Upset about GTT test result

[Mary2022]

I did the GTT test at 28weeks, the result was positive gestational diabetes.

Honestly I can't believe the test result. My BMI before pregnancy is always under 22, I am a very slim person even with pregnancy my body is still slim only my tummy grows. I have a healthy diet during pregnancy as well.

While pregnant, I eat oats with milk and fruit as breakfast everyday, meat and plenty of vegetables for lunch and dinner. I eat a bowl of fruit with yogurt as afternoon tea. Never intake sugar/ sweet food / white rice. Just occasionally bite the bread (but never finish the whole bread) when I really feel hungry in the afternoon..

I don't know what I did wrong...The feeling of it is just like a person who never smoked but gets lung cancer. I am on a healthy diet and why me?? I just can't believe the GTT result!

I shouldn't eat anything if this strict diet still makes me catch gestational diabetes! I really control myself so much on the diet. I don't know what else I can improve!

The nurse on the phone told me it might be related to my ethnic or inherited from my family..They booked me for the consultant appointment next week.

My sister told me she didn't have gestational diabetes during pregnancy but she forgot which weeks she did the GTT test. Her baby was oversize compared to the normal babies so I suspected she might have in the third trimester to cause the baby to oversize.

I did my 28 weeks ultrasound as well, my baby size is in the normal range, everything looks fine with my baby. I didn't have a high blood pressure or any unwell.

Anyone had a similar experience? I really appreciate it if you can share your experience with me, thanks in advance.

[DianeArnold Partner]

Hi Mary. Oh dear, sorry to hear this especially when you have been so goo. The others will tell you their experiences, but all being well once baby is born, all will soon settle back down to normal again. You and baby will be looked after perfectly, I’m sure. Good luck. Diane

[Mary2022 in reply to DianeArnold]

Thank you. I really hope it won't have a big impact on my baby. I did numbers of ultrasounds (private and NHS) so far everything looks fine on my baby, size normal. I just feel so shocked about the gestational diabetes and I hope they will help me through this. Fingers crossed.

[PenguinBlue]

hi, you cannot control if you have GD or not - it’s related to the placenta and how it impacts insulin and blood sugar in your body. Given your healthy diet, it would be out of your control but doesn’t mean you need to change too much. Don’t feel bad about having it in your pregnancy, you have done nothing wrong.

if your sister had a larger baby, that doesn’t necessarily mean she had GTT later in her pregnancy either.

Depending on the level you tested at, you will have to control either via diet or medication. If it’s diet related, it’s quite straightforward - I found that oats and bread spiked my sugar but rice and potatoes didn’t - so I was able to swap out carbs to help me control mine. After I tested positive in my first pregnancy, and worked out what foods triggered my sugar - my blood sugar was fine all the rest of the time. I know a few people who had oats spiking their sugar when it’s deemed to be a healthy carb to eat. I had yogurt and fruit for breakfast or an omelette with veggies and cheese instead of oats and it made a huge difference.

For context, In my second pregnancy, I passed the GTT test (I had to do an early test at 11 weeks and then at 28 weeks) and have been able to eat everything I usually do.

If you Google nhs and gestational diabetes, you’ll be able to get lots more information and a diabetic midwife will also be contacting you shortly to provide more information on how to control your sugar. Best of luck! X

[Mary2022 in reply to PenguinBlue]

Thanks for your reply. You mentioned " I found that oats and bread spiked my sugar but rice and potatoes didn’t " Is there any tests NHS provided to you to proof that?

I always avoid potatoes and white rice before and during pregnancy because they are high in sugar level food. I am going to meet the experts today to see any advice they can give to me.

[PenguinBlue in reply to Mary2022]

The testing of my blood sugars after my meals proved they didn’t spike. Once you’re confirmed to have gd, you’ll be asked to test your blood sugar 4x a day and for me, after eating oats or bread my sugar levels were much higher than after I ate potatoes or rice. Everyone will react differently though!

[Mary2022 in reply to PenguinBlue]

I visited the diabetes centre in hospital last Friday and the expert didn't advice me to intake high sugar level food like rice, potatoes, bread, etc. If you want to eat those high sugar level food, it should be limited to a very small portions.

I was offered a blood glucose meter to monitor my level. My blood sugar level didn't raise after eating oaks, so I don't think eating oats is the reason to cause GD.

As an Asian, we are higher risk than other ethnicities. I need to avoid certain high sugar and fatty food, need to always keep BMI under 23 in order to avoid any risk to develop the real diabetes.

[Wishinandahopin]

hi Mary that must be so frustrating for you sadly it’s a bit of a myth that people can cause GD or not. Some people just due to genetics are more prone than others. And those that are more prone are more likely to get it regardless.

If a larger person who eats nothing but sugar in pregnancy isn’t prone to it then they will unlikely get it and vice versa.

So please don’t blame yourself as you really have been super healthy by the sounds of it! I’ve known a few people to have had it- both slim with good diets and they had no problems arise from it. So hopefully they’ll will able to give you some insulin or whatever you need and everything will be ok.

Wishinh you luck!

[Mary2022 in reply to Wishinandahopin]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, things are out of my control. I will visit the experts today in the hospital to seek for the advices. Also review the food/ diet I intake and see any problems on it, so frustrated but I want to get it right rather than develop complications later on.

[Wishinandahopin]

Yeah they will be able to help you.

Something my nutritionist said is whenever I eat something is to make sure I eat protein with it- so maybe add some peanut butter or something to your oats and some nuts to your yoghurt and fruit? Wholegrains are meant to be ok too if paired with protein and good fats 😊 I think avoiding too much sugar or saturated fat is key with GD but it does sound like you’re already doing that.

[Mary2022 in reply to Wishinandahopin]

I did add walnuts and some fruits into oats cooking with milk. I believe it could be my ethnic Asian, more easy to catch GD. I will talk to the nutritionist in the hospital today and see what else I can improve.

[Beacon78]

Hi there. I was in exactly the same situation as you. Before and during my pregnancy my BMI was low (I’m naturally slim); I walked every day (sometimes on weekends for hours); ate healthily (freshly cooked meals); and also had very low blood pressure yet I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at week 24. It came as a shock but because of my ethnicity (I’m South Asian) I’m predisposed to diabetes. However with dietary changes and daily monitoring post each meal I was able to control my diabetes. My baby when he was born was only 2.89kg. Pretty small and my gestational diabetes disappeared when they tested me at week 13 postpartum. The hardest thing for me was figuring out what to eat as I’m vegetarian and was dependant on carbs. However I managed it. I did lose weight during the third trimester but my little one was fine and was not hypoglycaemic which can happen where the mother has gestational diabetes. I’m sure with your diligence and motivation you will manage to control this and everything will be fine. Best of luck xx

[Mary2022 in reply to Beacon78]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Yes, some ethnicity catch GD easily even with a healthy diet. They referred me to diabetes centre in hospital and they offered me a Accu-Chek Instant Blood Glucose System, it is a blood glucose meter to monitor my level. It is targeted before meal 5.3mmol/L and 7.8mmol/L 1 hour after meal.

I did two tests (1 hour after meal), both reading was 5.5mmol/L, so the figures looked good under 7.8mmol/L. The diabetes expert told me need to continue monitor my level till birth.

Also I gave my daily food list to her to see anything wrong with my diet. She pointed out that banana is higher sugar level than other fruits like berries should be limited to small portions. So I decide to replace banana to berries, orange or lower sugar level fruits. For the oats, it is fine but not more than 40g per meal so I will try to follow it. Also I may eat too much couscous, needed to be limited to a smaller portion. I will quit bread.

Like you said, hopefully with a healthy diet control and blood glucose meter monitoring, everything will be fine. Fingers crossed. 🤞