Comments on: diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy?

By: berrel

berrel — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:14:59 +0000

I also had gd with my son. It’s definitely annoyoing, and I hated when people told me it was common. It didn’t make me feel any better. don’t feel bad, it’s not from anything you did or didn’t do.

Try to make an appt with a nutritionist or dietician right away. They will help you figure out a diet to follow, which is the most important thing for you to do. It’s not worth cheating on, just remind yourself that you can eat whatever you want after the baby comes. Most likely it will go away within a week of delivery, they’ll probably check you at your 6-wk checkup just in case. I had to test my blood sugar 5 times a day. It took about 2wks to learn how different foods affected me. I could eat rice, but not potatoes, berries but not bananas. You’ll also need to learn what a true serving size is.
You do have a slightly higher chance than others of developing later in life, but if you maintain a healthy weight, you should be fine.

One of the biggest issues with the baby is they tend to be large, this is because insulin is a growth hormone in a baby, which is why the diet is Very important. It’s also possible that the baby will have low blood sugar when born, but all you need to do is feed him or her right away (breastfeeding is best, but if the baby doesn’t latch, they will want to give a bottle).

My son was born 3 days after his due date (I was induced) and weighed 7lbs. He had low blood sugar, they checked for 24hrs, but it was only low the first time. He was and still is super healthy and just fine!!! Good luck!
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By: ri_fran

ri_fran — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:39:59 +0000

Hi,
I had 4 children and while pregnant with my third I also had
been diagnosed with gestational diabeties. I had to watch my diet and follow instuctions from the doctor. there was no history in my family and i was scared too. After the pregnancy the diabeties was gone and 20 years later i still have no further issues with diabeties. It is something that happens with all the changes in your body during pregnancy and does not continue after the birth of the baby. look this up in WEBMD website. it is a wonderful place to get all kind of medical info. You can use it to look up info after the birth of your baby too. Good Luck and take it easy, all will be well soon.
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By: Angela C

Angela C — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:20:59 +0000

first of all I question what kind of doctor you have that hasn't given you all this info already!! But yes, it does go away after pregnancy, and in most cases can be easily controlled by following a strict diet.Your baby will be fine, although they do tend to be a little larger than average. A very good friend of mine with four kids, had gestational diabetes twice. All her kids were fine, although her smallest baby was still over 8 pounds. Talk to your doctor, he is being paid to take care of you. Make him earn his money!!
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By: Miranda J

Miranda J — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:32:59 +0000

Well, GD is pretty common in pregnancy, that’s why they test everyone now. It really isn’t anything to worry too much about, as long as you are following what your doctor wants you do. They will watch you more closely and check the baby more often, just to make sure it’s ok and not getting too big. They may induce you sooner then you would have gone naturally.

There is no reason to be mad at yourself!! You did nothing to cause this! It’s just something that happens to some women. There is nothing you could have done to avoid getting it, or anything you can change to make it any different. You should be happy that you found out about it and can take action now to insure the health of you and your baby.

Usually, GD goes away after the birth, usually with in the first 48 hours your sugars stabilize and everything starts to get back to normal. Don’t worry if it takes a while longer. Sometimes it will stick around for a few weeks, usually not longer then that. There are some women that will continue to have diabetes after the baby is born. If this happens, it isn’t anything you did. It really isn’t that bad of the thing to have to deal with. My hubby is diabetic, type 1 since he was 14, so we deal with it in our family. Trust me, there are way worse things you could have!!!

Your baby should be fine. Since you have big babies anyway, they will watch your baby for signs that it’s getting too big. They will also monitor you more closely, probably with more ultrasounds and possibly non-stress tests. I actually enjoyed getting the non-stress tests. You just go sit, they strap monitors to your belly and they watch you for an hour to make sure the babies heartbeat is good and it’s moving enough. They would bring me drinks if I needed it, and I just got to relax and read a good book.

And who doesn’t like ultrasounds?? I get one every month because my first baby was growth restricted. I’m in the high risk catagory, as you will be now. That isn’t really a bad thing, just means you are watched more. But it’s fun to see my baby every month, see how much she’s growing, watch her cute little movements!! So enjoy it if you are lucky enough to have a few extra ultrasounds.

Other then that, relax!!! Enjoy this pregnancy, and follow what the doctors say. Other then that, there isn’t much you can do. Good luck!!!!
References :
OB/Gyn CNP, mom of 2 with one on the way.

By: Tina W

Tina W — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:55:59 +0000

It will go away once the baby is delivered. Don’t fret too much, just keep a watchfull eye on your blood glucose or blood sugar levels. This actually happens to a lot of women, and there is nothing that you could’ve done to prevent it. The only complication that this can cause the baby is, if your sugar gets too high you could go into diabetic shock which could harm the baby. By keeping track, taking meds as directed by your physician and trying not to consume foods or beverages with high sugar levels you can keep this under control. The only other complication is that babies born of diabetic mothers tend to be larger than other babies. Sometimes this makes passing through the birth canal a little harder and a C-section my be necessary. As long as you take care of yourself until the end of the pregnancy and follow your doctors advice, things should turn out just fine. Good luck!

BTW.. a normal fasting (meaning you haven’t eaten or drank anything except water in 8 hrs) blood sugar is from 70 to 100. This may go up after eating and for a person who is not pregnant, it may be fine for the BS to reach 130-199 with food consumption. I don’t know what the best level for pregnancy is, therefore please talk to you OB to find out your ideal BS. Again, Good Luck!
References :
Nationally Certified Medical Assistant

By: ashleyral

ashleyral — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:31:59 +0000

I had GD when I was prego with my 1st (and only) and I gained a lot more weight than normal pregnancies but they will watch the size of the baby so don’t worry about him being to big or anything, they’ll do a biophysical profile when you’re about 7.5-8 months along to find out the size of the baby. Usually it goes away right after you have your baby, mine did. You’ll just have to keep checking your sugar levels for a few weeks after just to make sure. And depending on how many ppl in your fmaily have diabetes will determine your chances of getting it in the future. They say that after the baby is born you will get diabetes within 10 years….
Your baby will be fine, however this does increase the baby’s chance of having it after he’s born but it doesn’t mean he will, mine didn’t, and he didn’t have any problems either. My labor was induced @ the risk of the baby getting too big but he was (and still is!) normal and doesn’t have it today (3 1/2 yrs old)… you’ll be fine just make sure to eat right and take care of yourself and your baby! Good luck with everything!!
References :
I’ve had Gestational Diabetes!

By: astroeyes2000

astroeyes2000 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:14:59 +0000

I did not have diabetes while pregnant with my child but developed it after he was born. There is a website – RevolutionHealth.com that could answer some of your questions. I hope that everything will be well for you.
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By: bentfortoday

bentfortoday — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:26:59 +0000

oh, only women, not maybe, men who’s wives have had GD? Or a guy who is currently married to a woman with type II diabetes? A guy who is a medic and trained in treatment of GD, and other problems with pregnancy? ok. Write to me if you change your mind, and want some actual clues, insight, etc. And yes, after the baby is born, it will almost certainly (80-95%) go away. That’s a freebee cuz i’m nice. But do you think only women understand? There are people who’ve seen the progression, the changes, the health issues, etc. that aren’t female.
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We’re called husbands. And we care.

By: sommore101

sommore101 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:42:59 +0000

I haven't had gd but I have an aunt and a cousin that were diagnosed with it while carrying a child. I think it has something to do with your change in diet while you are pregnant and the blood in your system. I don't know if I am explaining it right, but I do know that it goes away for most women. Just take your medication as directed by your doctor and things should be okay for you and you baby.
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By: matthewsmommy

matthewsmommy — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:22:59 +0000

It will go away right after you give birth. The best thing that you can do is really watch what you eat now. Stay away from high sugar foods, and try to eat complex carbohydrates whole grain foods. You didn’t do anything to cause this, so don’t beat yourself up over it.
The only differences with the baby is they are usually bigger than average, and they may check her blood sugar when she is born to make sure it’s not high or low.
My sister had it when she was preg, and is fine now.
References :
I’m a nurse, and mom of 16mo boy