What does the finger prick feel like?

[mommylamb]

amldaley- Another thing you might want to think about is the kind of soap you're using. Maybe that's why you got such a whacked out reading after dinner yesterday. They told me not to use and scented soaps or lotions. Over the weekend, I needed to do my after breakfast check and I wasn't at a place where I could wash my hands (had to do it in the car) so I used purell. Well, I got a 190 reading. Rushed home and washed my hands and retested and it was 121. Turns out the purell I had in the car was lemon scented, and I'm pretty sure it totally messed up that reading.

[amldaley]

I've got this book to help me keep track of the carbs in things: http://www.amazon.com/CalorieKing-Ca...3267619&sr=8-1

According to the book, a 7 oz baked potato is 42 carbs on its own. 7 oz, is not a very big baked potato. I'm borrowing a food scale and measuring everything. To give you an example, the apple I brought to work for a snack today about 7 oz (I weighed it this morning and I probably won't eat the whole thing), so your potato was likely bigger than that. My dinner carb allotment is 56-65 carbs, so you might have been in that range regardless, but you didn't have protein at the same time. The protein helps with the absorption of the glucose (or so I'm told). Also, that range is based on my pre-pregnancy weight and age, so who knows what it is for you.

I will admit that I never get up as far as the range I've been given for dinner carbs though. I'm usually in the 40s. Last night I had some white meat roasted chicken, kale, 2/3 cup of quinoa, which is 36 carbs, and 1/2 cup of sugar-free chocolate pudding made with whole milk, which is 13 carbs, for a total of 49 carbs for my dinner. FTR, my dietician said not to even bother trying to count carbs in green leafy veggies, even though they do have a minimal amount, so I didn't even look up the kale. It was actually a lot of food and I felt really full, but my blood sugar was just 107 (though I did do the stairs after dinner).

I have a much harder time in the mornings for the fasting level and the after breakfast test. I've never had a fasting level under 90 in the week I've been doing this. So, your 115 level is about where I am every day. I think if I go on meds, it will be because of that. The dietician told me that the main driver of the fasting level is just your hormones, and while eating the before bed snack helps, it doesn't necessarily help enough.

I'm sure this must be much harder for you as a vegetarian than it is for me. Beans are good though. 1/2 a cup of canned pinto beans are just 19 carbs, and they've got a lot of fiber and protein in them. I can't seem to find tofu in that book, so I don't know how much that is without looking at a package. And, I totally get the difficulty of fitting in the exercise. My DH is here, and my DS is older than your DD anyway, so it's not as big of a deal for me to do the stairs in my house for a little while after dinner. And so far I haven't swelled up at all. I'm worried about getting the exercise in as I get closer to my due date. Just over 9 weeks to go.

Thank you so much for all the details! I am going to order that book RIGHT NOW.

I did okay with breakfast - I was 121 at 100 minutes after. So I think if I had waited until 120 minutes I could have been at 120 or less. I just did cheese as a snack. I have to get to the grocery store today. I am used to doing rice or potato for dinner. I have quinoa handy so that will be dinner tonight..with some brussels sprouts. And some frozen white fish. Hopefully, DD will eat it, too! I have to do dairy free for her, so this is going to get confusing! I have 11 weeks to go...I can do anything I have to do for 11 weeks.

[amldaley]

amldaley- Another thing you might want to think about is the kind of soap you're using. Maybe that's why you got such a whacked out reading after dinner yesterday. They told me not to use and scented soaps or lotions. Over the weekend, I needed to do my after breakfast check and I wasn't at a place where I could wash my hands (had to do it in the car) so I used purell. Well, I got a 190 reading. Rushed home and washed my hands and retested and it was 121. Turns out the purell I had in the car was lemon scented, and I'm pretty sure it totally messed up that reading.

I was thinking the same thing. We don't use scented stuff, but I was using the alcohol swabs and maybe it wasn't dry all the way? They also told me not to use hand sanitizer at all. I used just plain, unscented soap and water after breakfast today.

[amldaley]

Ha! I washed with soap and water and tested exactly 2 hours post lunch and it was 84. So, a little "low" but at this rate, isn't that better than through the roof?

I had a 6" whole wheat egg and cheese sub from Subway. No meat. Healthy veggies. No dressings or mayo. I looked it up and it was 42 grams of carbs.

Now I am having yogurt with fruit as my snack...30 grams.

I WILL GET THE HANG OF THIS!

But back to that little prick...I was suddenly reminded that I have nerve damage in one of my fingers from cutting it years ago...that did NOT feel good! I will NOT be testing on THAT finger again!

[sdrew99]

Good luck! Not sure if this has been mentioned or not, but there are meters that you can use alternate site testing on your forearm.

My 5 year old is a Type 1 diabetic, so we prick his little fingers 10 times a day - he actually doesn't even feel it anymore - I can prick him while he's sleeping and he doesn't even flinch! You get callouses after awhile, but if you're only doing it for a week, hopefully it won't be so bad. I check my blood sugar every once in awhile and, boy... it does sting! Shake your hands a bit before you do it, and warm them up to get good blood flow. Also, if your fingers are sore, rub Aquaphor on them at night - that's what we do with my little guy.

[amldaley]

Good luck! Not sure if this has been mentioned or not, but there are meters that you can use alternate site testing on your forearm.

My 5 year old is a Type 1 diabetic, so we prick his little fingers 10 times a day - he actually doesn't even feel it anymore - I can prick him while he's sleeping and he doesn't even flinch! You get callouses after awhile, but if you're only doing it for a week, hopefully it won't be so bad. I check my blood sugar every once in awhile and, boy... it does sting! Shake your hands a bit before you do it, and warm them up to get good blood flow. Also, if your fingers are sore, rub Aquaphor on them at night - that's what we do with my little guy.

Awww...how can I complain when reminded there are 5 year olds out there dealing with it!!!! Thanks for the tips. I have read that winter time + use of the alcohol swabs = dry finger tips and harder to stick. Had not thought of callouses!

My insurance does not cover the forearm meter for GD. But shaking the hands is a good idea!

[egoldber]

FWIW, there are almost always deals to be had where you can get the monitor itself for free. They make their money on the testing strips. Check the weekly ads for the major drugstores. Will your insurance cover any brand test strips or only certain brands?

(I used to work for one of the major manufacturers of blood glucose monitoring systems.)

[amldaley]

FWIW, there are almost always deals to be had where you can get the monitor itself for free. They make their money on the testing strips. Check the weekly ads for the major drugstores. Will your insurance cover any brand test strips or only certain brands?

(I used to work for one of the major manufacturers of blood glucose monitoring systems.)

I get everything for free if I use the one they select. If not, I have to pay anywhere from $4-$22 per month.

I am not having too hard of a time right now with the fingers but will keep this in mind! My biggest issue is that I work in a FILTHY condemned building, so even washing my hands doesn't feel "clean". But I think I can manage for awhile!

[egoldber]

And again, FWIW, all these products are tested with the typical consumer in mind and they should all work well enough even if your hands are not that clean. There are some specific products that may interfere with the technology, but those should be specifically spelled out in the owner's manual.

[amldaley]

And again, FWIW, all these products are tested with the typical consumer in mind and they should all work well enough even if your hands are not that clean. There are some specific products that may interfere with the technology, but those should be specifically spelled out in the owner's manual.

lol....I did not even think about the cleanliness affecting the reading...though I have read that handling certain substances can affect it, etc. I thought it was about preventing infection at the stick/prick/injection site!! I am so paranoid about infection as it takes me forever to heal!