Pregnant and blood sugars have gone mad!

[lesleyr284]

Hi,
Very new here and hoping for help! Have been a diet controlled type 2 for 18 months and now 7 weeks pregnant (not planned!!). I had gestational diabetes with both my other children and was put on insulin with first. It was not a good experience. With my second I controlled my diet and kept the Bs down.

Now I'm being threatened with insulin again if I can't control the Bs. I go to bed with a 7 and wake up with an 11! That has never happened to me before. Despite my doctor telling me otherwise, I've restricted/eliminated grains (bread, pasta, rice etc) and upped veg and pulses and anything else low GI. In the past it was the grain carbs that went for me. I could eat fruit till I burst and never have high Bs. Now it seems it doesn't really matter what I eat or how much I exersise I can't get them lower than 6.5. (I walk kids to school twice a day - a good 20mins each way - plus the gym three times a week - and I'm still overweight!!) - Don't want to spend the rest of this pregnancy obsessing about what I eat and how much insulin to take.

Any advice? And apologies for going on a bit!!

 

[HOT FUZZ]

Hello lesleyr284,
The forum has lots of low-carb experts, but low-carb in pregnancy could well be
uncharted territory. You'll also need to be careful about using supplements
to help, I would imagine.

I've included a link below which may help to explain your morning highs.
Ultimately, if a lower-carb, low G.I diet fails, then insulin may be your
only answer I'm afraid.

good luck,
fuzz.

DAWN PHENOMENON

 

[sparkle73]

Hi there,

I have a 6 month old baby now. My first baby. I too got gestational diabetes and they also thought i was type 2 before that. I had to go on insulin whilst i was pregnant as my BS were going scatty too, kept on getting highs plus i was overweight. Even with the insulin, i kept on getting highs, it always seemed to be the carboyhdrates that did for me, having a slugglish energy system particulary in the morning.My diabetic nurse and the doctors at ante natal clinic said that my blood sugars were de- ranged! (they used those words regulary) and kept on upping my insulin! - I also did alot of walking too to my appointments and that and that seemed to lower my blood sugar. Exercise seemed to be the main key here. But even after exercise, after a while coming up to about 35 weeks plus my blood sugars still deranged and i was itching alot, so had to be tested for that liver thing they check for in pregnancy.Anyway, my liver function test was slightly raised, and then kept raising more as the weeks went on. they kept telling me my Bs were still deranged. There just didnt seem to be any control over them.so i understand what you are saying. I think i'm the only one that lost alot of weight whilst pregnant because of completely cutting out sugar in my diet! - i did go onto low sugar and artificial sweetners about 3 months from giving birth. But thats a different story, it seems to be the aspartame in sweetners that sent my bs completely scatty and caused alot of complications (im sure youve seen my story on here about that) and i was borderline diabetic about 1 month ago and now i am normal again the only factor here was having stopped all sweetners,chewing gum etc. So i dont know wether you are having anything like this yourself but it could be contributing to it if you are. if you're not then i would suggest that you have another chat with a different diabetes nurse and tell them what you are doing and that you are worried, as worry and stress can play a big part in your blood sugars raising as well. Insulin maybe the only answer here as somebody has already said, it' s not nice injecting yourself i know but it's much safer for the baby than any tablets as im sure they wont allow you to take anyway whilst you're pregnant. Worrying about all this may not be helping your bs, i know it's difficult but try to rest as much as you can when you have finished your exercise. I mean rest your mind and try to pamper yourself abit. all this should help with your bs levels.

Good Luck

 

[lesleyr284]

Thank for the link, hotfuzz. Really interesting.

Sparkle, I think you are right - I think I need to stop fretting so much. My mind keeps reminding of the last time I had to inject and the awful mess I got into! I know a lot more now so maybe if I just relax it will be a lot easier. My readings are mostly fine throughout the day, they just peak 1st thing and that seems to be the one every diabetic doctor/nurse I've seen latches on to. They also become almost manic when you're pregnant, don't they? I remember being told I had gestational diabetes during my first pregnancy and told I had a week to get my readings under control or it was insulin. Unfortunately no one took the time to explain properly how to do that! Despite what I know now, I'm frustrated that it doesn't seem to be working anymore.

I lost weight in my second pregnancy too by eating better than I ever had in my life! I put on 5 stone in my first!!! - hence the fear of insulin - but as that didn't happen to you, I think my fears might be a little irrational! I will take your advice about sweeteners and stick to healthy eating whether I have to go on insulin or not!
Thanks! And congrats on the baby.

 

[Katharine]

Low carbing in pregnancy has been shown to improve the outcome for both mother and baby.

Lois Jovanvich works at the Sansum Medical Centre in Santa Barbara and looks after pregnant diabetic women. She recommends no more than 30g carb each meal and no more than 15 g carb at any between meal snack.

You can find out more if you google her or the research centre or do the lecture at presentdiabetes.com.


Low carbing is one route to normal blood sugars in pregnancy but insulin is still needed for many women. It sounds like you may need the insulin again.

 

[lesleyr284]

I have totally adopted a low carb diet (restricting starchy carbs like pasta - no bread whatsoever, it's a killer for me) -so far I've managed to keep all my readings good except for the morning. Still can't crack that one, although it has come down. I think I need to accept that at some point in this pregnancy I'll need insulin and just deal with it when it comes, rather than see it as failing!

 

[sparkle73]

Hi Lesley,

I would try not to worry too much about the morning readings, aslong as it's going down in the day time. Obviously you need to keep a check,particulary because you're pregnant. They can be strange readings those morning ones. I had it where in the morning after my breakfast i would be quite high, but when i first got up i was normal. It would take until around late afternoon before i stopped feeling spaced out and my readings lowered and that was even with insulin. I put it down to a really sluggish system. I remember going to my antenatel clinic to see the diabetic nurse and recommended me eating porridge which is something i used to love eating. anyway i tried it and that banged me up even higher,more so because the milk was warm. I also had problems eating bannanas they would send me high as well and make me feel bloated. It is a strange thing because sometimes it doesnt seem to matter what you do and whether you've done everything correctly, you bs levels could still be out.

I think the best thing, as you have already said, is to try and accept that you may have to go on insulin for a short time and try and see it as a positive thing rather than trying to compare it to the last pregnancy etc. that way if you need to go on it,you are prepared and if you don't,then it's a huge bonus. i know it doesnt help when the diabetic nurses are going on and on at you, it's their job, but no consulation when you tell you've been good and bs is still playing up i know

but maybe things wont be as bad as you imagine you know. I'm sure you will get through it all fine.

Congrats on baby coming

Claire

 

[dorigen]

HI - I'm in a similar situation to you. Type 2, controlled well by diet since Jan 09, now I am 6 weeks pregnant ( unplanned, but nevertheless delighted; will be my 3rd child if all goes to term). I have found that my fasting morning bloods tend to be 6, 6.5. 7 ish, but after a meal in the evening they are always over 11. This is not good. I have been trying to restrict carbs as much as possible but don;t know how healthy this is for the baby. I also have other factors against me- eg. I am 43 and am having breakthrough bleeding at present. Have yet to see diabetic nurse or doctor as hard for me to get time off school ( I teach full time). Would welcome any advice anyone has on type 2 and pregnancy, especially for older women.

 

[cugila]

Here is a link to a website which has lots of information relating to Pregnancy and Diabetes, including the older Woman. Might be some useful information here.
This also covers Gestational Diabetes via another link.

Link: http://www.womenshealthmatters.ca/Centr ... ype12.html

Ken.

 

[lesleyr284]

My first child was a nightmare - couldn't control them. The second was unbelievably easy. I always walked after meals, kept portion size down and ate tons of fruit. I would eat platefuls of strawberries and raspberries. If you can (and I know they don't give you much time - or enough strips), see which carbs are the worst and cut those out. I couldn't eat any kind of bread at all - still can't. But I was fine with all veg/pulses and fruit. My evening meal was always low carb but probably higher in fat (don't tell my doctor).

With first one I used to end the day with a 12 or 14 and was put on insulin immediately. That didn't actually help much. I had no idea what I was doing. Better prepared for number two.
I would spend as much time as you can trying to find out what is causing the sugars to go up. If you're worried about restriciting carbs, try eating them in the morning and make sure you follow it up with a bit of activity. I found the trick was portion size and what else was in the meal.

I stopped early morning highs by eating cheese last thing at night. Unfortunately i lost the baby I was expecting (not the first time!), but there is something about being pregnant and diabetic that makes you suddenly a lot stricter with yourself regarding food.

Good luck!