Pregnancy Hypoglycemia Problem

[Pompadour]

Hello to everyone! I read this forum for some time and now i need advises and maybe someone has experience with problems like mine.

I am pregnant (26th week) and feel problems with sugar regulation. I am 37 yo and this is my first pregnancy. My mom's father had diabetes and my mother have PCOS. I also had always problems with sugar regulation and stress hormons. Once i had antybodies to islet cells in my labs wich was scary. My diet was never heavy PUFA and almost the whole my life i eat no junk food. Mostly i ate low to moderate glycemic index carbs.

During this pregnancy (about 2 weeks ago) i had an episod of high blood pressure that persisted two days. Since then i started to feel sugar problems almost every day. After high -sugar meals i feel lasy and sleepy and in an hour or two i feel all the symptoms of hypoglycemia. And it scares me seriously.

For now i take Centrum multi vitamins and probiotics (L.reuteri, L.casei - they show to help with sugar issues).
I eat salt and sugar to taste. More then 2250kcal daily: 267 g of carbs , 81g of fats (about 10g of PUFA), 130g proteins. I use Cronometer - and it doesn't show any lack of vitamins or minerals.

Next week i go again to my doctor. And i will have glucose tolerance test. I am afraid to have gestational diabetes and to have to take medicaments for it

So this week i started to eat more cinnamon bark powder and i want to start biotin 15 mg per day. But unfortunatelly i can't find in pubmed any tests with pregnancy diabetes. SO i am afraid if this can be not helpfull or dangerous for me.

By the way, last ultrasound (at 23th week) showed that my baby-girl is a little bigger than she should be... So my doctor tells me already that i am eating too much sweets. As to me myself, i have gained so far 9 kg of weight.

Please , help with any advice! I am just scared and don't know what to do to prevent too high glucose readings in my glucose tolerance test. Just want to do my best to have healthy me and my preciuos baby...

 

[schultz]

This might help make you feel a little better.


KIM GREENHOUSE: Did you say sugar and progesterone?

RAY PEAT: Yah, for example Zamenhof was the person who discovered that a chicken's embryo brain grew rapidly as long as there was still glucose present inside the egg. And he found that the brain stopped growing as soon as the supply of glucose in the egg ran out; even though there was still a lot of energy food (the polyunsaturated fat or saturated fat), there was still enough for the body to keep growing, but the brain stopped when the glucose ran out. So, at that number of days of development, he would open the eggshell and inject a little bit of glucose or other food that was equivalent to glucose and showed that it didn't affect the body size very much, because all chickens had enough fat in the egg for the body to grow, but the brains kept growing because of the added glucose to the egg. And the chickens were born with uniquely large brains for a chicken and they were smarter than ordinary chickens.

KIM GREENHOUSE: How do we process what you’ve just said, cause it can be confusing for us?

RAY PEAT: Obstetricians, as recently as old people that I knew, old doctors in the 1970’s were still aware of the fact that their so-called diabetic mothers very often had extremely precocious babies. I talked to one woman who was told to go on a reducing diet because of her previous pregnancies. She had had very high blood sugar, and I asked her how that baby had turned out. She said, "Oh, he taught himself to read when he was two years old. When he was four he was already wearing adult hat sizes”, which is basically an extension of what Zamenhof demonstrated with chicken embryo development. Sugar is the limiting factor, usually, in brain development. In the 1970’s, doctors were looking for new diseases to treat, and diabetes was extended to include the very completely new concept of gestational diabetes. And where a 130 blood sugar had been considered very healthy for a pregnant woman, they now wanted to restrain the level of blood sugar during pregnancy. And they started calling it a disease. “gestational diabetes”, that really was just a healthy pregnancy in most cases.

 

[Pompadour]

This might help make you feel a little better.

Definitely it does! Thank you very much for this quote.
But i feel very bad some days and worry , that it can be bad for baby also. Also this episode of high blood pressure scares me because of the risk of preeclampsia etc.

And i wonder, how to react when my results of glucose tolerance test will be too high for my gynecologie- doctor.

For now i try to get prepared to this test. As per Brewer's diet i try to eat not less than 250g of carbs daily (and i watch for enough protein and salt very carefully). I've also started today biotin supplementation. I start with 5 mg and maybe get it to 15 mg daily. Maybe it will make my situation better.

 

[noordinary]

For now i try to get prepared to this test.

@Pompadour as far as i know this test is optional and not mandatory (at least in the US). You can opt out.
Your OBGYN's strategy probably will be to scare you into the test by bringing up a list of complications and pathologies associated with gestational diabetes.
More responsible way may (if you opt out of the test) be for you to monitor your blood glucose using glucose monitor (for example 3 times daily 2 hours after the meal for a week) and provide the results to your OBGYN.
Looks like the test is stressing you out already, is the stress worth it? But facing your OBGYN (or the nurse) if you refuse the test will be stressful as well.
Maybe you partner could support you and come with you to the visit and talk to the doctor instead? When i had remodeling going on in my house my boyfriend did all the hard talk with contractors and saved my sanity (not like this is the same as pregnancy lol),

Anyways, consult with your doctor, this is not a medical advice.

 

[Pompadour]

@noordinary, thank you for advice! I think i will make a test and then , if the results will be bad, i will talk to the doctor about monitoring my glucose levels at home before making a decision to take medicaments against high sugar.

Since last july we live in Germany with my husband (7 months ago moved from Russia). So both are not too good in german language yet and i don't know what tests are mandatory. Also of course sometimes i have hard times to understand the OBGYN properly or explain something to her. My hubby is always with me by doctors but also not too good in german language. But we do our best not to be just a victims and to fight for our interests.

 

[Pompadour]

Well, i got my results... By phone the nurse sayed , that i have low iron and must start to take it and that my glucose toleranz test is not good. Glucose is "a little higher" as it should be... Now i need to make another test , wich is taken for 2 hours and they take glucose 3 times.
I am very sad to tell the truth... i just don't know what to do now. Maybe i should make this test also and to see what happening. I had bad glucose control before pregnancy and it was not too surprising to know that these results are not super too...

The bad thing is that they don't tell the exact results by phone ... So i don't even know exactly what is happenning. I am afraid that i will have to take Metformin or Insulin...

By the way , last two weeks i feel myself good ... rather calm and no episodes of high blood pressure. The baby last friday was of good size - not too big or little - just in the middle of the referense sizes.

PS Since last week i've started taken biotin - 5mcg daily. Don't know if it helps... i still can't find any evidence that it is helpfull and safe for gestational diabetes.

 

[schultz]

Glucose is "a little higher" as it should be...

So it's only a little higher? I would be interested in what the actual number is. Why not just decline the second test?

When my wife was pregnant both times we declined almost every test other than a single ultrasound (I am not even sure we needed that either TBH). We went strictly to Midwives as well and had home births (I can't stand hospitals personally). Both our babies were big, which is not surprising since we eat according to Ray's ideas and my wife also took progesterone during both pregnancies. Our 2nd baby, a boy, was 9lbs 8oz. When he was born the midwives wanted to get some of his blood to check for diabetes because of his size. I told them that we didn't need the test. I also declined the vitamin K shot and they looked worried lol. I said the baby can get it through the breast milk assuming the mother gets enough in her diet (I have studies that back this up), or we could apply K2 topically. I am not telling you all this to brag (though I don't hesitate to brag about my wife and children ) but to maybe help you feel as though you don't have to worry so much. It seems like they are stressing you out and I just don't see how that's helpful. Both of my children have turned out fine, even after declining the glucose tolerance test and having large babies. My children are actually insanely healthy and have had no health problems whatsoever and have barely been sick. I don't think any of this would have been possible without Ray Peat. I should really thank him one day.

I am afraid that i will have to take Metformin or Insulin...

Well, they can't make you take them. Both of these drugs would damage your baby so I would definitely not take them. Ray has cautioned against the use of insulin during pregnancy.

 

[Pompadour]

Thank you very much for sharing your experience @schultz!

So it's only a little higher? I would be interested in what the actual number is. Why not just decline the second test?

Finally i 've got the answer by phone! The reference number for 1 hour glucose tolerance test from Lab is <135 mg/ml and i have 140 mg/ml . So it seems not so awful after all - only 5mg difference.

I will try to decline the second - two hour test that they propose. Any way i am too stressed when i come to the doctors. And the thinking about one more glucose drinking after fasting is just freaking me out.

In 4 weeks i have another appointment with the doctor - with ultrasound etc. So wait and see how i will feel myself.

Please, schultz, could you describe your wife's diet a little? I know the principles of Ray Peat's diet and i try to follow them. But it seems that i eat too much of saturated fat. Cronometer shows last 4 weeks 23% Protein (123g), 42% Carbs (243g), 35% Fats (87g - of wich 38g are Mono-. 15g - Poli and 23g - Saturated fats)

I eat normal goat yoghurt and cheese (don't tolerate cow's milk). i choose non-fat cuts of meat but i eat buckwheat bread (make it at home) ... and i love olive oil! (that is why mono- fats are high) . Olive oil helps me a lot against bile stagnation so i don't restrict it... But i am afraid if fats are too high in my diet.

 

[Pompadour]

As i also have low iron in blood and don't like the idea of taking it... I think to try lactoferrin instead . In this paper they come to conclusion, that 100 mg lactoferrin twice daily for 4 weeks is as effective as iron shots.
Lactoferrin plus health education versus total dose infusion (TDI) of low-molecular weight (LMW) iron dextran for treating iron deficiency anemia (... - PubMed - NCBI

 

[saene]

Hello
I am sorry to hear of your troubles. I had a baby 18 months ago and followed mostly ray peat diet/guidelines.
A couple of thoughts, don’t take iron, ray peat says everyone is overloaded and it contributes to neonatal jaundice.
Also if you are having episodes of high blood pressure you may need more salt- should salt to taste with maybe a little extra and adequate protein. Avoid any anti thyroid foods and while i guess you need to be someone careful with sugar based on your medical provider recommendations there are many studies supporting sugar especially fructose for brain development in babies- ray peat has written a lot about this. Finally, consider progesterone supplementations this also aided pregnancy complications and gave babies higher IQs, hope that helps, good luck!

 

[Pompadour]

Thank you very much for advices, @saene!

consider progesterone supplementations

I've never tried progesterone before and i am a little bit scared to start to experiment with it during pregnancy.

As to iron - i've already ordered lactorferrin and it should help to bring iron from tissues to blood as i understand. So i hope it will help me with next blood iron test.

For blood sugar i take 5mg of biotin and also 0,5 tea spoon of cinnamon. And it seems that cinnamon can be helpfull for progesteron also (at least in rats):
Cinnamon-treated dams exhibited no differences in serum insulin, adiponectin, leptin or estradiol levels, although they presented higher serum progesterone.
Cinnamaldehyde potentially attenuates gestational hyperglycemia in rats through modulation of PPARγ, proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress. - PubMed - NCBI

 

[Pompadour]

New month and new fears :) Now i am 40 weeks + 4 days pregnant and so i am considered as overdue and have to go to the hospital every 2 days. Ultrasound scan showed today that my baby girl is already 3,965 kg or 8.7 Lb. It is already too big as doctor says And i am pretty scared to have hard time in labour or to have c-section

Worst of all is that it seems that this baby doesn't seem to want to go out yet. I wonder how big she can grow more .... I am already terrified of complications .

Funny that both me and my hubby was born at 7 month because of preeclampsia of our mothers. And earlier we had fears to have our baby too early. It turns out our baby girl is completely different from us. Now we are scared of being overdue and all this medical interventions that we can face because of this.

I already make a lot to induce labour naturally: raspberry tea, lots of walking, nipple stimulation... i plan to use hubby also as they say as sperm has prostaglandines in it and can help too (i don't like the idea to plan to have sex so technical and not romantic at all).

Maybe someoone knows other ways to call baby out of the womb?

 

[ecstatichamster]

Good luck. Maybe just naked cuddling might help. Synthetic Oxytocin is what they use to induce.

 

[Pompadour]

@ecstatichamster, thank you! I need luck for sure! I've heard about oxytocin - that is why nipple massage can help. In the case if someone will need this info in the future, i leave here some relevant publications about it.

Cervical ripening by breast stimulation. - PubMed - NCBI
In the treatment group, gentle breast stimulation of alternate breasts was performed first for 1.5 hours under monitoring in the hospital and then for three hours daily for three days at home. No uterine hypertonus was detected. It was found that there was a significant change in the Bishop score of 3.96 +/- 1.34 points in the stimulated group as compared with the control group 1.04 +/- 1.03 points.

Breast Stimulation in Low-Risk Primigravidas at Term: Does It Aid in Spontaneous Onset of Labour and Vaginal Delivery? A Pilot Study
The women were advised breast massage of each side for 15 to 20 minutes to be performed three times a day.
Bishop's score changed from 3.12 (±1.01) to 3.9 (±1.08) in control group and from 3.02 (±0.82) to 6.08 (±1.29) in breast stimulation group after one week (P value < 0.0001). The period of gestation at delivery was 39.5 (±2.3) weeks in control group and 39.2 (±2.8) weeks in intervention group (P value: 0.044). There were increased chances of vaginal delivery in intervention group (P value: 0.046).

Effects of breast stimulation for spontaneous onset of labor on salivary oxytocin levels in low-risk pregnant women: A feasibility study
breast stimulation for 3 days with an attendant midwife in a single maternity hospital. Each breast was stimulated for 15 minutes for a total of 1 hour per day. (once daily)
Following a 3-day breast stimulation protocol for spontaneous onset of labor, the mean oxytocin level showed the highest values on day 3.)

Well, i make it for the third day and it is doesn't work yet... But i go on to hope.

 

[ecstatichamster]

there is something good about being induced. You go, you get an IV, you have things ready, and the baby is born. Is it desirable? No. But it isn't all bad either. And no more fetal monitoring and all of that. Move to the next phase.

It is quite possible to have a vaginal delivery in any event.

 

[Pompadour]

@ecstatichamster , you are probably right.... anyway i should keep calm and stay positive. Stress doesn't help in either way.

 

[lollipop]

@ecstatichamster , you are probably right.... anyway i should keep calm and stay positive. Stress doesn't help in either way.

I agree. I am sending you good peaceful thoughts. I also think this baby might know what is best for her/him. I can imagine that the soul wants to stay in such a heavenly place as your loving womb You are a wonderful Mom already. Lucky child. Remember do not lose connection to your inner connection and intuition. Deep inside you know what is correct for you. Talk to the baby’s soul, find out why it late? what does it need? How can you help? Is it afraid? Can you reassure it? Etc. Etc.