Ep. 9 - A personal GDM experience with Chloe - Share Your Story

A personal experience with Gestational Diabetes from diagnosis to 23 weeks. From confusion with the diagnosis, to uncertainty with foods & glucose levels. Very limited education & support adds to the challenges of enjoying pregnancy while trying to navigate GDM. This episode highlights the importance of speaking up & getting further opinions when things don't make sense. Chloe shares her story in the hope of helping other women feel less alone & more confident to ask questions. Thank you Chloe for sharing this with us! Some reputable resources below to help women find reliable information.

National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) Link

https://www.ndss.com.au/about-diabetes/gestational-diabetes/

Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS)

https://www.adips.org/information-for-consumers-accepted.asp

://www.adips.org/downloads/ADIPS%20-%20Life%20After%20GDM.pdf

Credentialled Diabetes Educator

Jaimee Paniora's contact 

https://real-i-dealhealth.com/

admin@real-i-dealhealth.com

Also on Facebook & Instagram 

Transcript

Jaimee 0:10

Hi everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Diabetes in the Raw. If you can hear a little, uh, noise in the background, I've got a sick bubble in my lap today, so excuse that. But I think you are pretty used to it. Today, we've got a special guest, who's currently going through gestational diabetes, so I did a really quick episode. Uh, well, the last episode was a quick one just on what gestational diabetes is and a little bit about why Haley and I wanted to talk about it. And today we had an opportunity to get someone on who's currently going through gestational diabetes. So Chloe, welcome to the podcast. Thanks for joining us.

Chloe 0:46

Thank you, Jamie.

Jaimee 0:47

It's probably gonna be a quick one, but I just thought, we would go through a little bit about how Chloe found out about her diagnosis and her experience with that, and also just a bit about how it's all been going, how she's feeling, how the education process has been, what could be possibly done better, things like that. And. Haley will jump on probably in the next episode and talk about her experiences. So we know there's, different experiences for everyone, and this is just one of them. So let's get into it. Chloe, how many weeks pregnant are you now?

Chloe 1:21

Um, 23 weeks?

Jaimee 1:23

weeks. And can you remember how many weeks you were when you were diagnosed?

Chloe 1:27

Yes. Uh, I was only six weeks, which is quite early, I believe.

Jaimee 1:31

Yeah. Yeah. So, have, you got a family history of diabetes or anything like that, that increased your risk?

Chloe 1:37

Yes. Uh, my family have both type one and type two in there.

Jaimee 1:41

Okay. So you did have the increased risk and probably one of the factors as to why you were tested early on. how did you learn about your diagnosis? Do you wanna just run us through a little bit about, cuz I know some of the background and that's why you're an interesting case to get on. So do you wanna tell us, you know, who did the testing, and how will that sort of happened?

Chloe 2:03

Yep. So the initially when you find out you're pregnant, you when you go to your gp, they just do that bulk lot of blood tests to test everything. And my levels came back slightly elevated. my GP said that it was. Fine. But I, at the time, I was also seeing a private obstetrician, who also got the results. Um, when I went and saw him the next time,, he said that it, you know, it wasn't fine and it's not okay. So it does need, further, investigation. So he sent me for really delicious drink, Jamie,

Jaimee 2:44

Are the oral glucose tolerance test.

Chloe 2:47

Yes, he sent me for that. and that's when the results came back positive for that as well.

Jaimee 2:53

Okay, so that was your private, obstetrician that sent you for the follow up

Chloe 2:58

Yes, it was. Yeah.

Jaimee 3:00

and what, and what had the GP said in regards to follow up from those initial bloods?

Chloe 3:05

Um, so wait to do the, the drink one. What is it?

Jaimee 3:10

The oral glucose tolerance test, we just say O G T T cuz it's easier, but it's that, yeah, it's that big 75 gram hit of glucose, that green, very thick liquid stuff.

Chloe 3:21

Yeah. Delicious. So, um, we were just gonna wait to do that at the normal time that you do it during pregnancy, which is what, about 28 weeks, I

Jaimee 3:29

Yay. Somewhere between 24 and 28. Yep.

Chloe 3:32

yeah. So that was the initial plan. Um, just. just to wait, um, until then and see what that came back, because it was too early to tell. Um, yeah. So I, yeah, was stuck in the middle there for a little bit.

Jaimee 3:47

Yeah, and that's not an uncommon scenario actually to be, you know, told different things from different healthcare professionals as well. okay, so you went and did that, and then the results came back, and who then told you that that oral glucose tolerance test was positive or what happened from there?

Chloe 4:05

Well, funny story. I got the results from my GP again as it was over, kind of over the early Christmas period, and my obstetrician was away for a little bit. Um, so I went back to my GP and got the results. Um, and I get always get my results printed off and just have a little folder just on the off chance that it doesn't, um, get sent to, you know, all the places that you go.

Jaimee 4:29

for the, for listeners. That's a great idea.

Chloe 4:32

Yeah. So I, I've got him to um, I've got my GP to print it off on me and I just had it. He said it was all good. Um, it was only slightly. and I just happened to look at it, and it, and the conclusion on the actual results themselves sets consistent with gestational diabetes. and then, yeah, it just, you know, made, made me wonder and where to from here?

Jaimee 4:57

That's crazy. I, I've heard that a lot. Oh, it's just slightly high. This happens with gestational diabetes, n type two. But there are clear criteria as to whether you were. diagnosed with it or not. And as you said, the test itself said that you were so not a great experience from the start, but luckily for you, you were proactive enough to follow up. So what happened from there? Because, I know you've gotta get signed up to the N D S S so that you can get all your test strips and all that, subsidized, so.

Chloe 5:30

Yep. So I reached out to a, private. Diabetes educator, that I know. And, I just asked for their opinion essentially and what I needed to do, um, from there. And if it's something that could wait, if I needed to follow it up urgently, they, you know, recommended that I do get on top of it sooner rather than, so they signed me up, um, and just, you know, gave me the resources that I needed to, to get on top of.

Jaimee 6:05

That's crazy, isn't it? Like first pregnancy, no idea what to sort of believe and trust you. You got results saying one thing, a GP saying another. but yeah. Good on you for following up. So how have you gone since then in terms of diabetes management and that, um, diet medication? You wanna talk a little bit about what's happened since you. Diagnosis.

Chloe 6:29

Yeah. so I was put on insulin it. This would've only been. Be a week or two after, um, I was put on insulin, started off a real, low dose, um, just monitored my levels, you know, in fasting levels and after meals, et cetera. and yeah, just slowly increased my insulin intake wise. That's probably been the most difficult part of all this is it's, it's hard knowing what's okay and what's not okay to. And then on top of all that, you know, you've got what you can eat during pregnancy and then can't eat during pregnancy, and then you've got the gestational diabetes on top of that just to make it a little bit more tricky. Um, and then I also struggled a lot with,, morning sickness as well, so that really limited my options. And then, you know, came the guilt of, of the diabetes and. The food, like anything that went in my mouth, I was just, you know, had no idea what it was going to be doing to my baby, more so than me. But, um, yeah, it's just, it was, it was hard. And there's, a lot of, oh, still is hard. Still will be hard for a couple more months there.

Jaimee 7:52

Yeah, because you, you become more resistant as your pregnancy progresses, which, which you've probably read and heard, but it's normal to need more insulin. But that can mean that your diet also, you know, what worked at 12 weeks, may not work at 16 weeks, may not work at 24 weeks. So, and, and tell us you didn't even get a dietician or you still haven't had a dietician consult in.

Chloe 8:16

No, no, I'm still, I have not,, had that service as of. I do have another appointment, coming up about, uh, 26 weeks. So in a couple of weeks I've got another appointment. this will be the first in face appointment besides my private ultrasounds that I've, that I've had. So this will be my first in yes, in Victoria. So my first in clinic consultation will be around that 27 weeks.

Jaimee 8:43

Yeah, it's crazy. I mean, it's the covid thing that's still impacting and in my pregnancy with type one diabetes, I think I had maybe three face-to-face consults as well and all quite late. So it's crazy. I hate to relate. Any type of diabetes. But I do hear a lot, and I can say it cuz I've got type one that, you know, gestational diabetes has an end point. So, you know, why do women complain about the strictness of the diet and that? But on the flip side, you have suddenly given this diagnosis, one day you don't have diabetes. The next you do, and at the same time you're growing a baby. and you don't know anything about it. So you're on this massive learning curve. You've gotta suddenly will potentially cha suddenly change your diet. Maybe take pills, maybe take insulin. it's a huge thing, so you can't relate the two, but I, I can understand how difficult it must be. And so what have you found the biggest burden and the biggest challenge? I guess? I mean, there's probably heaps of challenges.

Chloe 9:48

biggest, biggest challenge is definitely the food side of things. I mean, as just a, a average person with, just standard knowledge of nutrition, et cetera. It's, I mean, I don't know, like I, I, I'll just admit it. I, I don't really know what. you know what's good and what's bad. Obviously you go to a ba, a bakery and you, you know, if you're getting a donut, that's not great, but it's all the stuff that you think is okay. You know, like yoga and all that stuff. You think, I, I wouldn't think of yoga to be a bad thing, but then you, you know, you look, look into it and when you start looking into it because you have to, you're going, oh, that's not as good as I actually thought it was.

Jaimee 10:32

Yeah, and how many different yogurts are there as well. And it's not really about whether it's being, it's good or bad, but it's the impact it has on your glucose level as well sometimes. But the fact that you haven't had a dietician appointment makes that even harder. And part of the reason for this podcast is for other women to hopefully share their experience but not feel so alone because you are one of so many stories where I've heard about the diagnosis not even being. They're not getting the appropriate education and follow up. If you were in just the public health service, you would probably have gone through all the avenues of the appropriate education, and it can get tricky when you start with the gp. You've got a private. Obstetrician. Yeah. Then you go through a hospital like, you know, there was a few things that we're gonna make that harder, but the fact that you then tried to follow up and you are now in with a hospital who has a diabetes service and you still haven't had dietician, like even a telehealth or a, or a phone call can all be done. So where are you getting, where are you getting a lot of your information from? How have you found it accessible? Easily accessible.

Chloe 11:44

I've found a couple of, um, you know, reliable sources on Instagram. There's a couple, couple pages I follow and whatnot. Um, I also, you know, on Google, you Google something and you can get 10 conflicting answers. So that was also difficult at the start, you know? what's, what's okay and what's not okay. So I've, narrowed it down to a few pretty reliable sources

Jaimee 12:11

and We will post those links for some of those reliable sources like Diabetes Australia, the National Diabetes Services Scheme. there's, there's other big, you know, like the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society. You know, I'll put all of this up, in the links and that's a huge reason we are doing this, is to help women hopefully find resources that can help them, but also, give them the confidence to probably follow up like you did. And I know you've had a really hard time because you mentioned that the gp, you sort of felt guilty asking the GP for follow up in some scenarios because you said there's nothing to worry about and your levels were just a little bit high.

Chloe 12:55

Yeah. Yeah. Absolut. Felt guilty. I,, one, one of the appointments I went back to kind of question everything and just, um, you know, not, not question him, but just question whether what we were doing was the right thing for me. And I actually made my sister come with me cuz I was too nervous to go alone. and yeah, it was just, it was a horrible feeling to have to, you know, Second guess his opinion. Um, you know, he's a professional opinion. It was just, I just, it wasn't sitting right with me.

Jaimee 13:31

And you don't, and you don't like offending people and you just, you're not alone with that either. You know, even Haley's spoken about her experiences with her boys and healthcare professionals. My boys are very loud breather and he's asleep. I do apologize so, you know, I'm so grateful that you've got the confidence to jump on and share this. I know we've been talking about it for a long time, but it's because I've heard so much of your story from other women as well, and it just, there's so much work needed in this space to help women feel more supported. At the time of diagnosis, it's a really difficult time. I reckon 50% of women that learn about their diabetes are probably in tears on the phone or in that consult when they're told. And then the other who, who knows how many go home and cry and there's just not a huge amount of support. And, and those attitudes where, oh, it's just, it's just during pregnancy. And it's, that's a great way to look at it in that by the, at the end of pregnancy, most people will not have diabetes. You'll go on and you'll get a glucose tolerance test after baby's born, to make sure that your glucose levels have gone back to normal. But I just, I just feel I'm super passionate about trying to make this space, you know, easier for women. Um, so I'm just grateful that you've confident enough to jump on and if after your baby's born or closer to the end of your pregnancy, if you would jump on again, that would be amazing cuz I reckon you probably helped at least five women today, you know, feel less alone. And that's what this diabetes in the Roar is about.

Chloe 15:13

Yeah, no, absolutely. Um, now I've done it. I'm okay.

Jaimee 15:17

Yeah. Yeah. And it's not too scary. Um, so is there anything else, you would want to say to people out there who might be going through? I'd say it's been a pretty negative experience for you, and I know it can take away from the enjoyment of pregnancy as well.

Chloe 15:36

Yeah, absolutely.

Jaimee 15:37

Yeah. Yeah.

Chloe 15:39

absolutely. I mean, I just, I feel like I'm so focused on the diabetes part of it that it, I'm just forgetting, you know, there is actually a human growing inside of me and that it is, you know, a beautiful thing and it's gonna be all over it. Not long, but I'm just so focused on the diabetes part of it that I, I do feel like I'm missing out.

Jaimee 16:04

Yeah.

Chloe 16:04

Not enjoying parts of it that I should, should enjoy, but all, all I can say is, you know, if get a second opinion, get a third opinion. If you, if you feel like something is not right, or if you're, you're not happy with it, you're. You know, you deserve, deserve a second or third opinion and, not to feel ashamed or anything that, you know, you might offend your GP or whatnot. I mean, I'm sure they're offended, I'm sure they're offended a lot. Um, but I also, you know, my gp, if I, if I had any issues and didn't bring it up with him, he would be horrified if he found.

Jaimee 16:46

Yeah.

Chloe 16:47

you know, just have that open conversation, and do what you need to do to get the support and get the help that you need to get through it.

Jaimee 16:56

Yeah. And the beauty, you know, the beautiful thing now since Covid, out of all the negativity, you know, you can find someone that you gel with and, it may be hard, but you know, you wouldn't have had that oral glucose tolerance test, that beautiful drink you keep talking about until what, next week and you would've been running high. With glucose levels for the first half or more of your pregnant, more than half of your pregnancy, while your baby's developing. and you know, the evidence is always changing. The research is changing. And it's not to say that in another year or two years or five years, that the, the criteria won't change and the target glucose levels won't change. But, you know, I guess you just wanna find reliable information and, and look after yourself and baby as much as you can. So,

Chloe 17:44

Absolutely. That's, that's all, all you want,, as a soon to be mum, as you're just prioritizing that baby, um, from the minute that you, you know, from the minute that you plan for it to even be there. That's, that's all you focus on. So, you just need to do what you need to do to do that.

Jaimee 18:02

Yeah. And because the other, the other conflicting information you've had is the target glucose levels even now, isn't it? And, and so women aren't confused. There are sort of two criteria or two guidelines out there, and it can be a bit dependent on how overloaded the service is, to be honest, because unfortunately we just can't, give everyone the support and education and that they need with. The lower target glucose levels. So sometimes services might go back to the older guidelines. so if you are getting conflicting information there again, it's just about probably following up and, and asking questions and not feeling scared to do that. And then looking at the, the resources. which we will put in the show notes as well. But yeah, ask questions if you're not sure if it's not sitting right. As Chloe said, I think find someone you're comfortable to talk to, about it. And pregnancy is, is not something that waits. So yeah, it's all about finding someone.

Chloe 19:04

If you don't wanna do it for you, like I didn't wanna do it for me, do it. Do it for the baby.

Jaimee 19:09

Yeah, and you know, out of gestational diabetes, a lot of positives can come and,, you know, the stuff that you learn about nutrition and, and glucose levels and how your body works, you can take forward from pregnancy and use it to help reduce your baby's risk of developing type two and your risk of developing type two diabetes. and just take some of those healthy changes through with you. There are some positives for sure, but it's very hard to see them sometimes when you've got so many other things going on and conflicting messages and yeah, so feel for you all.

Chloe 19:46

no, I think there's, this is definitely going to be a lifestyle change for me and, any future pregnancies hopefully won't, won't be a problem if I can minimize that risk. So, um, yeah, one, once this is all over, it'll be, it'll be great and a big learning curve for everyone.

Jaimee 20:04

Your husband's learned a lot through the process too, hasn't he? So it can be a big family learning curve and family change and type one diabetes results in the same thing. You know, it's not, it's not that you could eat one thing and the rest of the family eats something else. And I know you've got scenarios where that's happening. Um, and I guess during pregnancy, that's an extreme circum. But you shouldn't have to feel completely deprived and just be eating chicken, rice, and vegetables every night or anything like that. There's my sick little man,

Chloe 20:36

No, we, yeah, definitely. He definitely, he's, um, learned a lot and, you know, a hundred percent supportive. And if I served him chicken and rice every night with vegetables, he would be eating chicken and rice.

Jaimee 20:48

Good man. He is a good man. The marriage will last Aw. All right. I shall let you go. Thank you so much again. We'll get you on,, yeah, hopefully towards the end of your pregnancy you should towards, you know, delivery date, but you never can predict these things. So we'll see how we go and if we miss that, then we'll get you one afterwards when you've got spare time and we'll have two babies in the background.

Chloe 21:12

can have two loud babies in the background. Sounds great,

Jaimee 21:14

Yeah, All right, Chloe. Thanks again. Take care.

Chloe 21:20

Bye, Jamie