After Pregnancy: she found out she was infected

[Wishiel]

My friend when she was still single doesn't have this, but after she delivered the baby, she was diagnosed to have diabetes

[jimmys devoted]

IT happens. I has gestational and post gestational. Strress of teh preganancy and other factors will bring it out. Have the baby checked as well.......

[Britjojo]

The baby will have been followed I would not doubt because of the risk of their blood glucose being out of whack for a few days. They should in time take over and control it without help, but they are at an elevated risk later in life. Education should minimise the risk.

[Cassy]

So other things can cause you to develop it. This is extreme. I thought most of the time it was more genetic than anything else.

[Britjojo]

I am not quite sure what you mean in your post Cassy, but yes pregnancy can cause a type of diabetes known as gestational diabetes. It is common for women who suffer this (I believe the figure is 50%) to go on to develop diabetes type 2 within 20 years.

[Juniper_g]

I was diagnosed as having gd about two weeks ago. I have two of the risk factors--genetic disposition (m. grandmother/Type II diabetes and mother/hypoglycemia) and I am 32. Aside from those risk factors, I am not what one would consider to be a terribly high risk candidate for this. I exercise regularly (4-6 Xs/week) doing low impact kick boxing, yoga, water aerobics and walking. I eat really well, I don't drink alcohol or do drugs, etc.., so this is kind of a kick in the head of a surprise. My pre-pregnancy weight was 130 lbs. and I am 5'7". I've stayed on track with my weight gain throughout the pregnancy until between my fifth and sixth month where I gained 9 lbs. between ob/gyn visits. Now I am into my seventh month, and I think I've lost some weight because of diet they have me on to control my carb intake. I am at 29 weeks and I've gained a total of 17-20 lbs.

My fasting sugar levels are consistently between 72-75 mg/dL. 1 hour after breakfast, I check in approximately between 85-110 mg/dL. 1 hour after lunch the numbers are between 94-123 mg/dL and 1 hour after dinner between 88-116 mg/dL. If anything, my nutritionist says that the numbers tend to err on the low side. Am I wrong in thinking that gd is related to the numbers consistently being too high?

The real frustration I am having is that by following their dietary recommendations, my glucose levels seem to have no noticeable increase one way or another. For example, this morning I had two scrambled eggs with pesto, tomato, spinach and a bit of feta cheese and two slices of Ezekiel multigrain bread (2 servings of protein, 2 servings of starch, and 2 fat), which in turn caused my glucose levels to rise from 73 to 88 mg/dL.

I am too scared to eat cereal with milk, since fruit and milk have been banned from the morning meal, and I'd like to not use my baby as the guinea pig to see what would happen, but it seems that my weight gain is generally good and I've had a healthy pregnancy that I'm concerned that it's a misdiagnosis of gd, that is only causing stress. If I eat something like two slices of garlic bread (instead of one) at a restaurant, I have to wait an hour and be stressed thinking that my glucose levels will rocket off the planet--and they come back within a normal/low range--just over a 100 or something.

I am not sure what to make of all this. My goal is (and has been) to eat well and be healthy for both of our sakes, but I feel that this is just adding another layer of stress to my already thoughtful commitment to eating well.

Is it possible that some people who have a genetic disposition (who might already be eating well), might just have a negative reaction to the glucose testing--especially the three hour one? Everyone I speak to who should know something about this gives me the same line that everyone is different and that there isn't really a "normal" pattern. I'd like to see the glucose readings over the course of three months from other people who have had gd and their dietary notes. I am obviously not the first one who has had to write down all this data since their books seem to be mass produced by the Sweet Success Program. Where does all this data go and why can't I find more information about it online? What does well controlled gd look like?

Sorry to go on for so long, but this is really beginning to get on my nerves.

Thanks for any advice,
~Jennifer

[graceydo]

Juniper, the first thing you got to do is this: stop getting stressed out over this. I know, its hard to do but getting stressed out is not good on the baby either. Why has milk and fruit been banned? If a dietician has told you to eat a certain way and certain foods, then maybe you should also talk to your doctor and see what he/she says. Don't be so worried about using your baby as a guinea pig. You sound like a very health conscious person, better by far than I was.

[Sweetvtmom]

Jenn~ When I had gestational diabetes I followed a diet that the dietitian gave me. I was able to keep it around 80 every time I did my finger stick---and after I had my son--they tested him and he was fine also. My gestational diabetes disappeared.

I think that if you follow the plan that your dietitian gave you--you should be fine. Just keep writing down your numbers every time you do your finger stick and show them to your doctor. If you are consistently low or high in numbers then you need to call your doctor immediately. Your numbers are going to fluctuate at times--it is if the are consistently low or high that is really becomes a problem.

[Simplyme]

I have heard of that happening several times and whereas it is not an extremely common thing it happens often enough. On another note: It really is amazing what maintaining a healthy diet can do. Especially when you are dealing with diabetes in any form.

[Sweetvtmom]

I remember when the doctor told me I had G.D. I was so scared--but it was really easy for me to control it by diet. I was happy having to prick my finger so many times a day--but I got through it.

I think the stress can make anything in your body go hay wire.

[graceydo]

I was able to control my G.D. with a good diet too. I was sticking my fingers twice a day with my last baby. I was never so glad to have a baby!

[Simplyme]

I agree Sweetvtmom stress can cause a lot of different problems and just seems to aggravate any preexisting conditions.

I am glad to hear though that you were able to get yours under control with diet. I can not personally imagine the scare one must experience finding out news like that.

[Simplyme]

I was able to control my G.D. with a good diet too. I was sticking my fingers twice a day with my last baby. I was never so glad to have a baby!

It is amazing what can make us thankful for labor and not just thankful it is over.

[graceydo]

I will be honest, with my second child, when I was told I would most definently have gd again, before even getting tested this time around, all I felt was irritation! And this time, I started testing early. My fingers were so sore by the time my daughter was born!

[Sweetvtmom]

I had 2 other children after I had my first and I didn't have gestational diabetes with them. My doctors were surprised. I was actually tested a few times for each pregnancy--above what we normally get tested--but it was all fine.

[faithib]

"After Pregnancy: she found out she was infected"

I just wanted to point out you don't become 'infected' with diabetes. An infection is something you can catch. You don't catch diabetes from anyone or anything.
You either have a predisposition for it that is genetic or you've had some injury to your pancreas that destroyed it.
I knew someone who was in a car accident and the didn't have their seatbelt on and the steering wheel impacted her abdomen so hard her pancreas was destroyed.

[graceydo]

Thanks, faithib. I've been wanting to say that myself. No one can be infected with it, it just happens. Sweetvtmom, I'm really happy for you that you didn't have gd with the other two!

[faithib]

Thanks, faithib. I've been wanting to say that myself. No one can be infected with it, it just happens. Sweetvtmom, I'm really happy for you that you didn't have gd with the other two!

graceydo,
It is just one of those words that causes misunderstands and misinformation in the general public. There are a lot of people out there who nothing about diabetes and think you can catch it. We've all got to do what we can to stop those kind of misunderstandings.

[jhellie_baby]

IT happens. I has gestational and post gestational. Strress of teh preganancy and other factors will bring it out. Have the baby checked as well.......

Yes, have the baby checked as well because the baby could suffer from hypoglycemia.