I failed the 3 hour glucose and I have GD

I am so disappointed and was pretty upset over it yesterday when they told me. It was difficult enough to get through the test (and the day for that matter since I was so nauseous).
My levels were 175, 172, 185. I thought it was weird that it went up at the end. My doc didn't have answers and just said my body wasn't processing the sugar like it should. I realized that already.
They have me on a diabetic diet and I am only getting 2000 calories a day. I think that is low considering I am carrying twins. I haven't gained too much weight and am not gaining it quickly so I don't understand why I am only on 2000 calories. I am petite and wasn't overweight when I got pg. I don't eat quite a bit of what they give me because it is gross (like the ham sandwich with fat in the ham ) so I am really not getting 2000 calories. I know if I tell the head doc here she will probably just tell me to eat what they give me whether I like it or not, but it makes me sick to eat stuff that I don't like, especially with pregnancy.
I am meeting with a Diabetes Counselor this week and will of course ask questions then. Do any of you have GD? What is your diet like? Are your calories restricted?

TIA

Traci

 

I am so disappointed and was pretty upset over it yesterday when they told me. It was difficult enough to get through the test (and the day for that matter since I was so nauseous).
My levels were 175, 172, 185. I thought it was weird that it went up at the end. My doc didn't have answers and just said my body wasn't processing the sugar like it should. I realized that already.
They have me on a diabetic diet and I am only getting 2000 calories a day. I think that is low considering I am carrying twins. I haven't gained too much weight and am not gaining it quickly so I don't understand why I am only on 2000 calories. I am petite and wasn't overweight when I got pg. I don't eat quite a bit of what they give me because it is gross (like the ham sandwich with fat in the ham ) so I am really not getting 2000 calories. I know if I tell the head doc here she will probably just tell me to eat what they give me whether I like it or not, but it makes me sick to eat stuff that I don't like, especially with pregnancy.
I am meeting with a Diabetes Counselor this week and will of course ask questions then. Do any of you have GD? What is your diet like? Are your calories restricted?

TIA

Traci

 

I started off on the 2000 calorie diet with one nutritionist. Then when I started seeing the peri, I went to a new nutritionist and now do 300 carbs per day. I also have to do insulin shots twice a day, because my sugar is still to high with the diet. The carbs were much easier and flexible to eat versus the calories. Good luck, its really not as bad as it seems, I was diagnosed right before the holidays and that time was rough. I know now I am doing it for a good reason and its almost over.

 

hi traci,

i have GD, too. my numbers were something like 80 (fasting), 181, 170, and 76. i can't really remember though. i do know i failed two of the four tests though. it was a little difficult for me to swallow, because i LOVE sweets (i actually enjoyed one of the glucose drinks i had - fruit punch). i believe i was around 24 weeks when i found out i have GD...xmas was hard to get through and v-day is approaching fast...lol. i've told dh after i am able to eat solids after the c-section, i would like a box of see's truffles there foe me.

here's what i've learned...later in pregnancy, it's not that bad because you can't eat that much anyway, since there's no room, so smaller meals are better, and smaller meals (in my case) produce lower numbers, which is counselor said would happen. the diabetic counselor had me on 225 grams of carbs a day, no fruit until lunch, 3 meals, 3 snacks, testing at fasting, and 2 hours after each meal. at the same time, i was seeing an endocrinologist for hyperthyroidism, brought on by pregnancy. thank goodness for her, because she was much more knowledgeable than the diabetic counselor. the counselor basically had me eating very boring and didn't even want me eating most "sugar-free" diabetic food, because she said it still had sugar in it. she eased up at our follow-up though, since my numbers were pretty good. the endocrinologist said that she would never restrict calories for a twin pregnancy and favors giving insulin, if needed. after she looked at my testing numbers, she had me test twice daily - one fasting and 1 hour after a meal, rotating meals. if i fall off the bandwagon, which let's face it, it's possible i choose to test after another meal. but i've realized (i think) how my body is working with GD. less food means lower numbers, so six small meals should produce lower numbers. my fasting is pretty good, so if it's been four hours since i ate, i can tell that my sugars are a little low. staying away from fruit juice has been hard for me, since i used to have like a small 3 oz. serving before work to get me started for the day.

these are foods i have grown to enjoy more:
raw mixed nuts, peanut butter (i was already eating whole foods pb, so i changed to unsweetened, and it's not all that bad), sugar-free jello brand pudding (dulce de leche is yummy), popcorn, whole milk (with a little hot chocolate flavoring), and lindt swiss bittersweet chocolate. lindt's truffles are the BEST, but i try and stick with the bittersweet since it's lower in carbs. i also like a fried banana, fried in butter with cool whip on top. if you can take sugar-free jello, it's like eating air, so it's like a free food. also, there is a frozen yogurt chain here called "desert swirl" and they carry something called "only 8." i think it's pretty darn good. in a 1/2 cup serving, there is 0 grams of fat, 32 calories, and 7 grams of carbs. it's good for most diabetics, lactose intolerant people, and has active enzymes. i'm so over cheese sticks and regular yogurt.

good combos are - graham cracks with pb, popcorn with pb, THIN crust (like on a tortilla) pizza with some kind of meat on top, egg sandwich, grilled cheese, and GOOD salad from a restaurant with lots of interesting ingredients, not those boring hospital salads.

things that have made my numbers not so good are pasta (i eat brown rice pasta because i am gluten intolerant, and still had to REALLY watch the intake), white rice, and large meals.

it's not fair that you have to eat crappy...i'd suggest trying some of the things that i've gotten by with, because it's made it a lot easier.

it has been difficult for me to get in a lot of protein. i've also found that the more veggies, the better. i am not on insulin, but the endo said that the numbers will get worse as the pregnancy progressses. luckily, so far, my numbers have been decent...esp since i am down to testing twice daily.

i hope that i haven't rambled too much, and you find this info helpful. please feel free to ask any other questions. don't be too disappointed. it does get better.

 

Thanks ladies for your input. I am so disappointed about this diet and how strict they are being since I am on hospital bedrest. I think it is ridiculous to expect me to survive on so few calories. I definitely don't need to lose weight and I want these babies to gain weight in case I do have them early. I think the biggest problem is the foods I am given are not appealing to me and I can't get them down so I am not even eating 2000 calories. A nurse came in to do my vitals and I told her I was starving but she just kind of laughed and said I can't have anything until dinner. Why deny a pregnant woman food? So I asked who I need to talk to about getting my diet changed and she laughed again and said they won't change it, but I can refuse it despite medical advice. So I nicely explained that they are giving me foods that I do not eat and I am not getting enough calories because of this so I feel hungry pretty much all of the time. She said she would put in a consult with the nutritionist for me. I just hope the nutritionist's advice isn't to eat it anyways or I will flip out. They tend to blow me off around here and don't feel like I am a big priority because they are basically just monitoring me and giving me meds. I am supposed to go home at 28 weeks but I am really thinking of asking to go home next week so I can do my own diet. I think I could do a better job of managing it and still eating foods I like. I am very frustrated right now and I am afraid no one will have answers for me. They seem to have a protocol they follow instead of doing a case by case plan.

 

they should NOT deny you food! that is ridiculous. i am always eating with GD, just small meals. hospital food is not appealing. when i was admitted for two days, they knew i had GD, but i ate how i wanted and was used to eating. they are monitoring you super close, huh? can you have someone get you different food? there are decent choices when you are at home. sounds almost like jail to me there, them not letting you eat until dinner. you should not be starving. so sorry. i'm thinking happy thoughts for you though, and don't worry, it will get better. i remember my first visit with the diabetes counselor and i felt so defeated. it is manageable once you get a handle of what you can and can't do. good luck.

 

I also have the Gestational Diabetes and at 32weeks, my new diet (2000 calories) is very restricting. I eat a lot of peanut butter for the protien, whole wheat breads, grilled cheese sandwhiches. My nutritionist recommended that I eat protiens and carbs and starches in certain quantaties together at certain times of the day. Look for things that say sugar free or no sugar added in the stores and read the lables. Of course, I'm checking my blood sugar 4 times a day as well.

But I was like you, at the right weight at the time of pregnancy and have gained all my weight slowly. The hardest part for me on this diet is cutting out fresh fruit and juice. But its only for another month or so until the twins arrive where I can go back to my normal eating habits.

Deborah