Pregnant - Nursing Diet support for the pregnant or nursing chick!

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Old 10-27-2010, 11:19 AM   #1  
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Default 3 hour GTT worries

So, obviously I'm overweight. I think I mentioned in my first entry one of my biggest worries about this pregnancy is being so overweight. I did all of my blood work about a week and a half ago, and my one hour glucose tolerance test came back with values that were "a little high" according to the nurse that returned my call.

They've ordered the 3 hour test for me now, and I am a nervous wreck. I know there's no sense in worrying.. it is what it is, and I'll do what I have to to take care of myself. I'm just wondering if you guys had any experience with gestational diabetes or any suggestions for how I should modify my diet to keep me in the best health I can.

I know this is essentially beyond my control. Sure, I could have lost weight ages ago, so it is/was a little in my control.. but, I mean I started a life style change months ago, and have been exceptionally careful since finding out I'm pregnant. I'm not one of those people that just blows off being heavy and continues to eat deep fried foods and guzzle soda. I'm responsible, I guess, is my point, but I can't help feeling like this is failing myself and my baby. My main goal since finding out I was pregnant has been maintaining calm and serenity.. this just happens to come at a time when a few other stressors are rearing their ugly heads, and I feel so overwhelmed.
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Old 10-27-2010, 11:57 AM   #2  
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I had gestational diabetes with my last pregnancy. I was able to control mine the whole time solely through diet (and exercise when I had the energy). When they told me I had it, and they waited like a week to tell me, I had to go meet with a diabetic health nurse who gave me a glucose meter and showed me how to test and gave me a prescription for strips. She told me to stay away from sugary stuff and that I should exercise, but that was about it. I also had to meet with a nutritionist, who gave me more info about what I should eat. They customize that to you though so your plan might be different than what mine was. I never felt real comfortable with my eating plan because I always had to refer to my little guide to see what I was allowed at each meal and in what amounts.

Also, I had to have weekly doctor's appointments once I was diagnosed. Since that classified me as "high risk" also, I had to go in for fetal stress tests later on in the pregnancy too to make sure that my son was doing fine. All they do for that is hook up a monitor to your belly and make you lay there until they count a certain number of movements, which could be anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on if baby is awake or not!

I know two of the issues that can happen with babies when you have gestational diabetes is that they can be very overweight when they're born, and it can take longer for their lungs to mature before birth. My sons was measuring 7.2 oz at 36 weeks and his lungs were mature by 36 weeks 5 days (I had an amnio because they wanted to induce early because of his size), so really my GD didn't affect him at all. He was born at 36 weeks 6 days, 7 lbs7 oz, 21 3/4 in long. He has been perfectly happy and healthy since then. And his 7 lbs 7 oz was actually very skinny, he didn't have much fat on him at all at that weight. I just happen to make large babies regardless!

Anyway, that was my experience with it. I think that I was pretty nervous about having GD because I had no idea what it entailed or what the risks were. I would say talk to your doctor about the risks, and asking others about their experiences like you've done here and it won't be as scary. Good luck with your test results!
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Old 10-27-2010, 01:02 PM   #3  
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I failed my one hour glucose test. But I passed the 3 hour one. It was scary! But I hear at least 1 out of 3 fail the hour test. I tried not to worry about it until I got my results back. Just make sure you are ready to have those three hours be the longest of your life! Good luck! I'll be hoping everything comes out ok!
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Old 10-28-2010, 09:37 AM   #4  
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Thanks, ladies. I did read in several sources that failing the one hour is absolutely no indication of how the three hour will turn out, so I'm trying to be optimistic. Unfortunately, I also have to be realistic and consider that I am a person at risk for it.

I think that is my problem, dudesmom. Not knowing whether it exists or the severity leaves me with countless possibilities to ponder, and no real plan of attack. I always feel better when I can plan what I need to do. I'm also nervous about being put on a specific diet because I would also constantly second guess what I could have and constantly worry about it.

But, I'm trying not to stress about it. I know I'm doing what's best for me, and if I have to modify that further, then I will.
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Old 11-01-2010, 11:56 AM   #5  
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Good luck to you and I hope you pass your 3 hour GTT. Even if you are positive GD, at least you can be armed with that information and "nip it in the bud". Perhaps a nutritionist specializing with pregnant woman would be beneficial.

GD is an increasingly common condition for pregnant woman and the experts do have ways to deal with it, all of which will be shared with you if you test positive.
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Old 11-02-2010, 10:56 AM   #6  
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I really think the most important thing you can do is EXERCISE EVERY SINGLE DAY!! Exercise uses up the glucose in your body, and that alone can make people's blood sugar readings return to normal. So even if you haven't been exercising up until now, get started with 1/2 hour every single morning. Just walking, work up to a nice brisk pace that gets your heart a little elevated but is not making you breathless or feeling sick. I've also read that most people who fail the 1 hour will pass the 3 hour.. so good luck and keep us posted!
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Old 11-02-2010, 11:08 AM   #7  
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Thanks for the kind words, ladies.

kirsteng, I had been striving to do some sort of activity daily, but had been pretty lax until the last week or two. I feel awesome, no nausea and I'm not overly fatigued, just definitely ready for bed by about 10 every night. I'll be more diligent in those efforts, thanks for the advice!
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Old 11-06-2010, 09:10 PM   #8  
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All three of my pregnancies were accidents. (i.e. I never felt like I prepared adequately for them, either healthwise or weight wise, I too struggled with some guilt of thinking "I could have been a better mother if I had started from a healthier position! But when you got what you got because you didn't plan ahead, work with what you got and do the best you can from here on out! Which is what it looks like you're doing So good job! And quit feeling bad about it!)

I got gestational diabetes with all three of them. You can get it even if you're not obese. I was for the first two though. I didn't really REALIZE until the third one how much easier being pregnant was and controlling the diabetes was without a ton of extra weight, and I was only 20 lbs lighter for my third baby! The difference was incredible though, watching my body chemistry stay level because I was watching it through my blood sugar numbers was just so great for me. When it comes to diabetes there's direct correlation between your weight and HOW you feel and HOW much energy you have and HOW well your body handles the extra sugar in your blood. Its so much easier to control with just a little bit less weight.


For me I had very high risk factors because my dad is a diabetic (and thin as a rail if it makes you feel any better). Sometimes you're gonna get because you're gonna get it, extra weight just makes it somewhat harder to control.


That being said, my Chinese labmate who is probably 6 months pregnant and still only 75 lbs just failed the one hour test last week, but passed the three hour test. My other labmate who was probably 100 lbs heavier than me passed the first test with no problem when she was pregnant. I failed both tests and I'm pretty much destined to get diabetes with the full blown disease at some undetermined point in the future.


One thing that I did appreciate about the pregnancy though, is that it was easier for me to eat healthy when I knew I could be damaging my baby. If its out of control, it CAN cause stillbirth. Also if you don't control it, your baby is going to have a higher birth weight and puts him at a higher risk for diabetes later on his life.

For me, if I think I'm just hurting myself, I'll go for the extra piece of cake But when I knew I was potentially hurting my baby, AND I had to prick my finger an hour later and LOOK at the consequences of my blood sugar levels as a result of that extra piece of cake....it made it a LOT easier to control my diet!


SO-don't be sad either way, although I hope you all the best that you pass the three hour test! They actually the "limit" levels set pretty low for the first test because they'd rather test more people on the three hour test and find ALL the diabetics, vs letting a few slip through and not caring for a diabetic pregnant woman properly. Do you know what I mean? So there are lot of people who fail the first test who aren't diabetic. They set it up that way on purpose so they don't miss anyone who really has it.

Last edited by boots; 11-06-2010 at 09:15 PM.
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