I have GD, any advice?

i don't have any experience with GD sorry but robyn (my2angels) has so maybe you could get in touch with her

What usually happens now?
After I was dianognosed (at 28weeks) I got referred to a Diabetes educator and also to an OB. The diabetes educator was very nice and they check your blood levels etc... then i was refered to a dietian so i knew what foods to eat and what not to eat. i met with them both every 2 weeks until the birth of Rhyley. I also had a growth scan at 35 weeks (Rhyley was esitmated at 7lbs at 35 and was born at 39 weeks 9lb 4oz)


What kinds of things might happen for the birth?
Nothing really - you have a normal birth as long as size of baby isn't too big. Or like me baby decides to be breeched and you have to have a ceasar. Once baby is born the special care unit checks baby over and blood levels (this is a heal prick) They encourage you to feed baby almost straight away (but they do with any baby) and they will monitor baby blood levels for at least 24 hours.

What are the diabetes midwives like?
I had the same Midwife I had before. I did get refered to an OB but only met with him once before having baby.

What should I expect?
You will have to check your bloods before and after foods for a few weeks then after (like an hour) Also beofre you get up (first thing in morn) THE diabetes educator will want to see these every time you see him/her. You will be given a testing machine and needles etc... Its not that bad to do and you get use to it in the end. As long as you control it with diet you won't have to have insulin - I didn't and sometimes my levels would go way up. But I kept it under control most of the time.



You will be ok. I know I read alot about it and worried that my baby was goign to be huge and had to have a ceasar. Midwife said I have big babies anyhw so i can do it and could natural birth if i wanted to (thats before we knew he was breeched).

Advise is: cut out all sugar, watch your carbohydrates (they break down into glucose) thats like white bread, pizza, burgers etc.... Fruit juice will send you high as well. even Chippies. Sounds like you can't have anything but you can have it just in moderation.
It use to get me down when i though t i was being so good and my levels would still be high... but just think its only for max 10 weeks (thats if you go over but they don't normally let GD mothers go over).
Just ask every question cause none are stupid ones... anymore questions you can PM me

Edited by AnnC

That was strange. I was just typing my reply saying that i was waiting to find out if i had GB and i got a call confirming i do!

I know how you feel. I have no idea about what happens from now!

Edited by Melln

Hehe thats ok. Its good to know your not alone huh.

Im not too worried about it really, i mean im a bit scared that bubs is going to be huge (shes over 7lb already) but other than that, i only have about 2 or 3 weeks to go.

Dont worry too much. My aunty told me theres people that are perfectly healthy and eat really well (im not saying you dont lol) and they still have gotten GB.
So obviously, its not really soemthing we can help too much aye?

I feel kinda guilty though, cause ive craved so much sugary stuff during my pregnancy and i havnt exactly stopped myself from eating it...

Well i think everything has pretty much been covered but just thought i would add DO NOT STRESS. I know its scary but really its not such a biggy if you are careful and monitored. First time round mine was diet controlled and I didnt even know i had it till a week out from delivering (kobe was 6 weeks prem and weighed 7lb 4oz) With Addison it was diagnosed at 26 weeks and I couldnt control it with diet and was on insulin. My levels were even worse on insulin and I ended up being induced at 38 weeks and Addison was 8lb 7oz. Towards teh end you will get heaps of sizing scans to make sure bubs isnt getting to big, Addisons abdomin circumfrance was almost off the chart on the scans but she was sweet when born. They will monitor baby after its born and thats not easy, seeing them have blood tests all the time, i felt so guilty. If you have to start testing yourself the sides of the fingers are a lot less painful than the tip and make sure you dont have any handcreams or food on your fingers as this will throw the result out majorly. If you have to start injecting then ask for the pen injection, you cant see the needle. I was panicking about having to inject myself cos i have a fear of needles. When the lady came over to show me how to do it I just bawled my eyes out but it was actually better than doing the finger prick tests.
I think at the end of the day its really more a pain in the butt cos you ahve to test all the time but bubs and you will jsut about be living at the hospital wiht all the monitoring they will do (if its anything like here in christchurch anyway) so dont worry to much. oh and yeah the diet thing sucks, its really hard to find the right food. You think things like fruit which you should be eating but they contain so much sugar that you cant have a lot but you will get heaps and heaps of info. Good luck

I had growth scans every two weeks from about 30weeks I think. I felt like i was living at the hospital between that and seeing the diabetes people and obstetrician!

Ive only got a few weeks left till i have bubs. So would i even get another scan?

I am still waiting on the people at middlemore to ring me about my appointment. Im hoping ill get it next week...

I did have a scan like last week. That was why they thought i had GD cause she was big.
I am waiting for my appt. at the hospital and have no idea what i should be doing so im pretty confused and just plodding along and waiting... grr.
Basically for now, ive been trying to cut out all sugar and eat better. But they never told me anything when they told me i had GD so i thought that was a bit slack.

Do you know which midwife you're seeing, Sunnyhoney? I saw Joy & she was really lovely & helpful. Hope you get a nice one too.
Melln - just try & cut down on sugar, that includes fruit & fruit drinks, & try not to eat too many carbs - things like white bread, potatoes, pasta etc. Things like sweetcorn, pumpkin & kumara should be avoided too. Basically I was told that my meals should consist of meat about the same size as your palm, carbs about the same size as your fist & then the rest of your plate filled with veges. Exercise is also meant to help, so maybe go for a short walk each day if you can. Hopefully you get your next appt soon, so they can give you a bit more info.
By the way - it also depends on where in the country you are as to what sugar levels are considered acceptable. Apparently, they don't know exactly what is the 'safe' level. I bought this up with the midwives at Auckland hospital when they told me off because one reading for the day was slightly higher than it should have been. DH's aunt is a midwife in Dunedin & she sent me all the info she had & the levels that were acceptable there were higher than Auckland. So if I'd had that reading in Dunedin, it would have been fine, but in Auckland I got told off!

I think her name is Nikki (auckland hosp.)