Does anyone use a glucose sugar tester for gestational diabetes? I failed my glucose test today and so I now have to check my sugar 4 times daily. When I got to the doctor at 8 am, it was a 113 fasting score which is why I failed the test because it had to be at 95. Two hours after lunch I checked it with the machine thing the pharmacy gave me it was 94, two hours after dinner I checked it and it was 92...because I thought it might be wrong I checked it about an hour after that and it was at 72...now after thinking it was still wrong to drop like that anyways. I went and got some orange juice I hadn't checked it in about two hours and I consumed the orange juice about 20-30 mins later and it says my sugar is now 113... is this normal? I haven't ever had to regularly keep up with my sugar before but this just doesn't seem like it is accurate to me...
Yes the fluid was just urine. I found out before my first response on here. I did ask my doctor about what it should be. I was given a packet to read which I have done so about 8 times now. I do not have to take any medication for it and am to just monitor it 4 times daily fasting, two hours after breakfast, two hours after lunch, and two hours after dinner. I have also began to keep a food journal. I just haven't ever had to keep up with my sugar before so I don't understand why it would lower throughout the day and be so high when it's fasting. Today for instance I have had to begin recording the information. I had a score of 113 when I first woke up, 134 2 hours after breakfast, 92 2 hours after lunch, and 93 2 hours after dinner. In school when learning about diabetes I understood that it should go up after eating but it has only seem to lower... which is why I was confused. I can't call my doctor until Monday to get more information on it because her office is closed until then.
This is a question for your doctor. You can even call after hours and they will get someone to talk to you.
Did you ever find out what fluid you were leaking last time you asked a question? Did you ask your doctor?
This site is for asking questions but your questions have all been ones you should be asking your doctor *first*, not a bunch of strangers on a website.
It sounds like your doctor is doing a lousy job of educating you. Blood sugar levels change constantly. It would be normal for your level to be up a bit after a meal, then down again. Are you taking insulin? Or medication? Or just monitoring for now? Why did you drink orange juice, were you concerned that 72 was dangerously low or did you think you were lower and getting an inaccurate reading? Going from 72 to 113 20 minutes after drinking juice seems about right.
ETA: Your SWH is exactly why I think your doc is not giving you the answers that you need. Balancing blood sugar is not as simple as good in, sugar up. All kinds of things effect your sugar levels. Physical activity is a big one. On the one hand, exercise burns sugar and lowers it. On the other, a fat burn can convert fat to sugar, raising the levels. Stress, lack of sleep, changes in your meal schedule, naps, all of these can impact your blood sugar. My husband has been a Type I diabetic since he was 8. Sometimes it is hard to figure out why you are high or low at a given point, which is why monitoring is so important. If you think a reading is wonky, test again right away. Sometimes you get a bad result if you don't get enough blood on the strip or other reasons.
I was sent to a class at the high risk pregnancy doctor's office after being diagnosed with gestational diabetes. They gave me my blood sugar machine and an eating schedule with what foods (protein, veggie, carb, etc) and how much of each to eat at each meal and snack.
I was taken off all sugar, no sugar at all period and then nothing white (potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, boxed cereal and Chinese food) the last one wasn't "white" but they added it on the end of the list. They gave me a huge booklet with how much an actual serving of different foods were...I had to buy a kitchen scale.
The class took about an hour and a half...the first two weeks involved testing my blood sugar 7 times a day before eating and an hour afterwards. Then with each appointment changed to what they were checking before meal number or after meal numbers.
Sounds like you need a lot more education than "hey you have this and here check your blood sugar numbers". Orange juice has so much sugar in it you really shouldn't be drinking it...any juice for that matter....they had me on crystal light if I felt I needed a "juice-like drink" as it is sugar free.
Call your doctor and ask when they are sending you for a class and more education on how to handle this condition.
WAIT!! You only had one test and they told you that you had GD??????
You need a one hour glucose test and if you fail that, then a three hour test before you can be diagnosed with GD. A fasting morning number isn't accurate!!!! I asked why we had to eat a bedtime snack of my diabetes educator and she told me if you didn't eat for too long over night your numbers would be high in the morning.
Your doctor needs to send you for more testing!!! Call and ask about a one hour glucose test.
You need to ask the doctor what numbers are acceptable when. Your amount of glucose does drop as your body digests your food. When I was diagnosed as prediabetic, my doctor referred me to a class that taught me about the different levels as well as how to eat to maintain consistent levels.
Make sure you are tracking everything. What you eat, when you eat it, what your glucose levels are. I had to go to a specialist every 2 weeks and he monitored all of this information. Everyone's levels are different and the ranges are different too.
Contact your doctor to see where he expects your levels to be.
I've successfully managed gestational diabetes twice through diet alone, most recently this summer. I will add to all the other ladies encouraging you to talk to your doctor. It is extremely important to receive adequate education when you're dealing with gestational diabetes. Among other things, out of control blood sugar can make you more grouchy, queasy, and tired (all things I don't enjoy feeling any more than necessary). And of course, it has the potential to negatively affect your baby if you can't control your blood sugar.
Check with your doctor to see if the hospital has a diabetes education program or if he/she has a recommendation for a diabetes counselor to walk you through the ins and outs of this condition. It's really not something you want to try to just wing it through. If your doctor can't or won't help you with this, talk to your insurance company and see if they can refer you to a counselor (and heavily consider changing to an ob who takes gestational diabetes seriously--it's very manageable with the right information and diligence on the part of you and your doctor).
In the meantime, the link below is an excellent resource for gestational diabetes. I would recommend reading through the whole thing to see if it addresses any of the questions you're struggling with. It is consistent with the information from my diabetes counselor.
I monitored my blood sugar with both pregnancies. The foods you eat are what makes a big difference in your numbers. Fruit juice will cause a sugar spike. That will be one of the things you will have to restrict.
Since you're keeping a food diary but haven't been given any advice on your diet yet, I'm guessing you have an upcoming appointment with a nutritionist in the next week or so. You will learn about what to eat and what to avoid.
Your blood sugar goes up and down all the time, every single thing you put in your mouth effects it. So if you're taking it every little bit it's obviously going to be all over the place.
Mine always tested in the 110 range and was always normal or low. Pregnancy can do different things to it though. Good question to ask the moms.
