# Gestational Diabetes



## NatGreen (Jul 14, 2011)

Hi everyone

Joined the forum today so hello!

This is my second pregnancy and I am 22 weeks.  I had pre eclampsisa with my son who is now 3 and was never tested fro GD even though I was the same weight.

I feel very very low at the way I am being spoken to at the hospital, as though all I do all day is eat because I am so big!  I don't!  In fact Im eating really healthily and being a childminder, looking after 8 children every day, I rarely get time to sit down anyway!  My bmi was high but Im not a grea tbeliever in bmi anyway as when a size 10 I was still classed as overweight!!!  I am a size 16.  I lost 2.5 stone just before falling pregnant and wonder if all the weight is piling on and more from the weight loss!  I have put three stone on already!

Anyway went for my GTT and docs surgery said levels were fine....fantastic news!  BUT then that same afternoon I got a message from hospital to say they were high!  Off to the diabetic team last Monday and I have to test blood four times a day.  Because I have three risk factors: my bmi, having a 9.10oz son and mum having a DVT when pregnant with me, they want me to inject!  I have to go back on Monday to discuss!  Taking my mum with me lol!  I am such a wimp and my hubby is having to do finger prick as I cant bear needles...sure this will get better in time - how I am going to inject worries me though!

I have not stopped crying since Monday cos my low self esteem...they have made me feel awful and that its my fault etc etc!  I suffered depression a while ago because of how I fele about myself and it really isnt helping me!  They dont take into consideration the amount of water I am carrying and the midwife said I came across as a really stressy person and that as me and hubby work together and can't take time off work together, maybe we hsould go on separate holidays so I can relax!  Yeah right!!!!  She said people put weight on with stress and I may be one of those....I know I am because any major event in my life has caused weight gain - they really are not helping though!!!!

I have been getting headaches since really early on...are these connected?  I am exhausted too, to the point of falling asleep waiting for buses....is this normal?  Does insulin normally help and make you feel better?

Im really scared!!!!!!!  Can someone give me some reassurance please xxxxxxx


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## Northerner (Jul 14, 2011)

NatGreen said:


> ...I have not stopped crying since Monday cos my low self esteem...they have made me feel awful and that its my fault etc etc!  I suffered depression a while ago because of how I fele about myself and it really isnt helping me!  They dont take into consideration the amount of water I am carrying and the midwife said I came across as a really stressy person and that as me and hubby work together and can't take time off work together, maybe we hsould go on separate holidays so I can relax!  Yeah right!!!!  She said people put weight on with stress and I may be one of those....I know I am because any major event in my life has caused weight gain - they really are not helping though!!!!
> 
> I have been getting headaches since really early on...are these connected?  I am exhausted too, to the point of falling asleep waiting for buses....is this normal?  Does insulin normally help and make you feel better?
> 
> Im really scared!!!!!!!  Can someone give me some reassurance please xxxxxxx



Oh my dear! It is NOT your fault! I'm very sorry to hear that you have been made to feel this way by the people who are supposed to be caring for you 

I have read lots of stories from members here who have managed just fine and had beautiful healthy babies. Don't stress about the insulin - although my route to it was very different to yours, it really is no big deal. The needles are tiny (hardly worth calling them needles!) and I am sure you will soon get used to them  Hopefully, some of our mums will be along to offer some good advice


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## MrsCLH (Jul 15, 2011)

Hi Nat

Aww I really feel for you, what an awful way to be treated. As if pregnancy isn't an emotional enough time as it is! My hormones are all over the place, I cry at adverts so don't blame you for feeling down!

What kind of readings are you getting? I'm type 1 so I can probably be a lot higher before I get symptons but for you, you might only need to be a bit higher than normal to get headaches and feel exhausted. And I don't know about you but I find pregnancy exhausting enough as it is!

Do not be scared, you are being monitored now and that's the best thing for you. Keep doing your tests and write everything down. If you can't keep your readings in range without insulin then they might give you a small dose and yes, it will make you feel better. 

And like Northerner said, honestly the needles are tiny, you won't even feel them, finger pricking hurts more than injecting I promise. And you can always get hubby to do some of the injections for you. My hubby sometimes does mine, usually if I'm too lazy to move! ;-)

Let us know you get on on Monday and keep posting if you need to get anything off your chest!!

x


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## Ellie Jones (Jul 17, 2011)

I know it's easier said than done, but try not to get too stressed out as this is more likely to bump up your blood glucose levels and your blood pressure not good...

Try not to let their not so good bedside manner get to you, sadly for them they deal with the medical side of pregnancy/diabetes etc every day, so can sort of forget the personal touch, and treat you as the individual you are and your feeling do count..  But if you can when it happens let it float above your head rather taking it personally you feel better for it...

Going onto insulin yes is scary as it's pretty much the fear of the unknow, with being asked to do something that so far in life you've always associated with being the duty of a trained medical professional...  That of injecting a substance into somebody...

Insulin pens are so much user friendly than the days of the disposible syringes, as they help to disassociate injecting being the perserve of the medical profession...  with the new needles that not only the length but the guage of needle is so much finer makes for an easier and painless experience, and if you still don't like seeing the needle, they do an auto-cover where the needle is actually covered so you can't see it! how cool is that..

Finger pricking, if it hurts this could be a combination of things firstly the depth setting could be set too deep for you, so perhaps changing the setting might help...

But I suspect that because hubby doing it could be a large factor, problem with somebody else pricking your finger, they tend to put more pressure on the pricking pen it only has to be lightly touching the skin not actually pressed onto it, somebody else doing it means they've got to twist your finger to get the right angle which never helps matters..  Try mustering up the courage to do it yourself I suspect you be pleasently surprised what difference it actually makes!

Your team will closely monitor you throught your pregnancy and decission such as do you need oral medication/insulin to help control, if it's better to induce the baby early etc will be all based around what is happening, so birth plans etc can change as you proceed..

And you can get plenty of support here, from the other mums to be, new mums and the likes of me who all can help to explain the termology being used by your team, tips where possible etc, or just listen when you need to rant to relieve stress...


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