• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Newbie and first question

O

Ophelia

Member
Messages
8
Hello there everyone

Have just discovered this forum and realise I am definitely not alone in being completey overwhelmed and confused by all the advice I have been given. I was diagnosed Type 2 approx a year ago and been controlling it by diet. All My Hb thingies (still getting to grips with the proper name) have been really good apparently and my last one which was end of Jan was 5.8. I have just discovered I am 6 weeks pregnant and am already receiving brilliant care from a health team of diabetic specialist miswife, nutritionist etc. I have been started on metformin 500mg 3 times a day (increased over a few days) Although I am doing everything I have been advised my first test in the morning is always around 9 or 10 (fasting) my target levels before food are supposed to be below 5 and 1 hour after food are supposed to be below 7 but they never are. My 7 day average is 9.2 at the moment and this is really worrying me (because I lost the last pregnancy at 7 weeks) and am wondering where I am going wrong. Can anybody please help? I am eating "small and often" and do not touch sugar that I do not have to (biscuits etc) I know I can't avoid sugar altogether but really do minimise my intake And I know other foods have a bearing on my levels. I know my diabetic team can answer these questions but I tend to be even more confused when they do and at this rate and going to be eating porridge, celery and carrot sticks only.(which fortunately I do like)
Thanks for listening

Ciara
 
Hi and Welcome.

Congratulations to you on your forthcoming event. :D

You will find loads of useful information will descend on you from all directions. You too will be asked questions about diet,lifestyle, medication and a myriad things. Every body just want's to help answer YOUR questions better.

Look around the various posts, look back at the threads. The answers you need may be there already.

Ken
 
Hi Ophelia,and welcome to the forum.I will move your post to the Gestational diabetes forum and I suggest that you PM Wiflib ,one of our members ,who is also diabetic and a midwife.She will be able to give you advice.
 
Hi and congratulations on the pregnancy.
Do you think you could cut down on starches? Even in pregnancy, you don't actually need them. If you eat mainly, meat, fish, poultry, cheese, eggs and fresh veggies, wih a little fruit, you and your baby will do fine. Don't be too surprised if they eventually ask you to use insulin. some of the oral medicines are not really suitable for the developing baby.
they'll want to keep an eye on how big the baby is getting too..If your blood sugar is above normal ( about 5) the baby could get very big indeed. My cousin had one of 12 pounds. Normal delivery and she's tiny. He grew up just fine and is the father of 3 children himself now
 
Hello again

and thank you so much for all of your replies. I am trying to reduce my carbs and instead of a cracker for a snack having a carrot instead.(I don't think am eating too many re Vit A and pregnancy! :? My biggest downfall is cheese because of the cholestorol but am working on it. And have been told to only have one glass of skimmed milk a day (use soya milk in my porridge but have been told it hasn't got enough calcium agghh!) Thanks sugarless sue I didn't post it on gestational diabetes because I thought that was different (I still have loads to learn) Will keep reading the posts.

Thanks again

Ciara
 
Hi Ophelia,

Carrots have quite high sugar content!!Any root veg that grows underground has more sugar than those that grow above.If you are reducing carbs don't worry too much about eating cheese.You will get calcium from the cheese and your body uses carbs to make cholesterol so ,by reducing the carbs ,you are actually reducing your cholesterol as well.

All very confusing I know but have a good read round the forum,use the search at the top of the main page,and you will come across posts that explain this much better than me.

You are right Gestational diabetes is different from being pregnant while being diabetic but I thought that the advice you receive from already pregnant members and Wiflib would come best from that part of the forum.
 
Hi Ophelia,

Just following on from what Sue said, your body gets only 15% of it's cholesterol from protein foods such as cheese. The other 85% comes from carbohydrates that we eat, so less carbs means lower cholesterol.
 
Do you have a test meter ,Ophelia? Testing before and after meals is the best way to find out just how the food you eat affects your blood sugars.For instance you may find that porridge puts up your blood sugars or you may be one of the lucky ones where it makes not too much difference.If you test just before eating then two hours later this will give you a good idea of how things affect you.
 
Thanks again Dennis and sugarless Sue.

Right am beginning to get it! Personally I thought that cheese was the lesser of all my evils anyway and I didn't know that only 15% cholestorol came from fatty foods. So will concentrate on the carb factor because I didn't know that either even though it feels like I have read everything there is on diabetes etc I have a glucose meter and am getting to grips with the testing (have made a couple of mistakes by using the wrong strips which has sent my averages up a bit but am getting a new one tomorrow) I am due to get my HB (thingy)test results tomorrow.
My BMI is 25.23 approximately. last test results from January were 5.8 and that was diet only.
This is the most I have ever been aware of how my diet affects me but at the moment as you can tell my main concern is for the baby ( I have been taking folic acid 5 mg since the begining January ) And on a positive note I am glad I am now more aware of eatinghealthily.

Thank you so much.

Ciara
 
hi there and congratulations on your pregnancy,

I recently joined this site and like you had BG levels rocketing in the morning, so i listened to the folks on here and within a week of reduced carbs i noticed a real change,,, its only a suggestion but worked for me......

try cutting out porridge cereal etc in the morning, try a piece of burgen bread toasted, boiled egg and a crispy piece of bacon for breakfast, maybe add a red apple.

Lunch tuna and salad green peppers red peppers etc

evening meal coupke of baby pots and chicken with salad oh and a muller light to fiinsh off....

Sticking to this with obvious changed in meat and sides which are low carb,,, ( there are loads of low carb ideas on net )

It dropped me from 9.7 to 6.2 in mornings in a week !! thanks to all the advice on hear and i understand your concern i was like you !

Best of luck andy
 
Thanks Andy

I like the burgen loaf (used to buy it till it went up to over a quid!) made my own granary bread last week but I like the sound of bacon! (there was me thinking I was doing the right thing my having healthy porridge for brekkie which was actually recommended lat week by the nutritionist at the diabetic ANC clinic!) Just tested and am 13.3 which is over an hour after eating my usual porridge!

Am following sugerless sue's advice and testing before and after to see what spikes! Had a cracker with peanut butter for a mid pm snack yesterday and was only 4.2. Three hours ago I was 3.4 so they seem to be all over the place. I am sure it will pan out. My HBAC1 thing was 6.3 today so is a bit high because am pregnant but I think they have done that over the last 3 months and I was quite ill in January. I will just keep following advice that I'm given. As long as I know I am doing the right thing for my baby by not stuffing mars bars ice cream and rubbish down me throat I can't do anymore or can I? Due to see my diabetic midwife next Tues as she's on hols. Thanks again for the diet advice will let you know how it goes. Definitely having bacon tomorrow! ****** the porridge! Everyone is so nice and helpful on here .
 
P.S this is from a pregnancy and type 1 and 2 diabetes NHS leaflet

Bfast
porridge weetabix special k or toast

mid morn
fruit toast or plain biscuit (wouldn't have a biscuit anyway )

Lunch
Sandwich or beans on toast

Mid pm fuit

evening meal
meat fish cheese or eggs with pots, rice or pasta

Supper
Toast plain biscuitscone or teacake (again i wouldnt have biscuit plain or not or scone or teacake even if I wasn't type 2)
This seems quirte high in carbs o me and what i have read on here seems low/no carbs is helping lots of other people.

And the nutritionist told me to forget the GI index cos 1 piece of white bread might be 70 or whatever but with low fat spread its lowered. She also said she would rather I eat normal chocolate than Thornton diabetic :shock: (please note I am not planning on eating any chocolate while pregnant)
SO thanks again EVERYONE am finding site really helpful and sorry if I'm asking questions that seem really stupid!

Ciara xx
 
What ever you do ,do not eat diabetic chocolate!!Not unless you like sitting in the loo for hours!!If you get a craving for chocolate go for 85% cocoa or above if you can find it.
 
lol thanks Sue

Have heard that. Like I say not planning on eating any choccy at the mo. And if I fancy it after babys born (all being well) and its a special occasion I'll have the proper stuff C x
 
Hi andy and everyone

Bllods this am fasting were 8.4!

just before breakfast 3.9
Had Bergen slice and piece of bacon this for brekkie
1hr later 8.0
1 hr after that 7.1(nearly there)
1hr after that 4.4

lunch 1 was slice bergen bread and peanut butter
i hr after 5.0 (hooray)
banana
1hr after 6.1 (hooray

am testing testing testing and making note of everything

Still the mornings are high so i guess i need to watch what i eat tonight for tea

Although I know that I don't need to eat for two my calorie intake at this rate is going to average about 1000 and have been told by the ANC nutritionist that I don't need to lose weight (BMI 25.x something)I don't wanna put weight on (apart from the baby) but don't really wanna lose it either Does that mean I can eat more cheese?? Should I concentrate on me sugars and then sort out the calories?

Definitely no porridge for brekkie anymore
Cheers again
Ciara x
 
happy days glad tio see the levels have come down....

I had salmon green beans and a few baby pots tonight,,,,, fills you up and keeps the vels running low

Glad to c the cutting out porridge worked for you

Andy :D
 
Back
Top