My Gestational Diabetes Story

 I’ve spoken at length about my experience of preeclampsia to raise awareness of this dangerous condition, but I’ve just realised that I’ve never really spoke out about my brush with GD (gestational diabetes). Here’s my story…

It can be daunting; sitting waiting by your phone after your GTT, reading up on Google, it’s easy to get into a tizz. That’s understandable, I won’t cast any illusions, Gestational Diabetes is potentially dangerous and does need careful monitoring. However, upon diagnosis your care and monitoring will be really good, and everything is likely to be absolutely fine.

From the get go, I was identified as having risk factors for Gestational Diabetes. I’d lost lots of weight prior to becoming pregnant but my BMI was literally *just* within the range for needing a GTT, plus having PCOS increased my risk too, so at 28 weeks I had my GTT appointment at my booking hospital.

I was a bit nervous about having 2 lots of bloods taken, because I have shit veins that collapse at the mere mention of needles, but generally my GTT wasn’t bad at all. I took magazines for the 2 hour wait between blood draws, charged my phone fully, took my iPad and set myself up in a corner with Toby. If you’re losing sleep worrying about your GTT, let me reassure you that while it isn’t the most fun experience, it isn’t a total shit show.

The only real downside? I was feckin’ MARVING, because it’s a fasting test!

The hospital WH Smiths must have made thousands off me during my pregnancy… the bulk of that being from my post-GTT food rampage!

I digress.

So, within hours of getting home, I got THE CALL. I was told to expect a call that day if my test was positive, and sure enough, like my BMI I was *just* within the threshold for a diagnosis. The term is borderline, but my hospital doesn’t use that for Gestational Diabetes, you either have it or you don’t and I had it. As my pregnancy progressed, I definitely veered away from borderline…

I was gutted. I felt like it was my fault and had done the wrong things, but my diabetes nurse set my mind at ease; there was nothing I could have done or not done to change the outcome. I was always going to develop Gestational Diabetes, regardless.

It’s caused by the placenta making hormones that cause a buildup of glucose in the blood; with Gestational Diabetes patients, it gets to a point that our pancreas can’t produce enough insulin leading to GD. The chances are increased with certain risk factors but I’m being honest when I say that my Gestational Diabetes clinic was full of women of WILDLY varying shapes and sizes. From size 6 gym bunnies with abs of steel, to size 26 bodacious babes, we were all shapes and sizes in there!

I was given extra appointments, and my consultant was switched to a consultant who specialised in GD pregnancies, and a separate diabetes consultant, as well as appointments with a GD nurse… my schedule became pretty hectic, leading to me making the decision to leave work at 29 weeks. I took 4 weeks holiday, and started maternity leave at 31 weeks, which was the best decisions I ever made for myself as I also developed preeclampsia (but that’s an entirely new story, which I will write another time).

One thing I noticed was that my hospital was still relying on outdated dietary advice for GD, and telling me to eat far too many carbs leading to my blood sugars spiking majorly out of range. After having Max, I discovered Gestational Diabetes UK – they offer up to date dietary advice for mums with GD based on recent research showing the benefits of a low carb, high good fats and moderate protein diet. This won’t work for all GD mums but it does help a large number of them to avoid needing medicating.

 I ended up on metformin and then eventually insulin – one of the biggest worries of GD mums!

Calm down. Hand on heart, injecting insulin is no biggy, I barely felt it as the needle is so short and thin. My first appointment to get the insulin was an hour of me sobbing hysterically, refusing to stab myself with the dummy needle, and the lovely patient nurse reassuring me that it would be fine… and it really was. A wee sting for a second and then nothing.

I was induced at 37 weeks eventually due to my preeclampsia.

With GD alone, my hospital wouldn’t have let me go past 38 weeks due to being on insulin, but as I have Ehlers Danlos syndrome and also had preeclampsia, I was started off at exactly 37 weeks, the day after my 24th Birthday! I was nearly induced a few times between 33 weeks and 36 weeks due to my preeclampsia causing scares but we were able to keep him baking until I reached term, thank goodness!

Induction is purely down to your individual circumstances and hospital policy. Lots of hospitals let diet-controlled GD mummies go to their due date, whilst some prefer to induce slightly earlier. Medicated mums usually deliver earlier, but you should discuss with your consultant to confirm.

Immediately after having Max, my GD was supposed to vanish… it didn’t.

Most mums with GD are no longer diabetic within minutes of their placenta leaving their body, but a minority like me will sadly continue to be diabetic, type 2. This is uncommon though. If this is the case for you, diabetic care on the NHS is excellent, and it is a manageable condition! Sometimes babies born to GD mums can have low blood sugars, which is why it’s sometimes recommended that we harvest and freeze our excess colostrum during the final weeks of pregnancy to supplement baby at birth – Max didn’t need this, but the syringes in the freezer were still very handy.

In all… a diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes isn’t the end of the world. It’s a bummer, without a doubt, but ultimately its just one of those things, and with monitoring you & your baby will be absolutely fine.

Love from Katie. Xx