Avoid getting diabetes (for as long as I can)

Which is great news. I’m also now allowed to use metformin again as it’s safe for breastfeeding.

but only temporarily till I give birth.

My blood sugars should go back to normal levels about 24 hours after that which is still borderline but I really hope that this hasn’t changed anything in the long term.

but the max metformin dose isn’t perfect but this may be due to some ‘sugar-free’ cough mixture I’ve been taking.

Most days are fine but over the past few days there has been a slight increase in blood sugar levels to just over the boundary for some meals. The ‘sugar-free’ cough mixture has glycerol and maltitol which are not supposed to alter blood sugar but for some reason when I’ve taken it my readings are higher.

It also hasn’t helped my cough too much so am stopping and will see how metformin and diet alone works for a few days.

I’m hoping it goes back under the limits.

I’ve now gone from a single metformin tablet to the maximum of 5 per day in just 3 weeks.

I have a healthy diet following the diabetic rules from my dietitian and would love to have just a little chocolate or some rice pudding (the only thing I REALLY want to eat at the moment) but I’m being good. My diet sucks.

I really hope that the diet and increased medication keeps my blood sugar within the range needed for a healthy baby.

If it doesn’t the next stage is insulin :(

So I’ve had to up my blood sugar medication, really tighten up my diet and now I have to test my blood sugar 3 times a day.

I’m seeing the diabetes consultant and diabetes midwife every 2 weeks to check my progress and monitor/change my medication levels.

Apparently this isn’t uncommon for women who had problems with blood sugar pre-pregnancy and after birth blood sugar usually goes back to pre-pregnancy levels really quickly. I hope mine does.

All good again but no real weight loss this time (well a bit of a gain as I’ve been ill so much).

Things went well enough that with my changes to diet and exercise and taking Metformin daily I’m no longer on the prediabetic/diabetic border but the prediabetic/normal border.

She doesn’t need to see me for 12 months now which is really great :)

Overall she was really pleased with me.

1. average blood sugar over past 3 months was 5.7 (needed to be under 7)
2. blood sugar today was 6.2 (the 4.2 in my previous post must be an outlier!)
3. significant (but healthy) weight loss
4. reduction in cholestoral to 4.9 (needed to be under 5)

I’m still on the same (lowest) level of metformin each day and have been asked to carry on as I have been.

All good (and still not yet fully diabetic) :)

I’ve managed mainly through diet and exercise to get my blood sugar down to 4.2 :)

I’ve been waiting for this referral for quite some time now.

There are so many, many things I can’t eat that I’m just no longer interested in food. My appetite is very low (which helps the weight loss no end) because of my attitude towards food now. I used to enjoy it but now eat it because I need to.

The only thing I eat because I like it not because I’m hungry at the moment is popcorn ;) (obviously not salted, not buttered and with only a hint of sucralose!)

I hope to find some fun things from this clinic visit.

I thought I was interpreting the diet advice too strictly but I wasn’t. I had hoped to bring some things back into my diet but that’s not to be – except I’m allowed one teaspoon (no more) of honey each week with natural yogurt and fruit (after a meal). One small victory :)

I’m doing the right thing with my exercise (joining the gym to swim and buying the Wii Fit) which is good.

My blood pressure is back down to my usual healthy low from a recent (stressed) high but I need to reduce my cholesterol a bit – it’s fine for Mrs Average but not for me any more.

I’ve been given some tablets to take – Metformin – that will help reduce my blood sugar (and weight loss too – result!!!)

Let’s see how this goes…