Questions for any GD mama's.......

[7 for now]

What goals have your docs set for you? This is my first GD pregnancy and I only failed by about 5 points at 1 and 2 hours, but passed at 3 hours. So far I am not on any meds....just diet controlled. I have been given the following goals:

Check sugar 4 times a day, fasting before I even get out of bed and 2 hours after each meal. (With consuming 0 calories between the meal and the 2 hour point, then I can have a snack if needed after the check.)
Fasting sugar below 95
2 hours after meals sugar of 120 or less
60 grams of carbs a MEAL. That seems ridiculously high. I don't eat near that or I can't keep it close to 120 after 2 hours.

I have not gotten a goal fasting sugar yet, usually it is between 100-112.
2 hours after Meals are usually between 105-128. I have had a high of 166 after eating Mexican and tortilla chips, knew I should not have eaten them and have not since.

I did find that I have to really cut my skim milk from a regular size glass each morning to a child size glass. I love milk also and that is killing me. I also had to switch from regluar whole wheat bread to low carb whole wheat bread. I have eating plenty of protein so I dont feel hungry thankfully. I do allow my self 2 snacks a day. Usually it is either a 1 oz cheese stick or 1/4 cups peanuts or cashews. Though last night I bought some 100 calorie packs of chocolate covered pretzels with 15 grams of carbs. My after dinner sugar was 108 so I allowed myself one pack of those.

For my sweet fix I have been getting by on my Crystal Light Decaf Lemon Tea. I usually drink a big glass with lunch. My doc also told me that if I absolutely wanted something sweet like a candy bar or cake it was occasionally ok. So far I have been fine.

Will my sugars creep up as I get farther along, I will be 31 weeks tomorrow. Any other snack ideas? What are your goals?

[carlaross]

I am not currently pregnant, but I do have GD with my pregnancies. Since my last pregnancy, I've had continued problems with my blood sugar and am now borderline diet-controlled diabetic.

Do you see a nutritionist that specializes or has training in GD? If not, you should. I have an awesome endocrinologist and OB, but the docs don't know as much about specialized diets as a nutritionist does. The nutritionist will give you a better idea of a specific daily calorie count and break that down in a per meal and per snack carb/protein balance that is best for YOU.
They will also help you with proportions. It's not just about the carb count, the protein count is also very important.
Your goals and meal guidelines (carb/protein ratio) can and will vary during different stages of your pregnancy and your current needs and blood sugar control.

IME, you are in the hardest stage of GD. My sugars are harder to control from about 28-34ish weeks. I found that my blood sugars and GD seemed to normalize around 35-36 weeks. I have 38 week babies.

Yes, having a "cheat" food every now and then is fine, but you DO have to balance that cheat carb with protein. So, having the choc covered pretzels is fine, but add a few cheese cubes or a spoon of peanut butter to balance them out. x # of pretzels = x ounces of cheese.
If you have a carb only snack before bed, your morning fastings will be higher.
Another way that I helped control my morning fastings was to get up in the middle of the night and have a small protein snack. The night before, I'd cut up a few cubes of cheese or a slice or two of thin sliced turkey. When I got up to pee about 2ish, I'd take a couple minutes and have the protein snack.

Good luck mama! You're in the end stretch!

[wimama]

I have GD this pregnancy. I was diagnosed early in my pregnancy since my OB practice test AMA moms early on in pregnancy. I didn't bother with a 3 hour test. I failed the 1 hour well enough to convince me.

My goals are fasting morning blood sugar below 90 and 2 hour after meals below 120. I rarely have a fasting morning sugar above 90 (unless I eat a higher carb bed time snack) and lately my issue seems to be eating enough to keep my BS up high enough. Earlier on my BS seemed to be running a little higher, and it seems to have dropped lower. At one of my last US there was a concern that the baby's growth had slowed so, I am trying to keep my BS in the normal range but not let it dip too low. Since I have been eating a low carb diet, I just don't seem as hungry and the challenge has been eating enough lately. I am at about 25 weeks right now. That will probably change as more weeks pass. I am an GD odd-ball right now I guess.

[newtodiaper78]

My OB told me I have GD, but I sincerely believe that I don't have it. Either way, I'm told to watch my diet, which I sort of am. Else she's going to put me on medication

My fasting goal is below 90, and below 120 for the after 2 hours meal. I usually start my day with a couple of almonds, followed by a slice of whole wheat bread with almond butter and a slice of cheese. I also have 1/2 cup of oatmeal mixed with cocoa powder.

Lunch and dinner is usually brown rice with meat and vegetables. I'm of Chinese descent, so I can't really help it with the rice. But my rice portions is really small compared to my meats and vegetables. Sometimes I sneak in a couple of chocolate covered raisins after the meal to get my sugar fix.

As for snacks, it usually depends on what I feel like that day. But one thing I always make sure is that I start my meals and snacks with proteins. I find that it doesn't spike your sugar as high as if you started with carbs. That's how I cheat it

For the night time snack, I usually have fruits. But I would start with some nuts. I might have a slice of bread with cheese, or greek yogurt with some Kashi cereal mixed in.

I'm about 32 weeks right now, and my after-meal numbers all range from 90 to 110. 120 is usually the highest if I ate a bit too much or had some juice. That's the other thing. It's also all about portion size. The more you eat, the higher your blood sugar will go to.

Technically, I haven't really changed my diet. I am sort of eating what I eat earlier in the pregnancy. Only difference now is that I have to make my meals smaller, eat more snacks, less carbs and more proteins.

Hope that helps you.

[tygr2410]

Originally Posted by 7 for now What goals have your docs set for you? This is my first GD pregnancy and I only failed by about 5 points at 1 and 2 hours, but passed at 3 hours. So far I am not on any meds....just diet controlled. I have been given the following goals: Check sugar 4 times a day, fasting before I even get out of bed and 2 hours after each meal. (With consuming 0 calories between the meal and the 2 hour point, then I can have a snack if needed after the check.) Fasting sugar below 95 2 hours after meals sugar of 120 or less 60 grams of carbs a MEAL. That seems ridiculously high. I don't eat near that or I can't keep it close to 120 after 2 hours. I have not gotten a goal fasting sugar yet, usually it is between 100-112. 2 hours after Meals are usually between 105-128. I have had a high of 166 after eating Mexican and tortilla chips, knew I should not have eaten them and have not since. I did find that I have to really cut my skim milk from a regular size glass each morning to a child size glass. I love milk also and that is killing me. I also had to switch from regluar whole wheat bread to low carb whole wheat bread. I have eating plenty of protein so I dont feel hungry thankfully. I do allow my self 2 snacks a day. Usually it is either a 1 oz cheese stick or 1/4 cups peanuts or cashews. Though last night I bought some 100 calorie packs of chocolate covered pretzels with 15 grams of carbs. My after dinner sugar was 108 so I allowed myself one pack of those. For my sweet fix I have been getting by on my Crystal Light Decaf Lemon Tea. I usually drink a big glass with lunch. My doc also told me that if I absolutely wanted something sweet like a candy bar or cake it was occasionally ok. So far I have been fine. Will my sugars creep up as I get farther along, I will be 31 weeks tomorrow. Any other snack ideas? What are your goals?

when i was pregnant, I was told to test 1 hour after a meal and anything over 140 was not good, but anything at/over 200 was bad and to go to urgent care and request insulin. Of course, if your doc says two hours then do that.

Carb counts were as follows
Breakfast 15-20
snack-15
Lunch 30-45
snack 15
dinner 45-60
snack before bed 15 (always had an apple with pb and a 8oz glass of milk)

i had high fasting sugars and the only way to get them down was on insulin. I did use glyburide, a pill to lower sugars, for a few weeks but i had big dips and sugars dropping in the 50's in the middle of the night, which is bad for the baby too as it does cross the placenta and the baby would also have low sugars (presumably, obviously can't check..but it does stay in their system after they are born and the FDA says not to give 2 weeks prior to delivery, which is why i switched to insulin)

Yes, sugars will be harder to control as time goes on in the pregnancy.