Whilst I have no experience of gestational diabetes, I have observed man you forum users come off their Metformin once their condition is in a good place. Most reduce it over a period of time, just to ensure their numbers don't go haywire.
Metformin doesn't drive blood sugars down, per we, but helps our bodies cope with food a bit better, which reducing insulin resistance a bit alongside the way.
To be honest, if you have these concerns, it would be useful to discuss them with your prenatal or maternity team. I doubt they'll be keen to keep people on medication any longer than absolutely necessary
After a recent appointment, my OB has decided to leave me manage it with my diet for now. The diabetes counsellor at the hospital raised her eyebrows because she knows the hospital is normally strict if pregnant women have fasting levels over 5.1 mmol (this was reduced from 5.5 mmol in Australia a couple of years ago).
My fasting levels have been around 5.3 or 5.4 this week but if I wait another hour or so after getting up and before eating breakfast, they will be 5.1. Last week I had them lower but this week, I'm finding a breakfast with eggs, avocado, spinach, tomato, cheese and mushrooms with no obvious carbs lets my 2 hour post meal reading be 4.9. And then before lunch today it was 4.5. But that's because I totally avoided carbs.
Yesterday, I ate a large piece of my husband's sourdough rye bread (no sugar added) and 2 nectarines with a coffee and I had a 2 hour post meal reading of 8.0... (They don't like the 2 hour post meal to be more than 6.7) So if I want to stay off the medications, it seems I have to eat very low carb. I just hope the baby doesn't get affected negatively with the sudden reduction in carbs but I figure a lower blood glucose environment has to be better for both of us, doesn't it? I have the feeling the diabetes counsellor, who laughed at me when I asked her about ketogenic diets, won't agree that I am doing the right thing by 'eating to my metre' and avoiding the carbs that give me the spikes above the targets they have given me. And I'll have to increase my carb intake after the birth if I want to breastfeed I think so I'll have to see how it goes. I just read about the side effects of the medications and I'd prefer not to need them if my diet is good enough with the new changes.