Hey there everyone....just a quick question because I'm really confused.

I had gestational diabetes with my last baby (he is 2yr old now) and was mainly diet controlled but needed insulin at night to get my fasting numbers under control.

Fast forward to now. I've had 2 GTT's and they both came back normal/low and my last A1C was about a year ago and was 4.8

I've lost about 80lbs since having the baby and have been more active. I do keep a watch on my BS's and do random testing every other month or so because I know I'm at an increased risk for type 2.

This last week my fastings have been higher than I'd like to see. I know I should be under 100. This last week I've been consistently between 112-117. I did a few checks after meals and they are all fine though...typically in the lower 90's to 112 or so.

Should I assume all is okay still because after meals my numbers are fine?

I've gone through this before and by the time I get 4 kids off to school and then to the docs office for a fasting BS it comes up as normal (under 100) when I KNOW that same morning, before all the running around, I was at 115 or so.

Any advice for this novice?

Merryway,
It sounds as if you may be pre-diabetic (insulin-resistant, impaired glucose tolerance...whatever you want to call it, they all mean the same thing.)

You're obviously aware that women who've had gestational diabetes are at increased risk for developing T2 later on. You've done some very good things to avoid this...losing weight, getting more active. You may want to get another A1c, just to be sure, but it looks as if you just need to keep on doing what you've been doing (staying active, losing more weight if needed) and keep a close eye on things.

Ruth

Thanks for your response Ruth!

So if it is pre-diabetes, is the most common form of treatment just watching diet and exercising and checking BS regularly?

If so, would I need to see anyone about this immediately? I do have a physical coming up in the next 3 months and I'm assuming as long as I don't see any alarming numbers, I'll be fine waiting till then to address this with a doctor.

As a gestational diabetic I was told to test 1 hour after the start of a meal and my number should be under 140 at that point. I know that they are a bit more strict with pregnant women though. What levels would I be looking to stay under as a non-pregnant person?

Goals vary somewhat from person to person, but a good guideline is that put out by the Joslin Diabetes Center. Their goals are as follows (I've listed ranges for both non-diabetics and diabetics):

For non-diabetics:

Fasting: <100

Before lunch, dinner
or snack: <110

Two hours after
a meal: <140

Bedtime: <120

A1C: <6%

For diabetics, the goals are as follows:

Fasting: 90-130

Before lunch, dinner
and snack: 90-130

Two hours after
a meal: <160

Bedtime: 110-150

A1c: 7% or less

Yes, I do think it's fine to wait until your physical to address this, because your numbers are not yet in the range where they'd treat with anything other than diet and exercise anyway. At the time or your physical, you may want to ask for a referral to a registered dietician for advice on managing carbohydrate intake.

Unfortunately, Merryway, T2 is sometimes a progressive disease and no matter what you do, it gets worse. That's not true for everyone, and I'm certainly not trying to spread "doom and gloom", but I do want to encourage you to do everything you can to keep it under control while, at the same time
not beating yourself up if it progresses to the point where you need meds. If you're really working at it (and it sounds like you are, indeed!), it could take many years to progress even to the point of needing oral meds. But you are SO wise to be on top of it now!

Ruth