diabetes during pregnancy

[Joe123]

My wife has that type of diabetes while been pregnant.

How common is it an did yours leave after have baby?

Our doc said it will leave after she has baby but did you all have a hard time going by their diet plan?

My wife is trying to go by their diet plan but she's afraid she's lost some weight. Did any of you loose weight when first starting out on a diet or what?

She's so scared the doctor will hit the roof is she lost weight instead of gain.

Their diet is so hard for her to go by. As she seems to be hungry all the time an here this diet is hard. The baby is doing great an the heartrate is back to normal but now we've got this diet for her to go by.

How in the world did you all do it?

Her sugar not that bad at all just was off like 3 points an they still wanted her to by a diet.

My wife wants too try an eat oatmeal but she can't seem to stomach it's taste. She's tryign to add more protein to her diet also to hopeful gain more weigh.

[backachersfarm]

You should request a visit with a dietician. They will give her some advice on what she should eat and what types of snacks will be good for her. Eating more often and in less amts are usually best. What they will moniter the most is the size of the baby. They have a tendency to be bigger then other newborns

[Joe123]

Originally Posted by backachersfarm

You should request a visit with a dietician. They will give her some advice on what she should eat and what types of snacks will be good for her. Eating more often and in less amts are usually best. What they will moniter the most is the size of the baby. They have a tendency to be bigger then other newborns

She is seeing one of them but she feels as she starving death by going by their diet. She test her sugar 4 times a day. She see's a new doctor plus the dietician person but she said she still feels she's starving by the diet they have for her.

My wife is tryn to figure out her diet so will not be starving feeling.

[Karenrbw]

I had gestational diabetes with my daughter. It was pretty close to borderline where they weren't sure whether to treat with insulin or not. I could drink a soda and get dizzy and light-headed. It went away right after she was born. I will mention that DD was much chubbier than her brother. She wasn't any longer, just chubbier with fat rolls on her legs, arms, etc. We controlled it with diet and didn't have any problems.

[10kids]

My daughter-in-law had it. She ate several times a day, 3 meals, plus 3 snacks. She found that increasing protein really helped her when she felt she was starving. She always had a baggie with strips of cooked chicken breast in her refrigerator. She ate raw nuts, cheese with fruit, eggs. I can't remember for sure, but I think she was allowed 15 grams of carbs for each of the 3 meals. After my grandson was born, she had no problems at all.

[mekasmom]

Gestational diabetes almost always goes away at delivery, but it does put Mom at higher risk of developing DM2 later in life. Insulin is used rather than oral drugs if it can't be controlled by diet. She should eat as much protein as she likes, and not limit food because weight should be gained during pregnancy. Just limit carbs not total caloric intake. It does seem to get better in the last trimester though because the fetal pancreas starts producing insulin which helps Mom's system. Almost all OBs send their Moms to a nutritionist, and especially if she is diabetic or pre-eclamptic. Also, make sure she takes the prenatal supplements. The extra Ca seems to help prevent some issues.

[kimmom2five]

What I was told when I had gestational diabetes was that it does increase your risk of having gestational diabetes in repeat pregnancies by 80% and developing type 2 diabetes later in life by 50%. I don't know how true that is I didn't get gestational diabetes either of the other times I was pregnant.

[Cannon_Farms]

its normal to lose weight into the first three months of pregnancy. Im fluffy and wind up not gaining through it but after it .
How far along is your wife? is she skinny or comfy or fluffy? unless shes super skinny I wouldnt worry too much on it but its best to talk with her Dr about it of course. We are about to have number 5, Dr is probably on 5,000

My diabetes went away oddly enough about a month before I delivered

[BlueberryChick]

I had gestational diabetes with my last child. I strictly followed the diet I was given and was hungry all the time.

I lost 5 pounds the week I was diagnosed, until I could see the endocrinologist and dietician. I gained that 5 pounds back, but no more.

My daughter was the smallest of my three children at under 7 pounds. She was (and still is) very thin. She is, however, a very healthy 5 year old.

Take all of your concerns to your doctor. He/she should be able to give you some advice that will be healthy for both your wife and baby.

ETA: Several people have said that eating on a schedule, at particular times of day, will keep the hunger under control. I can't begin to tell you how strict I was with myself, not only on what I ate, but when I ate--3 meals and 3 snacks, evenly spaced through waking hours. My blood sugar was extremely well controlled that way, but I fought hunger the whole time. Looking back, I should have made a bigger fuss with my doctor. I'm confident she would have done everything possible to help.

For the record, I'm not overweight, so the doctors were not concerned that I would get too big.

[Callieslamb]

Back in MY day....they just told you that you had to come to the dR every week and offered NO diet. I had an 11 lb baby. Yes, it all went away and I have had no trouble since with diabetes. Weekly Dr appts for 6 months was no fun and the last 2 months were daily appts. Follow the diet, but don't be afraid to talk to the Dr if she is hungry all the time. Find some "free' snacks that will help her feel more full. There's no need to be miserable on a diabetic diet.

[Terri]

A diabetic chiming in, here.

How is she doing with her snacks? For my snacks I would eat crackers, which helped a good deal. Small amounts of grain often is what helped me with that starving feeling, until my body adjusted to the new diet. She MUST! eat all of the snacks her diet calls for, even if she is busy.

Also she can eat as much celery and bell peppers and cabbage and lettuce as she pleases, and it does make a meal feel more generous. I also used to follow a meal with a diet pop because it gave me something to sip on while waiting for the food to hit my system if the meal left me unsatisfied.

[mommathea]

If she is watching her carb numbers then she needs to up her good fats. Lots of nuts, peanut butter, avocados. That kind of foods. So many drs have in mind that fat is evil, but there is simply no way to watch your carbs and fat. It's one or the other, and right now your wife's watching her carbs so she needs the up the fats.

[Elffriend]

This might be long.

I had gestational diabetes with both pregnancies. The first time around I followed the diet they gave me, but I still wound up on insulin late in the pregnancy. The endocrinologist I was seeing had me on a very strict diet. When it was determined I would need insulin, they put me in the hospital for a couple of days so they could keep a close eye on what I ate, how my blood sugar numbers looked after each meal, how much insulin I needed and teach me how to give myself the insulin injections. While in the hospital I saw the dietitian for the first time. She thought the diet they had me on was not enough calories and had to fight with the dr. to increase my calorie intake. The dr. had me on 1800 calories and the dietitian wanted me on 2400. I am a large woman but she didn't want me losing weight. I was also passing ketones, which meant I was not getting enough to eat. The dr. only allowed an increase of calories 'til I reached the pointing where I wasn't spilling ketones any more. While dietary ketosis is not a bad thing if you are diabetic and following a low-carb diet to control your blood sugar, it is not at all clear if it is a safe thing in pregnancy.

My OB thought that the combination of gestational diabetes and a big, fat Mom would equal huge baby and difficult delivery. I was induced at 37 weeks and had a 5 lb 11 oz girl. She was so little and I was angry at the drs for the strict diet and the early induction. Oh, and a week after my DD was born I weighed 20 lbs less than before I'd gotten pregnant. While large mothers don't have to gain as much as thinner moms, losing that much weight while pg is NOT a good idea.

The second time around I just assumed the diabetes would return. I had done a lot of research and decided to eat as if I were diabetic right from the beginning. Instead of following their diet I ate a lower carb diet. I eliminated all white bread, white rice and white pasta. I arranged my intake so that I had more fat and protein early in the day when my blood sugar was hardest to control and ate more of my carb servings later in the day. I gave up milk and juice because both raised my blood sugar quickly, but I was able to eat yogurt and fruit if I had them later in the day. I tested myself for ketones and kept my carb intake high enough to not go into ketosis. I was able to stay diet controlled throughout the entire pregnancy.

If your wife is hungry all the time, she is probably not getting enough to eat. Adding fat and protein would be ok, but she should avoid eating any more carbs than her diet allows. You should probably buy a bottle of keto-strips. They are available at the drugstore. A bottle of 100 strips costs about $10.

Is she keeping a food diary? Does she have a glucometer? If not, those would be a good idea. That way she can keep track of exactly what she is eating and how much it affects her blood sugar.

[tgmr05]

My wife had gestational diabetes with our last two children. You are getting good advice from many here. Do the testing, if you can, 30 minutes after eating, 1 hour, and then 2 hours, and at morning when you get up. It is a lot more finger pricking, but will really help you control what you are doing. You do not have to do it long, just until you figure out what you can eat, and not eat. Carbs and lots of sugar are obviously bad. White bread, rice, potatoes, etc. are not exactly good things. Proteins, fats, etc. are OK. There are lots of diets you can attempt to follow, but low carb/low sugar is the best.

Once you figure out what your wife can eat, and more importantly, what your wife likes that fills her up without too many carbs, things will get better. She may stay a little hungry, but will feel better if she sticks with it....

Bacon as a snack is quite good, if she can stand the smell. My wife's first gestational diabetic pregnancy, yes, second, no..... I sure missed the days of good ole bacon snacks...

[wogglebug]

She's got to follow the diet she's been given, first of all. That means not just what she eats, but when she eats. There are snacks on there for a reason, and she should be spacing things so she eats before she's hungry, to prevent her getting hungry; rather than letting it slip until she notices hunger, and then having to stay hungry for a while even after she's eaten, until she eventually starts getting the benefit of what she's eaten. If she doesn't eat until she's hungry, well guess what? She'll be hungry often, and for long stretches of time. She's supposed to be sort-of grazing - eating - well, not continuously, or large amounts, but often. Lots of snacks, smaller main meals.

[jenangelcat]

Tell her to do some research on the actual test. It's not at all accurate and many women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes who don't even have it. Not to mention the debate as to whether or not GD is really a problem, which is why it's not a big deal to refuse the test in the first place.

[halfpint]

I had gestational diabetes with my last three children, was on insulin with the last. I lost weight on the diet two times, but they adjusted it pretty quickly. As soon as I was diagnosed gestational I was changed to visiting the Dr. weekly so that they could check on my progress and weight. When on insulin, I sent my daily results (4 readings) via e-mail to my doctor at the end of the day, and in the morning would receive a note as to whether I needed to change anything that day.

My youngest turns 13 years old next week, and I just had my annual A1C test yesterday and I'm still within normal and not diabetic.

My 2nd son (1st time I was considered gestational diabetic) was 9 lbs 1 oz, my 3nd son was 10 lbs 1 oz, and my last child was 8lbs 1 oz but was born a month before the others in the gestational cycle. Although I did well on the diet the first two times I was a gestational diabetic, we could not control the diabetes with diet the last time.

My 2nd son (1st time I was considered gestational diabetic) was 9 lbs 1 oz, my 3nd son was 10 lbs 1 oz, and my last child was 8lbs 1 oz but was born a month before the others in the gestational cycle. The doctors all told me the large weight was due to the gestational diabetes since I never gained more than 24 lbs in a pregnancy, most of the time it was around 20 lbs.

Like others, I found protein helped a lot to keep the sugar in check when I was hungry. I kept bags of nuts, boiled eggs, celery sticks with cream cheese, cooked chicken or ham on hand for a variety of snacks.
Dawn

[halfpint]

Originally Posted by jenangelcat

Tell her to do some research on the actual test. It's not at all accurate and many women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes who don't even have it. Not to mention the debate as to whether or not GD is really a problem, which is why it's not a big deal to refuse the test in the first place.

I'm curious as to what test you are talking about. I was initially diagnosed with the traditional fasting test - which is typically used for all diabetics. For my first time I had the glucose tolerance test, but after that they just relied on the blood work, plus my finger prick tests.
Dawn

[Elffriend]

There is some debate about the glucose tolerance test. I believe it was researcher Henci Goer who said testing your blood sugar response with the GTT is like testing your heart rate by chucking you out of an airplane. It's excessive.

With my second pregnancy, I refused the test. I had a glucometer and I tested my own blood 4 times/day (fasting and after each meal). I kept a food diary so that if I got any unexpected high readings, I could see what might have caused it. I am really in favor of checking fastings and postprandials instead of doing the GTT.

[6e]

I didn't read all the other posts, but I've had gestational diabetes, or at least border line with every baby I've had. (6 of them). I don't know if I would panic over a couple of points and now is not the time to be dieting or losing weight. You can get a glucosemeter and test your own blood sugar. Look up normal blood sugar ranges for pregnancy. Did they get this through a glucose tolerance test? If so, get a normal fasting blood sugar test. I am in high disagreement with a glucose tolerance test during pregnancy as it spikes blood sugar WAY out of the normal range. They can tell just as much from fasting. She can test her own fasting blood sugars at home and also an hour and two hours after she eats to see what affects her. Then eat normal healthy meals, but cut out the simple sugary stuff. Also, I heard from someone else and it actually works is to eat a radish with every meal. it lowers blood sugar.
Good luck!!