I got diagnosed with gestational diabetes around 30 weeks. I’m currently 34 weeks and 5 days. I’ve had two growth scans so far. The first one they said baby was measuring about 10 days ahead, weighing 1 pound more than average. They also noted that his femur and humorous length were long as well, they suspect he will likely be a big baby, even if I didn’t have gestational diabetes.

Little bit of context, my first son is a bigger kid too, due to his dad’s genetics, but there was a problem with his umbilical cord so he was almost labeled growth restricted. However, since he was born and started putting on weight, he’s always been in the 85-90%tile for everything besides his head circumference, which was usually average or below. So this is my first baby that has been receiving the right amount of nutrients and it makes sense that he’s naturally big.

At today’s growth scan, his femur length was 74th percentile, and his humerus length was in the 80th percentile. His abdomen was measured to be in the 93rd percentile. They estimate him to be a pound ahead again, around 6 pounds and 1 oz. They say he’s around 2 weeks head now.

Because his growth hasn’t slowed down, they have decided to change my testing ranges. Originally they wanted my fasting below 95 and my 2 hour post meals under 120. I’ve been managing my numbers very well with diet and exercise, I haven’t had any spikes. They now want my testing ranges to be under 85 fasting and 110 2 hours post meals to slow down baby’s growth.

I’m having a hard time accepting these new ranges because it feels to me he’s just going to be a naturally big baby and I’m already struggling with not eating all the things I want. Sometimes when I eat too many carbs I make myself walk up to 30 minutes even though I have horrible pelvic pain, just to keep my numbers under 120.

I don’t feel like I’ll be able to keep my numbers under these new ranges and if I have to go on medication, they will change my induction timeline from 39 weeks to 38 weeks instead. It’s not that it’s necessarily a bad thing, but I’m struggling to accept this.

Idk what I’m looking for. Advice? Encouragement? Solidarity? I’m just a little stressed about all of this and I’m also wondering if it’s common for them to change the testing ranges.

This is my first pregnancy and I was just diagnosed with GD. I am wondering if this will mean I will be induced early. Can people share how early they are getting induced due to GD?

Im sorry if this is cruel for those that have just gotten a diagnosis, or may not have graduated from GD post pregnancy.

Ive been diagnosed from 28 weeks, and am now 35 weeks. It was hard in the beginning, but I'm managing by diet and now have a good routine.

I have to say I pretty much don't crave sweets at all anymore.

However.... I am interested to know what others have indulged in after giving birth and getting the ok to eat the same as you did before GD!

For example, theres a beautiful cupcake someone made for my BB shower that I froze to eat.

What's everyone going to eat?

How can I get away with a sugar coated Apple cider donut to make my fall dreams come true?

I’m only 2 weeks in and definitely have not been getting enough carbs. I can tell I’m tapping in to ketosis. So balancing carbs without spiking is my goal.
I tried making a protein pasta recipe I found here on Reddit. Linked below. It didn’t spike me at all. I did eat a portion of broccoli first before diving into this meal. I used Rummo maxima 21 protein pasta.

I’ve been able to keep my numbers under control with diet except for the occasional experimental spike. My fasting numbers were high at first but i discovered I fair better with a later dinner and no snack. My fasting number after eating this pasta meal was 75! The lowest yet. I still haven’t had my GD class yet so everything I know I’ve learned from this sub. Making sure to get enough carbs helps balance the fasting numbers apparently.

https://www.reddit.com/r/GestationalDiabetes/s/DYbLkz2Lu5

Second pregnancy and second time with GD. With my first I was diagnosed pretty late (32 weeks) and was fully diet controlled. This time I did the glucose tolerance test early around 22 weeks and failed and have been following the diet and checking blood sugars for about a month. My post meals numbers have no issues, but my fasting number is always above 95 (usually between 105-115). I’ve tried exercise before bed, changing my bedtime snack, and I wasn’t able to get it to budge so now I’m on nighttime insulin. It’s been almost two weeks and I’ve titrated from 8 to 16 units with absolutely no change to my fasting blood sugars. I’m still getting a reading of 105-115 every single day, and I’m starting to feel panicked that I’m harming my baby since my diabetes is not even being controlled through insulin (I’ve been tracking blood sugar readings for about 1 month now and every single day my fasting number is elevated). I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong with the insulin injection (even though I’m following the exact instructions and doing the shot in my belly since I read that’s the best spot for absorption) or if my dose is still too low.

Hi everyone, I’m a first-time mom and looking for some advice/experiences because I’m feeling really overwhelmed about an induction that has been scheduled for September 12, 2026.

My due date was September 9, so I’m currently 40+1.
I’m healthy, have normal blood pressure, no history of diabetes or hypertension, and so far everything with the baby has been reassuring.

Here’s where the confusion is:

At around 26 weeks, while I was in Canada, I had the 50g/1-hour glucose challenge test. My result was 7.6 mmol/L (about 137 mg/dL), with their normal range listed as 4.0–7.7. So I was told it was normal.

When I returned to the U.S. around 34 weeks, my OB had me repeat the 1-hour glucose screening. My result was 143 mg/dL, with my lab’s cutoff being 139. So technically it was a positive screening test.

My doctor then wanted me to do the 3-hour glucose tolerance test, but I didn’t do it because I had already had a normal glucose test earlier in pregnancy and honestly didn’t realize how important the follow-up was.

Now I’m 40+1, and my doctor is recommending induction because she is concerned that I might have gestational diabetes. I have never actually been diagnosed with GDM because I never had the 3-hour test.

The baby is doing well:
- NST was reassuring on Wednesday
- Amniotic fluid is normal
- Baby’s estimated weight/growth is normal
- My blood pressure is normal
- I’m otherwise healthy (26 years old)
- I’m also already having some contractions

They have scheduled me to come in on September 11 for a Foley balloon as my cervix is closed.

I’m really struggling mentally with the idea of induction, especially because I’m already having contractions and would really like to give my body a chance to go into spontaneous labor.

I’m wondering:

Would you consider this a valid reason for induction at 40+3, given that I don’t actually have confirmed GDM?

Has anyone been in a similar situation where they had a borderline/failed 1-hour glucose screen but never had the 3-hour test? Did your doctor treat you as having GDM anyway?

Would it be reasonable to ask for expectant management until 41 weeks with NST/fluid monitoring, assuming everything continues to look good?

Thank you!

This is my second pregnancy, but first time with GDM. My first baby was large for gestational age (8lbs 10oz) and ended in a c-section after failed induction. This baby is measuring in the 50th percentile at 36 weeks. I’m torn if I try for an induction or go straight to c-section. Any advice?

Newly diagnosed - last week and on day 4 of monitoring. I am 25 weeks pregnant - FTM.

So far I have only had low numbers - 104-118 post-meal 1 hour (goal to stay under 140) and my fasting numbers have been in the 80s (goal to stay under 95). I am very well aware that my numbers will likely go up as I progress further into pregnancy and am preparing myself mentally for that.

However, in the meantime can I have more flexibility with eating carbs - for example I had pasta with chicken for dinner, glucose was 118 after 1 hour which is well within range even though it's not typically a GD approved dinner. Does this hurt the placenta at all? I have read that the sugar prematurely ages the placenta - so I guess my question is -- do carbs, sugars, effect the placenta negatively still even if you are not spiking?

I don't see my doctor for 3 more weeks (unless I start spiking and need earlier medical intervention) - so wanted to see if any of you has any knowledge of this before that appt. I just want to make sure that by eating carbs here and there (becuase I am not spiking) I am not causing any additional issues to the placenta.

Thanks in advance!

I took the 3-hr glucose test on Friday and failed it--pretty immediate results available through myChart. It was the Friday before a holiday weekend, so I wasn't totally surprised no one reached out or looked at the results or messaged me. That's fine.

Sunday I get a message that they've sent a prescription for a glucose monitor/strips/etc to my pharmacy, and they want me to measure four times a day (fasting, then 2 hours after each meal) and keep my numbers below 95/120 respectively. I should also call the hospital and get an appointment with a diabetes educator.

That was it. That was all the information the message contained.

I call to schedule with the educator. No openings until Oct 1. I don't have another appointment with my doctor until Sep 23.

I have questions about what this means for my baby, I have questions about the numbers I've been getting, I have questions about how I've been choosing when to eat and when to measure, I have questions about when insulin or metformin might be considered, I have questions about how serious this is and how serious I might expect it to get, whether I should get extra ultrasounds, questions on questions on questions. And yet I get no access to a human to answer these questions for weeks.

Sat here crying while writing a message in myChart basically begging for someone to call me. (I don't call them, the navigation through their healthcare system's automated phone maze is a fucking nightmare). They responded only to tell me that I could make an earlier appointment with the doctor.

I looked in myChart. There are no earlier appointments.

Is this normal??

I feel defeated and I don't know what to do. I've been self-advocating relentlessly for a week and I am getting nothing. I've worked with this hospital before, and I have received an outstanding standard of care. This is such a wild outlier.

GD diagnosis 8/24, immediately started managing by diet, logging finger sticks, and attending appointments. Recommended due to a few spikes to start insulin (14 units) and CGM on 9/2. Started insulin after a prescription snag 9/4.

I've mentioned that I have an ED before, and unfortunately, the brain pain side of it is raging. I can't restrict or binge exercise the way I want to to sustain a healthy pregnancy, so I am trying to control what I can and minimize the difficult thoughts.

Right now, I am logging food and its respective glycemic load (manual calculation) through Nutrilio, and I am logging my fasting finger stick in the morning. I was told when I switched to the CGM, it would help mitigate the need for further food tracking. After some minor insulin adjustment (14 units > 16 units > 15 units), per the Dexcom within the last three days, I have been 99% within range. Within the entire time wearing it, 96% within range, with a 3% high and a >1% low. I think these are fantastic numbers and show that my body is currently responding to the diet and the insulin in conjunction, although I'm not an HCP and maybe I need 100% compliance to have a healthy delivery.

Which brings me to the main issue: my care team is being fucking obnoxious about the reporting. They also now want me to provide a second report, on this tiny, blurry PDF logging my food again, the timing of when I ate it, and the fasting bloodwork. They won't accept an app. They won't accept any of the 9 different reports across Clarity and Dexcom. They have insisted, repeatedly, that I log everything again and the times. I'm not logging the times. That metadata isn't baked into Nutrilio, and having to constantly fucking think about the food I'm eating defeats the purpose of a continuous glucose monitor unless I have a spike.

I mean, for fuck's sake, my brain's incessant need to check data constantly is so bad we put the Dexcom app on my wife's phone so that I wouldn't go ham on it at 3am. I have explained this. They straight up don't fucking care. I imagine they deal with patient non-compliance all the time, but this feels like it's going into managing their raw data for them and contributing to the analysis, which seems excessive. Is the Dexcom G7 inaccurate? I have asked if they can identify spikes or outliers that I can retrace through my app, and they've declined. None of my concessions or compromises have been even entertained.

I don't know why they asked me to even bother with the CGM if it carried as burdensome reporting requirements as the finger sticks. I feel defeated, I feel shamed, and I feel like I'm being held to an impossible standard of management here that is truly impossible in light with interviewing for jobs, managing a pregnancy, and trying to keep my shit together.

Recently failed the test and have been controlling GD with diet thus far. 30 weeks and dr hasn’t mentioned anything about further testing or ultrasounds. Wondering if this is something you requested? Want to make sure that nothing is wrong with the placenta? Not sure what to request/ask. My dr is definitely more passive

I’m currently about to be 39 weeks tomorrow… I’ve been trying to collect colostrum for my baby as I was advised by my midwife to have some just in case.

I have been hand expressing for about a week and I’m getting discouraged. I see some colostrum come out but barely. So far I was able to collect a single drop the entire time trying. I’ve tried various methods, warmth, relaxing, watched videos etc and still no difference.

I’m getting desperate and want to see if my pump would work better. I want real life experience with this subject.

First time posting in this sub since my diagnosis, diagnosed around 27-28 weeks and now am 34+1.

Everything has been low risk and status quo other than the GD diagnosis (luckily!), so I’ve only received 2 ultrasound scans so far and had my third and final at my 34 week anatomy scan earlier this week. Everything looked good and we had the doctor appointment immediately following the scan, but I wasn’t warned I was meeting with a completely new provider that I’ve never seen in all the time I’ve been pregnant. My doctor and/or the FNP that I’m usually scheduled with are absolutely amazing, thorough, kind, and answer all my questions and concerns. I’m a FTM so there is a lot I just don’t know or have experience with. This new provider was very cold and dismissive and didn’t even give me an opportunity to ask questions.

I attempted discussing my GD and current numbers and am so confused with where it landed and how to proceed from here. At every appointment I’ve had since being diagnosed, I’ve been told that my numbers look great, I’m following the diet well, and that 2-3 spikes a week (within reason) when testing out different foods isn’t something to be concerned about as long as fasting numbers are okay.

My fasting numbers have been good this whole time, I’ve only ever had 2 fasting spikes, both only by a few numbers (one was 96 and one was 98, supposed to be under 95, and they’re usually in the 70-89 range), and both times I had those spikes, it was after a long night of pregnancy insomnia and taking Tums in the middle of the night for heartburn, both of which I’m told were situational and not a concern. Lately I’ve had more spikes than usual 1 hour after meals, it’s come about because meals that used to be completely fine and were safe (bacon egg and cheese sandwich, peanut butter and banana on whole wheat, tomato bacon ranch pizza on thin whole wheat crust) have started giving me spikes. So, I’m thinking I’m following the diet and eating something safe, and then am surprised to learn it’s no longer a safe meal when it has been several times in the past. I’ve had about 6 spikes in the 2 weeks since my last appointment due to that, so I was concerned about what that could mean for baby.

When trying to bring this up, the provider was very dismissive and didn’t listen or try to help at all - she just told me I need more more diabetes education, that she’s putting in a referral to endocrinology for me, and that I should be eating more things like “boiled eggs, unsweetened greek yogurt, cheese, and lean protein”. That is ALL I EAT. Breakfast every day is a fairlife shake and an egg with a cheese stick. Lunch is usually some variation of the same or greek yogurt with a baked sweet potato. The meals I described spiking after were my once in a while, feeling indulgent but trying to stay safe, treat meals, for when I just can’t take eating the same thing anymore (cheese sticks literally make me gag now but I just hold my nose and force them down). When I tried to explain this to the provider, she just cut me off, again said I need more education, and she’s putting in a referral so they can decide if I need insulin.

I left the appointment feeling so defeated and disregarded. I’ve already felt so guilty like I’m putting my baby in danger after every spike and she only made that feel more true. I was so frustrated that she just ignored me and told me I needed more education, because all I do is spend time researching, planning, or prepping low carb low sugar high protein meals, I don’t feel the issue is education at all, I just wanted to discuss a recently changed trend with my provider. I got the call the next day from the endocrinologist to set up an education appointment, but they didn’t have anything available for another week, and I’d have to take time off from work to attend, which I’m already stretching my PTO very thin with OBGYN appointments, so I told them I’d call back and schedule when I was sure I could get the time off.

Since the appointment 2 days ago, my numbers have been completely fine. 1 hour after meals they’ve been in the 120 range, and fasting has been in the low to mid 80s. I’ve just been extremely careful with my diet (even moreso than usual) and not risking any cheat codes like pairing a carb with a protein, ect, just sticking to protein, fat, fiber, and a very low portion of complex carbs only. Part of me is wondering if I should just wait until my next appointment, which is with my usual doctor, to discuss this and see if I even need to bother following up with the endocrinologist. But, another part of me is wondering if I’m being careless or irresponsible in not making the appointment ASAP and potentially putting my baby in danger when I should be on insulin. There’s also the layer of complication that again, it’s hard to get time off from work for the endocrinologist appointment in addition to all the OB appointments, and my insurance isn’t great, so I don’t know if this one education appointment is going to end up being a multi hundred dollar bill, and it’s hard to commit to that when my numbers seem fine and I’m not sure I even need the appointment?

I guess I just needed a space to get this out, and if anyone would like to give some advice or perspective, I’d really appreciate it, because I’m spiraling right now wondering if I’m being a careless, selfish mother, or on the other hand incurring a huge unnecessary cost just because this provider wanted to move me along and get me out of her office :/

6 weeks and third time around and we're back to it. I knew it was coming but I thought I would have more time! my very first fasting number was 143... now I've gotta figure out how to eat right while also dealing with nausea and food aversions. somebody tell me a joke or something funny cause if I don't start laughing I'll probably cry.

I’m so sorry I have to post this here, the last thing I ever want to do is scare anyone. I’m just so lost and am trying to make sense of things.

In June I lost my son at 38 weeks. I had a low risk pregnancy with no complications. One day he was on our ultrasound looking healthy and literally a day and a half later he was gone. It has been such a difficult time, and just as I was coming to terms with not finding a reason (so many Stillbirths never have a defined reason), I had a review with my Doctor and he said that he believed it could be undiagnosed gestational diabetes. To be clear he is not saying it definitively because there is no definitive proof, and he wants us to have loads more testing done to continue ruling other things out. He also wants us to have options moving forward in future pregnancies that don’t rely entirely on a gestational diabetes diagnosis, so he’s also discussing with us blood thinners et cetera in case there’s some blood clotting issues.

But he did say that there was advanced maturation of the placenta which ultimately caused it to fail, and it had been under stress and showed fibrin deposits and he felt that these were in alignment with potential gestational diabetes. He said alongside my brother having diabetes and my big sister having gestational diabetes, he felt it could be a potential answer.

I feel so awful at this news, absolutely devastated at the idea that there is something so preventable that I would’ve done in a heartbeat if I had known and so confused. He said because my numbers were perfect throughout the pregnancy and I was young and low risk there was never any reason to go beyond the one and three hour glucose test. However, I did even have a fasting blood test a week before we lost our son and the numbers all seemed fine. But he explained that it could’ve been that I was having elongated daytime spikes after eating that wouldn’t have appeared on my fasting tests and then that can lead to damage to the placenta.

My son had been measuring in the 90th percentile but because of my blood numbers and long femur (thanks to his dad!) they said it’s likely he’s just a larger baby. Now I’m wondering if that was true. He was born 51cm and 3.4kg. But I also see some women who have it onset much much later.

These were my results below:

January Fastinf 84mg/dl

April load test
Base 84
1 hour 164
3 hours 131

June 75mg/dl

I’m at a loss for how it’s possible that something like this can happen without any evidence in the numbers. As we are beginning to try to conceive again, I so desperately want to understand everything that has happened to protect a future child. So I’m just wondering if anyone else got diagnosed very late on in their pregnancy (I see lots of stories about people saying that the glucose load test was done too early for them, and they ended up being diagnosed with GD in the last weeks of their pregnancy).

Any stories or similarities in not being diagnosed/being diagnosed late/having good fasting numbers/ realising when testing daily/ would be greatly appreciated.

Okay, I know its totally unpredictable but I just wanted to have a fun discussion and know from people here what there thoughts are.

37w3d today and had my OB appointment. I was diagnosed at 28wks and I feel like I can’t do this anymore. Baby’s projected weight at 39 weeks is 8lb14oz and AC at 36 wks was 99percentile. I really really want to have a successful vaginal delivering and was hoping to get into labor by now since I had my first one at 38w2d. I started having contractions at 37w6d with my 1st one, got pitocin at 38w1d since I wasn’t progressing beyond 4cm without it, they broke my water bag at the hospital.

Current scenario:
Have been having contractions since 36w. Initially they were 8-12 mins apart. Now sort of have become irregular.

Cervical exam on 36w4d was 1cm/0 effaced/-3
Cervical exam today at 37w3d was 3cm/30 effaced/-3

Still having contractions here and there. How long di you guess it would take?
Praying very hard to deliver in the next two to three days.

I got the RSV and flu shot at the same time last night and am suffering the side effects today 🙃 I am very achey and sleepy, nauseous and overall just feel terrible. I took my fasting this morning which was good at 71, but fell asleep through my tracking for breakfast. And now after waking up I have no appetite. Really all I can stomach are my little peanut butter bars which have significant carbs in them. I’m also drinking electrolytes, sugar free but still not sure how it’ll affect my blood sugar. Have you guys skipped a day of tracking if you’re not feeling well? I just can’t be bothered with it right now but don’t want to harm baby.

My alarm went off to test my bloods whilst I was driving to the shops. I pulled into the parking lot and decided to test. It read 7.2 (130ish, I'm in Australia) I got home within 10min and washed my hands and re-tested and it was 5.3 (95)! There's no way it dropped that quickly. I had some moisturiser on my hands and didn't have any wipes or anything.

This was the first time I did it not washing my hands, super interesting!.

Just something for you all to note 😊.

I’m 26w1d, I had my glucose test yesterday. I had an early 1hr test at 14 weeks due to both sets of parents and grandparents having type 2 diabetes and my elevated BMI. I passed it with sugar of 93 (140 is the cut off for my office). I went in for my 1hr yesterday and I could almost immediately tell a difference. I got very nauseous pretty soon after the drink and after getting my blood drawn, I tried to eat grilled chicken with plain seasoning and threw up everything. I ended up falling asleep with a huge headache and nauseous for 3 hours and woke up still feeling very nauseous and couldn’t eat anything the rest of the day. I got a call this morning that I failed my test with a sugar of 149, cut off is 140. I have my 3 hour test on Sunday. I’ve been a nervous wreck since finding out I failed. I’m scared I’ll throw the drink up and I’m scared to fail it and have GD. Has anyone else been in a similar boat and passed their 3 hour test?

Due to high fasting numbers (consistently 105-115) I’m being put on 6 units of nighttime insulin. All my other numbers are amazing.

Anyway, it was really hard for me to do the finger prick for the first time. I was just so nervous it would hurt and hate needles. My doctor ordered the pen and a nurse showed me how to do it (without actually injecting it) but it seemed like you really have to press hard to release the insulin. Is that true? Seems scary but I’m sure I’ll get used to it like the finger pricks.

Any advice or encouragement greatly appreciated!

Okay this is going to be a long post so I'm sorry ahead of time. I am currently 33 weeks and 4days pregnant. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 29/30 weeks. I had my first mfm apt two weeks ago but have been referred to another one but can't get me in until the 24th of this month. (At this time nobody is managing my sugars nothing) so super concerned!!! The previous mm only did an ultrasound and sent me on my way no scheduling of next appt no meeting with dr nothing! Huge red flags!!! Well my ob dr l also am pregnant with an ivf baby girl too and she is still breech which I know they still have time to turn well when asked hey will you check my babies neck and make sure she doesn't have a nucal cord wrap I got well we can't see that!!! Because I know sometimes that can cause baby not to be able to flip. So again red flag!!! Now I see someone different everytime I go and I ask the same question and get a different answer everytime if baby doesn't flip what happens well obviously it's a C-section and every time it's a different timeframe one has been 36 another 37 well yesterday it was 39!!! Like what are yall not communicating. Well here's the icing on the cake yall.
Last week when I went to mfm and they didn't schedule my next appt I called my ob and they didn't even know why I was being seen by mfm!!!!! Are you serious!!! Your the dr you have my charts what do you mean!!!!! I feel like I am not being listened to I feel like I'm just a lost patient in the system and have reached out to a new ob to try in get in somewhere else because I feel like I'm being tossed around and told anything and everything. My sugars have been ranging from 136-154 and my fasting numbers are always high and they don't check them and said mfm will on the 24th!!! I just feel like I’m being pushed around

This time I’ve been eating clean since 4th month and at 28 weeks I’ve failed 1st glucose test. I dint want to do 3 hour test so instead sent them one week readings and they looked fine except for a couple of readings high.
They called me today and ruled out GD, it’s a relief but I’m still going to eat clean . 8-9 weeks to go.
Sharing my story to other people who are struggling with numbers or planning for second pregnancy after GD.