Gestational Diabetes

My staple breakfast was 3 weetbix, calcitrim milk, a banana and plain unsweetend yoghurt. Then for morning tea I would have 2 slices of Burgen or Vogels bread ( they are low GI) with diet jam.

Rice waffers and crackers were always a great snack.

With the finger pricks I used to do one side of my fingers on one hand, then same on the other hand, then back to the first hand and do the other side of my fingers, then back to the other hand. That way I wasn't going over the same holes too soon. (hope that makes sense!!)

I had GD as well, but I had a few risk factors - mum and 2 of my sisters had previously had GD, and I was a multiple pregnancy. My GTT level was 11 point something and I was diagnosed at 28w - I had ++++ glucose in my pee test. I did a food diary for the first week, but my levels stayed high (9 and over) regardless of what I did and didn't eat (my before breakfast level was usually around 8 and would sky rocket to usually 12-13, even if I only had plain porridge for brekkie), so I was put on a slow acting insulin. That didn't do much to help either, so I was put on Novorapid 3x a day - usually around 8-10 units. And I'm sorry, but they do hurt!!! Especially if you hit a blood vessel. I was a mass of bruises at the end, you can see a good one in my last belly pic.

As I was a multiple pregnancy, I was due to have an elective at 38w anyway (J was bum down and wouldn't move) however I went into spontaneous labour at 33w4d and had an emergency c-s. The girls were very good sizes for their gestation, at 4lb12 (2160g) and 5lb1 (2310g). They suffered from low blood sugars and developed jaundice, but were otherwise very healthy.

My post-birth GTT revealed I am borderline diabetic now - my level was 0.1 under the level where they class you as type 2, so I have to randomly test (when I remember) to check my levels, and when I plan to have more children I have to be under a diabetes educator from the word go as I am very high risk of developing it again.

With the finger pricks, I found doing it on the fatty part of the side hurts a lot less - and don't press it against your finger, just kind of rest it there. And also - if the needle is getting blunt it will hurt far worse than a new needle. When you are finger pricking 6+ times a day (as I was) I usually went through 2 needles a week, sometimes more.