Question from Illinois, USA:

I’m 26 years old, having my fourth child and did not have gestational diabetes with my first three pregnancies. I am 30 weeks pregnant now. I have gained over 125 pounds in the last nine years. I started this pregnancy out at 265 pounds and am now at 257 pounds. I was told I had gestational diabetes at 28 weeks with a one hour glucose test result of 136 mg/dl [7.6 mmol/L]. My doctor says I failed and sent me for the three hour test. The results were: fasting – 94 mg/dl [5.2 mmol/L]; one hour – 182 mg/dl; two hours – 124 mg/dl [6.9 mmol/L]; and three hours – 166 mg/dl [9.2 mmol/L]. Why was my three hour blood sugar higher than my two hour blood sugar?

Throughout this entire pregnancy, I would eat and feel hungry about two hours later. I had never had hunger feelings like this. I tested myself in my second month with a glucose monitor and my blood sugar was 71 mg/dl [3.9 mmol/L]. I would shake and get lightheaded so I’d eat and feel better for about two hours, then go through it all again. Why was this happening?

When I was diagnosed at 28 weeks, I was scared that I had diabetes from the beginning of my pregnancy. The doctor did an A1c and it was 4.9 so, I’m not sure that I do or do not have gestational diabetes. I’m confused and angry. My doctor doesn’t know what is going on with my body. They put me on a 2000 calorie diet, but I’m only getting about 1500 calories with the amount of carbohydrates I can have. The feeling that I’m starving has gotten worse.