- Messages
- 3
Hi, only just discovered this site following googling some stories and advice regarding Gestational Diabetes. I'm 27 years old and 6 months pregnant. I also have a 9-year-old son, plus no-one in the family with diabetes.
Some weeks ago, I was asked to do the Glucose Tolerance Test to determine whether I have GD. Upon finding out the drink involved, I had to refuse as I suffer from a very sensitive bladder condition and 99.9% of the time I can only drink water. Other drinks flare up my condition, and those with sugar in are just a plain no-go for me.
Last week I attended an anti-natal appointment with a diabetes specialist midwife at my local hospital to be shown how to do the pin-prick test. I was told I had to do it before every meal, an hour after every meal and then once just before bed. I've done the full week and it's absolutely caned my fingers. I've got a low pain threshold, I can't stand the sight of blood. hate needles, plus I suffer from Raynauds syndrome especially in the winter. Despite warming my hands for a few minutes beforehand, I must've had 10 failed attempts to draw blood for the test, plus the 49 recorded scores and all my fingers are bruised at the end and are so sore despite cream to help soothe them. How do people cope with doing this so much?
Today I had a phone appointment with the midwife to give her my results. I was told "it's probably the start of GD" and I've now got to do another week of testing. I gave her some additional info regarding some of my higher scores and she seemed to take it into account somewhat, but thinking back on it for the past 9 hours I've been wondering if she didn't that much. She didn't strike me with too much confidence today when she brought up that because I'm a stay-at-home Mum, I'd "probably be sat at home watching television all day". I lead a fairly active lifestyle despite suffering from chronic bladder pain, IBS, an anxiety disorder and Reynauds, which all limit me but I try to battle on and following putting on a load of weight from medication a few years ago I was losing weight at a healthy pace until conceiving and had shed around 6 stone since coming off the tablets 18 months prior. I'm currently ~15 stone (which is the same as when I became pregnant) and 5 and a half foot. I don't diet and I don't sit there eating ****, I just cook lots of healthy food, have lots of vegetables and usually don't overeat. Pregnancy is causing me to overeat here and there but I can stop myself more often than not.
Do these scores seem true to what my midwife said?
Before breakfast - 4.6, 5.1, 4.6, 4.6, 5.1, 5.0, 5.4
One hour after breakfast - 6.1, 7.7, 5.8, 6.7, 6.7, 8.2, 6.7
Before lunch - 4.2, 6.1, 4.7, 5.8, 3.7, 5.2, 4.6
One hour after lunch - 7.1, 5.7, 6.9, 5.9, 5.8, 7.2, 8.2
Before teatime - 4.3, 4.4, 5.2, 5.5, 5.2, 6.4, 4.3
One hour after teatime - 6.8, 6.6, 6.1, 7.7, 8.8, 7.7, 10.2
Before bed - 6.1, 5.4, 5.2, 5.4, 6.6, 5.3, 9.5
- Only had final meal 90 minutes before bed, washed down with a large mug of Horlicks 60 minutes before bed, following doctor's orders due to severe leg cramps at night!
- I'd had two big bananas this day, random urge, one between lunch & teatime and the other together with my tea. Heard that this can affect things.
Other factors that may or may not have affected things?
- Also had to do blood pressure testing for the same week, had to end it as the machine was squeezing me so much and it caused a lot of stress.
- Been sleeping really badly due to bad leg cramps, been crying out in pain and nothing's seemed to help, so that's had me stressed.
- This past week I've been having my 'breakfast' at around 11am, my 'lunch' usually around 6pm when I finally feel like eating. My final meal was often between 11pm and midnight and then I'd head to bed between 1am and 2am. I don't always eat at these times but I think maybe the lack of sleep plus other things happening in the day have thrown things out of kilter a little.
- My 'breakfast' was often a sandwich with or without moderate snack, my 'lunch' was homecooked meals like lasagne (7.1 score one hour after) or roast chicken with all the trimmings, plenty of veg (6.9). My 'teatime' was almost always cereal, if not then a small toastie.
With everything else that I have to contend with, I really don't want another condition but I'm starting to feel I just have to face it, if it turns out the midwife was spot on. Her questionable comments make me want to get a second opinion, even if it turns out she was correct and the diagnosis is confirmed. Sorry if I've waffled but there's just been so much on my mind. Thanks in advance to anyone who might be able to offer their opinion on my scores, or just give general advice.
Some weeks ago, I was asked to do the Glucose Tolerance Test to determine whether I have GD. Upon finding out the drink involved, I had to refuse as I suffer from a very sensitive bladder condition and 99.9% of the time I can only drink water. Other drinks flare up my condition, and those with sugar in are just a plain no-go for me.
Last week I attended an anti-natal appointment with a diabetes specialist midwife at my local hospital to be shown how to do the pin-prick test. I was told I had to do it before every meal, an hour after every meal and then once just before bed. I've done the full week and it's absolutely caned my fingers. I've got a low pain threshold, I can't stand the sight of blood. hate needles, plus I suffer from Raynauds syndrome especially in the winter. Despite warming my hands for a few minutes beforehand, I must've had 10 failed attempts to draw blood for the test, plus the 49 recorded scores and all my fingers are bruised at the end and are so sore despite cream to help soothe them. How do people cope with doing this so much?
Today I had a phone appointment with the midwife to give her my results. I was told "it's probably the start of GD" and I've now got to do another week of testing. I gave her some additional info regarding some of my higher scores and she seemed to take it into account somewhat, but thinking back on it for the past 9 hours I've been wondering if she didn't that much. She didn't strike me with too much confidence today when she brought up that because I'm a stay-at-home Mum, I'd "probably be sat at home watching television all day". I lead a fairly active lifestyle despite suffering from chronic bladder pain, IBS, an anxiety disorder and Reynauds, which all limit me but I try to battle on and following putting on a load of weight from medication a few years ago I was losing weight at a healthy pace until conceiving and had shed around 6 stone since coming off the tablets 18 months prior. I'm currently ~15 stone (which is the same as when I became pregnant) and 5 and a half foot. I don't diet and I don't sit there eating ****, I just cook lots of healthy food, have lots of vegetables and usually don't overeat. Pregnancy is causing me to overeat here and there but I can stop myself more often than not.
Do these scores seem true to what my midwife said?
Before breakfast - 4.6, 5.1, 4.6, 4.6, 5.1, 5.0, 5.4
One hour after breakfast - 6.1, 7.7, 5.8, 6.7, 6.7, 8.2, 6.7
Before lunch - 4.2, 6.1, 4.7, 5.8, 3.7, 5.2, 4.6
One hour after lunch - 7.1, 5.7, 6.9, 5.9, 5.8, 7.2, 8.2
Before teatime - 4.3, 4.4, 5.2, 5.5, 5.2, 6.4, 4.3
One hour after teatime - 6.8, 6.6, 6.1, 7.7, 8.8, 7.7, 10.2
Before bed - 6.1, 5.4, 5.2, 5.4, 6.6, 5.3, 9.5
- Only had final meal 90 minutes before bed, washed down with a large mug of Horlicks 60 minutes before bed, following doctor's orders due to severe leg cramps at night!
- I'd had two big bananas this day, random urge, one between lunch & teatime and the other together with my tea. Heard that this can affect things.
Other factors that may or may not have affected things?
- Also had to do blood pressure testing for the same week, had to end it as the machine was squeezing me so much and it caused a lot of stress.
- Been sleeping really badly due to bad leg cramps, been crying out in pain and nothing's seemed to help, so that's had me stressed.
- This past week I've been having my 'breakfast' at around 11am, my 'lunch' usually around 6pm when I finally feel like eating. My final meal was often between 11pm and midnight and then I'd head to bed between 1am and 2am. I don't always eat at these times but I think maybe the lack of sleep plus other things happening in the day have thrown things out of kilter a little.
- My 'breakfast' was often a sandwich with or without moderate snack, my 'lunch' was homecooked meals like lasagne (7.1 score one hour after) or roast chicken with all the trimmings, plenty of veg (6.9). My 'teatime' was almost always cereal, if not then a small toastie.
With everything else that I have to contend with, I really don't want another condition but I'm starting to feel I just have to face it, if it turns out the midwife was spot on. Her questionable comments make me want to get a second opinion, even if it turns out she was correct and the diagnosis is confirmed. Sorry if I've waffled but there's just been so much on my mind. Thanks in advance to anyone who might be able to offer their opinion on my scores, or just give general advice.
