Can gestational diabetes cause numbness in legs? Will this numbness go away?
Posted by admin on Nov 15, 2009
I am 3 weeks postpartum and I had gestational diabetes during my pregnancy. I have to admit that during the end of the pregnancy I did not follow my diet like I should have. Well I noticed that my legs started to feel numb from my knees down to my ankles. The weird thing about the numbness, it’s only on the inside of my legs. I heard this is called peripheral neuropathy. Do I need to see a doctor? Can this be corrected? I am very concerned. What is done when a nerve conduction study is conducted?
Gestational Diabetes is no different from other forms of diabetes, except for the cause — pregnancy.
In most cases it WILL go away after you deliver. However, if you do not work to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight and form, the diabetes might stay with you.
Peripheral Neuropathy is a sign of diabetes that has been present for a long time — several months usually. This means that you may have been diabetic BEFORE you got pregnant, and that you may also remain diabetic after you deliver.
After you’ve delivered, the doctor can best advise you for continued treatment, if necessary. If you remain diabetic for more than about 90 days after delivery, the doctor should refer you to an ENDOCRINOLOGIST for treatment as a possible Type 2 Diabetic.
what do i do before my gestational diabetes test?
Posted by admin on Nov 15, 2009
do i have to fast or what?
my docter just told me to go to the lab at the docters office and have it done but i cant remember if she told me not to eat or drink anything before…?
can anyone help please?
If I remember correctly, it is a fasting test. You can’t eat or drink anything else before or after until the test is completed.
The drink you drink is full of sugar and tastes NASTY….like flat orange soda or flat fruit punch that is loaded with sugar.
And you have to tell the people that are doing your test that you are fasting……and make sure you look at the time when you drink it……they have to do the test w/in an hour of you drinking it…….and you have to drink it w/in 5-7 minutes…you can’t just sip on it for an hour. Which is a bummer. I just gulped it down because it was quicker.
my wife is 28 weeks pregnant and her antibody screen came back positive.she hasnt had the rhogam shot yet?
Posted by admin on Nov 15, 2009
my wife is 28 Weeks Pregnant and hasnt had the rhogam shot she was going to get it today but they found antibodies they dont know yet if it is the good antibodies or the bad antibodies. If it is the bad antibodies what will the doctor do? could it harm my son? should we be worried?
you should relax…im sure anit bodies are the good ones to have ..
i have never had a rubella shot …i have massaive amounts of anit bodies from measles as a kid
im sure shes not the forst one the dr has seen and they will take what action is needed to ensure your son is delivered safely 
congrats tho
Anyone with gestational diabetes?
Posted by admin on Nov 11, 2009
Hi just a question for anyone who has suffered from gestational diabetes … during my pregnancy i got gestational diabetes – i was on 36 units of insulin 3 times a day by the end so it was not a pleasant time!! I was just wondering what the chances were of suffering with diabetes in my next pregnancy? Are there any mums out there who got diabetes in one pregnancy and not the next one?? or is it guaranteed that i will get it again?
Does anyone know how to reduce your chances of getting it? (I am not at all overweight and have normal BMI so don’t tell me to lose weight! lol)
Thanks in advance for your answers
Statistically, 60-90% of women who had Gestational Diabetes with a pregnancy will develop it in subsequent pregnancies. So, it is not guaranteed 100% that you will have it again, but the chances are fairly high that you will. The development of Gestational Diabetes is not based on anything you do or don’t do. It is true that older moms and overweight moms have a higher risk of developing Gestational Diabetes, this does not mean that all overweight older moms will develop it nor does it mean that young, skinny moms are protected from developing it. Gestational Diabetes develops due to the pregnancy hormone making your cells insulin resistant. In most women, their pancreas is able to produce more insulin to compensate for the insulin resistance, but in about 8-14% of women, their pancreas can not keep up with the additional need and Gestational Diabetes develops. Many women can control their blood glucose numbers with diet, but sometimes insulin is needed. I had Gestational Diabetes with my last pregnancy only. I worked closely with a nurse in the diabetic clinic who devised a meal plan for me. She taught me how to use the blood glucose monitor than at each prenatal visit she went over my numbers with me and adjusted my diet to help me stay consistent. I actually had more problems eating adequately so had low blood sugar issues more commonly than high numbers. I did not need insulin, though. I did not have a large baby. My daughter was born at 41 weeks weighing 6 pounds 14 ounces. I don’t believe there is a way to reduce your risk of developing Gestational Diabetes as there are too many variables that come in to play as to why some women develop it and others don’t. Hormones are one of the reasons Gestational Diabetes develops and we all know we can’t really control hormones.
Anyone had the gestational diabetes test?
Posted by admin on Nov 11, 2009
I am 24 weeks so I will be tested soon. I am AFRAID of needles & I have read if I fail the first test the second one requires blood being drawn several times within a few hours. DO they stick you 3 different times? Any advise?
You have nothing to be worried about. I did my first Gest. Diabetes test a few weeks ago. All you have to do is drink this small container of orange liquid (it tastes like flat orange soda so it’s better if you can keep it in the fridge) and then have your blood drawn exactly one hour after.
Having your blood drawn is not a big deal…just a small needle only once. If, however, you do not pass the test (and you’ll find out in about 2 days or so), then they do schedule you for the three hour test which is the exact same thing, but repeated every hour for three hours.
I wouldn’t worry about it…it’s quick and painless. If your afraid of needles, just look away and it’ll be over before you know it. Congratulations and good luck! You’ll be fine =0)
28 weeks pregnant and nervous about baby movements?
Posted by admin on Nov 11, 2009
Im 28 Weeks Pregnant and still not noticing a pattern to my babies movements. Also some days i go hours without feeling her move. I dont know if this is normal. It feels very inconsistent. This is my first pregnancy so i dunno what is normal… please offer me advice. thank you.
I think it’s fine. My baby doesn’t move constantly and he’ll sleep for hours at a time and I wont feel him. Also I’m 37wks and he still had no "regular or normal" patterns as to when he’s awake and when he likes to sleep. He just does whatever he wants (lol). He was still kind of quiet for me at 28wks. As long as you’re feeling your baby throughout the day, everyday now then all is well. Some docs have mothers do "kick counts", but if your doc hasn’t told you to do those then don’t worry about them. As long as she’s moving she’s ok. Your little one will start to sleep a lot more as these last few weeks go by. If it’ll make you feel better you can go into L&D and they’ll check her. She sounds totally normal to me though. Congrats on your little sweet pea
confused about gestational diabetes counting carbs diet!?
Posted by admin on Nov 11, 2009
This is so confusing. I need to know if this is alright. I just started my gestational diabetes low-carb diet. My three meals a day range from 30-45g of carbs while my three snacks range from 15-30g of carbs. I don’t want to keep eating just turkey sandwiches and fruits and vegetables. Would it be ok if I ate the following, as long as it is within carbohydrate guidelines?
For example ..
(3) chicken strips from Sheetz w/ nacho cheese – 26g carbs, no sugar
Grilled chicken wrap from Sheetz w/ cheddar cheese, cooked peppers & onions, bacon, & tomatoes – 31g carbs, 3g sugars
McChicken from McDonald’s w/o the bun, mayo, & lettuce (just the plain chicken patty) – 10g carbs
Can I eat this stuff (obviously not at the same meal or anything) since it’s within the carb guidelines I am supposed to follow?
Also .. some more examples .. not that I want to eat this stuff daily or anything, just using these as examples ..
Low Carb Options (each under 10g* of carbs):
• Low Carb WHOPPER® Sandwich* • (3g)
• Low Carb WHOPPER® Sandwich w/ cheese* • (5g)
• Low Carb DOUBLE WHOPPER® Sandwich* • (3g)
• Low Carb DOUBLE WHOPPER® Sandwich w/ cheese* • (5g)
• Low Carb WHOPPER JR.® Sandwich* • (1g)
• Low Carb WHOPPER JR.® Sandwich w/ cheese* • (2g)
• Low Carb BK™ Double Stacker Sandwich* (5g)
• Low Carb BK™ Triple Stacker Sandwich* (6g)
• Low Carb BK™ Quad Stacker Sandwich* (6g)
** ALL WITHOUT THE BUN **
My numbers weren’t that bad they said, they didn’t give me exacts though, I’m going to ask them next time I go in. I’m not asking you to verify if my diet is good — I just want to know if I am counting carbs for a Diabetic Diet could I eat this stuff since the carbs are within guidelines? Obviously not for every meal every day, but maybe one meal a week or something like that.
Just to add — my levels today were -
Fasting – 81
1 hour after breakfast – 103
1 hour after lunch – 105
(didn’t have dinner yet .. and YES my doctor has me monitor ONE hour after a meal, not two!)
ok no need to lecture me on fast food alright i believe i clearly stated above that i do not eat this every day nor do i have any intentions on it i was just asking a simple question
I had gestational 3 years ago…
my numbers werent that bad either…..I only had to do diet as do u.
I would eat from Wendy’s a child’s meal and a side salad almost daily for lunch and I was fine…..
Actually the nutritionist had me try this and it worked fine….and sometimes I would sneak in a half of a choc chip muffin and it was still fine.
Take Care and good luck.
Sounds like ur doing great.
Machelle
Is it normal for a diabetic to have a hypoglycemia episode every day?
Posted by admin on Nov 11, 2009
My grandma recently began taking insulin shots for diabetes. Every day between breakfast and lunch, however, she’s been having a Hypoglycemia episode with shakiness, sweating, and weakness. This doesn’t seem right. Today she even had 2 breakfasts, but still had an attack at lunchtime. She is the first one in our family to have diabetes and be on insulin, so we’re all new at this. Is this normal?
Thank you so, so much for your answers!!!
It’s not right… diabetics WILL have hypos – sometimes it’s unpredictable and catches us out. But if a diabetic is having too many hypos, or a hypo at the same time every day, it means it’s time to adjust the insulin.
Has the doctor put her on set amounts of insulin, or is she matching it to what she eats? Set doses are trouble, because every meal has a different carb load which needs to be calculated before you inject.
Perhaps your Gran needs a little less insulin with breakfast? Or perhaps her background insulin is too strong, but that would probably lead to hypos at other times of the day too.
How many times does Gran test her blood sugar a day? It’s a good idea to do lots of extra tests when you’re having a problem like this. Then you can see the trend and catch the low BEFORE it happens It’s actually a good idea to test lots *any* day, even if there’s no trouble. Then you know you’re safe and able to make minor adjustments.
Time to talk to the doctor! A hypo can leave us feeling pretty icky for a time afterwards and often makes the rest of the day feel grotty, so it’s worth working this out.
Ah! One last thing! Is Gran on NPH? (Otherwise known as Protophane, lovingly nick-named ‘Not Particularly Helpful’). NPH is known to peak a few hours after taking it – usually between 4 and 5 hours after injecting. This could be what’s catching her out. NPH is famous for being a pain in the butt. If she’s on this, see if she can change to one of the 24 hour insulins which give a much better flat line and offer so much more freedom.
Lastly, organs aren’t damaged by lows as bonsyler said – only highs. Lows are a pain, and can be dangerous if left, but there’s no long term damage involved.
Good luck!
I have anxiety about my gestational diabetes test?
Posted by admin on Nov 6, 2009
I have really bad anxiety and just by drinking soda or anything really sugary, I get anxiety attacks. I can kinda control them but I hate getting them. Is the drink really high in sugar?
don’t worry the drink they have you drink isnt great but it isnt to bad. It’s like a orange flavored sugar water. I just chugged mine to get it over with.
If you get gestational diabetes do you have to take insulin or can it be monitored with pills and diet?
Posted by admin on Nov 6, 2009
Are women always required to take insulin for gestational diabetes?
Your practitioner will monitor you closely and you’ll most likely be able to keep your blood sugar levels under control with diet and exercise, and by getting insulin shots if you need them.
If you’re unable to keep your blood sugar under control or it’s high enough that you need insulin, or if you have any other risk factors, you’ll probably begin to have fetal heart monitoring (nonstress tests) or periodic ultrasounds around 32 weeks to check on your baby’s well-being. (This kind of ultrasound is called a biophysical profile.) If you can keep your diabetes well under control without insulin and you have no other problems, you might not begin these tests until your last few weeks or until your due date.
Your practitioner may also order an ultrasound around 29 to 33 weeks to measure your baby and estimate his weight. At that point, if your baby is already getting too big, you might be started on insulin. She may order another one closer to labor if she suspects your baby is large, but ultrasound is not usually very accurate at determining a baby’s size late in pregnancy. Depending on your circumstances, you might be induced before your due date, or your practitioner may recommend delivering by c-section.
