Am I Diabetic or Am I Not? That is the question.

I believe gestational diabetes often ends with the end of the pregnancy, but that you will have an increased chance of developing T2 diabetes for the rest of your life.

Realistically, you need to speak to your doctor, since they will diagnose you, if necessary. The general rules (and lots of doctors seem to diagnose by different methods!) is that 2 fasting readings over 7, or an HbA1c over 48 will win you that diagnosis. An oral glucose tolerance test may be required if there is any ambiguity.

One thing I want to reassure you about - being an 'ordinary' T2 is much less of a burden than having gestational diabetes. Depending on the HbA1c at diagnosis, many of us are told to manage by diet and exercise alone, and some continue with this for decades. There is no assumption that we will all go to insulin immediately, or if ever.

More and more of us are eating low carb and finding that we can maintain drug-free, virtually non-diabetic blood glucose levels indefinitely.

Hope that helps.

Hi. Yes, GD often disappears after pregnancy. It is totally wrong to be told that that fasting level should be 5.6. Your fasting level can be affected by the overnight liver dump effect so is not a very useful test. The 2 hour post-meal test is more useful. My DN sensibly said I should aim for my fasting level (I'm on insulin but no difference) to be between 5 and 7. You appear to be only marginally diabetic at present from the readings you list. I would see the GP over the next month or two and ask for an HBa1C test which is the most reliable test for diabetes.

Shereeza said:

Hi Everyone.
About 8 months ago I gave birth to my 7th child. The third pregnancy that I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I looked after my diet and monitored my blood glucose level everyday throughout my pregnancy. I gave birth to my 3.1kg baby boy with no complications.

I am not sure whether I am now considered a diabetes Type 2 or not. I still do my blood glucose test. So far the two hours after meal is within the 7 range but it is the "fasting blood glucose" level that has bewildered me. Consistently whether my last meal was at 5pm or even 10pm the next day reading before taking any meal would be within 8.1 to 8.7. I tried once to take my reading at about 3:30am, The reading was at 6.7. I went to bed. The next morning at about 9am before taking any meals the reading went up to 8.7. I have been advised that reading should be below 5.6. At a consistent 8, this terrifies me. So am I diabetic or not? That is the question.

Can someone please shed some light?

Click to expand...

See your doctor or nurse and explain your concerns. Many women who've had GD are monitored regularly after as they are at increased risk of developing Type 2.

Take along some notes about what you own blood tests have shown, and ask for a test.

So no, having GD doesn't mean you now automatically have Type 2, but it does mean you're at increased risk of developing it at some time in the future.

Let us know how you get on

I was told I had gestational diabetes - this was 25 years ago - but never really paid any attention and they didn't seem to care so much about it back then (or maybe it's because I was abroad.) That baby was quite big (that can happen with GD I gather) However not sure I developed it in second pregnancy. I was doing a lot more exercise then (running pregnancy aerobics classes and sailing a lot!) and maybe had a better diet who knows. and that baby was much smaller Anyway I never gave it a moments more thought - since I didn't have a meter, i would have had no idea what my BG level was.

Over 25 years on and my mother was diagnosed Type 2 diabetic (not overweight and symptom free ) and my random morning BG (tested on her meter) was highish, 6.2 or so, so I got tested. Told I was pre-diabetic after a Glucose Tolerance Test. Anyway sorted that out with low carb high fat diet changes which lost me a stone in weight without trying or ever being hungry (how does anyone stick to the Newcastle diet? - I don't do hungry!)

Ok the point of the story really is that my fasting BG levels have never been stable (despite docs seeming to think that they always are for everyone - definitely not true). I've been testing for over a year and they have varied from 4.3 to 6.8 in the mornings often with little apparent reason. My HbA1c test though is firmly in the non-diabetic range now so fasting BG is not a very good indicator of Type 2 although having erratic fasting BG and having had gestational diabetes it does put you at risk.

Note that even non diabetics can have BG readings in double figures an hour after a carby meal so readings around 7 are generally fine. However the readings over 8 in the morning do suggest there may be some problem. It may be just a liver dump and clears quickly ( have you tried testing an hour or so after breakfast? - does it go up from there or down?) An HbA1c test from the doctor would tell you if you are classed as diabetic but bear in mind the 'diabetic ' level is an arbitrary cut off point so it would be worth looking at any changes you can make to diet in particular regardless of diagnosis. Making those changes gradually now should you ensure you never get the Type 2 diagnosis.