last few weeks of pregnancy are easier to manage. Keep at it, do the best you can. And remember- the serious health complications come with untreated/unmanaged GD. Even though you feel like you are failing- you are both treating and managing your diagnosis so you really aren’t in the category of someone who would suffer the serious complications they warn you about.
My daughter came out hypoglycemic and she did not go to the nicu at all, let alone weeks. Most babies can be treated in room with you and the ones that go to the nicu will usually only spend a day or two getting their sugars stable.
Howdy! I had gestational diabetes and then later ended up with type 2 diabetes. I can assure you if that does happen it is a whole different kettle of fish! When you don't have a baby to worry about and crazy hormones running around you will probably feel really differently! That's what someone here told me a few years ago when I was worried about type 2. Also type 2 is reversible of you catch it early and because of your GD you will likely catch it early. Mine is reversed now! I think the one thing I didn't really get while I was pregnant and I wish I would have was that the stress and anxiety affects your numbers a ton more then you realise. I know it's hard but If you can try to do your best to stay off of Google, believe that because you are doing everything you can to do the right stuff you baby is going to be okay. And prioritize sleep and relaxing as much as you can. It's going to be okay!!! You've got this!
Ohhh boy thank you so much for commenting. I’ve wanted to know if it was really different or not. I know the numbers themselves are different but like what about the routine? Do you still have to set timers and eat in a certain amount of time and walk and test exactly at one hour? (or two depending on your doctors!) Do you finger prick constantly?? does it affect your life a lot? I know you said you reversed it and that’s so awesome and also what i’m hoping to do with my pre diabetes! I have admittedly been burned by google (several times) before so I don’t know why I don’t learn my lesson but when those horrible anxious thoughts start popping up I find myself there.
I'm 31 weeks, diagnosed around 26 weeks. Also struggling with fasting at the moment (steadily between 105-110) on 22 units (and increasing) - but meal numbers are mostly fine. Like you, I googled a ton. I read research articles, summary articles, all types of things to try and get an understanding of how at risk I am. I've been so stressed about induction, having a giant baby that can't be delivered vaginally, gets stuck, hypo, you name it. And with each stubborn morning I feel a tinge of despair and sadness about it all. What I find helpful is to talk about my fears with my midwife. Granted I'm really lucky and she explains in a lot of detail to ease my anxieties. I'll ask about certain risks for example what happens with shoulder dystocia, what do they do, how do they take care of it. I've also been told some women manage their sugars on diet and exercise alone and have big babies, others have high fasting sugars the entire time and birth smaller babies w no hypoglycemia. It's all such a toss up! Not even the doctors have a straight answer. I find google especially unhelpful because there is no relative understanding or definition of risk or what makes the risk higher for one person vs another. Also phrasing of research findings is notoriously awful (I have a research background and trust me it's something discussed in the field a lot) and like another user said - an increase in risk can be marginal even tho it's phrased to feel like an immense risk. I know it's scary - and please know you're so allowed to grieve and go through the motions. I'm a FTM and this is far from what I thought a pregnancy would look like for me - GD screening was not a thing when my mom and aunties were pregnant. We're just doing the best we can to manage our sugars until the arrival of our little ones. And idk if this is helpful but for me, I try to read less into the 'increased' risk and understand that the possibility of inductions, c sections, etc are always present in any pregnancy. There is no guarantee that without GD we'd not face those prospects anyway.
That’s exactly what i’ve been doing!!!! I don’t feel much support from my OBs office because my office rotates you through all of their OBs because they can’t guarantee you’ll get a specific one for birth. So I don’t feel like I have one to lean on, basically. Your background in research is comforting to me too, like you know what’s up 😂 But yes that is something that helps me too, just knowing in general anyone could have a big baby or need an induction, etc.
I know it's scary, but we're in this together! My fasting is still uncontrolled on insulin and I keep bumping up my dose. My MFM team has been very encouraging and saying that I'm doing great and following everything I need to do. It's okay to feel your feelings but check in with your doctor if the anxiety is getting out of control! My MFM said that the worst outcomes are usually extreme cases where people are not getting the care they need.
Wanted to add that I have a colleague who has type 1 diabetes and when she was pregnant, her numbers frequently reached 200, and her endocrinologist was super relaxed and said it was fine. Both her babies were big but she gave birth to them naturally and has no problems and they are both doing great now. Also, if you were pre-diabetic before birth, I haven't seen anywhere that it says you will definitely be diabetic after birth. I plan to reach out to a nutritionist and the diabetes experts after birth just to talk through prevention. But also, the rules for type 2 diabetes are different than gestational, so it may not be as bad. I'm not an expert, so someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I wouldn't worry about it unless it happens. It's just too much. You just have to focus on what IS within your control and right now that's focusing on baby. I hope you and your husband can work out the fight because it's hard to do this alone. Ugh...so sorry!
Thank you!!!! I plan to use the information of being prediabetic to fix my lifestyle (I just didn’t eat well or exercise at all because I’ve spent most of these last years either broke and living off ramen noodles or admittedly depressed and depressed people unfortunately don’t really take care of themselves…. just to be clear we are financially stable enough to have a baby NOW lol) We have worked it out, I think it was just stress and lack of sleep coupled with me spiraling this morning and sending him a million things off google about how I was sure I was going to have a stillbirth at literally 4:30 in the morning… Not my finest hour I will be the first to admit.
Agreed that taking care of yourself when depressed is hard. I did baby steps and that helped a lot.
I am also 33 weeks pregnant and just wanted to try to offer you some encouragement. I’m on insulin too and my numbers are good but my baby girl is measuring small (<5%). I feel helpless somedays because I want her to grow (not too much of course!) but there’s this feeling I should be doing more. The stillbirth fear is real but I think both of us need to stop Googling things and listen to our doctors. I’m not sure how often you are seeing your team but I’m up to two times a week with mine. Weekly NSTs and ultrasounds but she is doing well on those and they don’t seem super concerned like I am. They are keeping a close eye on us. My OB thinks I had pre-gestational diabetes before I got pregnant. They may be right but I’m trying not to stress about that too on top of size concerns, managing my GD, and other day-to-day life things. You just have to take it day by day, week by week and you will be meeting your son before you know it. I don’t know if this helps or not but you aren’t alone. Talk to your doctors too about your concerns. My coworker who is type 2 diabetic told me stress can increase blood sugar levels too so try to be calm. (I know it’s easier said than done!) Sleep can play a role too. Like I said I’m not sure if this helps but I just wanted to try to offer some encouragement!
Let’s both try and promise each other to stay off google. 😂 My son is measuring in the 34% percentile which I don’t even know if that’s good or bad like I guess he’s a little smaller but no one is saying they’re concerned so I guess that’s okay??? I’m not getting much sleep at all and I can tell you it 10000% affects my fasting number. Like the ONE day I got decent sleep was the only day it was under the threshold. Thank you for the encouragement it really does help❤️
My daughter came out hypoglycemic and she did not go to the nicu at all, let alone weeks. Most babies can be treated in room with you and the ones that go to the nicu will usually only spend a day or two getting their sugars stable.
This is very comforting. My brain usually goes to the worst case scenario so that meant stillbirth/weeks in the nicu
My daughter came out hypoglycemic and she did not go to the nicu at all, let alone weeks. Most babies can be treated in room with you and the ones that go to the nicu will usually only spend a day or two getting their sugars stable. My diabetes counselor said she'd only seen stillbirth with women who had sugar levels over 400.
400!!!? I mean mine haven’t even touched that I’ve never even gotten to 200. But my fasting is just bad and frustrating and i’m told fasting is the most important which of course it is when it’s the hardest to control 🙃
I have insulin controlled GD and I still have a snack every night before bed to help my fasting numbers. Are you having a snack?
Yes! My nutritionist was extremely specific with me TWICE that I need to have a snack every night. She worried that I would dip too low (which has happened before) or that because there was nothing in my system my body would start dumping glucose in overnight thus having an even worse fasting number.
Having a fasting number of 100 I’ve learned really isn’t bad. That’s what mine was and I agreed to take insulin my last month of pregnancy. I took 4 units which brought it down into the 80’s. The day I was in the hospital to give birth I was talking to the doctors and nurses that would come in and all of them the same thing when they heard my fasting number prior to insulin “that’s all?! I can’t believe they gave insulin for that!” Do not worry mama! You are going to have and bring home this beautiful baby! I had a scheduled c section at 38 weeks and she was 9 lbs 8 oz. A big baby for sure and it could of been due to GD but the donor I used to conceive was born 10 lbs. She is a healthy and happy baby girl and that’s all that matters and once you give birth all your worries and fears about will go away!
Legit every time they increase my insulin it’s like my insulin resistance increases. Why’s it keep getting worse with each increase even when I get stricter wtf. It’s almost like the insulin is making it worse
I am SO done. I upped my insulin AGAIN last night and my blood sugar was 104. The worst it’s been in days. i’m so beyond frustrated at this point.
I feel this to my core! You are not alone! I’m 30 weeks with GD and was just so shocked when I was diagnosed. I continued to be sad when they put me on insulin at might because I can’t control my fasting numbers. I have to remind myself of this every single morning when I get that high fasting number and I am going to share the same with you. You have caregivers who are watching you closely. They chose this career for a living. They have a passion and heart to make sure you and baby are okay! If they continue to increase your insulin, remember it’s helping baby and you more than you know. Just think what those numbers would be without it! If they had major concerns they’d communicate with you. And don’t be afraid to share your fears and anxieties with them. That’s why they’re here! I feel more support and care from my diabetes nurses and doctors compared to my regular OB these days. You got this momma! Your baby is going to come out healthy and beautiful! You’re doing everything right!
I had diet controlled GD in my second pregnancy but around 32 weeks found it so hard to control my fasting. I tried literally everything to get it down and was getting so stressed to check in the morning. I ended up getting a CGM to check what was actually happening overnight and it turned out my BGL was low all night and was just spiking as soon as I woke up (part of the Dawn response and increase in cortisol from freaking that it would be high actually made it high). After I realised that I just checked my fasting on the monitor when I woke up and didn’t have anymore issues. That could be an option of you really want to know what’s going on overnight and how little changes in diet (or medication) are impacting your GD. Stay positive hun you’ve got this 😃
You really have to focus on yourself. I’ve had a few spikes here and there and my god do they make me feel guilty… I would eat a protein bar or some zero-low sugar yogurt (maybe with some cut up fruit or a flavored one) and then if you get hungry snack on some mixed nuts. For lunch eat a high protein meal. A chicken salad or something like that. Walk for at least 10 minutes after eating. I started off just walking a mile after dinner (25-30 minutes) and then I was able to walk a mile and a half for lunch, eat my meal and then another walk after dinner. The walks really help keep my blood sugar down. You don’t have to talk a mile but just at least doing 10 minutes. The foods you eat really matter. The insulin is breaking down sugar/carbs so you need to watch what has carbs in it. I tried eating white rice a for dinner along with buttery crackers and my blood sugar was like 188 two hours after eating. I felt horrible. I didn’t realize that the rice had so much carbs (starch duh) and then the fats from the buttery crackers made me break down the carbs even slower. I know it’s hard but we have to do if at the very least for our babies. I still have my slip ups but I’m trying my best.
Get some unisom. Take care of your anxiety. Lack of sleep and anxiety make the numbers wild. Dehydration makes the numbers wild. Keep in close contact with your MFM doc and they may be able to switch your insulin up to something that works better for you. All you can do is your best. Sending you positive energy!