u/Cautious-Bass-5053 — reddlx

Hi everyone-

I'm currently 34w4d with my second GDM baby. With my son (3.5y) I was entirely diet managed, diagnosed at 26 weeks, finger pricking, and then diagnosed with preeclampsia at 32ish weeks. He was born naturally after an induction at 37 weeks, I was in labor for 5 days, both my son and my body weren't ready to deliver but he came out against all odds and didn't need any NICU time/was put right on my chest and passed all of his tests with flying colors.

THIS time... boy oh boy. I'm pregnant with a girl and because I had GDM with my son they tested me at 12 weeks for GDM, sure enough I failed the 1 hour and 3 hour test and so they've been treating me and seeing me for extra appointments as though I have Type 2. I was diet managed right up until a few weeks ago when I elected to be on dinner time fast acting insulin. I am also using a Dexcom G7. I also elected to go on fasting insulin because my fasting numbers were never under 95 when I'd wake up. So in conclusion, I am currently taking fast acting and slow acting insulin and hyperfixated on my glucose numbers. As it stands, at her last growth scan she was measuring at "almost" the 70th percentile in overall size. 8/8 on all of the markers they check at each ultrasound I've had, zero major concerns about fluid/growth. They did say that they'd like to keep her growth under the 75th percentile.

Anyways, I feel like I can't win? Literally I keep upping my insulin and nothing seems to really do the trick. Every morning I wake up with like 100-115 for fasting... and every time I have dinner (and these dinners are literally like, salmon, asparagus, sweet potato, water) I'll have an "ok" reading at the 2 hour and 1 hour marks but then I'll have a delayed spike for several hours after I eat. I feel like I'm constantly seeing 140-160 post meals. My GDM is being managed by a very 'strict' diabetes center out of Boston and they want to see my numbers lower and told me to feel free to be more 'aggressive' with my insulin... I keep titrating up but it doesn't seem to really be doing much? I hear 32-36 weeks is the most brutal for insulin resistance, which I already was before becoming pregant so it comes as no surprise but I'm terrified of how this birth is going to go. They advised that I collect my colostrum starting at week 36, so I have a colostrum collecting kit on standby which I'll use to help regulate her sugars when she's born, but the idea of her being whisked away to NICU because of my uncontrolled GDM is making me so sad. I feel like my son's birth was miraculous... I can't be that lucky twice in a row.

Anyways, I'd love to hear of other experiences like mine, I'd like to hear success stories, where you thought you totally damned your child but everything turned out okay... maybe even stories where you had a very similar experience and steps you took to reduce your numbers... I'd love to hear any and all advice. I'd also like to know what is considered "out of control" like, the NP at my diabetes clinic told me she sees mothers who come in saying they're pregnant with "numbers in the 300's" I've never been that high, so she said "don't stress too much" but I know for a fact 160 hours after eating something is NOT good... and neither is 100-130 through the night while I'm sleeping. So what the hell.

Oh also, I'm on the verge of being diagnosed with preeclampsia again. Swelling, check, protein was 500+mg from my 24 hour collection test, all they're waiting on is some high BP readings in my office appointments, which always land between 124/81-126/88. So frustrating.

Anyways, thanks so much. Looking forward to hearing from ya'll. <3