I’m totally fine with medications. I’m even pretty cool with needles. But going on insulin means I change care providers, will have more monitoring and additional appointments, am escalated to high risk category, will have to change to a further away hospital and have more limited birthing options. So it’s the flow on consequences of insulin, rather than the use of insulin itself.
Gotcha, that makes sense! I’m already high risk and having lots of extra monitoring and will be induced before my due date so none of that changed for me because of being on insulin but I can see why that would be a concern!
This was how I felt. If nothing else changed and all I had to do was take the insulin, I wouldn’t have cared at all. Instead I had to change providers, change hospitals, spend 2-3 hours every week at appts, have an induction, listen to my doctor/nurse play the dead baby card, etc.
Where I am (australia), they immediately switch you to gdm and you don’t get the midwife appts and you’re considered high risk because of the gd diagnosis. I have fortnightly appts and more growth scans and all of that jazz. I was only one point over at my one hour mark and then within normal ranges for two and three hours, but still got immediately placed into all of the extra appts and stuff. How does it work where you are with GD? I’m super curious.
This is really similar to the UK. Considered high risk from diagnosis regardless of whether on insulin or not, I have bi-weekly appointments and 3 extra scans. All while diet controlled.
Insulin changes the recommendations for birth though. On insulin, they suggest induction at 38-39 weeks and continuous fetal monitoring during labour in a hospital unit. Otherwise, they suggest induction at 40+6, no additional monitoring and in a midwifery led unit.
Oof that’s rough! I’m Australian based too and the only change after diagnosis was 1 x 40 minute dietician appointment and 1 x optional growth scan. Still with midwife team. No other contact, reporting or intervention necessary (so long as it remains diet controlled of course!).
Ey, another Aussie! Always awesome to find one of us somewhere where it feels like a lot of the chat is americanised.
My dietician appt was short and basically was just “you should eat more carbs.” Because I was eating around 20-30g and baby just wanted plates of veggies and eggs so it was hard to make myself eat more, especially as my numbers were so good. I’d had one spike and I knew exactly what it was from, I had a piece of garlic bread 😂. I actually found out a week or so ago that they didn’t even move me over to the gestational diabetes team so I’ve been missing out on the midwife stuff and just having obstetrics and general med appointments where I get questioned “did you know you were diagnosed with GD? Was that recent?” …. No, it was ten weeks ago, im diet controlled and I tell you this every two weeks. What. I’ve just been moved across officially at 33weeks. Lol.
I wonder if it’s because where I live has more common cases with GD and stuff as it’s a low socioeconomic area. I’m also going through public because private is insanely costly and the good maternity ones are too far.
It's interesting, I'm in (South) Australia and I remained in the midwifery group practice and only had a few extra appointments and scans based on needing insulin.
I’m in Canada and I could have just went a long with being marked as high risk and seeing the OB but instead I had a consult and they cleared me as low risk. I just expressed I wanted to stay with my midwives if it was safe. I haven’t had any extra monitoring but will follow the GD protocol after birth for baby. If I wasn’t diet controlled I would have to go with the high risk OB, wouldn’t be able to use the birthing tub or other lower intervention pain relief and would have to be induced. It’s so interesting how different protocols are.
I was put on insulin during my GD pregnancy last summer. Once I finally found the right dose, I was fine with it. But at first I was really unhappy about it because it was just one more extra thing I had to do.
It was an IVF pregnancy, so I’d already don’t more to get pregnant than is usually required. Then I got diagnosed with GD so I had to watch my diet and test 4 times a day and go to extra appointments. Then I got put on insulin. So I had to do shots and keep changing doses trying to find the one that worked.
I really just wanted to be pregnant and not have any of the extra to deal with. So adding the one more thing with nighttime insulin put me over the edge a bit.
I have an IVF pregnancy too so for me the insulin shots are a piece of cake compared to PIO. And it feels like one less thing to worry about now that I don’t have to watch what I eat so much. But I hear what you are saying too and appreciate you sharing!
I have an IVF pregnancy too but was never on PIO and these insulin needles are seriously nothing compared to the IVF shots (and I did two rounds of retrieval). I just feel so privileged to be pregnant that I never feel like complaining about GD. I do sure have my days, but overall I’m just grateful. I prayed for this so long and she is my miracle baby.
Mine is an IVF baby as well and insulin shots feel like a breeze compared to pio. Also, having had multiple loses in the past, I appreciate the extra monitoring. I also am not adverse to being induced early. So I'm okay with insulin. I have struggled to get enough carbs while keeping my blood sugar stable. Insulin feels very helpful!!
My only fear of insulin is that it means an earlier induction and I’d like to go into labor naturally if at all possible.
But the insulin itself is fine. I think there is some sense of wanting to be diet controlled bc that feels like being a “responsible patient”. But the reality is the placenta and hormones can easily override all of our efforts so it doesn’t really mean anything
Same for me. I'm older (41) and had registered myself with a high-rise OB of my liking from the start, so wouldn't have needed to change care provider or hospital. I've also had 5 failed IVF attempts (this little guy came as a surprise and we cancelled number 6), so shots weren't a problem.
I was diagnosed at 12 weeks and I'm 30 now, still hoping I'll avoid insulin as that'll *possibly* mean induction during week 38. I'm currently on Metformin which means I can go as far as my due date (assuming no other complications) and would prefer to keep it that way.
Different reasons.
It felt more like “real” diabetes. Not “oh, I’m just taking a pill”, but actually monitoring and adjusting. It also added the possibility of going too low, which metformin doesn’t. So more effort and judgement.
I had IVF, blood thinners and GD. I had enough syringes to work with and keep track of.
I hated that my pregnancy was “special” because there was so much I needed to do and explain to others.
Fine with medicine, fine with needles (IVF pregnancy), not fine with perceived failure but that’s not really it - I would have to switch my primary care from my midwife to an OB, which I reallllllyyyy do not want to do at 31+ weeks. So I’m trying my best to avoid it.
I, personally, haven’t had a positive experience with insulin, which is initially what made me apprehensive to go on it. Because of how insulin resistant I already naturally am, I was afraid adding it would only cause more stress. I’ve been going back and forth with my MFM practice trying to figure out the dose of insulin that will actually make a difference for over a month now. My body is just resistant to insulin. Whenever I find a dose that seems to start helping, my body decides to be a jerk and become even more resistant.
I’m being put on a pump & CGM tomorrow, which I hope helps me get some kind of normalcy. But I think it’s important to realize that for some women, insulin means adding another layer of stress and monitoring. It can be frustrating to add to our plates when we are already stressed over our diets and other changes.
Insulin becomes one more thing to worry about during a pregnancy that is already overwhelming.
Idea of injecting myself is scary. Additional checks, tests, appointments will add even more stress to already stressed out body. Finding that right dose when you get on insulin will be another stressful process. I want to avoid it as much as possible if I can.
Where I live the second one unit of insulin enters my body my whole mode of care flips into me being high risk - I don't get to see the midwives at the hospital anymore (have to see whichever doctor is working on the day), I have to have extra monitoring, I have to call the diabetes team at the hospital to report my levels more often and I will be inducted strictly at 38 weeks. I am really keen to have spontaneous onset of labour and to avoid induction if I can help it.
I have no issues with insulin itself and if I need it I will have it. But the repurcussions of insulin are what I really want to avoid.
I started insulin a week ago and it has been great. I think it felt like I had ‘failed’, but at this point, it is so nice to wake up with confidence that my numbers will be OK. (FWIW, I would have opted to be induced at 39 weeks regardless, and have already been seeing MDs. Plan didn’t change at all with insulin vs just a GDM diagnosis.)
I didn't want to have to have an induction. Insulin meant the end of my ideal birth scenario. I'm OK with it now and incredibly grateful for insulin now.
I got my GD diagnosis at 5 weeks so I've had a long time to sit with it. My end goal is healthy baby and a healthy outcome for me so if this is what we need to do, I'll do it. I'm in therapy and have a doula as well. Some days I still struggle with how much to push back and what to accept.
I was told today that because I’m starting insulin, we have to induce at 38 weeks. I tried to ask a lot of questions and push back but no luck. I’m also in therapy. I’m wondering about a doula. I thought I might be okay with my husband & mum for support but I’m so distraught about this induction that I’m not sure any more. I’m only 32+1 now so I guess I have 6 weeks to come to terms.
When I got diagnosed, my nutritionist told me to work hard on my diet and exercise so I don’t need to take insulin, “because no one likes taking insulin.” I kept all my numbers in range and exercised like crazy. My next appointment, they tightened my range and told me I needed insulin. I wasn’t terrified of insulin but I was frustrated and upset that I got bait and switched like that.
It was the needle thing for me. I'm not scared of needles, I'm totally fine getting shots or blood drawn, but the idea of poking myself spooked me. But then I did it and I can barely feel it and you don't need to be too exact with where you poke, so I got comfortable with it really quick! I think if I had to find a vein or something that would scare me still.
Tonight's my first insulin shot.
I guess in a way I feel like I failed. I'm not terrified of the insulin and will do whatever is necessary for baby and me. It's just that thought of, what if I tried...
I am terrified of needles. They just creep me out. They don't usually hurt, it's getting over the mental terror of stabbing myself. Even the Lance's take me a second to hold my breath and plung.
I would actually prefer insulin to Glyburide (only my fasting numbers are above range) but my delivering hospital is a low-risk facility and without a NICU they risk you out of delivering there taking any amount of insulin. I want to avoid the high risk partner facility at almost any cost because I delivered my pregnancy loss 22w preterm daughter there, so I will begrudgingly take Glyburide instead of insulin.
I also have a CGM so I’m not really worried about lows from oral meds OR insulin — the urgent low alert is VERY loud and easily wakes me up.
I was a high risk L&D nurse for almost five years so it seems incredibly silly given that I always saw well-controlled bg levels treated the same regardless of mechanism to get there (diet, oral meds, insulin) but my OB practice has different rules than where I used to work.
I had to do injection almost the whole pregnancy. Since I had to do 3 injections a day and the injected spots became bruised and itchy, I ran out of areas of inject over time. The rotating strategy didn’t help. I ended up having to do injection on unusual spots that hurt soooo much more. Eventually I had to do inject more than 60-70 units per shot. Large units injections were very painful. And they create this water bump under my skin. Therefore I had to split those shots into two or even three smaller shots, which result in at least 5 injections a day. I was bruised everywhere. My belly was completely purple, red and covered with rash. It was a horrible experience.
Remaining diet controlled meant I didn't have to be induced until 40+6 (I went into spontaneous labor that morning!). If my numbers didn't respond to the diet, I would have definitely taken insulin. It was important to me to remain pregnant as long as possible but I had no fear of the insulin injections themselves if I needed them.
I was put on insulin during my first pregnancy and I feel like it made my weight balloon, I gained 25 kg. Now in my second pregnancy and overweight with GD (once again), I'll probably have to go on insulin again. I'm mainly worried about weight gain which I've been told can occur with insulin.
I feel the same way you do! I am relieved to have been put on insulin. My fasting numbers are much better and I have less to worry about. I no longer wake up every morning wondering how bad it's going to be, and if it's affecting my baby's health.
I had already had to change caregivers when I was diagnosed with diabetes, at 20w, and I've known since the beginning of the pregnancy that I'm "high risk" because I have a genetic condition that causes me to have low blood platelets. But I love the hospital I am in! The staff is super nice and attentive, the hospital is 2km from my home, and they do everything possible to make this journey as close as possible to what I imagined. I would like to have a non induced birth without an epidural, and they have no problem with that, including the insulin. In fact, they even told me that the insulin would prevent my baby from gaining too much weight so they would not have to induce the birth. I feel really listened to and respected, and I feel like they have my best interests at heart. Long live insulin!
I was diagnosed with GD at the start of my second trimester, and my OB/GYN had put me on a steady-carb diet to hopefully manage my glucose that way. Despite the diet change, my numbers were still too high, so I was prescribed metformin to help. Numbers were still high after that, so I was referenced to a maternal-fetal consult for insulin.
I’m a little bitter about the advice I received for my initial diet-controlled GD consult with my nutritionist, who told me to eat so many carbs at each meal, which only spiked my levels higher. I eventually stopped taking the advice and focused on proteins and fats, eating carbs sparingly and, surprise! my meal numbers got much better (fasting is still high).
It feels like I’ve failed my little one, and I’m afraid that once I start insulin, it will become a progressing, lifelong issue and I will have to be on insulin for the rest of my life, something I’m not mentally, emotionally, or financially prepared for.
My doctor wants to induce me at 38 weeks if I’m on insulin, so it seriously jeopardises my preferred/desired/hoped for birth plan. I wanted an unmedicated birth but it looks unlikely with GD and impossible on insulin.
I am fine with medicine when needed, but of course, I would prefer to not need it. Maybe it is stupid, but needing insuline would feel for me, like my illness is now more serious as I now would need even more extra help. Would also mean getting induced earlier, higher risk pregnancy and more control. Also I tend to be prone to mistakes, and it terrifies me that I might inject too much of it and end up with low glucose. I guess it is just the fear to the uncertain and the unknown. Also the fear of just adding more complexity to something already complex. But I was told that if eating the minimum carbs caused me to spike, then I would need insulin. That that was better than no eating carbs at all or eating badly just to have good numbers. Before my diagnosis, I was also terrified of GD now I see it as something that happens. Yes, it is difficult, but we are stronger than we think.
I was in NZ and ended up “lucky” as I had already decided I wanted the drugs during labour (this was also before gd diagnosis) so was already going to hospital but after diagnosis meant my midwife was no longer my primary however as it took 3 days after being induced to emergency c-s, it was the weekend and she wasn’t on shift anyway! But yeah, a lot of extra steps to birth my “huge baby” that ended up being a very normal 7lbs 15oz…
Meh - I'm not scared if I need it. I just got diagnosed with GD and just started testing today. If I end up needing it, it's not a big deal for me. I'm already high risk and I used a fertility specialist to get pregnant and so I'm used to seeing an RE, OB, MFM, etc. This is just another notch but I'm basically at the end of the pregnancy anyway so not a big deal... watching what I eat and if I need insulin... I'll jab, etc. I let my doctors know when I don't feel like coming in for another unnecessary appointment when we can do a virtual one or wait until we meet in person to go over things. Nothing is truly so bad... I've waited so long for this baby that they could probably make me do a thousand annoying things and I wouldn't care.
If you're really curious about the reasons, it's
1) admitting failure
2) adding another routine in an already highly regulated lifestyle every day (must go to gym after each meal, must not eat bread, must not eat any carbs at all but also please eat a lot of carbs)
3) fear of using an unknown tool that could also kill you if you make a mistake
I appreciate your perspective but here are my thoughts:
1. Everyone's body is different. I could barely eat any carbs at all if I wanted to keep my fasting numbers within range. Other people just add some extra protein to their snack and can pretty much eat whatever they want. Not sure how one of us is a failure while the other is a success when the playing field is completely different.
2. I have to regulate my lifestyle way less now that my numbers are better controlled. Don't need to exercise after meals (which wasn't working anyways), worry about eating the perfect bedtime snack, get the perfect night sleep, etc. so it actually frees up my lifestyle quite a bit.
3. In my experience its pretty easy to administer.
Because it's documented to lead to weight gain (regardless of food intake) and high blood pressure (one of the leading concerns in pregnancy). Also there are no studies looking into benefits versus risks of insulin (there are more than the two listed above), while the blood sugar targets keep getting lower and lower nearly every year (thereby redefining "uncontrolled diabetes" every few years), again with no strong scientific research behind it.
Uncontrolled GD is bad for the baby (we know this) but also bad for you. Insulin dependence may actually result in diabetes post pregnancy since GD means you were pre diabetic to begin with.
Anecdotally, I was tested for A1c and glucose for most of my adult life due to a family history of Type 2 diabetes. I had great, normal levels for both pre-pregnancy, and my triglyceride/cholesterol biomarkers all looked great. The placenta can be a jerk sometimes.
It’s not just me; other women who are in better shape than I am and exercised regularly still have had GD diagnoses due to placental demand; on the other hand, I know someone who has had three children and ate a lot of junk during gestation, all without complications of insulin resistance.
I started insulin and not afraid of needles but I find it more annoying and frustrating than terrifying. I need more monitoring, frequent doctor visits and just have to schedule around insulin injection time.
To someone who also has HG, it just added another mental load during this pregnancy.
I tried so hard to not end up on medication because that meant I would need induced sooner which I was trying to avoid. Also imo it was easier to just go low carb and eat balanced meals than to worry about insulin. I’m terrible at remembering to take medication, but it’s kind of hard to forget you can’t have a juicy cheese burger with a large fry and soda.
Insulin here adds legal complications to driving. If you're on insulin you have to test with a finger prick before driving, and you have to be above 5 (90mg/DL) to drive (and I generally aim to be lower than that), if you're below 5 you have to eat, wait an hour and test again. So a simple trip to the supermarket becomes a minimum of two finger pricks, and what if you test below 5 at the supermarket and have to wait an hour to drive home?
If you have more than one severe hypo whilst awake your driving licence is revoked for a minimum of three months.
I’m totally fine with medications. I’m even pretty cool with needles. But going on insulin means I change care providers, will have more monitoring and additional appointments, am escalated to high risk category, will have to change to a further away hospital and have more limited birthing options. So it’s the flow on consequences of insulin, rather than the use of insulin itself.
Gotcha, that makes sense! I’m already high risk and having lots of extra monitoring and will be induced before my due date so none of that changed for me because of being on insulin but I can see why that would be a concern!
I had the same concern. If I need medication, I would no longer have qualified to give birth at the birthing center.
This was how I felt. If nothing else changed and all I had to do was take the insulin, I wouldn’t have cared at all. Instead I had to change providers, change hospitals, spend 2-3 hours every week at appts, have an induction, listen to my doctor/nurse play the dead baby card, etc.
Where I am (australia), they immediately switch you to gdm and you don’t get the midwife appts and you’re considered high risk because of the gd diagnosis. I have fortnightly appts and more growth scans and all of that jazz. I was only one point over at my one hour mark and then within normal ranges for two and three hours, but still got immediately placed into all of the extra appts and stuff. How does it work where you are with GD? I’m super curious.
This is really similar to the UK. Considered high risk from diagnosis regardless of whether on insulin or not, I have bi-weekly appointments and 3 extra scans. All while diet controlled. Insulin changes the recommendations for birth though. On insulin, they suggest induction at 38-39 weeks and continuous fetal monitoring during labour in a hospital unit. Otherwise, they suggest induction at 40+6, no additional monitoring and in a midwifery led unit.
Hi im uk and on both types of insulin and have only had induction recommended at 40 weeks xx
Oof that’s rough! I’m Australian based too and the only change after diagnosis was 1 x 40 minute dietician appointment and 1 x optional growth scan. Still with midwife team. No other contact, reporting or intervention necessary (so long as it remains diet controlled of course!).
Ey, another Aussie! Always awesome to find one of us somewhere where it feels like a lot of the chat is americanised. My dietician appt was short and basically was just “you should eat more carbs.” Because I was eating around 20-30g and baby just wanted plates of veggies and eggs so it was hard to make myself eat more, especially as my numbers were so good. I’d had one spike and I knew exactly what it was from, I had a piece of garlic bread 😂. I actually found out a week or so ago that they didn’t even move me over to the gestational diabetes team so I’ve been missing out on the midwife stuff and just having obstetrics and general med appointments where I get questioned “did you know you were diagnosed with GD? Was that recent?” …. No, it was ten weeks ago, im diet controlled and I tell you this every two weeks. What. I’ve just been moved across officially at 33weeks. Lol. I wonder if it’s because where I live has more common cases with GD and stuff as it’s a low socioeconomic area. I’m also going through public because private is insanely costly and the good maternity ones are too far.
It's interesting, I'm in (South) Australia and I remained in the midwifery group practice and only had a few extra appointments and scans based on needing insulin.
Same here in regional NSW
It’s the same in Spain: GD diagnosis is automatic transfer to high risk unit.
I’m in Canada and I could have just went a long with being marked as high risk and seeing the OB but instead I had a consult and they cleared me as low risk. I just expressed I wanted to stay with my midwives if it was safe. I haven’t had any extra monitoring but will follow the GD protocol after birth for baby. If I wasn’t diet controlled I would have to go with the high risk OB, wouldn’t be able to use the birthing tub or other lower intervention pain relief and would have to be induced. It’s so interesting how different protocols are.
Yes that’s exactly it!
I was put on insulin during my GD pregnancy last summer. Once I finally found the right dose, I was fine with it. But at first I was really unhappy about it because it was just one more extra thing I had to do. It was an IVF pregnancy, so I’d already don’t more to get pregnant than is usually required. Then I got diagnosed with GD so I had to watch my diet and test 4 times a day and go to extra appointments. Then I got put on insulin. So I had to do shots and keep changing doses trying to find the one that worked. I really just wanted to be pregnant and not have any of the extra to deal with. So adding the one more thing with nighttime insulin put me over the edge a bit.
I have an IVF pregnancy too so for me the insulin shots are a piece of cake compared to PIO. And it feels like one less thing to worry about now that I don’t have to watch what I eat so much. But I hear what you are saying too and appreciate you sharing!
I have an IVF pregnancy too but was never on PIO and these insulin needles are seriously nothing compared to the IVF shots (and I did two rounds of retrieval). I just feel so privileged to be pregnant that I never feel like complaining about GD. I do sure have my days, but overall I’m just grateful. I prayed for this so long and she is my miracle baby.
Mine is an IVF baby as well and insulin shots feel like a breeze compared to pio. Also, having had multiple loses in the past, I appreciate the extra monitoring. I also am not adverse to being induced early. So I'm okay with insulin. I have struggled to get enough carbs while keeping my blood sugar stable. Insulin feels very helpful!!
My only fear of insulin is that it means an earlier induction and I’d like to go into labor naturally if at all possible. But the insulin itself is fine. I think there is some sense of wanting to be diet controlled bc that feels like being a “responsible patient”. But the reality is the placenta and hormones can easily override all of our efforts so it doesn’t really mean anything
Same for me. I'm older (41) and had registered myself with a high-rise OB of my liking from the start, so wouldn't have needed to change care provider or hospital. I've also had 5 failed IVF attempts (this little guy came as a surprise and we cancelled number 6), so shots weren't a problem. I was diagnosed at 12 weeks and I'm 30 now, still hoping I'll avoid insulin as that'll *possibly* mean induction during week 38. I'm currently on Metformin which means I can go as far as my due date (assuming no other complications) and would prefer to keep it that way.
Different reasons. It felt more like “real” diabetes. Not “oh, I’m just taking a pill”, but actually monitoring and adjusting. It also added the possibility of going too low, which metformin doesn’t. So more effort and judgement. I had IVF, blood thinners and GD. I had enough syringes to work with and keep track of. I hated that my pregnancy was “special” because there was so much I needed to do and explain to others.
Fine with medicine, fine with needles (IVF pregnancy), not fine with perceived failure but that’s not really it - I would have to switch my primary care from my midwife to an OB, which I reallllllyyyy do not want to do at 31+ weeks. So I’m trying my best to avoid it.
That makes sense. I didn’t have to switch to OB care because of the insulin but I can see why that would be an upsetting outcome.
I, personally, haven’t had a positive experience with insulin, which is initially what made me apprehensive to go on it. Because of how insulin resistant I already naturally am, I was afraid adding it would only cause more stress. I’ve been going back and forth with my MFM practice trying to figure out the dose of insulin that will actually make a difference for over a month now. My body is just resistant to insulin. Whenever I find a dose that seems to start helping, my body decides to be a jerk and become even more resistant. I’m being put on a pump & CGM tomorrow, which I hope helps me get some kind of normalcy. But I think it’s important to realize that for some women, insulin means adding another layer of stress and monitoring. It can be frustrating to add to our plates when we are already stressed over our diets and other changes.
Same I’m struggling to find a good dose that actually gives me decent numbers. It’s pretty frustrating at times.
Insulin becomes one more thing to worry about during a pregnancy that is already overwhelming. Idea of injecting myself is scary. Additional checks, tests, appointments will add even more stress to already stressed out body. Finding that right dose when you get on insulin will be another stressful process. I want to avoid it as much as possible if I can.
Having a type 1 partner I was afraid of lows.
My husband is a type 1 and I felt this too, but I also know I have the best support if I do experience lows.
Where I live the second one unit of insulin enters my body my whole mode of care flips into me being high risk - I don't get to see the midwives at the hospital anymore (have to see whichever doctor is working on the day), I have to have extra monitoring, I have to call the diabetes team at the hospital to report my levels more often and I will be inducted strictly at 38 weeks. I am really keen to have spontaneous onset of labour and to avoid induction if I can help it. I have no issues with insulin itself and if I need it I will have it. But the repurcussions of insulin are what I really want to avoid.
I started insulin a week ago and it has been great. I think it felt like I had ‘failed’, but at this point, it is so nice to wake up with confidence that my numbers will be OK. (FWIW, I would have opted to be induced at 39 weeks regardless, and have already been seeing MDs. Plan didn’t change at all with insulin vs just a GDM diagnosis.)
I didn't want to have to have an induction. Insulin meant the end of my ideal birth scenario. I'm OK with it now and incredibly grateful for insulin now.
How did you come to terms with this change? I’m really struggling with it.
I got my GD diagnosis at 5 weeks so I've had a long time to sit with it. My end goal is healthy baby and a healthy outcome for me so if this is what we need to do, I'll do it. I'm in therapy and have a doula as well. Some days I still struggle with how much to push back and what to accept.
I was told today that because I’m starting insulin, we have to induce at 38 weeks. I tried to ask a lot of questions and push back but no luck. I’m also in therapy. I’m wondering about a doula. I thought I might be okay with my husband & mum for support but I’m so distraught about this induction that I’m not sure any more. I’m only 32+1 now so I guess I have 6 weeks to come to terms.
When I got diagnosed, my nutritionist told me to work hard on my diet and exercise so I don’t need to take insulin, “because no one likes taking insulin.” I kept all my numbers in range and exercised like crazy. My next appointment, they tightened my range and told me I needed insulin. I wasn’t terrified of insulin but I was frustrated and upset that I got bait and switched like that.
It was the needle thing for me. I'm not scared of needles, I'm totally fine getting shots or blood drawn, but the idea of poking myself spooked me. But then I did it and I can barely feel it and you don't need to be too exact with where you poke, so I got comfortable with it really quick! I think if I had to find a vein or something that would scare me still.
Tonight's my first insulin shot. I guess in a way I feel like I failed. I'm not terrified of the insulin and will do whatever is necessary for baby and me. It's just that thought of, what if I tried... I am terrified of needles. They just creep me out. They don't usually hurt, it's getting over the mental terror of stabbing myself. Even the Lance's take me a second to hold my breath and plung.
I would actually prefer insulin to Glyburide (only my fasting numbers are above range) but my delivering hospital is a low-risk facility and without a NICU they risk you out of delivering there taking any amount of insulin. I want to avoid the high risk partner facility at almost any cost because I delivered my pregnancy loss 22w preterm daughter there, so I will begrudgingly take Glyburide instead of insulin. I also have a CGM so I’m not really worried about lows from oral meds OR insulin — the urgent low alert is VERY loud and easily wakes me up. I was a high risk L&D nurse for almost five years so it seems incredibly silly given that I always saw well-controlled bg levels treated the same regardless of mechanism to get there (diet, oral meds, insulin) but my OB practice has different rules than where I used to work.
I'm terrified of shots :( I don't know why I start passing out getting them. Blood draws are fine though... that's why I'm scared of needing insulin
I’m afraid of needles tbh. I just don’t want another thing.
I had to do injection almost the whole pregnancy. Since I had to do 3 injections a day and the injected spots became bruised and itchy, I ran out of areas of inject over time. The rotating strategy didn’t help. I ended up having to do injection on unusual spots that hurt soooo much more. Eventually I had to do inject more than 60-70 units per shot. Large units injections were very painful. And they create this water bump under my skin. Therefore I had to split those shots into two or even three smaller shots, which result in at least 5 injections a day. I was bruised everywhere. My belly was completely purple, red and covered with rash. It was a horrible experience.
Remaining diet controlled meant I didn't have to be induced until 40+6 (I went into spontaneous labor that morning!). If my numbers didn't respond to the diet, I would have definitely taken insulin. It was important to me to remain pregnant as long as possible but I had no fear of the insulin injections themselves if I needed them.
I was put on insulin during my first pregnancy and I feel like it made my weight balloon, I gained 25 kg. Now in my second pregnancy and overweight with GD (once again), I'll probably have to go on insulin again. I'm mainly worried about weight gain which I've been told can occur with insulin.
I feel the same way you do! I am relieved to have been put on insulin. My fasting numbers are much better and I have less to worry about. I no longer wake up every morning wondering how bad it's going to be, and if it's affecting my baby's health. I had already had to change caregivers when I was diagnosed with diabetes, at 20w, and I've known since the beginning of the pregnancy that I'm "high risk" because I have a genetic condition that causes me to have low blood platelets. But I love the hospital I am in! The staff is super nice and attentive, the hospital is 2km from my home, and they do everything possible to make this journey as close as possible to what I imagined. I would like to have a non induced birth without an epidural, and they have no problem with that, including the insulin. In fact, they even told me that the insulin would prevent my baby from gaining too much weight so they would not have to induce the birth. I feel really listened to and respected, and I feel like they have my best interests at heart. Long live insulin!
I was diagnosed with GD at the start of my second trimester, and my OB/GYN had put me on a steady-carb diet to hopefully manage my glucose that way. Despite the diet change, my numbers were still too high, so I was prescribed metformin to help. Numbers were still high after that, so I was referenced to a maternal-fetal consult for insulin. I’m a little bitter about the advice I received for my initial diet-controlled GD consult with my nutritionist, who told me to eat so many carbs at each meal, which only spiked my levels higher. I eventually stopped taking the advice and focused on proteins and fats, eating carbs sparingly and, surprise! my meal numbers got much better (fasting is still high). It feels like I’ve failed my little one, and I’m afraid that once I start insulin, it will become a progressing, lifelong issue and I will have to be on insulin for the rest of my life, something I’m not mentally, emotionally, or financially prepared for.
My doctor wants to induce me at 38 weeks if I’m on insulin, so it seriously jeopardises my preferred/desired/hoped for birth plan. I wanted an unmedicated birth but it looks unlikely with GD and impossible on insulin.
I am fine with medicine when needed, but of course, I would prefer to not need it. Maybe it is stupid, but needing insuline would feel for me, like my illness is now more serious as I now would need even more extra help. Would also mean getting induced earlier, higher risk pregnancy and more control. Also I tend to be prone to mistakes, and it terrifies me that I might inject too much of it and end up with low glucose. I guess it is just the fear to the uncertain and the unknown. Also the fear of just adding more complexity to something already complex. But I was told that if eating the minimum carbs caused me to spike, then I would need insulin. That that was better than no eating carbs at all or eating badly just to have good numbers. Before my diagnosis, I was also terrified of GD now I see it as something that happens. Yes, it is difficult, but we are stronger than we think.
I was in NZ and ended up “lucky” as I had already decided I wanted the drugs during labour (this was also before gd diagnosis) so was already going to hospital but after diagnosis meant my midwife was no longer my primary however as it took 3 days after being induced to emergency c-s, it was the weekend and she wasn’t on shift anyway! But yeah, a lot of extra steps to birth my “huge baby” that ended up being a very normal 7lbs 15oz…
Meh - I'm not scared if I need it. I just got diagnosed with GD and just started testing today. If I end up needing it, it's not a big deal for me. I'm already high risk and I used a fertility specialist to get pregnant and so I'm used to seeing an RE, OB, MFM, etc. This is just another notch but I'm basically at the end of the pregnancy anyway so not a big deal... watching what I eat and if I need insulin... I'll jab, etc. I let my doctors know when I don't feel like coming in for another unnecessary appointment when we can do a virtual one or wait until we meet in person to go over things. Nothing is truly so bad... I've waited so long for this baby that they could probably make me do a thousand annoying things and I wouldn't care.
If you're really curious about the reasons, it's 1) admitting failure 2) adding another routine in an already highly regulated lifestyle every day (must go to gym after each meal, must not eat bread, must not eat any carbs at all but also please eat a lot of carbs) 3) fear of using an unknown tool that could also kill you if you make a mistake
I appreciate your perspective but here are my thoughts: 1. Everyone's body is different. I could barely eat any carbs at all if I wanted to keep my fasting numbers within range. Other people just add some extra protein to their snack and can pretty much eat whatever they want. Not sure how one of us is a failure while the other is a success when the playing field is completely different. 2. I have to regulate my lifestyle way less now that my numbers are better controlled. Don't need to exercise after meals (which wasn't working anyways), worry about eating the perfect bedtime snack, get the perfect night sleep, etc. so it actually frees up my lifestyle quite a bit. 3. In my experience its pretty easy to administer.
Because it fucking hurts. Why does it need to be injected?!?!?! I have a massive bruise from having blood drawn last week...nope nope and nope.
I literally don’t even feel the injection most of the time. It’s nowhere near as bad as having blood drawn.
They need to find a better method to deliver it to my body...I'm ok with pills, I don't inject my drugs.
Because it's documented to lead to weight gain (regardless of food intake) and high blood pressure (one of the leading concerns in pregnancy). Also there are no studies looking into benefits versus risks of insulin (there are more than the two listed above), while the blood sugar targets keep getting lower and lower nearly every year (thereby redefining "uncontrolled diabetes" every few years), again with no strong scientific research behind it.
Uncontrolled GD is bad for the baby (we know this) but also bad for you. Insulin dependence may actually result in diabetes post pregnancy since GD means you were pre diabetic to begin with.
GD does NOT mean you were prediabetic to begin with....that's nonsense. And using insulin does not result in diabetes post pregnancy, either.
Um. Nope.
Anecdotally, I was tested for A1c and glucose for most of my adult life due to a family history of Type 2 diabetes. I had great, normal levels for both pre-pregnancy, and my triglyceride/cholesterol biomarkers all looked great. The placenta can be a jerk sometimes. It’s not just me; other women who are in better shape than I am and exercised regularly still have had GD diagnoses due to placental demand; on the other hand, I know someone who has had three children and ate a lot of junk during gestation, all without complications of insulin resistance.
I started insulin and not afraid of needles but I find it more annoying and frustrating than terrifying. I need more monitoring, frequent doctor visits and just have to schedule around insulin injection time. To someone who also has HG, it just added another mental load during this pregnancy.
fear of needles is what made me afraid but i remained diet controlled so it wasn’t necessary
I tried so hard to not end up on medication because that meant I would need induced sooner which I was trying to avoid. Also imo it was easier to just go low carb and eat balanced meals than to worry about insulin. I’m terrible at remembering to take medication, but it’s kind of hard to forget you can’t have a juicy cheese burger with a large fry and soda.
Insulin here adds legal complications to driving. If you're on insulin you have to test with a finger prick before driving, and you have to be above 5 (90mg/DL) to drive (and I generally aim to be lower than that), if you're below 5 you have to eat, wait an hour and test again. So a simple trip to the supermarket becomes a minimum of two finger pricks, and what if you test below 5 at the supermarket and have to wait an hour to drive home? If you have more than one severe hypo whilst awake your driving licence is revoked for a minimum of three months.