Please help - advice needed

annazoe32

Member
Messages
11
Hi

I’m new to this forum. I am currently 3 weeks post partum. So last August I had a random Hba1c literally 2 weeks before falling pregnant with a result of 41. Previous year it had been 40 (although no one told me either of the results just said within normal range but very high normal!) anyway, I vowed to get healthy, lose weight etc, I have about 5 stone to lose.

Anyway found out I was pregnant 2 weeks later and when I was 26 weeks was diagnosed with gestational diabetes (had a very high GTT and was told I’m likely prediabetic by one nurse. I managed to keep levels very under control during pregnancy. And baby was born well and not big. I was on metformin and insulin.

Now I have had him I have done random testing. I’m due to go for an HBa1C when I’m 13 weeks post baby to get an accurate picture of a non pregnant levels. My fasting reads are all high and in a prediabetic range between 6-6.9. Never had a 7 or above. All readings after meals are below 7.8 (2 hours after).

Now I’m not going to lie I’ve spent 3 weeks pigging out on chocolate and all the things I couldn’t eat whilst pregnant. But I’m back to a healthy low carb high protein diet now as of yesterday. I was hoping I would see a better fasting level this morning but it was still 6.9/6.7.

Is it likely I have prediabetes or type 2 even though after meal levels are always ok and before lunch yesterday was 5.7. It’s just the dreaded fasting levels. Also I’m barely sleeping at night due to newborn. So have been testing around 9am but I’m
Normally up for a while by this point. Ian it too late for me? I’m very anxious as very well
Prepared to do something about this before too late. I’ve alresdy lost all my baby weight from pregnancy and back to square 1. I have another 10 weeks to wait for HBa1c. Some people have said it might take time for my hormones to adjust too.

Sorry I think what I want to know is how likely is it that things are too late for me? Also how would an hba1c look if fasting are high but after meals aren’t?

Thanks Anna
 

Bluetit1802

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25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
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Hello and welcome aboard, and congratulations on your baby. :)

If I were you I wouldn't worry at all about your morning fasting levels. They are notoriously unpredictable and difficult (if not impossible) to control. I would simply concentrate on your before and after meal levels, record them in a detailed food diary that includes portion sizes, and try to keep any rise down to under 2mmol/l from before to the 2 hour mark (preferably less than 2mmol/l) Use these results to tweak your meal choices and the rest will follow.

Sleepless nights, anxiety, rushing about before the test, stress and hormones will all affect your morning levels, and worrying about them will make matters worse. Perhaps stop these tests for a few weeks, and by then you may see a difference? I think that is what I would do.

It is never too late to start helping yourself to achieve control, and you have done the right thing in finding this forum and asking questions. Tagging @daisy1 for her informative post for newcomers.
 
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annazoe32

Member
Messages
11
Thanks so much. I mean this morning I tested and got 6.9/6.7 had breakfast of 1 slice soya and linseed toast with crunchy peanut butter and a handful of raspberries (I tend to have my carbs at breakfast time) and I got a 7.2 about an hour and half later. Didn’t rest at 2 hours just because I was going out.

I appreciate all the advice I can get. Better get some new strips and stop testing AM as it is making me incredibly anxious. I can do before and after meals though. I think at the moment I’m not getting much of a spike I mean I was having masses of chocolate etc and getting below 7.8 2 hours later. Not going to continue that lifestyle though!!!
 

Bluetit1802

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25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
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Yes, as the fasting test is getting you anxious, stop doing it. You aren't really learning anything from it in any case.
Rather than looking at the actual post meal levels, concentrate on the actual rise from before to after and keep that as low as you can. Silly example, but you could see a 10 after a meal, but if you were 9 before you started, that is a good result!!
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
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Cruelty towards animals.
@annazoe32

Hello Anna and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and useful. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why

  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
 

annazoe32

Member
Messages
11
Thanks for all your advice do you think I do have type 2 from the levels I’ve mentioned? I tend to only go up by about 1-1.5 whatever I eat after any meals. Surely the number is still important like if I was getting 10s and 11s that would indicate diabetes?

Thanks Anna
 

caroline_92

Well-Known Member
Messages
153
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
A lot of your background sounds similiar to mine, although I think if I had been aware of the effectiveness of low carb eating like you are now, I could have controlled my sugar levels much better and not been diagnosed with diabetes 10 years after my gestational diabetes. This still makes me mad if I think about it too much! So at least you have had your eyes open to the need to control your blood sugars which is great.
I agree with other posters that fasting levels are not terribly relevant in your situation and don't really help you know what to do. I actually also didn't measure before meals levels when I was trying to figure out how to change my diet as I didn't want to spend my life testing! And found post meals was enough.
It sounds like your diet is low carb and your post meal readings support the benefits of this. I found the HbA1c really useful as an overall longer term measure of blood sugar control and where you are on the diabetic/prediabetic spectrum. If your levels on this are good, then you know you are doing the right things and can relax a little on the testing, which is what I did. Now I only test sporadically after meals to check I am on track and use my HbA1c as my key measure.
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Thanks for all your advice do you think I do have type 2 from the levels I’ve mentioned? I tend to only go up by about 1-1.5 whatever I eat after any meals. Surely the number is still important like if I was getting 10s and 11s that would indicate diabetes?

Thanks Anna

We can't possibly say whether you are diabetic or not I'm afraid. If you only rise by up to 1.5 then you are on the right track and hopefully all will be well for you because that rise is excellent. Yes, of course the numbers are important, and 10s and 11s would certainly indicate diabetes, but you are nowhere near those levels. Keeping under 7.8 is desirable, but keeping under 7 is better. We all have our own personal targets. Mine is 4 to 7 at all times.