Gestational Diabetes
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Pregnant
Forum Name: Pregnancy
Forum Description: Pregnant! Wanting to chat to other mums-to-be (or dads-to-be)? Share your thoughts, experiences, and ideas... This is that place!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=43311
Printed Date: 27 July 2025 at 11:52am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Gestational Diabetes
Posted By: Ems29
Subject: Gestational Diabetes
Date Posted: 25 May 2013 at 4:07pm
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Hi there, I know there have been forums on this in the past but I was wondering if anyone else currently has gestational diabetes, or if there are any veterans willing to lend their expertise? I was diagnosed with GD a few weeks ago and I must say it came as rather a shock (this is my 3rd pregnancy and I had no symptoms). I am getting used to pricking my fingers 4 times a day but trying to decide what to eat at each meal (that I am allowed to have!) a real struggle. I have got the Caresens n blood glucose meter - is anyone else using this? I am starting to question its' accuracy after I got a 7.0 fasting result this morning - so much higher than my previous days' tests I actually retested straight away and got 5.3! Same for my 2 hours after lunch: 2 subsequent testings had results of 6.6 and then 5.8! Should I be asking to have the meter calibrated? I am desperately trying to stay diet controlled so any advice on that would be much appreciated (I am 32 weeks pregnant so was told it is a possibility). Many thanks 
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Replies:
Posted By: Keleho
Date Posted: 25 May 2013 at 5:28pm
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Hi Ems29 Sorry to hear about your GD diagnosis, though from experience I think the shock of it is often worse than the reality! First off, do you have a nurse in the diabetic clinic that you deal with? I did, but was under the Waikato DHB, so may depend on where you are. If so, I would be calling them and discussing the issues with your meter as throughout the times I used mine (which Im not sure of the brand - its long been binned!), I got pretty much the same results if I tested one after the other, give or take a few points. Otherwise talk to your midwife or ob. I, like you, had no symptoms of GD other than a high reading on the polycose and GTT tests - was a bit of a surprise. I am slim, eat well, exercise regularly, and have no other real risk factors apart from a family history of diabetes, and even that was minimal. I managed to control things with diet alone, delivered a healthy 7lb 10 baby girl with no problems postnatally with her blood sugars. I also went on to have another pregnancy with no GD (though the obs did accuse me of 'tricking' the tests when I had a considerably larger baby - again, no blood sugar spikes afterwards so I dont think that was the case, neither does my midwife who went on to have a go at the ob in question!). I found it was easier to manage my diet with several small meals and only had spikes if I had been naughty (like had a massive feed of mcdonalds or something), so could be worth a shot - my issue was three large meals a day and no snacks, which would spike my sugars super high then super low all day. Carbs were also bad, so I would load up on protein, and fruit and veges. Try to drink mostly water - juice and fizzy drink was a big no-no - and no or minimal sugar in tea and coffee. Id have vege sticks or nuts for snacks, stir-fry was good for dinner, most 'normal' dinners were fine - Id just minimise the carb part - so a roast would be more meat and green veges, less potato/kumara etc. Pasta was out of the question which was the hardest thing for me! Id often have two poached eggs on one piece of toast for breakie, then maybe some fruit with it. Youll soon find what foods spike your bs through testing. All the best for the rest of your pregnancy x |
Posted By: Ems29
Date Posted: 03 June 2013 at 9:10pm
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Hi KLH, thank you for your reply :-) I have been to see the dietitian now and she said my diet is about as good as it gets, so not really any wriggle room is numbers start going up (and I have no treats in there at all). My meter was tested with the control solutions at the Pharmacy and was within the limits so not sure what is going on there, and the diabetic nurse didn't know either! |
Posted By: Belinda120296
Date Posted: 02 July 2013 at 5:17pm
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Hi Ems29, I too was diagnosed about a month ago, and have found it all a bit bemusing to be honest! I also have the care sens meter and have got some surprising results. The dietician/physician team are incredibly strict with the numbers, and had a couple of "high" readings (5.4- 7.6) so am now on metformin, twice a day. I have tried to play around with my diet but definitely my breakfast is minimal because that is when my sugars are at their highest :( It seems that my numbers vary even if I eat similar things. Not long for you to go now, I do hope you're managing ok. |