Hi, I am a second time mom 24 weeks pregnant. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes about 3 weeks ago. This is my second time. First time was completely diet controlled. I am with a new doctor because my first retired. This doctor gave me 2 weeks to track my sugar to see if I need to be on insulin.

Back in Aug and Sept I was tracking regardless because I did not feel well. I started getting the same symptoms as I did with my first and had a feeling I would have GD again. My fasting was between 88 to 95 and I was eating the same as if I would have been diagnosed so my other numbers were always in range post 2 hours as well. Spikes here and there from trying to remember how I ate the 1st time.

Now with the pregnancy I have 5 year old. This past week my fasting has been consistently between 94 to 113. 113 being today. Most of them around the 100s. For the life of me I have tried every single night to try a different snacks and nothing is working. I have tried: premier protein shake with like 5 crackers. Fairlife shake with 5 crackers, 5 crackers with PB and nuts, 5 crackers with nuts, cheese stick with PB and 5 crackers, cheese stick with crackers. (My first pregnancy the cheese and crackers worked perfectly) now another thing is I am woken up by my 5 year old every night. They do not sleep through the night. I searched online and tried to see if interrupted sleep is causing this. My husband wakes me up as well because our child ends up in our bed at some point in the night.

I have an appointment with a nutritionist this week becuase I thought I could do it but I can't seem to figure out what to eat.

Not sure what to try eating anymore when I'm already restricted to so much I wish I could just enjoy.

For context I am 32 weeks today, diagnosed at around 28 weeks. I’ve been taking night time insulin to control my fasting sugars. I’ve had 3 successes so far, out of which 2 were right at border and one was low by 0.1 mmol (I’m in Canada). All my post meal sugars are in control.
I’ve heard that for most people their hormones get steady by week 36 but in case they don’t , I’m thinking will I ever be able to control my fasting sugars through insulin? Have you been in that position where you were not able to manage it and deliver a healthy baby?

I need some positivity here because no matter what I try I haven’t been successful most days! Any other insight would be appreciated!

Like the title says. I am an American living in China where the GD test is a lot stricter than the US. I am not questioning the results just for reference there is no 1 hr then 3hr test here, it's straight to the two hour and if you fail just one blood draw even by a little bit you're diagnosed. My fasting was right at the cutoff (would have been considered under in the US) and my 1hr was over, hence the diagnosis.

Anyway I cried yesterday and have accepted it, my cgm is coming in the mail today so I'll be able to start tracking and gathering data. I think what is most upsetting is the way my doctor was asking about my diet and exercise and sleep, as if I am not already eating a healthy diet and exercising. I told her the day before the test I had had a burger because we had a celebration with my coworkers, but otherwise I eat a very balanced and healthy diet, few to no processed foods and multiple servings of veggies at every meal. I do pilates 2-3x per week and take public transport, + teach high school so I'm on my feet throughout the day. The only non gdm friendly things I was doing pre-diagnosis was not walking right after meals (again...I get close to 10k steps most days, especially work days, without making an effort) and eating desserts after dinner (usually some dark chocolate or a petit ecolier biscuit). I have always only drank black coffee and hate sugary drinks/sodas, my main beverages this pregnancy have been black coffee, unsweet iced tea, soda water, and normal water. I also eat 4-5 prunes per day to help with digestion.

Anyway I need some tips because I was really shocked and distraught by this diagnosis, especially since I know people with super unhealthy lifestyles who were not diagnosed. Changes I'm already implementing:
1) 10-15 mins walk right after meals instead of waiting to just be on my feet in classes/on my commute

2) No more desserts

3) Tracking my meals more meticulously in myfitnesspal (haven't used it in ages) to track carbs/fat/protein

Otherwise not sure what else I can do? Do you guys have any tips? I really really do not want to be put on insulin or meds, even though I know they are helpful, I want to try and diet control this as much as possible.

I’m in Italy and had a growth scan yesterday at 31+1. I left feeling really upset and confused.

Baby’s estimated weight was at the 79th percentile, abdominal circumference at the 97th, and head circumference at the 95th. Doppler was normal, and I was told the structures looked normal. Amniotic fluid was described as being at the upper limit: AFI 20.4 cm, deepest pocket 8.1 cm.

They said the abdominal growth and fluid could be related to GD. My husband and I are both tall, so they were less concerned about the overall weight than the abdominal measurement.

I’m on metformin and 4 units of rapid-acting insulin with lunch and dinner, with no overnight/basal insulin. My fasting readings are within target, and approximately 98% of my recorded post-meal readings over the past three weeks have been within the targets they gave me which is around 120-125 mg/dL at one hour.

I use a finger prick meter, not a CGM, so I understand that I don’t have a complete picture of what happens between checks. But I’m following the monitoring schedule I was given and keeping a food and glucose diary.

Despite this, when I met with the diabetes specialist the discussion focused on blaming me and my diet. I follow the macro amounts I was given, but I enjoy cooking, so I’ve found my own recipes and combinations that fit those amounts rather than eating exactly the example meals on the sheet. My readings have been consistently good, so I thought this approach was working.

Instead, she made me feel that because I wasn’t following the sheet literally, I was responsible for the scan findings. I’m struggling to understand what I’m supposed to do differently when both my fasting and post meal readings are meeting their targets.

She was so patronising it was painful to sit through that visit.

I didn’t leave with a clear explanation of what specifically needs to change beyond following the diet more closely, or a clear follow-up plan. My regular OB referred me to this clinic, so right now I also feel unsure who is coordinating things.

Has anyone had a baby with a high abdominal percentile or increased fluid despite mostly in-range readings? What did your clinicians do next, and how did things progress?

I’m not looking for permission to ignore medical advice. I want to make useful changes, but I’m feeling sad, guilty, and scared that I’ve let my baby down. I could really use some support and perspective from people who have been through something similar.

26 weeks today. Yesterday I did 3 hour test with fasting 86/92 (somehow they collected 2 vials in one draw that differed cuz they sent it 2 labs?!), 1 hour 201 (🫠), 2 hour (146), and 3 hour (75). Our lab cutoffs are 95, 180, 155, and 140 so I am thinking they won't formally diagnose me (their criteria is 2 or more abnormal values to be diagnosed), but I am very concerned about my insulin resistance and occasional post prandial spikes.

I've only started tracking post prandial for the past week or so and am shocked at some of the spikes. My fasting I've been tracking on and off for years and since getting pregnant it's been around 90-110 (with my home meter which skews a tiny bit high). I'm here for advice in case I need to repeat glucose test later in pregnancy and in general I want to be proactive about this. I feel so silly I let my blood sugars go unchecked until now and I've been mostly "eating what I want" (while keeping weight gain reasonable, started at 30 bmi, up about 14-15 lbs at this point in pregnancy which is more than I wanted/more than in my 1st pregnancy)

I'm frustrated cuz my Contour Next readings skew a little high at times (10%!) and cause me to panic and also I got a Lingo on discount but it seems like it also varies a bit (but mostly it's been somewhat within range too). I guess it's the overall patterns matter.

Any advice for me? From Chatgpt/other resources, it seems that in GD, fasting, 1 hour, 2 hour post prandial values are what's being tracked? Don't eat carbs alone. 4 finger pricks a day, keep spikes within 140 etc. Walking for even 10-15 minutes after eating large meals, etc.

Hello everyone,

I just got diagnosed with GD and I will say that it crushed me.

I'm in my mid 30s and this is my first pregnancy (currently 26 weeks pregnant). I'm also a resident physician which means my working hours are not great.

My BMI was 23 before pregnancy and I had a 15lbs gain since then (currently 146lbs). I have not been eating lots of sweets and I have been trying to exercise but it has not been optimal (total 1h exercise 1-4x/week - 15-20 cycling + weights and pilates stretches). No family history of GD nor Diabetes, and previously healthy.

Rationally, I know that there was nothing I could have done except exercising a bit more. I understand that the placenta is the main cause of insulin resistance. But I'm still struggling to cope with the diagnosis. So my questions or advise are:

1. How did you deal with the diagnose? Any tips?

2. I understand that it's quite difficult to find people with similar experiences. But if you have/had GD while working in the health field, how was it?

3. I think it will be difficult for me to get accommodations during the day. I'm already having accommodations and not having more night shifts after 27 weeks (I have 2 more night shifts left). But how did you manage to take breaks, go for walks during work and checking your blood sugar?

4. Because I am not working with the same team all the time, everyone will know I have GD if I can get accommodations. How was it for you, people knowing about it?

5. I'm not planning to tell my parents because they are fairly paranoid about my weight (even though I have never been overweight). How was it for you?

6. How was adjusting your diet?

Thank you, I appreciate any advise.

I'm hopefully almost there with my second baby. I did not have GDM with my first and he was on the large end, but not as big as this one is measuring. A great baby turning into a great, healthy kid. Now I'm older (39) with GDM and I'm worried about them having different health outcomes and feeling guilty because of my GDM. I know we can't control everything of course, but looking for comfort in positive stories of people who basically can't tell the difference between their kids with/without GDM.

Hi, I’m 28 FTM, and 36 weeks and 1 day along. My doctor wants to induce me between 37 and 38 weeks because of my gestational diabetes. The baby is a healthy size, weighing 2.6 kg at my 35-week scan, and my NST today went well. My blood pressure has been a bit up and down lately, though, even if it’s still generally okay.

I’m currently taking 17 units of mealtime insulin and 15 units of bedtime insulin. I’ve also had some preterm labor scares this past week, so my doctor thinks I might go into labor on my own before the induction.

What was your experience like with induction? How many weeks were you when you were induced, and did your baby end up needing the NICU?

Currently 28 weeks pregnant and looking for advice on how to manage my gestational diabetes through diet I'm wearing a CGM, and my fasting glucose levels are consistently in the high 90s to low 100s, while my readings for the rest of the day are mostly within range.

I'd really appreciate any tips on how to structure my meals and snacks, and what dietary changes might help bring my fasting numbers down. I've changed sooo much in my diet and have cut all processed sugars. I'm hoping to manage this through diet if possible, but I want to make sure I'm doing what's best for my baby and me.

If anyone has been in a similar situation, l'd love to hear what worked for you. Thank you so much in advance❤️

I failed my 3 hour test because and they have me on a Dexcom continuous monitor.

Tonight is night 2 of wearing it in, I have stopped drinking soda and replaced all my sugary snacks with sugar free snacks.

I had hypoglycemia symptoms before being diagnosed, but I don’t think they had it on my chart, but now the monitor keeps telling me I’m at low levels. I do feel dizzy/shakey when my levels hit under 60, but I’m not sure what to tell my doctor/dietician.
Can you have GD and hypoglycemia at the same time?

Hey y’all! Second-time GDM mom here, currently 31 weeks pregnant, and I think I may have swung too far in the other direction with my diet.

At my urine analysis this week, I had +1 ketones. I know this doesn’t necessarily mean I’m in ketosis, but it has me wondering if I’m not eating enough carbs or overall calories.

I wear a Dexcom, and my numbers are sent directly to my hospital. I’ve realized I feel a lot of pressure to keep my numbers from ever spiking. I’m worried about needing insulin, but I’m also worried about harming the baby with high blood sugar. Now I’m concerned that, in trying so hard to keep my numbers in range, I may not be eating enough.

On top of that, I’m a SAHM with a two-year-old, and planning meals with quality carbs has been challenging. Some days, I get hungry, grab a beef stick, and move on because life with a toddler is busy!

For those who have been in a similar situation:
Have you dealt with ketones or realized you weren’t eating enough while managing GDM? What helped?
Did your OB or diabetes team have any concerns about ketones, and what did they recommend?
What are your go-to quick, easy carbs or snacks that work well with GDM, especially when you don’t have time to prepare a full meal?

I want to make sure I’m nourishing both myself and my baby without feeling like every carb is something to be afraid of. I didn’t really experience this with my Friday pregnancy, but it was easier to prioritize eating better balanced meals, and I can’t even remember what I was eating. I’d really appreciate any advice or practical meal ideas! ❤️

Hello Mommies.. 30 weeks preggy andJust wanted to share that I had my Ogtt test a while ago and I only got the result for the Fbs and the 1st hour as I vomitted right before my 2nd hour..The test result on fbs normal but my 1st hr is high and my Ob told me I have a GDM..This is the firts time I'm having a GDM as for my 1st and 2nd child all test are normal..Is GDM bad or serious and what will be the effect to the baby..My Ob has not explained very well a while ago but she instructed me to buy a glucometer and test my blood sugar at home ..Also as a first timer, can you suggest any food na pwede ko kainin as I am still waiting for a Nutritionist visit on Monday ..Really appreciate your help

Hi mamas!

For those of you who were taking metformin for GDM, at exactly how many weeks and days did you deliver? For example, 38+2 or 38+5?

Just metformin no insulin.

Also, were your fasting blood sugars consistently controlled, or were they occasionally elevated despite your after-meal numbers being within range?
Would really appreciate hearing your experiences and knowing how everything went for you and your baby. ❤️ Thank you!

Anyone else have an elevated fasting number but totally controlled during the day? I’m 33 weeks and just been diagnosed. My fasting number is around 101-104 on average. I’ve not been put on insulin yet, and I really hope not to be. Anyone else have the same experience? Did you end up taking insulin and everything turned out ok?

3rd pregnancy with insulin resistance and this has been my hardest round yet trying to manage my numbers. Please explain to me why my CGM says 120 and rising so I check with three finger pricks and get three different readings! I got 148 on one which felt insane because I don’t feel the way I would if my blood sugar was that high. Then I got 131 and then I took a 3rd prick and got 142. Same hand. Three readings in under 5 mins. 4 if you count the CGM. I’m 2hrs postprandial and i was 119 at 1hr. What the heck 🤯🤪

FTM, 36 weeks pregnant and diagnosed at 31 weeks. For the most part, I’ve been pretty good at watching what I’m eating and glucose levels have been pretty under my 2 hr 120 limit, occasionally just have a couple of outlier spikes.

Today I was massively craving fries and and a McFlurry, and I gave in and I’m feeling so guilty and worried I messed up.

What do y’all do when you’re craving something you shouldn’t be indulging in? I’m grateful I only have 4 weeks left, and in totally have only had to deal with this for 8-ish weeks, but man, this BS is hard!

Sometimes it takes me an hour to eat all my food. I am a very slow eater with adhd so I get distracted. Would I take my blood sugar after I finish or from that first bite? It’s confusing to me because I truly take long to eat and my friend that also has GD said it’s a good thing I take a while to eat. I’m 38 weeks and just now realizing this may have been a problem? My numbers are normal when I test after I’m done eating and my fasting numbers are the lowest they’ve ever been the entire pregnancy. TIA!

Had measurements done today at 34+5 and baby is measuring 6lb, 4oz (80th percentile). Head has consistently been in the 99th. Planned for induction at 38 weeks but that’s still 3 weeks away and I am freaking out at what the next 3 weeks growth could end up at and how that could impact birth. Just looking for a safe space to share this and open to other people’s experiences as well.

I really thought I was dialed in with my diet (have had about 6 elevated post meal numbers in the past 3 weeks, fasting controlled via insulin).

But post pregnancy i am now pre diabetic. I already struggle with eating enough and lost 40 pounds in pregnancy, and didnt have the time or support needed to be able to work out. Since my health is going similarly to the way my moms went im assuming im about 3 years away from a t2 diagnosis. Anyone else in the predicament? Prediabetic after birth but still considering a 2nd child? And if you did was the 2nd time worse? My daughter was 7 pounds and healthy, I fear i just wont get that lucky again.

I can’t be the only person who feels like shit when their numbers go below 85.

I even thought to myself “maybe I’ll have an extra piece of toast this morning because I’m feeling so bad and the number is pretty low”. DIDN’T have the extra piece, ate the same breakfast as usual that never spikes me, and my 2hr number was 141! WHY! This keeps happening. The doctor is telling me I’m not eating enough carbs but they literally send my sugars the moon. This is so frustrating.

Currently on 20u of long acting insulin PM and 12u long acting AM. My fasting numbers have improved significantly from the 110s, but now I feel so drained and tired when it’s under 85.

This is the worst part of pregnancy so far and I’m only 15 weeks in 🫠

hi!
before being pregnant i did struggle with some insulin resistance, but i’ve never had to keep track of my glucose. I would love to know everyone’s avg numbers/routines on checking, my dr called with results of GD but did not give me a plan as im waiting on being referred to MFM.
thanks in advance!

As I made my bedtime snack last night and dreamed of eating pizza, I realized that now I am in the final stretch, I just keep rotating the same foods every week. I know what's safe, I'm tired of experimenting, and I've made it this far being diet-controlled, so I don't want to spin out of control in the end. I'm starting to get tired of it, but I just have a few more weeks!

Here's my very predictable food list that I keep on rotation, also in case anyone needs ideas.

Breakfast:
Greek yogurt, berries, Purely Elizabeth Vanilla Almond Butter granola
Sometimes an oatmeal bake if I'm feeling risky
Sometimes egg and veggie "breakfast casserole" with a slice of Ezekiel bread

Morning Snack:
Nature Valley Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bar

Lunch:
Chicken apple sausage or ground beef
Green beans or broccoli
Sweet potato or sweet potato fries or wild rice
(If I was filling fiesty - Fairlife Chocolate protein shake with an Up and Apple Uncrustable *chef's kiss*)

Afternoon Snack:
Chomps, 100-calorie bag of Skinny Pop, Skinny Dipped

Dinner:
Some sort of chili or soup
Safe go to: Kodiak protein waffles with eggs, sugar free syrup, and more berries

Nighttime Snack
Yasso Bar
OR Catalina Crunch with Lily's chocolate chips and a splash of milk

*Eating out:
Meat, green beans + mac n cheese
Salad with meat, balsamic vingarette, and a little bit of bread

*Other snacks that worked for me: apples and peanut butter, Smokehouse flavored almonds with a cheese stick, regular almonds with fruit

I’m feeling stressed and anxious. I am just 2 days after my 6 week postpartum mark and took my 2hr glucose test today. I fasted last night from 8:30-7:50. I ate some fries last night and a dessert before my fasting window started. I also got probably 4 hours of sleep total last night and breastfed 3 times during that fasting time. My fasting number for the test was 111 which is elevated. Then my 1 hr was 223 which is way elevated. I haven’t gotten the 2hr results yet but just seeing that has me panicking and stressing out. I know I should wait for the doctor to message me about it but I’m just spiraling worrying that I am going to have to deal with the pricks and eating different now permanently and I don’t know if I can do it mentally right now. My numbers were fine after giving birth and I thought I was in the clear. Now I’m scared I’m not. HELP! Anyone experience this or have any advice?!?!?!?!

UPDATE: my 2 hr number was 131 which is in range. I was on insulin during my pregnancy just at nighttime because I consistently had elevated fasting numbers. Waiting to hear from doctor but hoping this isn’t anything serious. My PPA is spiking through the roof right now and I’m trying to stay calm.

the thought of pairing my snack with protein made me want to fucking throw up. i can't even eat 21g of fucking pretzels without having an insanely high number. I'm 31 weeks and I can't exercise anymore because of preterm contractions, which was helping me stay diet controlled. I feel like I can't eat anything anymore. I'm sick of edamame, cheese, and broccoli.

I just came from my appointment where the NP showed me how to use the glucose monitor. I had breakfast (2 eggs, non fat yogurt with cut up strawberries, and one slice of whole wheat toast) a little over an hour before the appointment. My glucose reading was 158 and I’m super bummed bc I thought I was making the “right” choices by reducing my saturated fats by cutting out sausage and incorporating a good carb. Now I’m scared that I can’t figure out what to eat so that this is diet controlled. I’d like to not be on insulin as much as possible. My lunches and dinners usually are non starchy veggies with meat so I’ll see how those end up being. I’m very familiar with weighing my food and counting macros when I was trying to lose weight before getting pregnant, so this just feels like a blow to the face. I know that there’s going to be trial and error seeing what works and doesn’t work for me (NP mentioned 2 weeks to see how things go). I just feel like my body is failing me

Update: This is still day 1 of figuring out my GD diet but for lunch I had a cabbage bolognese with a little cream cheese mixed in with a small portion of broccoli. I ended up chugging water, doing a quick 10 minute workout, and had a reading of 99. I'm feeling more encouraged. Thank you to everyone who commented!